Today's
Feature
Wi-Fi
Discussed.
The City Council
Budget/Ways and Means committee met Monday
evening in a regular session. Carthage Water and
Electric Plant’s Marketing and Technical
Services Director Chuck Bryant and General
Manager Bob Williams were present at the meeting
to speak about the feasibility and initial costs
of installing and maintaining a Wi-Fi network on
the Carthage square.
This study was
done at the request of Mayor Jim Woestman, who
was also present at the meeting. Wi-Fi is a brand
of wireless local area network technology that
makes internet available to those with wireless
network adapters on laptop computers through the
strategic placement of nodes on building roofs.
The purpose of the
internet access, in this study, would be to
provide internet access to Carthage square
customers with laptops while the customers are
inside businesses and eating establishments on
the square. Woestman said he felt it would help
Carthage "stay ahead of the curve," in
the area of downtown revitalization. Similar
services can be found in high traffic areas such
as airports, and hospitals. Several regional
cities, such as Springfield, have begun the
process of installing the feature in their
downtown areas according to Woestman and
Williams.
Bryant told the
committee that nodes could be placed starting
from the roof of Carthage Water and Electric
Plant, ranging around the square through five
antennas to offer internet service up to
300’ diameter. The equipment, including
antennas, server and hardware would cost
approximately $25,000 to $30,000 with maintenance
costing approximately $5,000 to $6,000 annually.
The committee
questioned the limited benefit of offering such a
service. Committee member Mike Harris said he
felt it would be an enhancement to businesses,
but that he didn’t’ see how it would
provide a service to the citizens of Carthage.
Woestman said he
felt it would help spark the downtown, and could
be useful to promote tourism including Route 66
travelers who stop on the square.
"Tourists
will tap into it," said Woestman.
Harris said he
felt that offering the service free would run the
risk of Carthage Water and Electric losing
downtown customers who are currently paying for
internet service.
Williams said that
this internet access would be more restricted
than the service offered to paying customers.
Committee member
Bill Johnson said he felt it would come down to a
matter of the City’s priorities. He said it
should be looked at against the list of other
improvements being planned by the City, including
the skate park and dog park.
"When you add
them up, they add up," said Johnson of the
City’s other projects.
Bob Williams said
that he had mentioned the idea to the Carthage
Water and Electric Board and that the board would
consider paying half, approximately $20,000 of
the initial costs. The City would then be
responsible for the other $20,000.
Johnson said he
could also see the benefit of the idea.
"I don’t
want to be against it, what can we do to
supplement this?" Johnson asked.
City Administrator
Tom Short said he would try plugging the numbers
into the 5 year capital improvement plan and
bring the information for further discussion.
Committee member
Ronnie Wells said he wanted to look at the
proposal further before doing anything. He said
he could see benefits and problems resulting from
the idea.
Bryant said that
the technology is moving down to smaller
communities and that Carthage Water and Electric
would help implement it if the City wished to try
it.
"It’s a
tool. It’s available out there. We have the
know-how," said Bryant.
The committee took
no action on the proposal but agreed to keep it
in mind for further discussion.
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