HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB 2026-03-19 attTB 3-19-26
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TOWN OF DRYDEN
TOWN BOARD MEETING
March 19, 2026
Zoom Hybrid
Present: Supervisor Jason Leifer, Cl Daniel Lamb, Cl Leonardo Vargas-
Mendez, Cl Christina Dravis, Cl Spring Buck
Elected Officials: Bambi L. Avery, Town Clerk
Other Town Staff: Amanda Anderson, Bookkeeper
Ray Burger, Planning Director
*Cassie Byrnes, Secretary to the Supervisor
*denotes attendance via Zoom
Supv Leifer opened the meeting at 6:05 p.m. Board members and audience recited the
pledge of allegiance.
RESOLUTON #85 (2026) – APPROVE MINUTES
Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby approves the meeting minutes of February 12
and February 19, 2026.
2nd Cl Dravis
Roll Call Vote Cl Vargas-Mendez Yes
Cl Buck Yes
Cl Dravis Yes
Cl Lamb Yes
Supv Leifer Yes
HIGHWAY/DPW DEPARTMENT
No report.
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
Ray Burger reviewed the monthly Planning Department report (on the website). This
month’s report has not only the February numbers, but the totals for 2025. Total building
permits for 2025 represent an investment of about 38 million dollars in the town.
A grant award has been announced to bring public sewer service up Hanshaw Road
from Route 13 to the Hanshaw Village mobile home park. They are now working with the
property owners to complete the technical design, easements, and some agreements. One of
those is an out-of-district user agreement with Cook properties. That involves looking at recent
investments in the district.
Subdivision of a property known as Trillium Woods was introduced to the Planning
Board a couple of months ago. Preliminary designs have been shared with various other boards
in the town. The Conservation Board and Ag Advisory Committee have weighed in. A revised
design was received this week, and more conservation analysis is being done. It will go out for
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239 review by the County and then it will be ready for the Planning Board to act on at their
April meeting.
Supv Leifer said the Ag Committee has been talking about a possible moratorium and
protection of specific soil types. Cl Buck reported that the Zoning Advisory Group (ZAG) had
talked about conservation subdivisions being required in the RA and CD districts, and optional
in light industrial districts. There was lots of discussion on farmland use and that all PUDs
should be conservation subdivisions. The consultant proposed language that ties into the comp
plan and is developing a whole new document for this. There was discussion about including
ag land soil protection as well as animal habitat and soils of statewide importance. They want
to include buffers around wetlands, and there was discussion about adding language in SEQR.
They clearly want to make sure that soils are included in the protections. ZAG discussed the
moratorium, and the sentiment was that they would not support it but would support updating
zoning. The language about soils being included regarding conservation subdivisions was well
received. The committee is prioritizing it but would have to have more meetings.
Supv Leifer said it looks like there is an application in unless it is not complete. What
they are proposing may not fit with what we want in the comp plan.
Comments during discussion:
• The comp plan alleges that we want to preserve open space.
• A conservation subdivision to preserve farmland concentrates development.
• Larger lots as well as some five-acre lots are proposed, but according to our code they
could go down to two acres.
• A conservation subdivision provides more flexibility, and they can do more
densification.
• The town would have to produce something soon to preserve the farmland.
• The board wants to preserve open space.
• A lot could be created substantially covering the prime farmland soils.
• The Planning Board can suggest an ag lot in the center.
• Town Board can take other steps if they do not like the proposal.
• Language is still needed for ZAG regarding soil preservation for the comp plan update.
R Burger will relay the Town Board’s comments to the Planning Board prior to their
meeting next week.
DRYDEN FIBER
Executive Director David Makar has provided a monthly report (attached) and reviewed
the executive summary. Conor Hans has joined the team as Account Manager and is handling
all kinds of inbound requests and helping with other parts of the project. All three construction
areas are in progress. Current estimation for completion time is November 17. There were 528
customers as of March 1. There are currently over 800 requests for service in Dryden and as
soon as those areas are in the green zone we will more than double our customers.
The Inter-Municipal Broadband Network Deployment and Operations Agreement
between the Town of Dryden and Town of Caroline has been updated. The financial
relationship between the towns has been updated. It contains a shared services agreement that
describes how the two towns split the cost of running the project and monthly operations, as
well as addressing the Caroline Municipal Internet Fund, a fund within Dryden Fiber’s budget
that manages all of Caroline’s expenses. It is undergoing attorney review before being ratified
by the two boards.
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The 1.8-million-dollar reimbursement request is working its way through final details.
