News : Vinton residents to vote on telecom utility

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When Vinton residents cast ballots for the November city elections, they will also have an opportunity to create a new telecommunications utility for the city; one that could offer telephone, internet, and cable TV as the communities of Independence and Cedar Falls have done.

Kurt Karr, a member of the iVinton Committee, explained to council members what a yes vote would and would not do.

“The ballot question simply asks residents if the city should establish a new utility,” Karr said, “and whether it should be part of the Vinton Municipal Electrical Utility (VMEU). While most communities who have created such utilities do so at the outset with the idea of installing a fiber optic network capable offering cable television, telephone, and high speed Internet service, this vote does not require that any project be built.”

“Fiber is what I personally feel we need," Karr added, “but any question about the best technology for Vinton or the cost of that technology is just pure conjecture unless we have a telecommunications utility able to study the issue, commission studies, or negotiate with legacy carriers.”

A committee of interested local citizens has been meeting to discuss the project. The iVinton group includes Karr, Jason Hickok, Nathan Hesson, Rich Hainstock, Ray Knoff, Kim Meyer and Bob Noren. Many of these volunteer members have full-time jobs in computers, web sites and/or internet commerce.

Vinton residents have voted against creating such a utility in the past; Karr says “aggressive action in the past by one of the legacy providers” – referring to Mediacom – has resulted in a majority of Vinton residents voting no.

“I served on the council when we had the last vote,” said current member Dave Vermedahl. “They will make you ‘The Bogeyman.’”

In previous elections in Vinton and other cities, Mediacom has mailed fliers to voters, warning them of the tax increases, and telling them that cities shouldn’t be involved when there is so much private competition already.

“While smaller communities like Van Horne, Garrison, and Mt. Auburn and most of the rest of residents in Benton County communities have fiber-fast telecommunications, Vinton doesn’t. That’s because competition between Mediacom, CenturyLink, and other competitors was supposed to “naturally” provide the best service. They haven't competed that way, they haven’t provided the service we need, and we have waited long enough for them,” said Karr of the cable giants. “It’s been more than a decade and that is long enough.”

Karr told the council that a yes vote would simply create a telecom utility which would investigate the possibility and costs of providing services. Working with VMEU, an advisory board or committee would review what kind of technology would work best in Vinton and what it would cost for such a project. "In many communities the Telecommunications Utility is under the electric utility because so many of the functions are the same," Karr went on to say, "including connecting lines of some kind, running them overhead or underground, connecting them to homes and sending bills for service."

Karr also told the council that soon it will be time for the city to negotiate its contract with Mediacom; a yes vote on the utility would give the city more bargaining power to get a better deal for consumers even if the City doesn’t build its own network, he said.

“It’s a necessity,” said council member Chris Bendull. “It’s important to get it to the public.”

Yet, said Bendull, there are a lot of questions about the project that are unanswered; he said a feasibility study would be the next step, after a “yes” vote.

One possible option that local residents may explore, said Karr, is placing utility lines underground to avoid the potential risk of storm damage.

“The wind storm of 2011 caused $1 million in damage to power lines,” he said.

Mayor John Watson praised Karr and the other committee members for their efforts to study the issue and pass on what they have learned to city leaders.

“They have done a tremendous job of giving us good information and keeping us up to date,” said the Mayor.

Survey indicates interest, dissatisfaction

A recent survey of local residents indicates that between 80 and 90 percent of Vinton citizens believe that high speed internet service is “very important” or “essential” to improving quality of life and attracting new residents and business to Vinton.

That survey also indicates that 70 percent of respondents have experienced frustration because of slow loading of web pages, and that more than half say that they are “dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied” with the speed of their internet connection. Two-thirds also believe they pay more than they should for the service they receive.