The meeting opened with a discussion about a significant system-wide outage that had occurred the previous week. The outage was traced back to a power issue at a facility on Main Street in Springfield. Tim, a representative from the hosting utility company, detailed that the outage began around 3 PM last Thursday, initially suspected to be a fiber cut but later confirmed as a power issue. The facility had undergone extensive upgrades, including backup power systems and dual power feeds, yet the outage still occurred, affecting both Shutesbury and Leverett. Engineers deployed to the site identified that the power issue caused disruptions in the traffic routing system, leading to internet service interruptions. Temporary rerouting restored service but resulted in a saturated connection with slower speeds until the primary connection was restored.

Compounding the issue was the impact on phone services. Seven pieces of equipment were found offline at the 1500 Main Street facility, and while five were successfully restarted, one Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) was damaged, and two others dumped their load due to the surge. The restoration process prioritized internet service over phone services, with a complete flash and restore of the aggregation box required to resolve the issue fully. Phone service restoration was completed by approximately 2 a.m., highlighting the complexities involved in managing such outages.

The committee emphasized the importance of clear communication and preparedness for future outages. There were calls for more robust protocols to manage power line incidents and suggestions to involve local authorities to ensure public safety during such events. Concerns were raised about the reliability of the failover system and the need for improved notification systems for emergency services, particularly in areas with poor cell service. The committee acknowledged the need to enhance communication protocols to prevent the recurrence of such issues and ensure timely responses during emergencies.

Another discussion point was the need for improved routing setups to avoid single points of failure in the phone traffic system. The committee noted that despite having two phone routers at different locations, all traffic currently routes through a central point, which had proven to be a vulnerability during the recent outage. The suggestion to use an alternative router location to replace the one on Main Street was well-received.

The meeting also touched on the impact of a recent tornado warning and the vulnerabilities it exposed in their infrastructure. The warning had created anxiety among residents, prompting stories of power outages and the need for better management of such events. The committee recognized that severe weather events posed significant challenges to their infrastructure and reinforced the need for proactive measures to safeguard services during such incidents.

Financial discussions included unexpected auditing costs related to library funding, with the town facing approximately $4,000 in auditing fees for three years due to a special state-mandated audit. The necessity of these audits was tied to receiving a library building grant, adding another layer of financial oversight required for the town’s Enterprise fund. The committee expressed concerns about the high costs and sought clarification on the specific requirements set forth by the state.

Operational adjustments to the HVAC system were also discussed, with changes aimed at enhancing reliability during hot weather. The shift to having both units operate at different thermostat levels was designed to prolong the lifespan of active equipment, with a consensus that maintaining cooler temperatures should take precedence over energy savings.

The committee reviewed their service report, noting an increase in service tickets and addressing a significant incident involving a dig safe error by an excavation company. The error, resulting from user input mistakes, damaged a line in the January Hills area, with the excavating company expected to bear the costs associated with the damage.

The meeting concluded with a review of the digital equity survey results, which had an impressive response rate. A listening session was scheduled to gather further feedback, with plans to analyze the survey results to determine actionable steps. Discussions also covered financial wrap-ups and equipment inventory management, with a focus on ensuring that the committee remains informed and prepared for future operational and financial challenges.