iProvo could win OK today

PROVO -- It's literally getting down to the wire for Provo City Council members.

Tonight, they face the monumental decision of whether or not to finance iProvo, the city's proposed fiber optic telecommunications project.

"Personally, I am kind of getting sick of iProvo," said Councilwoman Midge Johnson, who spent Monday contacting her constituents to get a better sense of public opinion. "I think the council has done their homework, and now it is time to decide."

The residents Johnson has spoken with favor iProvo 2-1, she said. She thinks the council will approve the project tonight, though she won't decide on her vote until the last voice is heard at the public hearing.

"I'm trying to get the people to tell me what they want," Johnson said. "I'm not trying to set up a coup or anything."

If passed, a $39.5 million bond will be used to finance construction of the network -- using sales tax revenue as collateral - - which will eventually lease ultra high-capacity bandwidth to private businesses. Those businesses, in turn, will provide services like high-speed Internet and cable television to local residents.

The project's large price tag and the council's ultimate power in deciding the issue has created growing criticism among a public that remains unsure about a high-tech Provo.

"I feel like this council was elected to reflect the values of this unique community," said Dixie Baker, who describes herself as a concerned citizen. "This will not strengthen homes. This is a moral issue."

Baker, along with other residents, has been collecting signatures requesting iProvo's fate be put on the ballot for voters to decide rather than leaving it to a handful of council members.

In order to get the issue on the ballot, 20 percent of the city's registered voters must sign a petition by Wednesday.

While Baker didn't know exactly how many signatures had been gathered, she expressed doubt that there were enough -- a consequence, she said, of a strategically timed iProvo vote, which coincided with the busy holiday season.

"We're trying to blitz the City Council," she said. "Our only hope is to be able to influence some of the council members. If not, this is a dead issue."

"This administration is going to get their way, one way or another," said former Councilwoman Shari Holweg. "It is absolutely disgusting."

City officials have been busy addressing concerns at three open houses held to explain iProvo to the general public. Market research studies have also been conducted in Provo neighborhoods to examine the large-scale viability of a citywide network.

"We've been doing research and study for the last five years," said Provo Power's Mary DeLaMare-Schaefer, who has overseen the iProvo project.

Thanks to the city's efforts, DeLaMare-Schaefer said that more than half of the Provo public is familiar with the iProvo proposal -- which is to "build a fiber-optic telecommunication system to lease to private companies so that residents and businesses can buy enhanced voice, video and data services."

The project is not just bandwidth but a ticket to access all entertainment and community coverage made possible by iProvo features like high-speed Internet, long-distance phone services and on-demand movies, she added.

Provo Mayor Lewis Billings hasn't minced words about iProvo, a project that he considers crucial to Provo's future business growth. While such high-tech tasks are typically undertaken by private businesses, Billings has said that Provo has no time left to wait for the private sector to get involved.

"Government should not do what the private sector will do," he said in his State of the City address last week, "but the private sector will not do what we think should be done."

In another speech, Billings responded to fliers distributed by the Utah Taxpayers Association, which calls iProvo "the most speculative venture in city history."

Billings said questions posed by the flier -- such as, "Shouldn't we as taxpayers be able to vote before risking $40 million of OUR money?" -- are redundant and inflammatory.

"We feel that there are several important questions that need real answers," said Chad Vanderlinden, a research analyst for the Utah Taxpayers Association. "The core question is, 'Why is government getting involved in this in the first place?' "

Vanderlinden said he is wary of fiber-optics in general since the ever-changing world of computer technology could go wireless before iProvo is even completed. Moreover, he doubts that such a powerful Internet connection is needed by citizens at large -- another reason, he said, that the private sector should oversee the project.

"If it's that important, give exemptions to help the private community get there," Vanderlinden said. "What's the haste to push this through? Let's wait until November when the vote can be put to the people."

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