Town of Princeton, Mass. – Oct. 7, 2015 -- 4 PM
Princeton Broadband MLP Minutes
4:18 PM The meeting was called to order in the Town Hall Annex. Present were PBMLP Chairman Stan Moss, Edith Morgan, Jon Fudeman, and T.A. Nina Nazarian. Also present was John Kowaleski for the Broadband Cmte. and Phil O’Brien.
Phil O’Brien presented a marketing the fiber-optic broadband initiative. He suggests branding it as “Connecting Princeton” and is basing the plan on a town-owned project with no vendor-partners. Group discussed funds to allocate at a Special Town Meeting in March or April, from $2.5-3.5 million or up to $4.5 million before any grant reimbursement. Group anticipates that revenue from subscribers will become available before payment on a bond/loan would show up on residents’ tax bills. They discussed getting the message across about how a Bond Anticipation Note operates, and how short-term borrowing works with incoming revenue so that there would be no rise in property taxes.
They considered seeking help from an accountant or auditor such as the one who’s worked for PMLD.
The goal of pre-marketing is to build a subscriber base that represents at least 60 percent of homes, or about 750 households. The target audience and key influencers, from taxpayers to elected officials and news media, was discussed.
Then Phil discussed a long list of tactics, from websites and mailings to lawn signs and public gatherings. Everyone agreed about encouraging residents to learn all about the project and the importance of transparency. The intricacies of a ‘political action’ group such as Friends of Princeton Broadband or Friends of the Library was considered, since they can lobby for a ballot vote to approve a debt exclusion. Municipal resources, including appointed board and committee members, should not be used to lobby or promote a political position. Nina had researched the issue of monetary municipal resources through a conversation with Attorney John “Jack” Ferriter, and a utility or amenity that benefits the town/taxpayers would
be exempt. The feeling was to enlist support to get voters out and engaged, without necessarily promoting a position on a ballot.
Phil noted that the URL: www.connectingprinceton.com is not taken and the group agreed it should be purchased post haste. He also mentioned using social media and robo-calls. The group asked that the T.A. act as liaison for marketing.
Group discussed how to handle finances and how to fund marketing expenses. Stan asked about setting a meeting to discuss financial strategy and set a Special Town Meeting date and appoint a marketing director. March 22 or 29 were proposed, and discussed checking with the moderator, town clerk and legal counsel. Some discussion was on whether to get an RFP for construction out, prior to a town meeting. They also discussed subscriber fees for signing up, noting $100 or $25. They shared info on Ayacht plans for improved service.
The board voted all in favor to approve expenditure of up to $357,000 and request PMLD to begin make-ready work, with funds for safety/police details not to exceed $50,000. They also voted all in favor to ask Phil Leman from Linx to obtain a quote for final design from an appropriate firm. The board voted all in favor to ask that Phil L. and Nina work on finding an equipment hut on the “gray market” (aftermarket). The town meeting schedule may be aggressive and the PBMLP ultimately agreed not to set a date. John K. offered to set a schedule for the project for a future town meeting.
6:26 PM Members voted all in favor to adjourn.
Respectfully submitted, Admin. Assistant Marie Auger & T.A. Nina Nazarian
Marie Auger
Administrative Assistant
Planning Department
978-464-2100
| 
