10 of 11 cities OK $181 million UTOPIA refinance
The refinance adds about $60 million and 13 years to bonding backed by sales-tax pledges from the 11 cities. If all the tax pledges were called upon, taxpayers could spend half a billion dollars on the project.
Payson, the lone dissenter, will be asked to pay on its sales-tax pledge at the discretion of the UTOPIA board, which is made up of representatives from each city.
The affirmative votes of Centerville and Brigham City, contingent upon Murray's vote, were cemented Tuesday.
Murray voted 4-1 to move forward, with Pat Griffiths dissenting. She also voted against the original tax pledges in 2004.
Within a month, the Utah Telecommunication Open Infrastructure Agency expects to have the capital to continue building fiber rings in pledging cities. It will also be able to complete infrastructure in rural cities where build-out is all but complete, said Melissa Johnson, who handles public relations for the municipal utility.
When the rings are complete, customers can go through retail providers to get services such as Internet, video-on-demand and digital telephone. Fiber will bring lightning-fast upload and download speeds. It will also allow for huge electronic file transfers that have been impossible on some connections.
UTOPIA has refused to answer specific questions about how build-out will occur and about proposed connection fees. Johnson said Tuesday some of the details hadn't been decided and others are being kept secret for proprietary reasons. "There are definitive things we are working on," said Todd Marriott, a Colorado-based advisor to UTOPIA. "This is not hyperbole or hot air."
The more customers sign up, the more construction capital UTOPIA will have to work with, Johnson said.
Utah's experiment in providing municipal fiber optics kicked off in 2004 amid heated arguments regarding funding, technology and government competition. The arguments continued in the blogosphere and news editorial pages as UTOPIA ran into roadblock after roadblock.
The utility, governed by interlocal agreements, fell far short of projections. Its leadership argues that the plan ran into unforeseen challenges, including a faulty loan from the federal government through the Rural Utility Service. Leadership also admits to mistakes such as failing to hire telecommunications experts, failing to communicate with elected officials and relying too heavily on retailers.
UTOPIA will be issuing monthly reports to elected officials in affected cities, general counsel Dave Shaw told the Murray City Council.
Recent comments
Dear John: (Always wanted to say that!) Oh my, where to start....
Paul | May 7, 2008 at 8:29 a.m.
Someone once said if you are going to have to kiss a pig, put a lot...
John C | May 6, 2008 at 9:52 a.m.
- Sub hears Yemenia black boxes 8:49 a.m.
- Iraqis skeptical about pullback 8:47 a.m.
- Spy chief's details on Facebook 8:46 a.m.
- Ramirez homers, but Padres win 1:56 a.m.
- Coast Guard plucks kayaker from sea 1:26 a.m.
- 16 dead in China floods 1:19 a.m.
- Sports on the air 12:46 a.m.
- Editorial: Ulster bridges divide 12:46 a.m.
- Obama deprives Iran of scapegoat 12:46 a.m.
- America stands as shining beacon 12:45 a.m.
- Stadium of Fire lights up the 4th
- Millsap valuable, not franchise player
- Utahn reunites with officer
- Can Jazz escape luxury-tax mess?
- Interest in Millsap dwindling?
- The BCS sure won't fix itself
- Obama deprives Iran of scapegoat
- Jazz talked Kirilenko for McGrady
- 'Tea party' protesters unhappy
- NKorea fires 7 missiles defying U.S.
- Boozer not opting out of contract
180 - Palin resigning as governor
101 - Lack of Obama photos concerning
99 - Utah leaner in too-fat country
91 - Don't listen to marriage cynics
87 - Editorial: A sad day for Utah
86 - Palin's and Romney's roles in 2012?
86 - Jazz plan to re-sign Millsap
81 - Jazz talked Kirilenko for McGrady
71 - Hatch calls BCS 'biased' in SI article
69
The night was balmy though buggy at SPOC, the Stansbury Park Observatory...
"Hate mongers" -- I'm beginning to think that those who use that term are the...
It is not President Obama or his policies that are splitting America. The...
That was the dumbest comment I've ever read. Why does this have to be about...
The broader issue is why universities fund athletics in the first place....
BO thinks he's a good humanitarian because he is taking from the rich and...
the Jazz would be making a huge mistake by giving milsap more than $8...
Beattie is a solid guy with a track record of being consistent and working in...
Non-dare call it welfare!! This article highlights the weakness of...
I wonder what the attendance at the Stadium of Fire would be without the...
This quote of yours, "We do not insert ourselves in the struggles of other...


