And >> all right, >> we're recording. >> Call me in order. We have to do a >> Okay. >> Roll call. >> David. >> Yeah, I think I am. >> I'm present. >> Are you present?
>> Yeah, I'm here. But it says that the host won't let me get on camera. >> Uh, okay. Hold on. Can Because you have to ask now. It says, "Hold on." >> Oh,
I'm usually there. So, this is new. >> Okay. So, try again. Try again. >> Okay. >> There we are. >> All right. >> They have new security rules because it's you're not supposed to put somebody
on camera unless they give you permission. So, start out that way. >> Okay. >> Okay. We're all here. Uh, this meeting is being recorded by Greenfield Energy Committee. Ordered by Greenfield Community. If any other person present doing so, you must notify by the chairperson.
There's nobody else here. We have our minutes. Is there a motion to accept the minutes? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Okay. Roll call. David. >> Hi. >> Pamela. >> I'm going to abstain because I haven't seen them. >> Okay. Jennifer.
>> Um I don't think I was in attendance. >> Was I at this one? I'm not on here. >> But I feel like I was sitting right here. Okay, I'm not on the Let's add that in. >> Sorry. Like I read them. They seemed right, but now I'm not seeing myself. Okay. >> So, with that change,
>> with that change, I would I would accept them. Yes, >> you are. So, >> I know it's right here public. >> So, we'll move on to new business. >> Okay. Um the first and best new business
is the uh waiting period is over and we have unboxed the bids for the IFB for the Weldon and it was won by a company called Alternative Telecom who is actually a really great fit for the project. Now that it's over, we can say
we were kind of hoping they would be awesome. >> Yeah. >> Um they were the only ones that completed a bid. Um, and now we have just put uh the contract together. I'm looking at the final. I do think it's
worth having um uh our lawyer take a quick look at it. Um, but it's fairly standard, but Donna is I think it's worth it for her to have a look and to get them under contract and get going. They are a company that's
really good at just exactly what this is, at internal wiring, at working in older and quirky buildings, and they have the machinery needed to drill cores through thick concrete floors, and they
know how to run in tight spaces. So, they're they're really it it worked out really well. Um, their bid is very reasonable, well within the budget that's been established. Um, so it's really just, you know, making sure that
the contract is all correct. Uh, we meet later this month with, uh, the MBI retrofit team. They know about it. So, everybody's happy about it. So, we're all moving forward. And we have we can't
really say when we're going to start until after the contract is all finished. But, that was a big step to get through. and they are people that I I think they will do a great job. So I'm very pleased with that and I also am you know was pleased to see that they came
in at a very reasonable price which is good. So contract little back and forth then once that's all done we'll be able to set a start date and then Pamela will uh communicate more with Shocket and
start putting together some dates. I'm sure there will be another outreach that we will do before then. Um, so we can tell people. I think everybody's happy, but there is going to be a period where it's going to be kind of loud. There are going to be people all over the building. So, I
think it would be good to go talk to people again in the coffee room. Okay. >> Yeah, that sounds good. And and just to let people know, we don't have a resident service coordinator, but you have met Sharon, I think, John. And so she's our property manager.
>> Yeah, I have. Yeah, she left, didn't she? Year the latest one. That was too bad. She's >> Yeah, that she was actually It was a wonderful thing for her personally. They they gave her back her other job and met the salary. So, she's not commuting from Worcester in the middle of the winter
all the way out here. So, um, you know, we're happy for her and sad for us. They're still looking. >> Okay. Good. >> Good. So, so one way or another, we can even if we have to work directly with Peter, we'll set a time to go talk with people and we'll probably have a meeting
set up with them so they understand, they have the IB, they have all the information, but sitting with them after is just a good idea so they know what's going on. Again, all the outside work is done. The trenching's done. They're going to come back in the spring to
hydro seed over the top. It's been core uh drilled into the building. So, we're good to go. The pole is in. We're dropped to there. So, we're it. This one is actually ticking along pretty well
and we're on schedule and under budget at the moment, which is always good. Uh I don't know if anybody has any other questions about that, but uh the gap grant um there isn't a lot
new to report from our end because we're now in the uh time where make ready is supposed to be happening. I will tell you that last month's meeting there are meetings every month where it is us MBI
um the state the state has deputized um the uh digital equity department in EOED >> um to meet with us and the pole owners the state is aware that make ready has become very difficult
