City of Decorah Telecommunications Utility Board has begun its work

The effort to improve Internet services in Decorah reached an important milestone on Thursday.

For the first time ever, members of a Decorah Telecommunications Utility Board held a meeting.  The city government board was formed because a referendum to form a board to explore the possibility of a city-owned telecommunications network indicated 93 percent community approval.

On Thursday Jarrad Walter was elected chair of the board.  Carolyn Corbin, Paul Mattson, Bruce Butters and Anna Norris are also serving on the board.

Board members have asked City Administrator Chad Bird to invite some telecommunications consultants to the board's next meeting on August 16th in an effort to get educated about all the options there are in feasibility studies which determine whether municipal communications utilities can be financially successful.