By a decisive voice vote, Monday night's special town meeting approved
Article 4, to create a broadband internet system in Warwick. Discussion
preceding the vote lasted for nearly 90 minutes.

The article authorizes the town to borrow up to $40,000 for three years,
sets up an enterprise fund to handle and account for the funds, and
asks for the best efforts of those involved to return the $40,000 to the
general fund when the system shows a profit.

Broadband Committee chairwoman Reva Reck told the meeting equipment
should be up on the Mt Grace fire tower and the cell phone tower on the
Gale property within three months. She said the committee expects
broadband connection to be available to residents by a year from now.

Selectboard chairwoman Patricia Lemon assured the assembly that the town
will not lose out on benefits from the recently enacted law creating the
Massachusetts Broadband Institute to bring high speed internet service
to rural towns. Reck said the Warwick plan may provide a model for lead
the way to bringing service to other towns.

After town meeting dissolved, the selectboard briefly resumed its
earlier session to approve and sign a memorandum of agreement with the
state's Department of Conservation and Recreation, which controls the
fire tower. The agreement limits Warwick's liability for repairing
access road washouts to $2,000 per year.

[Note: This report is being offered by a member of the Broadband
Committee.]

Miryam

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