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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-06-02 Study Session MIN ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION MINUTES Monday,June 2,2025 Mayor Graham called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. Council Present: Mayor Graham, Councilors Bloom, Dahle, DuQuenne, Hansen,and Kaplan. Council Absent: none Staff Present: Sabrina Cotta City Manager Johan Pietila City Attorney Dorinda Cottle Communications Officer Chad Sobotka AFN Operations Manager I. Strategic Communications Cottle presented an overview of the city's communication strategy (see attached presentation). Current practices and plans for expansion were discussed, including communication goals, challenges faced in the past, progress made,and future objectives. Emphasis was placed on the importance of accuracy, accessibility,timeliness,and engagement in communications. Improvements made included launching a new website, expanding social media presence,and introducing various communication channels such as monthly newsletters and in-person presentations. Plans include transitioning to a fully digital newsletter, increasing video content, and enhancing regional outreach. Challenges addressed were capacity constraints and the need for better timing with communications. Feedback from the council highlighted improvements in communications. Suggestions included exploring Al (Artificial Intelligence) tools for content creation and partnering with Southern Oregon University for internships. The need for communication partnerships with other organizations to reach a wider audience was also stressed. Discussions also included the transition to a fully digital newsletter and utilizing notices in utility billing mailings to expand the subscriber base.The council agreed on the need for simple metrics to gauge progress in communications and track the impact of transitioning to a digital newsletter on residents who may prefer printed communications II. AFN Pilot Program Update and Next Steps Sobotka presented a PON (Passive Optical Network) pilot project update (see attached presentation).The project aimed to reach 500 homes with fiber and connect over 200 customers in the first year. Significant cost savings were achieved in construction and equipment purchases and details on customer adoption rates, service plans, and comparisons with other providers were presented. Expansion plans include deploying DOCSIS City Council Study Session June 2,2025 Page I of 2 (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) 3.1 technology for gigabit speeds in a larger portion of Ashland. Council members raised concerns about the project's long-term financial sustainability and requested a detailed business plan with financial projections.AFN's potential as a revenue generator was discussed and marketing strategies for increased customer adoption was considered such as targeting residential and business customers.When asked about the status of upgrading outer-lying neighborhoods, Sobotka spoke about prioritization of central business area upgrades with PON technology and gigabit service deployment. After extensive discussion,the council provided the following direction to staff: 1. Continue with the current deployment of the project as presented. 2. Develop a more refined business plan that includes aspects of economic development and the nexus with the local business community. 3. Hold off on appropriating additional funds from the ending fund balance until the business plan is presented and approved. The council agreed to revisit the topic in a future study session once the business plan is developed. III. Council Vacancy Appointment Options Bloom and Kaplan presented two options for selecting a new city councilor to fill a vacant seat: an exhaustive ballot method or a ranked choice voting method.The proposed exhaustive ballot method involves multiple rounds of voting with potential instant runoffs in case of ties, emphasizing transparency and allowing the public and candidates to see how the process unfolds.The ranked choice voting method is a process of ranking all candidates and reallocating votes based on preferences. It was noted that over 70% of Ashland voters supported this method in a recent measure. After discussion, preferences were expressed for the Exhaustive Ballot Method citing simplicity and transparency,discomfort with ranking all 8 candidates for a single position,and appreciation for the ability to lead with a top choice.The council agreed to use the Exhaustive Ballot Method for the upcoming council appointment. It was advised to prepare internal rankings to facilitate decision-making in case of multiple voting rounds. Adjournment of