This past week, proponents of the VTel deal have insisted that a decision by voters to build and own this tower ourselves may delay our emergency communications upgrade by a year or more.
These claims simply ignore reality.
First of all, this talk of 24-30 months flatly contradicts our Town Manager's own timetable for building this tower ourselves, set out in his September 7, 2012 "Additional Communications Studies" memo to the Selectboard.
On the second page of that memo, he clearly states that the permitting process would likely take five months and construction of the tower -- from "request for bids" to "project complete" -- would require another five months. It's conceivable the bidding process (two months in his memo) could overlap the latter part of the permitting process, compressing a ten-month project into as little as eight, if that September 7th memo is to be believed.
Second, the assumption that VTel is on some fast track to build this tower doesn't hold up. VTel is already more than five months behind the schedule our Town Manager announced last August. The agreement he negotiated with VTel allows them two years from the date that agreement is signed to actually build this tower. In fact, the agreement doesn't require VTel to build the tower at all. After those two years, VTel can simply walk away without having built anything and without any repercussions. On the other hand, once our TM signs this agreement, Norwich cannot terminate it, meaning we have no option but to wait patiently for VTel to make this tower -- among the many they are pursuing right now -- their top priority.
VTel is a private commercial company looking to build out an ambitious multi-site wireless broadband network far beyond anything they have accomplished so far. The assumption they somehow share our sense of urgency about this current emergency radio "gray out" -- with everything else they've got on their plate -- is simply naive. I'm not suggesting they are bad people or even indifferent. They're busy, they may be over their heads statewide, and they are in the business of making money, not of protecting the people of Norwich.
Third, the VTel agreement allows them to unilaterally terminate the agreement if, after "commercially reasonable efforts" they feel this tower project isn't worth it to them. That's a pretty subjective standard, so the agreement helpfully states that spending $40,000 "shall definitely constitute commercially reasonable efforts," meaning a lesser amount might too. Why would VTel walk away from this tower project? Ask the Windham County Sheriff. Last week, VTel decided they preferred a hilltop site in Newfane to the tower they had agreed to build where the Sheriff planned to locate his narrowband antennas:
"(VTel President Michel) Guité acknowledged that the change in plans represents "a little bit of a headache, because we went through the trouble of signing a contract with the sheriff.""
So I'd say it's time those supporting the VTel agreement stop trying to scare us with outlandish talk of year-long delays. There's simply no factual basis to support their claim that VTel can or will build this tower faster than we can ourselves. The facts actually suggest the opposite.
This is vital infrastructure and the need is urgent. Why entrust it to a for profit who just last week left the Windham County Sheriff in the lurch on the eve of permitting? Were his narrowbanding needs any less urgent than ours?
VTel is in the broadcast and tower rental business. We are interested in public safety -- our safety. Maybe this tower is too important to us to rely on VTel to get done?
These claims simply ignore reality.
First of all, this talk of 24-30 months flatly contradicts our Town Manager's own timetable for building this tower ourselves, set out in his September 7, 2012 "Additional Communications Studies" memo to the Selectboard.
On the second page of that memo, he clearly states that the permitting process would likely take five months and construction of the tower -- from "request for bids" to "project complete" -- would require another five months. It's conceivable the bidding process (two months in his memo) could overlap the latter part of the permitting process, compressing a ten-month project into as little as eight, if that September 7th memo is to be believed.
Second, the assumption that VTel is on some fast track to build this tower doesn't hold up. VTel is already more than five months behind the schedule our Town Manager announced last August. The agreement he negotiated with VTel allows them two years from the date that agreement is signed to actually build this tower. In fact, the agreement doesn't require VTel to build the tower at all. After those two years, VTel can simply walk away without having built anything and without any repercussions. On the other hand, once our TM signs this agreement, Norwich cannot terminate it, meaning we have no option but to wait patiently for VTel to make this tower -- among the many they are pursuing right now -- their top priority.
VTel is a private commercial company looking to build out an ambitious multi-site wireless broadband network far beyond anything they have accomplished so far. The assumption they somehow share our sense of urgency about this current emergency radio "gray out" -- with everything else they've got on their plate -- is simply naive. I'm not suggesting they are bad people or even indifferent. They're busy, they may be over their heads statewide, and they are in the business of making money, not of protecting the people of Norwich.
Third, the VTel agreement allows them to unilaterally terminate the agreement if, after "commercially reasonable efforts" they feel this tower project isn't worth it to them. That's a pretty subjective standard, so the agreement helpfully states that spending $40,000 "shall definitely constitute commercially reasonable efforts," meaning a lesser amount might too. Why would VTel walk away from this tower project? Ask the Windham County Sheriff. Last week, VTel decided they preferred a hilltop site in Newfane to the tower they had agreed to build where the Sheriff planned to locate his narrowband antennas:
"(VTel President Michel) Guité acknowledged that the change in plans represents "a little bit of a headache, because we went through the trouble of signing a contract with the sheriff.""
So I'd say it's time those supporting the VTel agreement stop trying to scare us with outlandish talk of year-long delays. There's simply no factual basis to support their claim that VTel can or will build this tower faster than we can ourselves. The facts actually suggest the opposite.
This is vital infrastructure and the need is urgent. Why entrust it to a for profit who just last week left the Windham County Sheriff in the lurch on the eve of permitting? Were his narrowbanding needs any less urgent than ours?
VTel is in the broadcast and tower rental business. We are interested in public safety -- our safety. Maybe this tower is too important to us to rely on VTel to get done?
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