electronic village of abingdon
"91st Day" Subcommittee

MINUTES

27 January, 1999 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, Chairman. There were seven participants present. These included:

Dr. F. H. Moore, Jr. Chairman
Al Bradley, Secretary
Steve Galyean
Randy Robertson
David Taverner
Coni Patrick
John Mongle

    The minutes of the 25 November 1998 and 30 December 1998 meeting were approved as presented after motion of Steve Galyean, seconded by Ray Millsap.

    The next item for discussion was that of the status of new connections. These were as follows:

  • a. Washington County/WKRAC
    Academy Drive
    $ 20,275

  • b. F. H. Moore III
    303 No. Court St.
    $ 1,875

  • c. Virginia Highlands Festival
    120 No. Court St.
    $ 1,995

  • d. The Love House B & B
    210 E. Valley St.
    $ 1,650

  • e. NetAccess
    366 W. Main St.
    $ 3,642*

  • f. PennStuart satellite office
    180 E. Main St.
    $

    * NetAccess will share in the cost above $1,800 for this connection.

Item no. f, above, may be handled locally as an extension of an existing route in the area of that office. The proposed connections were seen and approved by the 91st Day Committee.

    Third on the agenda was the proposal for creation of an Authority for E V A based on the Service District provision of Section 15.2-2400 of the Code of Virginia (1950) as amended. There followed a discussion of what area should comprise the E V A service district. Ideas for the service district ranged from the general area that is presently served, to the corporate limits of the Town, and to an area roughly within an elongated two mile radius beyond the corporate limits. This elongated area is roughly defined as extending from the Exit 13 area including Virginia Highlands Airport, to the area of Stone Mountain Subdivision on and near U. S. Route 19, to the Industrial Park located east of Abingdon on and near Hillman Highway, to the Washington County Service Authority water treatment facility on VA. Rt. 58, to Bristol's water treatment facility on VA Rt. 75, to the beginning at the Exit 13 area. On motion of John Mongle, seconded by Ray Millsap and duly adopted, the greater area as described was chosen as the preferred area to be recommended by the 91st Day Subcommittee to the Town Council for adoption as the Service Area for the E V A Authority.

    There was a considerable discussion of the various bills involving telecommunications that are pending in the Virginia Legislature. A compromise bill sponsored by Representative Bryant and others appears to have a reasonable chance of passage, but there are other bills in existence which run the gamut of returning the laws to the state in which they existed prior to last year and exemptions for other areas in Virginia that wish to offer telecommunications services. The exemption for Abingdon that was written into the current law is to be continued as far as we are aware.

    David Taverner brought up the fact that he had begun the replacement of 10 MBPS hubs with 100 MBPS hubs at the Sprint Central Office on Valley Street, but had inadvertently caused a disruption of the service running to NetAccess. Since most of NetAccess' local dial-in traffic physically occurs at the Sprint CO, all of this considerable traffic is being routed to NetAccess and to the Internet across the EVA system. David wished to be sure that we all knew of this arrangement, and wished to know the priority assigned to NetAccess in the event of future disturbances to their commercial operation such as this recent one or in future emergency situations. After discussion, it was determined that NetAccess was a customer of the E V A network like any other and the same priorities existed for all. Early on a method of evaluating, testing and handling service complaints had been established for EVA as well as a method of effecting repairs to the E V A facilities for its customers. These same methods and policies, while deserving of review for currency, are still in effect.

John Mongle volunteered to assist with updating and improving the E V A homepage. This matter was referred to the E V A Webmaster, Coni Patrick, who was present.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully Submitted,

 

Albert C. Bradley,

Secretary

 

Go Back