BERNARDSTON — Whether all Huckle Hill Road residents should be able to receive Comcast’s services was the hotly debated question before the Board of Selectmen Wednesday night.
Residents from three Huckle Hill Road homes attended, believing that Comcast had breached its contract with Bernardston by not wiring several homes in the 600 section of Huckle Hill Road.
Jim Nielsen originally brought the problem before the board during an Oct. 12 meeting. At the time, the board agreed the town’s contract with Comcast stipulated the company would wire all roads with 15 or more homes per mile. Neilsen said during the October meeting that Huckle Hill Road is 3.15 miles from Bald Mountain Road to Oaks Road, with 50 dwellings, making for an average of more than 15 homes per mile.
Between October and March, the board wrote to Comcast regarding the perceived breach, leading two Comcast representatives to attend Wednesday’s meeting. Eileen Leahy, senior manager of government and regulatory affairs with Comcast, explained the company measures miles based on the length of wire needed, not road miles, and was using measurements from 530 to 673 Huckle Hill Road, where there are six homes per mile.
“We are in compliance with our franchise,” she affirmed.
Residents were also upset with communication they’d had with Comcast, assuring them they could have service. Neilsen, who moved to Bernardston last fall, said he was assured his account could be transferred, but found the home wasn’t wired.
“This is not an isolated incident,” Neilsen said, remembering the technician who came to his home had experienced the same problem at a Buckland home.
To wire the remaining homes would cost $38,000, Leahy said, though the Board of Selectmen felt the construction would be an investment for the company, which would be adding several customers.
“Essentially, you’d make more money if you just did it now,” said Andrew Girard, chairman of the Board of Selectmen.
Another option, Leahy said, is to wait four years, when it will be time for Bernardston to renegotiate the terms of its contract with Comcast. Though no decision was reached by the end of the meeting, Leahy agreed to continue communications with the selectmen to find a solution.