The NYS Assembly has taken up the Municipal Broadband Financing Modernization Act
and it is making progress in Albany. D Makar met with a council of other MIP recipients who
will also provide support. The PSC is setting the depreciation of fiber goods at 30 years which
is a good sign that that bond should also have a 30 -year term.
D Makar reviewed current challenges, with a focus on the Freeville expansion. They are
working to shorten the make ready times by having one-touch companies do the job. The POPs
in place need to be grounded and need to have DC power for the Calix software. There is a long
lead time for the batteries and materials to do this. They are currently looking at m id to late
June for completion.
Because the previous engineer did not design enough fiber, they need to add 72 count
fiber for 2.7 miles of the area that already has some service. There has been a major change in
getting glass infrastructure. Glass is what makes up the fiber. A large purchase by Meta data
centers has disrupted the entire fiber optic supply chain. Corning is being kept busy with Meta
projects, and our supplier is unable to get material to make fiber. Our supplier is unable to
commit now to the dates on the purchase orders that were signed. Any material not shipped by
April 15 will have a 12-24% surcharge added to the purchase price.
There is no state permit for Route 34B in place. NYS DOT does not have a consistent
method of reviewing permits and moving them along. Even if the traffic control plans are
approved, it could be 90 days before the permit is issued. This process could delay the project
on other state roads.
Brad Penny of Vantage has advised that he is taking a new job in South Dakota and
leaving this project. He will be leaving in about three weeks and has selected an experienced
co-worker to take his place.
As much of the project as possible has been placed on telephone poles because it is less
expensive than boring and moving the fiber underground. Sometimes poles are outside of the
road right of way and Dryden Fiber needs an easement from the landowner. He described that
process. They are working to identify in advance where those easements will be necessary and
have them in place prior to construction.
Resolution #86 (2026) - Approve Purchase of Materials for Dryden Fiber
Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
Whereas, materials are needed for the construction materials for the Dryden Fiber network.
Whereas, specific quotes are funded by the ConnectALL grant and the remaining is funded with
Town BAN Funds,
Whereas, there are two separate quotes for the materials:
Date Quote # Project name Amount
3/13/26 2001806690 Dryden Construction
Small Materials Restock
19,025.44
3/13/26 2001808086 Dryden Installation
Small Materials Restock
3,515.50
Total 22,540.94
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Therefore, be it resolved that the Board approves the purchase of a variety of materials from
Graybar for a total of $22,540.94 as listed in quotes above.
2nd Cl Lamb
Roll Call Vote Cl Vargas-Mendez Yes
Cl Buck Yes
Cl Dravis Yes
Cl Lamb Yes
Supv Leifer Yes
Resolution #87 (2026) - Authorize the Dryden Fiber Executive Director to Sign an
easement for underground construction at 600 Bone Plain Road
Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
Whereas, Dryden Fiber is working to build into the Bone Plain Road neighborhood, and
Whereas, Dryden Fiber’s preferred connection is from a utility pole on the property of 600 Bone
Plain Road, and
Whereas, Dryden Fiber would construct the network connection through an underground
buried pathway between a utility pole on the property at 600 Bone Plain Road and the property
owner has agreed to the easement,
Therefore, be it resolved that the Town Board authorizes the Dryden Fiber Executive Director to
sign an easement with Ronald Ellis, the owner of 600 Bone Plain Road, to allow for
underground access from the right-of-way to the utility pole on the property.
2nd Cl Lamb
Roll Call Vote Cl Vargas-Mendez Yes
Cl Buck Yes
Cl Dravis Yes
Cl Lamb Yes
Supv Leifer Yes
Resolution #88 (2026) - Authorize the Dryden Fiber Executive Director to Sign an
easement for underground construction at 725 Sheldon Road
Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
Whereas, Dryden Fiber is working to build into the Sheldon Road neighborhood, and
Whereas, Dryden Fiber’s preferred connection is from a utility pole on the property of 725
Sheldon Road, and
Whereas, Dryden Fiber would construct the network connection through an underground
buried pathway between a utility pole on the property at 725 Sheldon Road and the property
owner has agreed to the easement,
Therefore, be it resolved that the Town Board authorizes the Dryden Fiber Executive Director to
sign an easement with Gregory Busby, the owner of 725 Sheldon Road, to allow for
underground access from the right-of-way to the utility pole on the property.