Study Session The meeting was adjourned at 7:46 p.m. City Recorder Alissa Kolodzinski Mayor Tonya Graham City Council Study Session June 2,2025 Page 2 of 2 raw a�5H t ... ....... Strategic Communications CouncilCity • • Communications Goals When it comes to communicating, we are... A" mrate,- We are a trusted source of information for the community. AGCBssMe,- Information is in a style and format that people can easily access and understand. I IM614 - Information is available early enough that the community can proactively provide feedback and make effective personal decisions, if needed. :EV 0410iVio - Communication is two-way, interesting, and it helps people feel connected to our community. /r Communication in the Past +Ne struggled to meet out goals NO DEDICATED VOICE -The Communications role was vacant from March 2018 for nearly 5 years, leaving the City without a consistent communications presence. NEWSLETTER PAUSED -Production of the City Newsletter ceased in October 2021 and remained inactive for approximately 2.5 years. OUTDATED WEBSITE -Challenging to navigate, limited search functionality, inefficient content discovery, and outdated information. STALE BRAND -The City brand had lost its spark. ,7 Communications Presently We are making progress. cc�lrate AcccssiWe, New -. PreviewSneak Dedicated • • City Corner/Ash land.news Websiteprotocols Social Media Sandwich :•• • Website •• A . Coffee & Conversation Monthly communications Website project pages - Office Hours per Releases • Hall Brand Identity Communications in the Future Here is what we plan to implement this coming year. Acccnra+e Accessible Videos protocolsThe current digital place a - working Infographics Regional outreach Welcome -w residents business Get-tyour City (staff • • services General • • • • • calendar 7ime,14 �ha�ao�iho� 5 Challenges Core issues we will continue to address. Ghalle"Oes }{ow we 1>16i4i to address thicm Capacity: we are communicating a Reduce the number of communication lot of information, with only one channels and/or reduce how we use dedicated staff member. certain channels. Timing: It can be challenging to match Better align communication plan with the timing of our communication with City Council agendas. Share when when decisions actually get made. decisions are delayed. Relevance:we are still learning what Continue to assess which topics have the topics matter most to our community. most engagement on our various platforms. r ,�. Priority Topics Here is how we prioritize what we communicate. • Emergency messaging • Changes to fees or cost-of-service • Large-scale projects that will impact access or City services • Council agenda topics • Community events r Measuring our Success How we know if we are meeting our goals. W&Sitc Avlalki f'IGS SociAI me'diA S+A+iS+icS QaAIi+A+ive f eedbAck L r Measuring our Success WEBSITE Analytics Monthly Snapshot. • 25K users • 71K View • Top 5 page visits: Home, Utility Billing, Parks, Agenda/Minutes, Civic Alerts • Top 3 downloads: City Newsletter, Senior Services Newsletter, Parking Map • Top 3 search terms: Parks, Utility Billing, Parking • Time spent on site: 3.02 minutes or average session duration • Sessions average 1.59 minutes per visitor /r Measuring our Success SOCIAL MEDIA / Facebook* - Monthly Snapshot. • Approximately 35 posts in May 2025 • 73K views • 29K reached • 600 content interactions • 200links * - Our most widely used social platform with 5.8K followers (up 2.3K in the past 2 years). r L Z Itmimlv- 0 Measuring our Success Qualitative Feedback • New website • Revived newsletter • SeeClickFix • Educational series • Community events Questions? Thank you for the guidance ana being Better Together! r ITY OF `SH LAN D AFN's Goals • Bring value to the community • Provide internet service that is- ✓ High quality ✓ Reliable ✓ Future proof • Offer competitive pricing and speed • Increase digital equity and inclusion • Implement "green" technologies to reduce carbon footprint • Deploy fiber to every home and business in Ashland o 10 Gigabit Passive Optical Network (XGS-PON, s C Pilot Project Goals I • Deliver the fastest internet speeds • Pass 500 homes with fiber per year 1 C • Connect 200 customers (new & existing) • Assessment for AFN staff r • Proof of concept for network design 4f I ft I Project Timeline • July 2023 - Funds released; project approved • Fall 2023 - Vendor selection • January 2024 - Council contract approval • February 2024 - Signed contract with Calix I • March 2024 - Request for Bid issued to 14 contractors j • July 2024 - One contractor responded • August 2024 - Construction begins 0 September 2024 - First PON customer connected I Timing Issues • Council presentation was pushed back three months • It took