6.c Draft minutes IAC 6-11-2020SCANMA
Internet Action Committee
Location: Online Streaming (Boxcast and GoToMeeting)
Thursday, June 11, 2020 at 6:00pm
Attendance: K. C. Douglas, Chair Robert Wilmers, John Carney, Cathy Mackiewicz, and
Vice Chair Marschall Smith
Absent: None.
Also in Attendance: City Council Liaison Patti Ray, City Cour
Kronmiller, and City Administrator Ken Cammilleri.
Call to Order — Chair Wilmers Ak
meeting to order at 6:03pm.Approval of Agenda — Motion by y, seconded by Smith, to approve the agenda with
the addition of discussio the Ciebsite update. Motion carried.
Approval of Min om ay 7, 2020 — Motion by Smitliseconded by Douglas to
approve the minutes (f the May 7th meeting � ith removal o a reference to Melanie Trail N
and correction of two typos. Motio carried.
Update on Community Center 7Wirele* rdW Improvements — Cammilleri reported
that t blic wireless network iow up an nning. The network name is "Scandia-
Gu( ie passwordalahorse". Staff will be working to make additional
improvem ut the network has strong reception inside the Community Center and in
the parking to
Update on the 2020 Minnesota DEED Broadband Expansion Grant Project with
MIDCO — Wilmers reminded the committee that there are six different areas in the city that
are receiving service expansion as part of the project. Much of the work will be completed
in mid to late August to approximately the end of October, weather permitting. As part of
the project, MIDCO has been sending out mailers to encourage new service area customers
to obtain the service. MIDCO has also set up a new website,
htip://www.midco.com/Scandia, to promote service opportunities.
Prospects for the 2021 Minnesota DEED Broadband Expansion Grant — Wilmers
reported that the City of Scandia's commitment to provide matching funds to this granting
effort has placed Scandia and MIDCO in a good position for potentially obtaining funding
for a second year in a row. However, he noted that funding was not going to be a certainty
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City of Scandia
14727 209th St. N. PO Box 128, Scandia, Minnesota 55073
Phone (651) 433-2274 Fax (651) 433-5112 http://www.ci.scandia.mn.us
and noted that the FCC's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund may be another important
potential project funding source.
Update of Recent Work By Frontier Communications — The committee noted that
Frontier has been doing recent upgrades to the network infrastructure in town in order to
meet funding compliance on Federal funds they received for fiber optic expansion. Services
in the expansion area must meet 25MBps down and 3MBps up. Some parts of this network
are at a speed of 10 MBps down and 1 MBps up, which are below the required standards for
the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) funding they received.
Ribbon Cutting Promotion of the 2021 Minnesota DEED Broadband Expansion
Grant — In an effort to increase user take rates for broadband services, MIDCO has asked
for the committee and city's assistance in promoting and helping implement a ribbon cutting
ceremony. Ray offered to assist with helping to pla and organize the event, which will
. W
occur on or around the time construction starts gust. IL
Discussion and review of V draft of the Scandia Broadband Expansion Plan - The
committee discussed the first draft which will include maps that will ify areas of the city
and the projected years in which buildout may occur. Dialog occurred rding how to
present plan expansion in a way that does not set unrealistic expectations. The Committee
agreed that this draft was a starting point that would need further refinement. They
requested that the draft be shared with MIDPC.Q for comment and noted that it was not
ready for public promotion at this time. The dMft presented represents a rough forecast on
DEED and RDOF funding. Future w8k will be dependent on MIDCO, DEED, RDOF,
and further financial assistance from the City of Scandia.
4
Website -The committee Tooke at the first ebsite's layout and design. The Committee
also discussed how information about the InterneiExpansion Project could be better
displayed and promoted on the City's weNte. Wil ers volunteered to assist in putting
together the website to explain current and planned internet expansion activities in the City.
Next Meeting Date — The Committee agreed to hold its next meeting on July 9, 2020 at
6:00pm. ThN meeting will be conducte#ectronically and telephonically if the Governor's
Executive Order ntinues theexisting requirements. Items identified for future discussion
included revisitin draft Broadband Expansion Plan and the 2020 buildout ribbon
cutting ceremony.
Adjournment — The Co tttee adjourned at 7:30pm upon successful motion by Carney,
seconded by Mackiewicz.
Minutes Prepared by:
Ken Cammilleri, City Administrator
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City of Scandia
14727 209th St. N. PO Box 128, Scandia, Minnesota 55073
Phone (651) 433-2274 Fax (651) 433-5112 http://www.ci.scandia.mn.us