Paul Looney, Chair, called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm in the Selectboard Office, Walpole Town Hall.  Present were Dennis Marcom, Bob Anderson, Dick Hill, Steve Grenier, Rod Bouchard and Peggy Pschirrer.

The Committee received and reviewed a draft of the RFP.  It will be sent to the Town Attorney before it is presented to the Selectboard on October 3rd.  If it is approved by our Attorney as well as the Selectboard, it will need to be mailed as soon as possible. It will be mailed to Consolidated Communications, Comcast, Argent, Matrix, and Otelco.

We have not found a lease from Comcast.

The Committee agreed that we should have a brief survey of all townspeople.

The Committee would like to have a Public Town Meeting for informational purposes.  The power point used October 3rd will be used at the Town meeting.  

Dick Hill discussed the effect of internet speed on property values.  The Journal of Applied Economics has an article by the University of California and Carnegie Mellon which discusses the effects of fiber optics in a community of underserved residents.

Twenty-eight percent of Walpoleans are underserved with Consolidated Communications.

Carol Monroe has worked at 250 Fiber Optic Networks in Vermont.  She will be invited to meet with us October 9th. October 15th we will have a public meeting.  We should invite Carol Miller to that meeting.

The Committee reviewed materials to be furnished to the Bond Counsel.

The Committee will not meet next week. Our next meeting will be October 2nd at 6:30 at Town Hall.

Peggy Pschirrer