WENDELL — The Wendell Selectboard has made more appointments for the Broadband Construction Committee and the Broadband Operations Committee, two weeks after advocating for two committees to help get fiber optic for every home in town.
Selectboard Chairwoman Christine Heard said there are now seven members on the Broadband Construction Committee, and the Broadband Operations Committee has four. She said three members have agreed to be on both committees to serve as a liaison between them.
Heard and Selectboard members Dan Keller and Jeoffrey Pooser signed a letter on Aug. 2 advocating for the separate committees.
According to the letter, the Broadband Construction Committee should consist of five to seven members — two or three from the previous Broadband Committee, two from the Selectboard, one from the Finance Committee, one from the general public. It should be tasked with supervising the construction of the physical infrastructure of the Wendell broadband network. The committee’s specific responsibilities should include serving as a liaison to the Massachusetts Broadband Institute, contractors and project managers, reviewing initial plans (in conjunction with other parties), and investigating borrowing options and negotiating borrowing agreements.
The Broadband Operations Committee, the Selectboard members said, should consist of a maximum of 11 people and supervise the development of a plan to operate Wendell’s broadband network. According to town officials, its primary tasks include researching the costs and benefits associated with driveway length and developing Wendell’s driveway length policy, developing a plan for subscription rates and policies, and studying the possible benefits and structures for regional collaboration.
Heard also said the Selectboard agreed to explore the possibility of setting up mediation between the Selectboard and members of the previous Broadband Committee. Town Coordinator Nancy Aldrich was instructed to contact each members to gauge interest in mediation.
Heard said the Selectboard announced MBI is in the process of hiring a contractor to begin the pole surveys for the broadband project. Wendell is one of five towns in the first group to have pole surveys.
You can reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com
or 413-772-0261, ext. 258.
On Twitter: @DomenicPoli