2nd Cl Lamb
Roll Call Vote Cl Vargas-Mendez Yes
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Cl Buck Yes
Cl Dravis Yes
Cl Lamb Yes
Supv Leifer Yes
Resolution #89 (2026) - Authorize the Dryden Fiber Executive Director to Sign an
easement for underground construction at 562 Bone Plain Road
Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
Whereas, Dryden Fiber is working to build into the Bone Plain Road neighborhood, and
Whereas, Dryden Fiber’s preferred connection is from a utility pole on the property of 562 Bone
Plain Road, and
Whereas, Dryden Fiber would construct the network connection through an underground
buried pathway between a utility pole on the property at 562 Bone Plain Road and the property
owner has agreed to the easement,
Therefore, be it resolved that the Town Board authorizes the Dryden Fiber Executive Director to
sign an easement with Thomas Brotherton, the owner of 562 Bone Plain Road, to allow for
underground access from the right-of-way to the utility pole on the property.
2nd Cl Lamb
Roll Call Vote Cl Vargas-Mendez Yes
Cl Buck Yes
Cl Dravis Yes
Cl Lamb Yes
Supv Leifer Yes
There will be a public broadband meeting tomorrow via zoom at 10:30 a.m. They will
discuss multiple dwelling units (apartments and mobile home parks), and retail and office
spaces. This requires a little more work to provide service.
Discussion/Action Items
Appoint DRYC member – Jenna Kain has submitted an application.
RESOLUTION #90 (2026) – APPOINT DRYC MEMBER - KAIN
Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby appoints Jenna Kain to the Recreation &
Youth Commission for a term to expire December 31, 2028.
2nd Cl Lamb
Roll Call Vote Cl Vargas-Mendez Yes
Cl Buck Yes
Cl Dravis Yes
Cl Lamb Yes
Supv Leifer Yes
Public Meeting Room Audio Visual Quote – The board discussed a revised quote from
Francis Audio Visual for a new AV system (attached). The existing microphones will be
refurbished. There will be a camera directed at the board and one at the audience. Board
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members will no longer have to log on to Zoom via their own computer. The optional 86” screen
and cart option will be purchased.
RESOLUTION #91 (2026) – APPROVE PURCHASE OF AV EQUIPMENT
Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption:
RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby approves the purchase of new audio-visual
equipment for the public meeting room as quoted by Francis Audio Visual in the amount of
$14,847.17, together with the 86” display on cart for $6,042.00, totaling $20,890.15.
2nd Cl Vargas-Mendez
Roll Call Vote Cl Vargas-Mendez Yes
Cl Buck Yes
Cl Dravis Yes
Cl Lamb Yes
Supv Leifer Yes
ADVISORY BOARD UPDATES
Affordable & Workforce Housing Committee – The committee had a conversation with
Fisher Associates regarding the Leonardo property. They will hold two charettes and hope to
have a project proposal by June 1.
Conservation Board – The bulk of the meeting was spent discussing a proposed
moratorium on subdivisions of ag land. They do not support developing that space on Ed Hill
Road. There are many concerns around the unique natural areas and what would happen with
the land. They are looking for a high school liaison for the board and are working to find a time
to meet with the Climate Action Committee.
Climate Action Committee – They are planning for a repair café on Saturday, April 18
from 10:00 am to 1:00 p.m. and are still looking for someone to fix bicycles and someone who
can do general electrical work.
Zoning Advisory Group – The focus of their meeting was conservation subdivision
language development. Their next meeting will focus on use tables and lot dimensions and
updates to go along with the conservation subdivision language.
Planning Board – The next meeting is March 26.
Rail Trail Task Force – Congressman Riley’s district manager reached out about an
opportunity to apply for congressional funding for the rail trail. They had only five days to get it
together, and Cl Lamb and Todd Bittner were able to put in an application for one million
dollars. That will help underwrite phase three (from Pinckney Road to the Village of Freeville).
The preconstruction meeting for the pedestrian bridge over route 13 was held March 13.
The developer is anxious to start and expects the project to be complete by October 31. The
public is encouraged to stay away from the work site. It is closed to the public.
Agriculture Advisory Committee – Their topic was discussed earlier tonight. Supv
Leifer will check in with them regarding what the developer is willing to do.
Recreation & Youth Commission – They applied for a municipal parks and recreation
grant in February and are looking for funding to help with the project. They will hold an event
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at the Dryden Center for Community in April. The commission meets next week, and they are
waiting on the school district to fill their spot on the DRYC.
CITIZENS PRIVILEGE
Craig Schutt said the Ag Committee had sent a resolution requesting a moratorium on
subdivisions. The Conservation Board supported it, and he asked why the subject was not on
the agenda. Supv Leifer said it has been discussed. They are waiting to see what R Burger can
find out before the Planning Board meeting. If necessary, the Town Board can schedule a
special meeting. If the developer is receptive to what was talked about tonight, there may not
need to be a moratorium.
