City of Byron Committee of the Whole met Jan. 19.
Here are the minutes provided by the committee:
CALL TO ORDER – Mayor Rickard called the meeting to order at 5:37 p.m.
1. ROLL CALL – Aldermen present: Cheryl Metz, Zeke Hobbie, Jessica Nehring (by phone), Michael Gyorkos. Four members present by roll call vote. With the addition of Mayor Rickard, a Quorum is established.
Aldermen Absent: Todd Isaacs, Emily Gerdes, Mittzi Fulrath, Christy Hanlin
PRESENT: Mayor John Rickard
City Clerk Caryn Huber
City Attorney Aaron Szeto
Dir. Of Public Works Aaron Vincer
Other Jennifer Alvarez and Chris O’Haver
(Surf Broadband)
2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA – Alderman Metz motioned to approve the agenda as presented. Motion seconded by Alderman Hobbie. Roll call vote: Hobbie, AYE; Nehring, AYE; Gyorkos, AYE; Metz, AYE; Rickard, AYE. Motion passed: AYE, 5; NAY, 0; ABS, 0.
3. PUBLIC COMMENT – None
4. SURF BROADBAND PRESENTATION – Jennifer Alvarez and Chris O’Haver attended the meeting on behalf of Surf Broadband. Surf wants to bring fiber internet to every home in Byron. Alderman Metz asked which local communities they are already in. They replied Ottawa, Sterling/Rock Falls, Dixon (in design), Mendota (in design), Morrison. Of those locations, Alderman Metz asked if any compare to Byron with having an “in town” population as well as subdivisions. Mr. O’Haver said that Sterling is an example. The company looks for outlying subdivisions that are underserved for internet. Alderman Metz asked where Surf has offices in Illinois – they are currently based in Rock Falls, with offices in Troy Grove and Coal City. Surf provides access to municipal buildings. Alderman Hobbie asked about the process of changing from Comcast to Surf. Comcast and the phone company have to run lines to the power meter first. With fiber, they can enter the home at any point. PVC conduit will run from the entry point to the ground. There is no installation fee or contract. The conduit will stay on the ground until the ground is JULIE’d. If it gets damaged in that time, Surf will repair it at no cost. Surf uses the same contractor as Comcast to bury cable. The fiber is installed in phases, so as not to overwhelm JULIE. The city will have the opportunity to review the plans prior to them burying the cable. IFiber is used for transport back to the Surf data center in Rochelle. Alderman Gyorkos asked what type of equipment is needed inside the house. The company provides a small modem and, in certain packages, a wireless router. The upload speed for Comcast is 35 Mbps. Fiber is 1,000 Mbps and will allow several users uploading video at one time. Surf can build in any community, as long as permits are applied for. They like to work with the city, however, and negotiate an access agreement for Right of Way access all at one time. They run underground, only going aerial when necessary. They will draft a design for the entire city, and install one phase at a time with a 30 day pre-construction window. They also maintain a relationship with the city after installation. Surf also likes to participate in community events through sponsorships, meet and greets, etc. There is no financial contribution from the city. Mayor Rickard till forward this agenda item to committee.
5. ADJOURN – Alderman Hobbie motioned to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by Alderman Metz. Roll call vote: Nehring, AYE; Gyorkos, AYE; Metz, AYE; Hobbie, AYE; Rickard, AYE. Motion passed: AYE, 5; NAY, 0; ABS, 0.
Mayor Rickard adjourned the meeting at 6:08 pm.
https://www.cityofbyron.com/sites/default/files/fileattachments/committee_of_the_whole/meeting/4058/01-19-22_committee_of_the_whole_minutes-approved.pdf
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