HomeMy WebLinkAbout9/28/26 Telecom Board Meeting Minutes
TELECOMMUNICATIONS UTILITY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
September 28, 2026
1:00 p.m.
1. Members present: Mr. Batemon, Mr. Kurtenbach, Mr. Young. Ms. Wienands arrived at
1:04p.m. Absent: Mr. Van Fleet.
2. Moved by Young seconded by Batemon that the agenda as proposed, be approved.
Voice vote-Ayes: Three. Motion carried.
3. Moved by Batemon seconded by Young that the meeting minutes of September 16,
2026, as presented, be approved. Voice vote-Ayes: Three. Motion carried.
4. Moved by Young seconded by Batemon that, Resolution No. 2026-15, approving
authorizing official banking signatures, be adopted. Roll Call vote-Ayes: Three. Motion
carried.
Kelley Felche, Board Secretary, verified that the signers are Andrew Van Fleet, Doug
Anderson, Kelley Felchle, and Robert Houlihan.
5. Moved by Young seconded by Wienands that, Resolution 2026-16, approving a point-
to-point rate list, be adopted. Roll call vote-Ayes: Four. Motion carried.
Ben Stineman, Fuse Technic, provided an overview of the rate list.
Mr. Kurtenbach requested clarification if Waterloo Fiber uses their own fiber for point-
to-point work.
Ben Stineman stated they would be using existing ONTs.
Rob Houlihan, CEO and General Manager, stated they used this service at CFU and it
was a success.
Mr. Kurtenbach questioned if this expense would show as a separate line item for
revenue.
Rob Houlihan confirmed.
6. Moved by Young seconded by Batemon for a motion to approve a Right-Of-Way
Agreement with the City of Waterloo.
Rob Houlihan, CEO and General Manager, stated his primary concern with this
agreement is the annual renegotiation fee. He expressed a preference for establishing
a set fee for the duration of the contract. He also stated that, after three to four years,
the organization would have sufficient funds to potentially undertake the project
independently.
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Mr. Kurtenbach asked why an additional conduit is being installed adjacent to the
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existing conduit cross 6 Street.
Mr. Young provided an explanation of the negotiations between Waterloo Fiber and the
City of Waterloo.
Rob Houlihan stated that he would like to see additional financial information regarding
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the agreement. He also noted that he was aware of plans for the city to remodel the 6
Street bridge, which could potentially disturb the existing conduit in that location. He
suggested that relocating the future conduit installation to the Park Avenue bridge may
be a more suitable option.
Kelley Felchle, Board Secretary, expressed her concerns with moving forward with the
agreement, as it could cause a financial obligation for the organization in the future.
Mr. Kurtenbach questioned whether the agreement must be in place for construction to
continue and for service to be provided to the areas covered under the agreement.
Kelley Felchle explained that this agreement and the construction agreement are
separate and that ITG has an end-of-year deadline to finish construction otherwise they
could face a financial penalty. She suggested possibly tabling the agreement.
Mr. Batemon asked Rob Houlihan if he could provide an estimated cost for the
organization to construct the conduit independently.
Rob Houlihan stated that he will consult with Ian Crowther-Green, Outside Plant
Engineer & Technician Supervisor, and attempt to obtain the requested figures.
Moved by Young seconded by Wienands for a motion to table this agreement. Voice
vote-Ayes: Four. Motion carried.
7. Update from General Manager and consultants.
Rob Houlihan, CEO and General Manager, stated that he had a productive first week
with the company and had been meeting with staff to gain an overview of the
8. Adjourn.
With no further business before the board, it was moved by Young seconded by
Batemon that the meeting be adjourned at 1:24 p.m. Voice vote-Ayes: Four. Motion
carried.
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Kelley Felchle
Board Secretary