Publication Date: Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Editorial: A glimmer of light in 'fiber' debate?
Editorial: A glimmer of light in 'fiber' debate?
(October 05, 2005) A proposal to create a non-profit organization to take over Palo Alto's stymied 'fiber-to-the-home' movement stirs City Council candidates' interest
A plan unveiled last week to create a nonprofit organization to take over the moribund "fiber-to-the-home" proposal for wiring Palo Alto with high-speed fiber-optic technology has injected a gleam of light into a dark outlook.
The proposal, by a number of participants in a trial program in the neighborhoods near the Main Library and Art Center, would be called "Palo Alto Fiber to the Home" All candidates but one at a forum last Thursday said the idea sounds interesting enough that they would favor extending the city's planned trial shutdown date of Oct. 31. (See Around Town column in Upfront -- the proposal is posted on www.PaloAltoOnline.com.)
The City Council is scheduled to review proposals for some type of private or public/private partnership operation at its Oct. 24 meeting, scarcely a week before the pull-the-plug date. The council earlier had established the shutdown deadline, and presumably an extension would require council action.
The council had finally decided not to proceed with creating a new city utility to install and operate a system of fiber-optic wiring and related equipment that would extend a citywide "fiber ring" -- installed in the late 1990s around the city -- to homes and small business. Cost estimates ran as high as $35 million to $40 million, which city officials deemed too high a risk for an uncertain result in a time of rapid technological change.
The new non-profit plan was outlined at a candidates' forum by Gerry Fisher, a 34-year-old resident of Palo Alto, former president of the Palo Alto Tennis Club and a resident of the trial area. He said members of the effort have succeeded in getting Motorola Corp., which provided the hardware for the city's trial, to donate the system.
The cutoff date was triggered by an earlier announcement by Motorola that it would no longer commit to maintaining the equipment because it will be moving on to newer designs, even though the older equipment is still efficient and functional.
All the candidates except Victor Frost (who favored a study) expressed a desire that Palo Alto not be allowed to abandon its leadership position in the high-tech world. One noted it was the first city in the nation to have its own Web site back in 1994, but has long since lost Web site leadership.
The Weekly earlier noted that the fiber debate has gone on many years too long since it took form in the late 1990s, and should be ended. There seemed, regrettably, to be no choice given the city's inability either to decide to move forward or quit a go-nowhere effort.
We remain to be convinced, but the new directions of a lower-risk private or even a public/private venture may be worth exploring -- for a few weeks.
Editorial: An unfortunate omission in hiring of a relative
Editorial: An unfortunate omission in hiring of a relative
(October 05, 2005) Hiring a nephew of creek joint powers agency director not illegal but it muddies the waters of supervision -- particularly with no disclosure
The complaint last month by a former employee of the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Agency -- representing two counties and three cities flanking the flood-prone creek -- forced disclosure that one of the three staff positions was the nephew of Director Cynthia D'Agosta.
While not illegal, or even against JPA policies, the hiring of a relative is always questionable. It becomes particularly dicey in a small-staff agency that does most of its business out of the public eye and below the radar of local media. But the fact that the Board of Directors of the agency, representatives of the government agencies involved, were not informed of the relationship is a major failure that reflects badly on all involved.
D'Agosta, a competent administrator who has extensive experience in such multi-agency organizations, should have known better.
The former employee was left feeling slighted in the small-staff environment -- a key danger of such situations -- despite a string of positive performance evaluations.
The JPA board needs immediately to take action to establish clear hiring and personnel policies, including disclosure, to assure it does not recur. This is something all such special-purpose agencies should review regularly.
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