A point of discussion was the audit costs associated with the library construction project. The committee had budgeted $850 annually for audit expenses, assuming audits would occur every three years. However, it was revealed that the actual requirement was for annual audits due to external funding conditions, necessitating a budget adjustment to $2,000 per year, with projections of $4,000 every two years. This discrepancy led to the committee’s share of the audit cost being set at $3,500 for the current year, which correlated directly with the library construction project necessitating more frequent audits.

One member argued that the increased frequency of audits and the associated costs should be covered by the town as part of the library’s construction expenses, emphasizing that the need for annual audits stemmed from external funding requirements, not the broadband operation. Another member supported this stance, stating that the original budget was based on the standard audit schedule and any additional costs should be borne by the town, not the committee.

Further debate ensued regarding the appropriations for auditor expenses for the current fiscal year and beyond. Skepticism was expressed about making changes during the current fiscal year. The committee ultimately agreed to revisit the auditor expense for fiscal year 2026 and beyond while maintaining the current figure for fiscal year 2025, passing this motion unanimously.

In addition to the audit cost debate, the committee discussed an increase in support tickets, attributed to a service outage on July 11th and 12th. Gail Huness, the MLP manager, reported a threefold increase in support tickets for the month, with 35 tickets directly related to the outage. A suggestion was made to implement a text-based reporting system for service issues, providing an alternative communication method during outages when voice service may be compromised.

Financial updates were also shared, including the status of the Broadband Capital stabilization account, which had been moved to an account yielding better interest rates, resulting in monthly earnings between $425 and $500. Comparisons were drawn to another town’s treasurer, who had successfully placed their depreciation account into a CD for increased earnings. Gail confirmed that similar arrangements had already been made.

The committee further deliberated on the $443,396 grant from the Connect America Fund administered by Whip City. Although the check was received in June, it would not be deposited into the account until the next fiscal year, 2025, and would be categorized under a special account that did not require town meeting appropriation.

Operational challenges were also a topic of concern. Steve Schmidt reviewed a video recording from a prior meeting to confirm that seven pieces of equipment had been damaged, prompting positive remarks about his initiative. The group was intrigued by the unexpected interest in their meetings, noting that eleven people had viewed the recording before Steve.

The meeting also addressed the management of inventory and billing associated with materials for the broadband project. Bobby noted that materials are marked in a system referred to as “spry” when used, preventing billing for those items. However, concerns were raised about whether this system accurately reflects the inventory status, given the complexities of warehouse management.

Additionally, the committee received an update on National Grid poles on Locks Pond Road. Verizon had previously been involved, but the committee found they were still required to address the situation. One pole was manageable, but the second required repositioning equipment, with an anticipated, albeit small, bill.

The conversation also touched upon the operations of financial management in relation to treasurer and accountant expenses, with inquiries about how the broadband initiative’s contributions factored into the overall town budget. It was suggested that the appropriations for these positions might have been mismanaged, potentially lowering the town’s appropriations if managed correctly.

Towards the end of the meeting, the committee addressed the challenges with managed routers. One participant recounted persistent internet problems attributed to their managed router. Despite remote diagnostic capabilities, the service team opted for a physical visit, raising questions about the effectiveness of managed routers and remote diagnostics. A digital equity survey revealed that while customers were interested in having Sheld manage password resets and remote diagnostics, many were unwilling to pay for such services.