four months for a contractor to bid • Staffing shortage -fourth field tech brought on October 2024 Pilot Project Budget - Projected sioo,o00 ■ Hardware&Services(Calix) s3co,o_o ■Outside Plant Material ■Contractors sso,000 Approved $1 million Ir Pilot Project Budget - Actual .r r � d z sn.cai i 3 ■Hardware&Services(Calix) � r ■Outside Plant Material ■Contractors Spent $626,872 4f ff, Pilot Project Budget - Comparison Projected Actual Hardware & Services $ 600,000 $ 516,381 Outside Plant Material $ 300,000 $ 63,450 Contractors $ 100,000 $ 47,041 $ 1,000,000 $ 626,872 Remaining $373,128 LL4: Current Status SOU Area: yk r.l All fiber has been spliced ` Converting cable modem customers to fiber Cost per home passed: $193 Cost per home connected: $427 to$466 irk Cost per foot for fiber overlash: $6.20 k4 ' rr 14%customer increase, 50% market share ' Average Revenue Per User (ARPU): $48.60 � T Granite Street Area: r Main splicing is complete f�, First customer has been connected 70%of the drop cases have been spliced 4 Current Status Service Plan Breakdown (PON) Service Plan Breakdown (Cable Modem) 2% 3% 2t� 0% ■Essentials ■Max Home _ as o ■Advanced ■Ultimate ■Max Streaming 48 0 ■Max Entertainment ■Multi-gig ■Max Small Business •Basic 4rA ■Low income 32% OFMAIS Mid-Project Review • Inadequate staff levels • Contacting customers • Competition • Outside plant material • Deploying fiber is slow • Take-rate with minimal advertising • AFN staff is incredible! Pot Cost Comparison Hunter Quontum Fiber Name Download Upload MRC DisMcRount Name Download Upload MRC Dis��co nt RC alue100 100 100 $50 $46 SimplyFiber 200 200 $5 $45. aslc 500 500 500 $70 $60 500 Mbps 500 500 $6 $6 rr ? M 1,000 1,000 $9 $8 1(i 1,00 1,000 $9 $8 Wmate25G 2,50 2,500 $130 $120 Gi 2,000 1,000 $11 $1101 v � Must sign up for autopay to receive discount. Lifetime pricing,discount valid with bank account payment Spectrum AFN Name Download Upload MRC Discount Name Download Upload MRC Discount MRC MRC ntemetAdVant 10 20 $50 $30 Basic 500 20 $2 ? ntemetPremler 50 2 $80 $50 Essentials 500 500 $50 ntemet0 1,00 35 $100 $70 Advanced 1,000 500 $60 >' Discount price valid for the first year Idmaoe 1,000 1,000 $90 $70 urd- 2,500 1,000 $120 Lifetime pricing,bill included with City Utility bill,100%local AFN provides low-cost alternative with greater options i The Next Biennium i Goals • Symmetrical gigabit service to over 60% of Ashland • Acquire more than 5,000 customers • Adjust rate structure to ensure affordability • Continue to provide service that is: ✓ Stable & high-speed j ✓ Low / competitive cost ✓ Offer utility assistance for low-income residents The Next Biennium - AFN Expansion Project Total Project Budget = $2,560,000 • DOCSIS 3.1 Upgrade $1.75M • Fourth Field Technician $120K • Bucket Truck with maintenance $140K already already in • Fiber Expansion $190K budget • Cable Modems $250K • Rebranding & target marketing $70K Unfunded in BN 25-27 = $1,000,000 01 Ir i i The Next Biennium - AFN Expansion Project Source of Funds for Biennium i • Debt has been retired $1,200,000 • PON Pilot Project Carryover $373,000 already in capital • Capital Outlay $1,500,000 already in capital I Budgeted EFB BN 25-27 $1,804,087 • Request to appropriate $1,000,000 • New projected EFB $804,087 • Policy EFB $700,000 meets 20%requirement LzJ Staffing Levels Population Market Share Install Field Technicians Technicians Sherwood,OR 20,000 50% 2 11 Sandy,OR 13,000 78% 1 4 Anacortes,WA 18,000 42% 0 5 Ashland,OR 21,000 35% 0 4 100 250 500 1,000 2,000 5,000 Mbps Mbps Mbps Mbps Mbps Mbps Sherwood,OR $30 $40 $60 $80 Sandy,OR $44.95 $59.95 $80 $110 Anacortes,WA $39 $69 Ashland,OR $50 $70 $120 eW !A I Total Cable Modem Customers,May 2012- May 2025 4400 - - -- 4300 4200 -- 4100 4000 "A 3900 3800 NI.Z Z 3700 3600 3500 N N M M M V V ly' IA O In (O f0 f0 0 n r dp O W m O O O N O 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N O O N N O O O T a C T p, C T p_ C T Q C a C C T a T a C T a N N O N N O O O O O O O O G a N N N N N N N N N N N N O ti O y O (N O N O f0 O O m O O m C > a O �' C > a C >- a C T a C T N b D N 'O C3 N O 0 Remote PHY Node An Ao- DOCSIS 3.1 - PON Fiber Module a -, p Module l,_ �Oti �'1r�I W NEVAD ST z ,� tJ E HERSEY-STr e 4y Y ASr {� AFN Fiber Services eA,4hs7 DOCSIS 3.0 D09S15 3.1 Upgrade ` k-1-,__ r _ J ASHLAN Shand fiberAll N '� J d � A e { C CQ-��y yrCy�L � 9i. IN o AFN's Moonshot I ✓ Strong ending fund balance (Sd 11552-2222 ✓ Debt is retired ✓ We have a proven track record ✓ Our staff is incredible ` ✓ AFN is the only 100% local �,- broadband network - - i ✓ Support General Fund Chris Colton Edgar Chad through franchise fees .lames Dena Esteban ✓ Provide low-cost internet *Not pictured is Nick to residents /IM a yak.; Questions?