By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.—With the State Comptroller’s office issuing a non-committal review of the Paris Board of Public Utility’s Broadband Business Plan, the BPU decided to continue its own review of the proposal for some 30-60 days before making a final decision.
BPU General Manager Terry Wimberley said the comptroller had three comments he could make on the plan: 1. It seems feasible; 2. It does not seem feasible; or 3. It cannot be determined if it is feasible.
After reviewing the BPU’s plan, the comptroller said it could not be determined if it is feasible, citing uncertainty surrounding marketing and pricing aspects included in the plan. “That’s understandable,” Wimberley said, “because this is a learning curve, but these things were addressed in our plan.”
Wimberley said his meetings with the comptroller’s office were positive and it appeared there would be a more favorable review, but it seems the comptroller’s office is changing how it reviews the plans. “There is a city which received a review saying it was not feasible and they chose to go ahead and go into it anyway and I think that may be influencing the way the comptroller’s office is handing these now,” Wimberley said.
Even with a middle-of-the-board review, “That hasn’t damaged our efforts,” Wimberley said. “We can continue mulling this over.”
In other business:
–In October, the BPU approved a $75,000 loan to the Paris-Henry Co. Industrial Committee from the BPU Revolving Loan Fund for the purchase of two fishing boats outfitted for commercial removal of Asian Carp from Kentucky Lake.
Since that meeting, construction costs of the two boats has exceeded the $100,000 estimated total. Wimberley said the BPU Revolving Loan Fund guidelines allow BPU to loan up to 75 percent of an economic development project. The board approved Wimberley’s recommendation that the board modify the loan to be 75 percent of the project up to $86,250.
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