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Date: 8/16/2023
EAST LONGMEADOW — Representatives from Whip City Fiber, a Westfield-owned fiber optic utility, came before the Town Council on Aug. 8 to discuss a partnership.
East Longmeadow has been pursuing the installation of a town wide fiber optic network that would give residents an option on how they connect to the internet. Spectrum is the cable provider in town, although there are also cellular- and satellite-based internet providers available. In June, residents approved a ballot question that created a municipal light plant, a legal and financial structure required by state law for a municipality to operate a utility.
Whip City Fiber has set up networks in 19 communities and has more than 1,600 customers. Caitrin Ferriter of Whip City Fiber emphasized that East Longmeadow would own the network and when people pay their internet bills, the town would receive the money.
Councilors were told the project “pays for itself” as long as enough residents commit to using it. With a 60% “take rate,” meaning 60% of homes commit to the network, the town would receive $1 million in net income, the representative said. A take rate of 33% would be required to cover costs. The town could choose whether to install the network all at once or roll it out in neighborhoods where interest is highest first, with installation in additional areas as interest grows. No matter how the network is rolled out, it would be about two years before home service connections become available.
While Ferriter described Whip City Fiber as taking a “turnkey approach,” in terms of the network, it is also an internet service provider that handles billing, collections, 24/7 technical support and the on-boarding of customers. While not a cable provider, Whip City Fiber would allow people to stream popular channels online.
Whip City Fiber only offers online bill pay. Town Council President Ralph Page asked if elderly customers have pushed back or expressed a hesitancy to pay online. Ferriter said the company is willing to help people set up their account.
Town Council member Anna Jones asked why people should switch from a service with which they are familiar. She was told the fiber optic network would be “faster, more reliable and local.”
High school project vote
Kristian Whitsett and Dorrie Brooks of Jones Whitsett Architects spoke to the council about the high school building project and the upcoming vote on whether to fund it. The new school would be a 192,000-square-foot, energy-efficient, two-story structure. With separate wings for academics and community-facing areas, such as the auditorium, the school would be designed with an eye toward school safety. The campus would feature a wider array of athletic fields and a safer parking design, Brooks said.
The project is estimated to cost between $175-$180 million, with the town responsible for $120-125 million. The remainder would be paid by the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which is reimbursing the town for a percentage of the project’s eligible costs. Whitsett said precautions are in place to ensure the project stays on budget.
Brooks explained that the new school was designed around an educational plan written by the district and presented to the MSBA. The project is now in the schematic design phase, finishing the design details, including materials, to pinpoint a cost for the school building and its campus.
A separate vote will also appear in the referendum for a $15 million swimming pool. The MSBA does not fund projects that include pools, and therefore, the town would not be reimbursed for any of the costs associated with it. The pool building will connect to the school but also have an entrance for the public to use when school is not in session. The design has largely been based on the pool at West Springfield High School. The pool is contingent on approval of funding the school, but the school funding can pass without the pool also passing.
In September, the Town Council will vote on whether to approve a debt exclusion, a funding mechanism that temporarily increases the levy limit beyond the 2.5% of the previous year’s taxes usually allowed under law. If approved, East Longmeadow residents would then be asked to ratify the council’s vote in a referendum on Nov. 7. If either debt exclusions vote fails, the school department would have a short window to propose changes to the project and attempt a second referendum. If that were to fail, the project would be dead in the water.
Brooks said issues at the school would still need to be addressed. She reminded the council that several elements, including the electrical system and roof, have deteriorated to a point that they could not be fixed and would need to be replaced. She highlighted the fact that the school does not have sprinklers because it was built in 1960, decades before sprinklers were required in Massachusetts schools. To install them now, the ceilings would need to be lowered, further encroaching on already undersized classrooms. Work on any of these systems would have a substantial cost and would trigger a need to bring the entire building up to code.
Brooks noted that it took seven years for the high school to be accepted into a funding partnership by the MSBA and the entity is unlikely to partner with the town on the high school in the foreseeable future, leaving the town responsible for the entire cost of updates and repairs, estimated at up to $120 million. Whitsett noted construction costs are continuing to rise, so waiting to address the school will cost the town more. It also impacts the school’s reputation and student’s education.
If the debt exclusion is approved, construction would begin and students could move into the new building in August 2026, with the campus completely finished in 2027.
Town Council member Jonathan Torcia asked if a failed vote for funding the high school would “poison the well” regarding the MSBA funding projects at any of the town’s other schools. Brooks told him that each project is considered on its own merits.
Liquor license
A public hearing was conducted regarding a request to change the liquor license at Shaker Bowl, 168 Shaker Rd., from allowing only wine and malt liquor to permitting all alcohol on premises.
The manager of record since 2000, Justin Godfrey, said all employees were TIPS trained and the establishment had never had an alcohol violation.
Page asked Godfrey to confirm that alcohol is only allowed in a confined area and not allowed at the lanes, but the manager explained people can take drinks to the tables located at the end of each lane. While Page was concerned minors would be around alcohol, Council member Matthew Boucher commented that minors are at the same table as adults with alcohol in restaurant settings.
Shaker Bowl President Richard Corley explained that the business was seeking a change in license because many canned and bottled drinks that have recently become popular are vodka based, rather than malt based. He emphasized that the servers will not be pouring from bottles of Jack Daniels.
The change was approved.
Heritage Park
During the public comment period, resident Carol Kelley said she was concerned with the conditions of the Heritage Park playground and baseball field. After recently bringing her grandchildren to the park, she found they were unable to use the rock wall as it is missing grips, there is at least one grab bar missing from another piece of equipment and no ground cover underneath the swings, which are rusting. She said the fence around the baseball field is “pathetic,” with rust and slanting poles. She said if the playground and baseball fields are not fixed, they should be shut down for safety’s sake.
Page told Kelley that the town is in the design and engineering phase of rehabilitating the park, including the playground and baseball field. In the meantime, he said the Parks and Recreation Department should examine the maintenance needs at Heritage Park.