Cl Buck would like the town to participate in the monarch butterfly migration project
and will take the lead.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:18 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Bambi L. Avery
Town Clerk
DRYDEN FIBER
MONTHLY REPORT
for February 2026
TOWN OF DRYDEN BROADBAND COMMITTEE MEETING on Mar. 6, 2026
And
DRYDEN TOWN BOARD on Mar. 19, 2026
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY –3/6/2026
▪The Good News:
Hired Conor Hans to join our team as our first Account Manager
All 3 construction areas (Freeville Expansion, Greater Dryden, Caroline MIP) have been
awarded to Syracuse Utilities: Work continues daily
o 528 customers are active as of March 1, 2026
o Demand in Maintaining: 58 Inbound Service Requests in February
o The Inter-Municipal Broadband Network Deployment and Operations Agreement (IMA)
▪Updated with financial relationship between two towns defined
▪Shared Services Agreement, Monthly Operations, Caroline Municipal Internet Fund
▪Pending Legal Review by Town Attorneys, aiming for signing in April 2026
$1.8M reimbursement working through final details, aiming to wrap this month (Mar. '26)
NY State Assembly "Municipal Broadband Financing Modernization Improvement Act
(A10212)" making progress in Albany
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY –3/6/2026
▪IT IS POSSIBLE TO REACH THE MIP GOAL by 12/31/2026 (2,711 homes; 400 installs)
▪Challenges, focusing on Freeville Expansion (Yellow on Map)
o Electrical Make Ready (replacing or preparing utility poles) for at least 200 more poles
▪Storms slowed us down in February, Freeville waiting on some punchlist items to complete
o Telco Moves (Charter/Spectrum) for hundreds of poles in Freeville Expansion; Power Supplies issue
▪Communication with Charter/Spectrum has slowed over the last 10 days, difficult to get accurate timely updates
o Telco Moves (Frontier) -Short cut (45 calendar days) identified
o Freeville POP –Move to Calix FTTP Equipment
▪DC Power Transition: Vertiv Equipment (May 15);sub-contractor (DC Power, Grounding,Calix): Short cut
identiied to accelerate
o Empire Overlash –We need to add 72 count fiber to 2.7 miles of Empire Overlash (Railroad, Mott)
▪Moving to underground option
o Inventory
▪10mm / 5/8 inch strand needs special hardware (vs. 6mm strand); this is on order, 6 -10 weeks out
▪MSTs/HSTs for Freeville: We have about 130 count gap, with deliveries expected in April / May
o State Permit –Still Not yet in place for Route 34B / Peruville Road west of Route 38 –Traffic Control Plans
MIP Scoreboard –February 2026
As of March 1, 2026
Months to go:
5.1
----------
147
(3.4%)
MIP Miles Completed*
258
----------
2,711
(9.5%)
# of Parcels Reached
4
----------
470
(0.9%)
# of Unserved Reached
1
----------
74
(1.4%)
# of Underserved Reached
54
----------
400
(13.5%)
# of MIP Installs
10
--------
30
(33%)
MIP Scoreboard – Janury 2026
As of February 6, 2026
300
DAYS TO GO
(9 months, 4 weeks)
141.9 miles to build
Municipal Infrastructure Program Grant must be completed by 12/31/26
Project Highlights
Project Name:Dryden Fiber Expansion
for Towns of Dryden and Caroline
Applicant and Partner(s):Town of
Dryden dba, Dryden Fiber and Town of
Caroline
Construction Miles (Fiber): 147
Total Locations Served:2,711
ConnectALL Grant Amount: $ 11,641,537.00
Local Contribution: $ 906,321.00
Total Project Investment: $ 12,547,858.00
2026 Construction Plan (Gantt Chart)
Feb.Mar.Apr.May Jun.Jul.Aug.Sep.Oct.Nov.Dec.
Freeville Expansion
(2)
PARTIAL
HOLD
PARTIAL
HOLD
PARTIAL
HOLD
PARTIAL
HOLD BUILD LIVE LIVE LIVE LIVE LIVE LIVE
Greater Dryden (5)BID PARTIAL
HOLD
PARTIAL
HOLD
PARTIAL
HOLD BUILD BUILD BUILD BUILD LIVE LIVE LIVE
Caroline MIP (5)BID BID PARTIAL
HOLD
PARTIAL
HOLD BUILD BUILD BUILD BUILD BUILD BUILD LIVE
Status Definitions
BID – Project out to bid, awarded, contract negotiation, paperwork, bond, signatures,design book
presentation and review.
