CC Council hears Broadband option

By Thomas Nelson, tnelson@charlescitypress.com

The Charles City Council discussed a broadband utility option at a Monday night workshop.

The council heard from Curtis Dean, president of Smart Source consulting, on a study to see if there was enough interest in Charles City to do a feasibility study on a community broadband utility.

“We believe the answer is, ‘yes,'” Dean said. “There is enough support to justify the expense of the study.”

Of those surveyed, 82.9 were likely to switch to a community broadband option, 67.2 percent were very likely to switch and 15.7 percent were somewhat likely to switch.

The survey was taken from those that receive a water bill in Charles City and responded.

“Broadband is important to the future of the community,” Dean said. “(Those surveyed) seem to understand broadband is an important thing.”

The major obstacle to a fiber broadband option for Charles City is that it doesn’t have an electrical utility and wouldn’t have the equipment that would be needed to install the broadband fiber, Dean said.

“Communities with fiber to the home network see an increase in home values of 3.1 percent,” according to the study that Dean presented in the meeting.

While Dean would be able to write the proposal for a feasibility study as part of his contract with the city, he doesn’t do feasibility studies.

“You have the choice to choose no one,” Dean said.

Also present was Josh Mack, chief information officer for North Iowa Area Community College and member of the Broadband Commission that heard the study Feb. 9.

After the initial feasibility study, it would still be two to three years until the anyone actually gets connected, Dean said.

“The process takes a while,” Dean said.

Michael Hammond, Charles City Council member, asked about whether there would be a possible data cap.

Dean replied that he would advise against such a cap.

Also included in the study were comments from Charles City residents unhappy about losing KWWL on cable.

Dean’s consulting firm is also working with New Hampton and he was able to show the council what a prospective proposal would look like using New Hampton’s as an example.

New Hampton’s request for proposal came out Feb. 2 and it is expected to have its study completed by the middle of July.

The council will vote on whether or not it wants to go through the request for a proposal on a feasibility study next Monday night, Steve Diers, Charles City administrator said.

“It sounds very interesting,” Jerry Joerger, Charles City Council member, said in an interview after the meeting. “We’ve got some very good potential to improve our situation.”

Joerger was optimistic, but cautious about the option.

“We’ve got to be careful and feel our finances out,” Joerger said. “We’ll get there.”

On semaphores 

The council also discussed the stop lights on Main Street, Clark Street and Riverside Drive.

Mechanical components of the light are currently being ordered and have yet to arrive, John Fallis, Charles City engineer, said.

“We were supposed to have the parts in last week,” Fallis said.