{"id":1319516,"date":"2020-04-18T14:39:04","date_gmt":"2020-04-18T20:39:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/?p=995714"},"modified":"2020-04-18T15:22:05","modified_gmt":"2020-04-18T21:22:05","slug":"glenwood-working-toward-installing-a-new-broadband-system-over-the-next-two-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/local-news\/glenwood-working-toward-installing-a-new-broadband-system-over-the-next-two-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Glenwood working toward installing a new broadband system over the next two years"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image p402_hide\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"414\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2017\/12\/FirstNetResponse-VDN-110517.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2017\/12\/FirstNetResponse-VDN-110517.jpg 620w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2017\/12\/FirstNetResponse-VDN-110517-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2017\/12\/FirstNetResponse-VDN-110517-325x217.jpg 325w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The Glenwood Springs City Council, using the online videoconferencing platform Zoom, voted Thursday to move forward with the installation of 150 miles worth of broadband fiber throughout Glenwood Springs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHaving broadband available to all of our customers and to our city is important infrastructure,\u201d Mayor Pro Tem Shelley Kaup said. \u201cEven more so over the past few years and highlighted by this pandemic that we\u2019re in right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During Thursday\u2019s regularly scheduled council meeting, in a series of 6-1 votes, council approved moving forward with the broadband project.<\/p>\n<p>Kaup, Mayor Jonathan Godes and Councilors Steve Davis, Paula Stepp, Rick Voorhees and Charlie Willman voted in favor; Councilor Tony Hershey voted against it.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col\">\n<div class=\"row gspi-donation gspi-donation-mobile p-0\">\n<div class=\"col-xl-4 p-2\">\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/PI-logo-white.png)\" class=\"p-0 mt-2 mb-2 h-75 text-center rocket-lazyload\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/PI-logo-white.png\" class=\"logo m-0 p-0 invisible\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/pi-banner-paypal.jpg)\" class=\"col-xl-8 p-3 text-center rocket-lazyload\">\n<h3 class=\"d-inline mr-3\">Support Local Journalism<\/h3>\n<p><button class=\"btn d-inline\" type=\"button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/donate\/?utm_source=article&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_campaign=donation&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=mid-article\">Donate<\/a><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cI really don\u2019t think that this is the proper role of government,\u201d Hershey said. \u201cThis is a job for the private sector.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to Public Works Director Matthew Langhorst, the city\u2019s current broadband system services predominantly businesses but also a few residents.<\/p>\n<p>The new broadband system would replace the existing one and have the ability to provide fiber internet service to every business and residence in Glenwood Springs.<\/p>\n<p>According to Langhorst, much of the city\u2019s existing fiber has reached its 20-year lifespan.<\/p>\n<p>The city\u2019s nearly 300 broadband customers would be switched over to the new infrastructure with minimal disruptions, if any, Langhorst explained.<\/p>\n<p>The new broadband system, like the existing one, would also provide phone and internet service.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUp to one-gigabyte speed capacity at their home or their business,\u201d Langhorst said.<\/p>\n<p>Including residences and commercial businesses, the new broadband system would pass approximately 4,800 potential customers.<\/p>\n<p>Langhorst said fiber would be laid over the city\u2019s existing electrical system both above and underground.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe don\u2019t have to rip up roads,\u201d Langhorst said. \u201cBasically, we would just be pulling wire through the conduit that already exists.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In January, the city issued a request for proposal (RFP) seeking $9 million to finance the project, which it would pay off over 20 years.<\/p>\n<p>Should financing come through as planned, installing the broadband fiber would take at least 2 years with work tentatively scheduled to begin in June or July.<\/p>\n<p>Council received two qualified responses to its RFP and directed staff to pursue an offer from Alpine Bank.<\/p>\n<p>According to a staff report, the city would pay $202,500 for the first three years and $640,000 for the remaining 17 years.<\/p>\n<p>Now in the underwriting process, Boyd anticipated bringing back a final financing package for council consideration in about five weeks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe idea is broadband will pay for itself,\u201d Steve Boyd, Glenwood Springs Chief Operating Officer, said. \u201cBroadband is going to be a utility that stands on its own just like water, wastewater and our electric fund.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"mailto:mabennett@postindependent.com\">mabennett@postindependent.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/glenwood-working-toward-installing-a-new-broadband-system-over-the-next-two-years\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Post Independent<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Glenwood Springs City Council, using the online videoconferencing platform Zoom, voted Thursday to move forward with the installation of 150 miles worth of broadband fiber throughout Glenwood Springs. \u201cHaving broadband available to all of our customers and to our city is important infrastructure,\u201d Mayor Pro Tem Shelley Kaup said. \u201cEven more so over the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1319516","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-26 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