PARTIAL HOLD – Due to gaps in EMR and Telco Moves: Vantage will be directing construction (aerial,
underground) to limited parts of the map where we have permits and/or licenses. Splicing can be carried
out in full.No parcel activation due to POP Servers.
BUILD - "Let it rip" - Construction partner has full access to licenses, permits, weather, inventory,
materials, and POPs are ready for activating parcels in small bunches.
LIVE – Residents in the zone can schedule and have service installed.
Make Ready 101
Make Ready 101
The two options for fiber deployment are aerial and underground. Aerial makes use
primarily of existing utilty poles ("telephone poles") where we attach to the pole and
pay rent to be attached. Underground requires road owner permits and drilling or
boring which has substantial costs beyond aerial construction. In colder climates (i.e.
New York), accessing underground networks can be challenging in the winter ("We
can install in the spring", "After the ice thaws")
For aerial construction, the poles need to have room for the attachment of fiberoptic
service. By default, poles are not ready for attachment, work has to be completed to
make the individual poles "ready" for us to attach. This is called "Make ready".
Dryden Fiber, between the towns of Caroline and Dryden, will be making use of over
4,950 existing utility poles. Each of these poles needs to be "made ready".
Make Ready 101
Joint Pole Diagram
Before:
▪Electricity
▪CATV
▪Telephone
Make Ready 101
Items on the pole:
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H – All electricity related
J – Service to the home
K – CATV, Telephone
Make Ready 101
Fiber Install:
1.Steel wire, aka strand
2.Fiber optic cable
3.Splice closures / enclosures
Make Ready 101
Make Ready 101
Tasks for Make Ready may include:
1.Pole doesn't have enough total space with
required clearance: need to replace pole
2.Pole is old and at end of life: need to
replace pole
3.Pole is surrounded by trees and branches:
tree cutting required, then pole can be
accessed or replaced
4.Fiber gets top position for non-electric
tenants, thus:
1.Telephone needs to move down
2.Cable moves to where phone had been
3.Fiber installed where cable was
Pre-Registration
▪Seventy-six (76) new "Service Not
Available" requests since 1/15/26
▪As of 3/6/26, 669 Dryden residents
have requested service who are not
yet in the green zone
▪103 are in the Freeville Expansion
(slated for completion in June 2026;
3 months later than December
estimate)
▪566 are in "Greater Dryden" (slated
for completion by 12/2026)
▪Additionally, there are 214 (+32)
requests in the town of Caroline
(slated for completion in 2026)
▪Dryden (669) and Caroline (214) =
883 pre-registered prospects
Neighborhood Count
Freeville Expansion 103 (+13)
Bethel Grove / Route 79 20 (+3)
Dryden Village 16 (0)
Ellis Hollow 149 (+12)
Etna 84 (+4)
Route 13 (NYSEG to Springhouse)28 (+2)
Route 38 and Dryden Lake 67 (+1)
Sapsucker to Hanshaw 17 (+2)
Snyder Hill (Ithaca to Caroline)64 (+1)
Varna 7
Virgil Road (Bradshaw, Livermore)24 (+2)
West Dryden (non -Freeville Expansion)53 (+1)
Yellow Barn (Midline, Irish Settlement 26 (+2)
Total (non-Freeville Expansion):566 (+31)
Grand Total (All Dryden):669 (+44)
Team Reports
▪Customer Base –Matthew Kinast – Dryden Fiber Accounting
▪Finance – Matt Kinast – Dryden Fiber Accounting
▪Customer Service - Netegrity
▪Sales Operations –
▪Installations – Clarity Connect, Netegrity, Exec. Dir. Dave Makar
▪Inventory Management - Exec. Dir. Dave Makar
▪Marketing – Exec. Dir. Dave Makar
▪Construction Permitting Updates – Vantage
▪Construction Implementation Updates – Vantage
▪Facilities and Grounds - Department of Public Works
▪Network Operations - Netegrity
▪Legal and Policy – Dave Makar
Customer Base
As of March 1st, 2026 (billing date is 1st of month)
Speed
