"91st Day"
Subcommittee
MINUTES
25 November1998 12:30 PM
The scheduled meeting of the Electronic
Village of Abingdon "91st Day" Subcommittee held in the Johnston
Memorial Hospital Cafeteria was opened by Dr. F. H. Moore, Jr., Chairman.
There were eight participants present. These included:
Dr. F. H. Moore, Jr., Chairman
Ray Millsap
Al Bradley, Secretary
Randy Robertson
David Taverner
John Mongle
Bill Chaffin
Burt Bassham
The minutes of the 25 October, 1998
meeting were approved as presented with one correction. The temporary fiber
referenced near the bottom of the first page is a two-strand fiber, not a
four-strand fiber as was stated. The minutes were accepted with the one
correction as noted.
New connections were discussed. First among these was the
Glenrochie Professional Building near the Hospital. This is being held for
extension to be made by the Town. Secondly was the proposed connection of
the Washington County Office Building and William King Regional Arts Center.
This extension was being considered at the request of the Washington County
Board of Supervisors. Two methods of connection were discussed and the
method selected as the preferable one was that of extension of 12 fibers
from the existing E V A route at Plumb Alley to the north along Russell Road
to Academy Drive and into the back of the County's Office Building at an
estimated cost of $20,274.04. The County should be advised of this cost.
The status of the "North Abingdon Extension" through Johnston
Memorial Hospital was discussed. Randy Robertson noted that since the last E
V A meeting, the new underground conduit from the JMH parking garage had
been installed and the cabinet was in place on the pole at Johnson Street.
However there was some question as to whether or not the fiber that was
ordered for the original route would be long enough to reach to the pole on
Johnson Street. Randy also noted that there were two possibilities being
pursued here; one of asking the supplier of the fiber cable to replace the
piece on hand or simply moving the cabinet from the pole at Johnson Street
back to the wall of the parking garage. Neither of the two possibilities
would adversely effect the use of the fiber system. In fact, removing the
cabinet from the pole would eliminate some potential of its exposure to
harm.
A discussion of making an extension of the E V A network from its present
terminus at Highlands Union Bank out to Virginia Highlands Airport began.
This discussion involved the great distance involved in such extension and
of the number of potential customers along this route. Among those desiring
service were the Hicok and Fern offices, Wright Equipment Co., First
American Bank, and the Wade Lopez offices. Randy Robertson suggested that
this might be an application for recent 4 MB per second wireless technology,
using an antenna at Virginia Highlands Airport and at the William King
offices. Randy thought that this service would cost approximately $ 12,000
for the first service and $ 6,000 for each additional customer.
Another possibility offered for consideration was using a T-1 line from the
Airport to NetAccess and radiating fiber optic cables out from this in the
manner already in use here in Town.
David Taverner stated that this would be a difficult and expensive extension
of fiber from the existing system at Highlands Union Bank out to the airport
involving, perhaps, a hybrid cable. The hybrid cable would possibly consist
of 36 multimode fibers and 12 single mode fibers and cost in the
neighborhood of $ 300,000 or more due to the great length of the extension.
Bill Chaffin asked if industrial development funding could be made available
for such projects. Bill also stated that the bank located near the airport
should be willing to invest a considerable sum towards the availability of E
V A services.
There being no further business, the meeting was
adjourned.
Respectfully
Submitted,
Albert C. Bradley,
Secretary