>> so last month's meeting All of the award winners were contacted and said, "You know what? This we got the first um ECD's expected completion dates because they have told the pole owners they must
give expected completion dates." They got the first round of them and said, "Yeah, we're just going to meet with them for this because speculating, but I'm certain I'm right that the first dates were beyond the end of the program." >> Of course. of course. And so we will
meet again. Um the meeting this month is only for charter and then starting again in on um the 17th there will be a meeting. But they have written to us and said there's really not much for you
guys to do right now. We're working with the utility pole owners and and they are well aware. They have said to us, we're saying to them, you can't take so much time to do this that there's no time to do the actual project >> because NBI is paying the utilities
directly to avoid the town having to >> for us. Yep. And that's >> Are they doing it for anybody else or just >> they don't have to. They're just doing it for us. >> Um, which was great. They have been great and they worked with us and we, >> you know, we went and said, "We need you
to do this for us." And they did it. So, I give him a lot of credit and that's Michael Baldino and his crew and several other people at NBI. It is a perfectly good and legal workaround and it was a good way to get around it and they've
been really great partners to work with and I think everybody understands. I think the utilities company too, I don't think it is completely evil twirling their evil mustaches. I think they have millions of poles. they have to do and
timelines are tight and I think it's difficult for everyone and I I applaud it because the sort of like we'll shame them by marching them in front of the um the awardees who can all go you've got to go faster is going to make things go
more slowly not more quickly. So, we will have some meetings, but frankly, I don't think there will be much in the way of updates for us for several months because it will take that long for them to do what they need to. We're we're we've already gone past the date that
they were scheduled to start their surveys. And at the one meeting I went to, they went, "Well, you know, those are automated dates that go out. That doesn't mean we're necessarily going to start on those dates." It just is what it is. and we have
gotten in touch with NBI and said, "What happens if they're not done?" So, we're not giving you any money back and you paid on our behalf. So, >> um so I think it will be a tighter date,
tighter timeline than we would like on the back end, but it is us doing it. So, we have better control than jobbing it out to somebody else because we can do it ourselves. >> Um, and I think in the long run it will work, but my guess is it will be
pressured and stressful and that's just we know that going in. We'll do everything we can to be really ready to go as soon as we can. MBI will also pay the advanced make ready fees on our behalf too. So, and we will not be we
have most of our bill of materials, but it isn't COVID, so we don't have to buy it way in advance. And we I've already had meetings saying we're not really going to buy a lot of stuff until we're feeling a lot more comfortable about where we're at. NBI has said, "Yeah, we
understand." So, I think we're in as good a position as we can be in and I think ultimately the utility borders will decide it's not a good look and they'll get it done and and we'll all get it done. But my guess is, you know,
next year there'll be some times next summer and next fall where we're pretty pressed up against it and the the actual wording says it must be substantially complete within the time frame. There isn't a real definition of
what substantially complete means. >> Yes. Right. >> And I think that's a good thing. >> Great. >> Um and the north build I think the big update >> I have a question about that before you move on. >> I'm sorry. Go ahead, Pamela.
>> That's okay. Um you know the hope is people would be watching this on our website and be informed. Um, but I think I I mean I'm just not so sure people will actually do that. So, could we possibly publicize this great news about
Make Ready um in the paper and have Anthony and unless people have other ideas? I mean, I don't like Facebook or social media, but I think that >> Are you talking about GAP or retrofit? I'm talking about the pressure that is
being put on the po the pole owners by MBI. So that you know in the past all we've ever heard and had to say is it's slow because of the make ready problem. So now that we have a wonderful partner
to also pressure them. I mean I don't care how it's worded but how will we get the word out >> so we don't be hearing what's up with the make ready? what's taken so long. >> Let me talk with EED because they're
very interested in controlling the message for that too. But I will go to them and talk with them about that. >> Okay. Okay. >> I I we we can't really go to the press without talking with them first without the EOED and MBI and I will do that and
they can tell us what they think is appropriate or not. >> Yeah. I'm just looking for some kind of public p let letting the public know. Thank you. >> Yep, it's a good question and I will go look at it and I will follow up with everybody about it.