Number of
Subscriptions
Billed Monthly
Revenue
Net Change
from Prior
month
Average Monthly
Revenue
Residential
Silver ($45)400 Mbps 398 17,910 +6 / -3
Gold ($75)700 Mbps 65 4,875 1
Platinum ($90)1 Gbps 40 3,600 -1
Total Residential Customers 503 26,385 3 52.46
Commercial
Standard ($75)500 Mbps 20 1,500 1
Preferred ($150)1 Gbps 4 600
Enhanced ($250)2 Gbps 1 250
Total Commercial Customers 25 2,350 1 94.00
Total of ALL Customers 528 28,735 54.42
Financial Reporting
as of February 28, 2026
Revenue and Expenses
2026 Budget and Actual
1-1 to 2-2026 2026 Budget Remainder
Revenue
Customer Subscriptions 56,235.00 461,950.00 405,715.00
MIP Grant Revenue -2,793,968.88 2,793,968.88
Other Revenue Sources 3,906.47 69,200.00 65,293.53
Total 60,141.47 3,325,118.88 3,264,977.41
Expenses
Construction 1,272,563.75 11,537,893.41 10,265,329.66
Installation 11,900.85 710,000.00 698,099.15
Operations 70,623.70 505,123.01 434,499.31
Total 1,355,088.30 12,753,016.42 11,397,928.12
▪Changes in February expenses
o Semi-annual NYSEG pole rental fees (12,353)
o Total costs 40,454 – 12,353 (semi-annual exp) = 28,101 monthly operating expenditures
-
2,000.00
4,000.00
6,000.00
8,000.00
10,000.00
12,000.00
14,000.00
16,000.00
18,000.00
20,000.00
22,000.00
24,000.00
26,000.00
28,000.00
30,000.00
32,000.00
34,000.00
36,000.00
38,000.00
40,000.00
42,000.00
44,000.00
46,000.00
48,000.00
50,000.00
52,000.00
Mar 2025 April 2025 May 2025 June 2025 July 2025 Aug 2025 Sept 2025 Oct 2025 Nov 2025 Dec 2025 Jan 2026 Feb 2026
Dryden Fiber Revenue and Operating Exp. - 12 months
Commercial Revenue Residential Revenue Operating Expenses Linear (Operating Expenses)
Customer Service
As of March 1st, 2026 (billing date is 1st of month)
Helpdesk Call Report February 2025
•Bandwidth Complaint (Speed Concerns)
•2
•Billing Related Call
•2
•Downed Drop (Damaged Service Line)
•0
•Email (Calls related to email difficulties)
•0
•No Connectivity
•0
•ONT / Power Cycle (Calls related to the
ONT where unplugging or rebooting
equipment was necessary)
•1
•Other / Unrelated (Calls looking for
unrelated departments or information)
•14
•Outage
•0
•Install Orders / Create Service
•17
•Router Issue
•4
•PC / Laptop Issue
•4
•Sporadic Connection
•0
•Streaming Related Issue
•0
•User Error / Education
•6
•Wireless
•0
Total Service Call Dispatches: 2
Tickets: 50 Customers: 528 Dec: 89/487 Jan: 80/515
Ticket / Customer Ratio: 9%Dec: 18% Jan: 16%
Note:
Install Orders denote an
incoming install scheduling
request – not a completed install
One caller can generate
numerous tickets for a single
issue (i.e. calls in 5x for same
problem)
Support@drydenfiber.com
607-391-3500 (direct support
number)
User Error / Education:
User Error / Education:
Service inquiry (non-green)
Hardware Q's
Range Extenders
▪February 2025 Install Summary
o Number of installations completed
this month: 8
o Number of installations
scheduled (as of March 1st): 4 (2
complete; 2 scheduled)
o Request to Schedule Times (8
installs): 11 day average
Request Install Days
1/16/26 2/4/26 19
1/20/26 2/9/26 20
2/2/26 2/9/26 7
2/11/26 2/17/26 6
2/13/26 2/25/26 12
2/20/26 2/26/26 6
2/18/26 2/27/26 9
2/20/26 2/27/26 7
Average:11 days
Installations
As of March 1st, 2026
Sales Operations – MDUs – Mobile Home Parks -As of: February 1, 2026
Current
Task
Owner
MDU Name
And Zone (Green,
Yellow, Orange:
Could be)
Initial
Property
Owner
Outreach
Property
Owner
Paperwork
signed
Engineering
Design
Complete
Eng. Plan
approved by
property
owner
Construction
Scheduled
Construction
Completed
Residents
Notified
Unit
Count
Notes
Acct.
Mgr
Ithaca Estates Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 14 / 74 Needs additional
marketing (signage, door
hangers)
Acct.
Mgr
Shady Grove
MHP (Pinckney)
Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 0 / 17 Need to follow-up on
paperwork
Dave /
Acct.
