Your PUD
News Release
Chelan PUD commissioners hear fiber-optic request from White River neighbors
Chelan County PUD
News Release
3/23/2009
About 10 residents from the White River Road area of Chelan County visited the weekly PUD board meeting Monday morning to ask that the PUD include them in plans for the PUD’s wholesale fiber-optic network.
Led by Steve May, secretary-treasurer of the Tall Timber Homeowners group, residents said their health and safety are at risk in the area because it is too hilly for cell phone service and there is no other convenient form of emergency communication. Group members said they are willing to wait for service for several more years, but they said they would at least like to see a PUD plan that designates their area for fiber-optic service eventually.
“That’s certainly a fair request,” said Commission President Ann Congdon.
Stan Fishburn, director at Tall Timber Camp in the area, said more than 10,000 campers attend each year and that fiber-optics would improve safety and services. May said there are about 70 electric meters in the area.
The PUD has a fiber build-out plan that calls for 95 percent of the county to be served by 2012, but the build-out has been postponed in some areas this year due to budget cutbacks required by the global financial downturn.
PUD commissioners responded to the group’s request by saying that they expect the fiber build-out to move back to normal as soon as financial conditions improve. “We haven’t forgotten you,” said Commissioner Norm Gutzwiler.
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The next regular commission meeting is at 11 a.m. on Monday, April 6, 2009, in the PUD boardroom at 327 N. Wenatchee Ave. The meeting March 30 has been canceled.
Most PUD commission meetings are recorded, and a link to the audio is available on the PUD’s home page at www.chelanpud.org.
Steve Lachowicz
Communications director
509-661-4639, direct line
509-679-0148, cell
steve.lachowicz@chelanpud.org