>> Um, any other questions about GAP? Okay, North Build. Um, we are currently installing um equipment into the building on Severance Street. Yes. It's good. It is
good. The lashing is not totally done, but we've made a lot of progress there, too. Once the lashing is all done and all the equipment is uh in, we will bring back our external partners to do a
a few splices. There's some really large splices that need to be done that it's better to have people it's in the budget and in the grant and every to do that. Um those really large scale splices are best done by people with the equipment
and machinery for that. And then after that we will uh begin configuring. So uh so it's again we're making steady progress. We're not It's not being turned on tomorrow because it's a tremendous amount of work to set up uh a
network like this. Um but it keeps moving forward and people up north should still be seeing people our trucks out doing some lashing and if they're on severance, they'll see that we're there working and we're continuing to to
hold pretty well to the schedule we've set to get going. Um, and that's where we're at. We're just in the process of of still setting up the physical network. And I think that's what if anybody watches this. First, you set up
the physical network, but then there's a huge amount of work done to configure it. All the virtual locations, all of that has to be done. So, we're making good steady progress towards that. Um, I said last time we I'm sorry. Are there
any I mean there's not a lot to say other than so a lot of these timelines frankly go for months at a time so there isn't always a really new update in a at a monthly meeting. >> Um so we've also the van that we installed
the van we bought has uh we've sent it to our friends at the DBW who are terrific as ever. Uh it is good to go. It is working beautifully. Uh we've had to press it into use before we can send it off to hail signs to get ged put on
the side. But it is really nice. We've actually managed to get the splicing truck, the truck portion of it, and the generator portion of it working well again too. So now we have three vehicles, which is well worth it. Um,
and the we have three vehicles that work well because we did this last month have to spend money that we had initially budgeted for a splicing trailer. the main hydraulic system of the
construction truck boom failed and um we uh had to spend a chunk of money, the money that was earmarked for a trailer um to
get that up and running. They did a great job. We sent it to specialists outside of Boston. So now the truck of the construction truck had been rock solid for years. our head of outside plants that the boom is working better than it did when we
first bought it. So, we have a working construction truck. We have a splicer truck where the boom is a little hinky, but we have a good boom. The splicer truck works well and provides an enclosure and power for splicing. And we
have an installer van for the installer. And we're just continuing to make it work because we have not um been able to um get the capital budget funding for those
things for going on five years now. We are putting forward a capital budget again. That's the next item. But what we're really going to do is is put together a capital request that includes a splicing trailer, that includes
machinery, that includes equipment for the distribution layer, new boss cases, things we need to increase the reach and resilience of the network. we need to um buy new CBEs for fiber to the prem um
which is the the part that goes on people's houses and I think those are more appropriate. We've asked in the last few years for make ready money but that issue has not come up and it's difficult to keep asking for something that might happen. So, we need to go
back to having our capital requests be about the basic things that capital requests are. We have to get ready to buy. We are going to have to get a new truck at some point in the fairly near future in the next year or two years.
And I think that's what we have to be focusing on and asking. And if the legacy make ready thing comes due then we would address that at that point. But >> are we requesting a bond or are we requesting a Okay, so we're not request
Right. We're not requesting like an allocation of CDB, >> right? I just want to make that clear on this. >> Yes, it's a good point. No, the city would say we're going for a revenue bond. The city does not give us money. We use the process because by law we go
before uh the city council if the mayor will put our request forward to the city council which she declined to do last year >> right for a revenue bond >> for a revenue bond that would be paid by G sets receipts just like we do now we
have not had a bond for this we're coming up on five years that is difficult to to not have access to capital is difficult I was asked at the last meeting I was at when we would get to every single um location in
Greenfield, I said it's not really about time anymore. It's about money. If you if other enterprise funds are cut off from capital, they don't expand either. So, we can afford to do it. >> Yep. >> And it's something that we need and we
will put forward our requests and see what happens because that's what the process is. So, we will do that. We do need some equipment like foss cases because there is maintenance that has to be done
where tomorrow we're going to take about it's three people down to fix it will take about 20 people down for about four hours because there is some original network over in the western part of town that just was not put up correctly and
after seven or eight years there's only so much fuss ing with it you can do. And we're literally going to take an old inappropriate case. Some of the original cases that were bought that hang up on the lines were just not they didn't buy the right ones.
They haven't been watertight. And there was a case that was just an iceberg. And when that happens, it can the ice can snap some of the fibers on the inside. So, we're just going to chop the whole thing out, put in a proper case,
fusion splice, and wire it properly. It should take about four anywhere from three to five hours. Um, and then that won't be an issue. We know there are other cases like that around the city.
