In a 4-0 vote, the Shenandoah City Council voted to proceed with the fiber internet project and identified a funding source for part of the project, during its March 28 meeting.

City officials have been in talks about providing citywide fiber internet since 2015. The city first issued a request for proposals in May 2016, and Tachus LLC was the only company to respond. The city’s internet committee has since been working with the company to finalize an agreement.

The council previously approved a final agreement with Tachus for the $1.5 million project in a 4-1 vote, during its Feb. 14 meeting. Council Member Ron Raymaker voted against the item.

However, council put the project on hold as new information was discovered between the Feb. 14 meeting and the March 28 meeting, which council needed to discuss.

Mayor Ritch Wheeler said the item needed to be brought back to council because the city received information that a competing fiber internet company was servicing approximately 200 homes within city limits.

“Doing the quick math, based on the per capital cost at $1.5 million for close to 900 homes, that was about $350,000 that we potentially had the opportunity to save our residents taxpayer dollars if we didn’t need to run that conduit to those houses already having that capability,” Wheeler said. “It would have been irresponsible of us to not have at least looked at the opportunity to save our residents $350,000.”

As a result of the new information, the council needed to reevaluate the previously approved agreement with Tachus.

Six residents came forward during the citizens forum at the beginning of the meeting in support of the fiber internet project agreement with Tachus, LLC. Council Member Byron Bevers said since the new information was discovered, he spoke with several residents about the project and reexamined the agreement.

Bevers said because the agreement allows the city to terminate the contract and own the fiber if Tachus, LLC does not perform to a satisfactory level and locks in a maximum price of $85 for 20 years, he still supported proceeding with the project.

“What really pushed me over the edge is that we have the opportunity to provide a consistent service across the city,” Bevers aid. “I think that’s important—we have different residents with different levels of service, so standardizing that service, I think, is important. I know I did a lot more research in this interim period and I’m steadfast that I’m ready to move forward.”

Council members Mike McLeod and Ted Fletcher likewise said they were supportive of moving forward with the project. Council members reaffirmed their previous decision in a 4-0 vote, with Raymaker abstaining.

The council also identified that $350,000 of the $1.5 million project would need to be allocated for the project during fiscal year 2017-18. The council decided to fund that balance out of existing cash balances and unallocated funds in the capital projects fund.

The council will identify a funding source for the remainder of the project during the FY 2018-19 budget workshop.

Construction on the project is expected to begin in April.