In a 5-2 vote Thursday, the Piedmont City Council voted to enter into a new contract with Information Transport Solutions (ITS) to provide internet access to public school students residing within the city.
This decision follows about ten months of lively debate, which continued throughout Thursday night’s meeting.
Council Member Frank Cobb has strong words concerning the agreement, saying that the contract is “not worth the paper it’s printed on.” He noted that the city hasn’t received a payment from ITS since November of last year.
Mayor Billy Baker acknowledged the lack of payments, saying that a city employee didn’t catch the error until earlier this month.
“How do you go into contract with somebody when they don’t honor the current contract,” Cobb asked.
Mayor Baker said that since the city stopped their payment to the school system in the amount of $6,250 per month over a ten-month period, there could be a “breach of contract all the way around.”
According to Baker the terms of the new contract will pretty much be the same as the old. The length of the agreement has been reduced from ten to three years and the city will receive just $250 per month from ITS for the use of city cables instead of the $6,500 per month under the terms of the old contract. However, under the old agreement, the city would pay the schools $6,250, still leaving just $250 for the city. This $6,250 will now go directly to the schools.
The city will also receive a monthly payment from ITS in the amount of $3,000 for the use of city electricity in addition to a pole rental fee of $24 per year for each of the approximately 129 poles.
Council Members Keller, Bramblett, Kelley, Harper, and Kiser voted “Yes,” while Cobb and Spears voted “No.”
Spears had spoken at great length, contending that the proposed contract wasn’t specific enough and cited financial concerns, noting that the city has already provided the schools with new athletic facilities, which she said will not be fully paid for until the year 2040.
“The school system is in better financial shape than the city,” Spears said.
Council Member Keller addressed Spears with “Why do we keep going backward; we need to go forward.”
After the vote was taken Spears contended that the vote was unethical due to certain council members choosing not to abstain, which, she said, was a “conflict of interest.”
In other business, after receiving two bids for concessions at the new aquatics center, the city awarded the contract to Diva’s Diner. The diner will provide the city with 35 percent of the proceeds from the concessions. Bramblett and Spears abstained from the vote.
The council also approved bills for payment for $538,722.98 in addition to a payroll amount of $191,147.63 for a total of $729,870.61, with Spears voting “No.”
The next regular Piedmont City Council Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 20th, at 6 pm.
(file photo)