And just like we've done with finance and with operations and customer service, we were really working on let me steal that from if I can on SOPs. We have spent months going through every
single department in GA set. This is one about how to properly use um the field testing kit to see if optical signals are making it through parts of the network where we suspect there's a problem. So, it's behind the scenes work. It's
the kind of thing that had been done before but hadn't really been committed to true operating procedures and we need to keep doing that. So, we can if there's an emergency and we have to bring in somebody from the outside, we
have to have procedures for them to follow. And we just it when you first start out it's a little more cowboy approach but after this long with this many customers we really need to be able to do that. So, we're working we're just
starting to work with outside plant to make sure that we have a program in place and we have timelines in place and we understand how much equipment we have and what we need to get for capital to replace some of these things because it's the network is in
great shape. But all networks need maintenance and all of that is done primarily through capital expenditures that are then stretched out and paid for by revenues from a revenue bond. We do not um have a geo bond. We never have
one. Geo bonds are general obligation bonds that are paid by tax revenue from the city of Greenfield. Every bond we ask for is a revenue bond which is paid for by the revenues that come in from the customers who use GET and that would
be the case here as well. So that will happen fairly soon and then things will go quiet while the budget happens because all those things are asked. Uh the requests have to be in in the earliest part of the new year
>> and so a trailer which we we would be that would be part of the budget request part of the bond >> would be part of the bond request because we have identified ways to use the what we have. We are going to buy some things out of operating expenses.
We are going to buy powerful enough inverters that we have to if we have to have a backup to generators, we can run them off of construction trucks. We are going to spend more money than I would like to, but we need to on a really good um generator that has a built-in
inverter. The one we have is failing. So, um, and that's a good thing for us to have because it's also a way that we can power, um, some of the LCPs around town over the next few years. I want to have a generator for each of the LCPs is
back up with a bladder so it can hold, you know, 24 hours with gas instead of somebody getting up in the middle of the night every four hours might fill it up with gas. And then another one that lives here that outside plant can take and use to because the fusion splicer
has a battery but it doesn't always last long enough and there's just tools that we need to have to do the work that we need to do and we're working on starting that. So that would be part of of the big stuff is a capital request and the
small stuff you find ways to work into your operating budget. So, we're trying to make those distinctions and plan farther out in advance and say, "We know we're going to need this, but we can't just go spend money willy-nilly." So, we're going to plan out what we're going
to get and prioritize and bring in the things we need. So, while we wait to see if we can get uh a capital uh bond, a revenue bond to address a splicing trailer, we have ways to we
will not be just standing by the side of our own splicing. A trailer is a much better longer term solution, but we will work with what we have and find creative ways to make sure we can get what we need to get done done because we're not
going to spend money we don't have. and we are going to get done the things we need to get done. And if we can't get a bond, then we'll address that again. >> Excuse me. >> My phone just rang and it rang through to your computer. Sorry.
>> Oh, no problem. Um uh so that's pretty much what's going on. I will say that um our new part-time financial person, Melissa Thomas, is doing a great job and I actually don't
have to do that work anymore. I review her. The reporting for the town needed to come first. Now that she's done with that, she's beginning to work with me. The budget process will be a lot more detailed this year coming up.
um she is able to um she has far greater immun skill than anybody else here has. Um and so we're um in January we'll have a sort of happier here's where we are. um actuals
versus projected and and what we think we're we are firmly in the black for the year, but we'll tell you much and my guess is we will both get slightly rest revenue and spend slightly less than we had projected to by the end of the year.
We do have by the time the Weldon and the uh Greenfield Housing Association stuff comes online, that is going to be an increase of about 5% in our monthly billings all by itself.
Um I do also want to put off for one month. There's a lot going on with pricing with competitors right now and there are competitors who are changing packages and lowering some prices. Comcast has
not been doing well. So it may be we will have some but I'd like them to start in February instead of January because I'd like to know what our competitors are doing first. Um, I can tell you that we will have increases in
TV because we are going to get increases from the TV content providers. That happens every year. I'm a little less certain on what the pure internet pricing from people are going to be. So, we will have a price increase, but it probably won't be even across the board.
Same percentage for internet and same percentage. will probably have higher ones in the TV packages as will everyone else as will YouTube TV as will Comcast as will everyone and that's going to
happen every year um because that's all the content providers who are still consolidating down I'm sure you've seen Netflix and Warner Brothers and Paramount are all fighting about who gets to take over that brothers Um, but
I don't quite know and I think it's worth it just to wait another month so we can really see where people are before we decide what we can do. I personally would like us to see us have a pretty small increase in just internet and maybe even I don't know just see if
we even treat the same the different tiers of internet exactly the same or maybe a little differently and but I think the bulk of the price increase this year will come in the TV packages because that's where we see the biggest increase coming to us.
