Somonauk Village approves fiber optics agreement, annual budget
After months of deliberating, the Somonauk Village Board unanimously approved an agreement with DeKalb Fiber Optics that will allow taxing bodies in the village limits to tie into the county-wide project to provide faster, cheaper Internet service.
During its meeting Wednesday, the board voted unanimously to authorize Village President Aaron Grandgeorge to sign the agreement unless DFO requires contract changes other than for spelling or grammatical errors.
The contract allows DFO to run fiber optic lines to Somonauk School District buildings, the Somonauk Public Library, the Somonauk Village Hall and the water tower. If DFO, in the future, would like to expand those lines or put up an antenna, it would require the permission of the Village Board.
In addition, the contract requires DFO to provide a survey of where those lines are located to be kept at Village Hall.
DeKalb County is part of a federal grant initiative to provide fiber optic lines to schools, municipalities and libraries across the county, with the infrastructure to be paid for with federal dollars. As part of the grant, the lines must be installed by the end of the year.
The board had been divided previously as trustees negotiated an agreement with DFO, with some trustees expressing concern that DFOmight begin offering tie-ins to businesses that would then offer Internet services without paying utility fees to the village.
"We tried to make sure we're protected," said Trustee Becky Morphey.
School officials had been attending meetings, encouraging the approval of the agreement because of the substantial savings and faster Internet it will provide to the school buildings.
In another matter Wednesday, the board approved a balanced budget for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, with $683,124 projected in revenues for the general, police and streets fund and $683,124 projected in expenditures for the same funds.
In approving the budget, the board also agreed to transfer money from the sewer fund to the water fund to begin paying off the $500,000 loan left on the water treatment plant. The water fund will then repay the sewer fund over time.
Morphey said the reason this was done was because the village is paying about 4 percent on its loan for the water treatment plant but the reserve sewer funds are earning almost nothing in interest. By paying the loan off early, it will save the village about $2,500 per month in interest payments.