Selectmen Will Send Verizon Non-Compliance Letter If 99 Percent Of Town Doesn't Have FIOS By End of December

For the first part of the meeting, click here. 

8:15 p.m. – John Cunningham, the chairman of the Public Works Committee provided an update.

Regarding consolidation of procurement, the Public Works Committee has worked on combining contracts for things like generators and elevators, saving approximately $10,000 a year, with more staff needed for looking at additional opportunities in the future.

The ongoing facilities conditions survey is also to expected to identify larger and additional procurement consolidation opportunities.

8:19 p.m. – Cunningham said that progress was being made on supporting town engineering needs on project such as the new Flagg Road intersection and the Keyes Brook project.

In the next year, the Public Works Committee wants to look at capital projects and supporting other committees.

8:21 p.m. – In terms of possible consolidation of town buildings, particularly schools, the debate is continuing.

Cost/benefit analysis is needed and additional analysis is needed to oversee custodial maintenance activities. Cunningham mention an app could potentially be used for this.

There’s also a pending facilities condition survey that could potentially identify areas where in-house skills could be used to avoid outsourcing certain things done by the town.

8:26 p.m. – The town and school department has agreed upon consolidating wastewater and storm water management.

There was an identified need to pursue septic system pumping, with the upcoming year expected to bring a cost/benefit analysis for continued consolidation.

Cunningham concluded that his committee is making progress and will continue to pursue a plan begun in March of 2010.

8:29 p.m. – The Selectmen thanked Cunningham, saying that while the initiative was taking longer than thought, it was appreciated.

8:32 p.m. – Town Manager Jodi Ross said that the neighbors near the Vose Parcel will not pursue starting an organization to get a conservation restriction on the property, trusting the town meeting vote from several years ago.

Wormell said that several non-profit groups already held similar trusts in the area, with these groups may potentially being used as alternatives if needed.

One of the neighbors, Brian Skedd, said that the neighbors want to give the Selectmen the green light to put this issue away, saying that the difference between 99 years and “in perpetuity” would be insignificant and that they trust the Conservation Commission in its stewardship of the property.

8:36 p.m. – Tony Vaca and Jim Silva of the Communications Advisory Committee provided an update regarding Verizon’s failure to comply with terms of a license agreement.

Vaca told the board that five years ago negotiations began with Verizon to obtain another source to compete with Comcast.

They would connect all people by aerial means within a year, and due to the complexity of underground connections, that portion would be completed within four years. That deadline was Oct. 27, 2013.

According to their most recent report, 1,040 households are serviced by underground utilities and Verizon has failed to provide underground cable to approximately 702 of those homes.

Vaca said on behalf of Verizon that they recently have made tremendous progress on the buildout.

However, he said that is a two-sided coin, incorporating horizontal drilling methods to not impact newly surfaced roads. If they had provided this emphasis earlier, it would have been completed on time.

8:42 p.m. - Peter Bowman, Vice President in Charge of Government with Verizon then talked to the board.

He said Verizon had a vested interest in finishing the project and that the underground build was done to a manner that was quality and that his company worked in good faith.

Discussions began in April and permits couldn't be reached by June, and by the end of the year, 99 percent of residents will be able to get FIOS.

The exceptions are Vine Brook, which needs coordination with National Grid, Melissa Drive where there were newly paved roads.

He asked the board not to sign the non-compliance letter.

Wormell asked if Verizon was trusted at its word if a non-compliance letter could be sent later. Selectman Jim Sullivan and Peraner-Sweet and Silva said the letter could be sent later.

Silva said in his own opinion, Verizon began slow, but they were kicking it into gear now and asked whether it was worth engaging in legal fees when everything is likely to be done by the end of the year.

Vaca disagreed with 99 percent of the homes getting done by the end of the year.

Peraner-Sweet said that both of them were right.

Sullivan asked if any other roads needed to be opened, with Bowman saying no. Now it’s just cabling, the conduit is in the ground.

Peraner-Sweet said as a possible compromise that the letter could be sent at the end of December.

Selectman Ross asked a question to Bowman saying that the first year there was a focus on the overhead wires and the last year there was a focus on underground, asking what happened in between.

Bowman discussed what Verizon had been doing and talked about confusion on newly paved streets.

Bowman apologized to the board at that point and elaborated further.

Sullivan asked how those two neighborhoods were one percent of the underground customers, with Bowman saying it was one percent of the whole town.

Vaca said that delay would turn back the clock, Peraner-Sweet said she knew, and then Bowman apologized again and said he wants to finish the build and work with the town.

8:55 p.m. – Peraner-Sweet asked the board’s opinion, Sullivan agreed with Peraner-Sweet nominally, Hazelton believed waiting until the end of December was acceptable, Wormell was okay with waiting as long as no rights were lost.

Technically Verizon would have until the Selectmen’s first meeting in January.

No motion was taken because no action was taken. The item was tabled until January, with a letter of non-compliance to be sent in January.

Kelly Ross made a motion to pass the non-compliance letter now, which failed 3-2 (Wormell and Ross voting for the letter now.)