So, I do think between those things, between price increase and bringing um all of the grant-based work that we're done, we'll see a nice bump up in revenue in the spring. And that's before we even talk about bringing people in the north in. So, we have a lot of great
revenue growth potential, which we need at the moment because we're we're getting more saturated in our current market area. Um, but I do think we'll start to see the spring and start to see some nice jumps up as we bring those online. And we can talk a little more
next month about the the specifics um in executive session or that going forward. At the moment, there's plenty to do, but in general, things are going along reasonably well. We're moving forward with grants to
wherever we can. That's taken a lot of our time right now. We're doing basic maintenance. Um we will have Oh, I completely forgot. It's not on the agenda at all as it came after. Um within the next month or so, there will
be a very nice upgrade to the TV service. We'll be going to the second generation version of our TV service that has some really nice new features like pausing live TV, lots of ways to search for things, a much better interface. So,
you know, it's we we live in a fairly narrowly defined world, but there's still a lot that we're doing every month. And that is I think most of what I had to to say. I'm happy to answer if
anybody has any questions about anything. Happy to answer them. >> John, does the cold weather affect anything when it's like one degree out there, three below? >> Absolutely. Yeah. Um, part of the reason that we're doing some work over in
western Greenfield is that um, the original splicing for this area was placed into the wrong kind of case back in 2016 or 17 and the the grommet seals
on the end. They packed too much in there because they tried to pack too much into a cheap case. So water got in and the entire case was completely frozen and that's what caused some of the damage. Um yeah,
cold weather makes everything harder. It's harder to to splice. Ice is bad for everything involved in optical networks as is water usually. >> Um >> and it makes it harder for the outside plant team to get around because you
have to warm everything up. can't splice in really cold weather, >> right? >> So, uh it is it's definitely the hardest time of year when it gets really cold like it has been. It's tough. They go out and do it. Um but everything takes a little longer and there is much more
likely to be damage to the network in the winter than there is in better weather seasons. >> Right. And to and to John's point, like there's also like some logistical challenge, especially with the fusion splicing of fiber. So when right we have a broken fiber in on the street or something, we have a a fusion splicer
which is something that melts the glass together. It connects the fibers and that heats the glass up substantially to melt it. And when you have really cold weather and you come off of one of those fusion splicers and you don't have a splicing trail and you don't have the a
warm cap to work, it can just crack, >> right? So extra time, extra care has to be given during that process which slows stuff down, you know, and then there's that's why we have a splicing truck. The splicing truck also has an internal area where they can go and get in out of the
weather in a more climate controlled environment to do that kind of splicing in a pinch in an emergency. They can do it in the cab. Um, but that's not the best way to do it. Uh, and that's why it's really great that we have the fact
that the spice splicing, if I can say it, um, truck is working again means that we don't have the urgent need for the splicing trailer. We need to get one, right? We absolutely do, but it just I don't want
to pay for it out of operating if there's a chance to pay for it out of capital because it's more money. You know, we have some areas in the budget that we can work on for operating if we need to, but we still have half a year to go. And I'm just not comfortable
doing that right now because I want to guard our profits to the point where we can meet all the obligations that we have. >> So, in the meantime, customer service people are dealing with people calling
in with problems. I I assume, right? Well, again, this one area is a problem. This doesn't happen very often that it's happened in the seven years I've been here. I think this is the third time it's happened, right? So, um, do we
have, you know, um, our outside plant team is out every day because stuff does go down, but it goes down for 20 minutes until somebody can go fix it. And often the way the network is set, >> often people will jump from one AP in
reception to another. So maybe their internet isn't quite as fast for that half an hour while things are getting fixed, but frankly, most people never even notice that anything has happened. This is one that the ice did some really serious damage that you couldn't just
melt it and and fuse everything back together. This one just broke the entire case, right? So, the the case has to be removed, meaning all of the the splicing that was done and put inside the case because it's supposed to keep it out of
the weather and it's supposed but if you use the wrong case then it doesn't. So, right. So, um, >> but there's really the equipment on the there's not like the coal doesn't like impact the fiber operation typically, but it impacts operations or if there's a bad installation of a splice case or a
pole guy, right? >> And we didn't really know about it. >> Harder to fix things >> harder to fix things in the winter. >> Right. Typically, >> right? >> Thank you. >> Sure. That's all I have.
So, >> no questions. No executive session needed. >> Not this time. No, next month there will, but not this month. >> Okay. Well, if that's it, then >> motion to adjurnn. >> Motion to adjourn. >> Move. Second.
>> I'll second. >> You second it. >> And then we have to do all David. >> Yes. Pamela. >> Yes. >> J. >> Yes. >> Okay. And I'm gonna stop recording now. We'll see you.