Mgr
Mott Road Mobile
Home Park
Yes Yes Yes No No No No 24 Need to follow-up on
paperwork and plan
Dave /
Acct.
Mgr
Fall Creek Parke
(Etna)
Yes Yes DRAFTING No No No No 38 Karel Westerling's
property; MDU
Construction RFP
VPS –
plan
needed
Little Creek MHP
(North Road)
Yes Yes;
however new
signature
needed
No No No No No 100 TBD
Acct.
Mgr
County Acres MHP
(McLean); Vista
Management (Fall
Creek Rd./Rt. 366)
Yes No No No No No No 102 Poles potentially
needed but there are no
poles on site at this
time; no contact from
owner
Acct.
Mgr
Pleasant View
(Southworth Rd.)
No No No No No No No 50 Poles potentially
needed again no poles
on site atb this time
Dave /
Acct.
Mgr
Country Manor
Estates (Wood Rd.)
Yes No No No No No No 14 Karel Westerling's
property; Yellow zone;
plan created
Acct.
Mgr
Hanshaw Village
(Hanshaw Road)
Yes No; needs
engineering
review first
No No No No No 149 This is now owned by the
same group as Little
Creek and they want to
see a plan before signing
VPS Cook Street
(Freeville)
Yes No No No No No No 12+Poles potentially needed
Acct.
Mgr
Hillside Acres*Yes No No No No No No 150+*Low priority, due to not
likely to be built to until
2027 (Poles potentially
needed); new owner
Sales Operations – MDUs – Apartments -As of: February 1, 2025
Current
Task
Owner
MDU Name Initial
Property
Owner
Outreach
Property
Owner
Paperwork
signed
Engineering
Design
Complete
Eng. Plan
approved
by property
owner
Construction
Scheduled
Construction
Completed
Residents
Notified
Unit
Count
Notes
VPS 1062 Dryden Rd.
Apts. (Varna)
Yes No Yes Meeting
Scheduled
No No No 21 TBD on Electronics
Account
Manager
12-14-16 Lake
Street (Dryden
Village)
Yes No Drafting No No No No 20 Plan has been set; TBD
on acceptance
VPS Willow Brook
Apartments
Yes No No No No No No 50 VPS to make plan
VPS Willow Brook
Office Only
Yes No VPS to make plan
Dave /
Account
Manager
Dryden Village 4
Corners
( Some )No No No No No No 35+Split into 9 projects
Account
Manager
194 Lower
Creek Road
(Apartments)
Yes No No No No No No 28 Tim Foote, lives at 190
Lower Creek Road
Not yet in green
Account
Manager
Creekwood
Apartments at
200 Lower
Creek Rd.
No No No No No No No 20-40 Not yet in green
Account
Manager
Freeville
Cottages
Yes No No No No No No 12 Main Street Freeville;
owned by Bruno Schickel
In Green zone;
discussions
Dave /
Account
Manager
George Junior
Republic
Yes N/A (no
tenants)
Yes No No No No 1 TBD – MDU or Freeville
Expansion
Account
Manager
1279 Dryden
Road (Wawak)
607.533.8888
Yes No No, TBD N/A No No No No 18 New Construction, need
to design to utility room
and to apartments
Account
Manager
1 Etna Lane Yes No No No No No No 8+Plan drafted, needs
review
Engineering Updates
▪Electric Make Ready Update
▪Telco Make Ready
▪EMR
▪Inventory / Materials
▪ROW Permitting
Human Resources and Administration
February 2025
Human Resources
o Account Manager Position
▪The Account Manager is the primary relationship builder between Dryden Fiber and our residential,
business, and institutional customers. This role combines customer engagement, sales, and community
outreach to drive adoption of our services, strengthen customer satisfaction, and ensure Dryden Fiber
continues to deliver measurable value to the Town of Dryden and surrounding communities.
▪Conor Hans, of Virgil, NY, has joined the team. He brings experience in customer service, marketing,
property management, and technology to the team. He's smart, thoughtful, reliable, and creative. The
references were glowing and he's been doing great work this week with outreach.
o Dryden Fiber Office Moves
▪The team has expanded and our need for office space within Town Hall has changed. On February 24,
Dryden Fiber and the Dryden Recreation Department exchanged office space.
