SLWBC
Minutes - October 17, 2007
Wendell Town Hall - 7 pm

Members Present: Robbie Leppzer and Robbie Heller from Wendell, Weezie Houle, Glenn Cherrits, Aaron Addison and Howell Lee from Shutesbury, and Rob Brooks from Leverett.

  1. Approve Agenda
  2. Approve September minutes
  3. Updates from town reps:
    1. Shutesbury – Weezie Houle ‑ none
    2. Leverett – Rob Brooks ‑ none
    3. Wendell - Robbie Leppzer – none
  4. PVC News
    1. PVC is Meeting this Friday, October 19 in Northampton City Hall.
    2. Update on the Beta Project: The coverage is very poor and the T1 line went out in the rain. They are giving folks help on how to increase their reception.
  5. Broadband Incentive Fund Survey:
    1. Reviewed PVC and SLBC survey. Developed suggestions to be sent to PVC to enhance their survey.
    2. Discussion about monopolies of copper and fiber by big companies.
    3. We need to be a watch dog on the initiative and of PVC to make sure there is universal access and protection for small towns.
    4. It was moved that we create Western Mass Council, a group with a member from each town's broadband committee, to lobby the legislature to craft legislation for it to not be a Verizon takeover.
  6. To Do:
    1. Find out when the next all town mailing is and if there is none in Nov. that we ask the Select Board to fund a survey mailing. We will need to include a link to Survey Monkey.
    2. Divide up the towns in W. Mass among the committee members to find out the email addresses of the broadband committees in W. Mass.
  7. Votes Taken:
    SLBC commits to forming a consortium of towns in Western Mass to advocate for universal broadband access and take steps to necessary to convene a meeting of the broadband committee representatives of those towns.  Passed.
  8. Visitors: Bill Irvine from Leverett and Mary Ellen Kennedy from New Salem.
  1. Next Meeting: Shutesbury - Wednesday, November 28, 7 p.m., Shutesbury Town Hall