▪Dryden Fiber is now located in the lobby, immediately to the right of the front door in a two office suite.
o Construction
▪Contract Bid Document for Major Projects pieces (from Vantage) -70 page document
▪Master Service Agreement (MSA) with an electrical make ready (EMR) provider
▪Auditors for MIP Project financials
▪Caroline Hut Construction Bid
▪Audit of Network Bid Process and Contract
▪Empire Access Overlash Agreement (6 miles of fiber) – Negotiations
▪Empire Access Reciprocal Agreement (EMR moves) – Completed
Operations
▪DigSafe Monitoring Contract and TBD on bid requirements – Approved, cutover on Jan. 21, 2026
▪Point Broadband IRU (Indefeasible Rights of Use) - 10 year lease – Approved by Town Board (Aug. '25)
▪Dryden – Caroline IMA (Intermunicipal Agreement) for project – edits and then to Caroline
▪Networking Maintenance and Repair Agreement and Bid Process – with Executive Director
▪MDU Construction – with Executive Director
▪Easement for Hillside Drive connecting Ringwood to Phantom Drive – Completed
▪INHS Varna Project – with Executive Director
Legal Update
February 2026
o Research
▪Survey Project
▪2/27 - Initial draft questions and plan
▪Goal: 3/31 - final draft
▪Survey: April – May
▪Tally: June
▪Reporting: July
Government Relations
▪“THE MUNICIPAL BROADBAND FINANCING MODERNIZATION IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2026”
▪Letter from town of Dryden submitted
▪Letter from town of Caroline approved
▪Letter from Dryden Public Broadband Committee pending
▪Outreach to NYMNC (New York Muni Network Coalition) and ConnectAll Office coming next
week
Government Relations and Research
February 2026
APPENDIX A
Discussion Topics
New Signs - February 2025
New Sign Requirements – MIP Grant
▪"This deployment of internet service is supported by a grant awarded to [insert Grantee name] by New York
State through the ConnectALL program.”
▪Example from Livingston County / Empire Access
Meeting Schedule
▪Dryden Fiber Public Broadband Committee – Public reporting on project
o 1st and 3rd Friday morning, 10:30am-12:00pm (except July and August, 2nd and 4th
Friday morning)
▪Dryden Fiber Operations Team Meeting – Construction and Install Collaboration
o Every other Wednesday, 10:30am-11:45am
▪Dryden Fiber MIP Status Call – Meet with Connect All Office to stay on track
o Every Tuesday, 1:30pm-2:15pm
Permitting Steps
1.Final Design Edits = Survey has occurred and Prelim in is design edits
2.Prelim Sent = Sent to Engineering Firm (VPS) to review/approve and then to NYSEG/Frontier to review
3.Final NYSEG Design Sent = NYSEG reviewing final design before sending the Final Make Ready Package
4.Telco Recon = Telco Review prelim design
5.Frontier Billing Outstanding = Frontier awaiting payment to proceed
6.RFB = Request for Bid sent to contractors
7.MR Construction = Make Ready Contruction - Moves are in progress
Other Statuses (from slide 8):
▪Attached – definition...
▪Elec make-ready in process – definition...
▪Telco make-ready in process – definition...
▪Final ELEC Design Input – definition...
▪Avant Grid is NYSEG
6780 Northern Blvd., Suite 400, East Syracuse, NY 13057
(315) 463-4187. (800) 535-4328 . Fax: (315) 463-5313
www.francisav.net
3/10/26
attn: Cassie Byrnes
Town of Dryden
Email:Secretary@dryden.ny.us
RE: BOARD ROOM AUDIO UPGRADE
Good afternoon Cassie! We appreciate your patience as we put together this proposal for your
boardroom. Based on our zoom meeeting with you and keeping budget in mind, we’ve
assembled a basic package that will get you up and running.
We’ve also included a display on a cart option, which depending on your budget would be
good to have in this room.
Pain-Points
Because of outdated and under-performing equipment, as well as “challenging” acoustics,
hearing clean, intelligible audio is a major problem during board meetings, town halls, zoning
and planning meetings, committee meetings. etc.
Having good, intelligible outgoing audio during livestreaming in particular is important.
Meetings also get bogged down with equipment that is not user -friendly which slows down
meetings.
New package needs to be turn-key, with very little steps involved to use it each time.
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New Solution to Bring you Current with Today’s Town Boardroom Technology
BASIC AUDIO PACKAGE
The basic package starts with replacing components in the audio rack. This is the brains of the
new system. Noteworthy items included in the rack are a new DSP (digital system processor)
and a new amplifier to power your existing speakers.
The new processor will handle not just the in-house PA audio but also outgoing and incoming
audio for video conferencing / livestreaming.
Microphones
We will repurpose the existing microphones. With the new audio processor these
microphones will have a direct feed to the virtual attendees so people on the other end of a call
will hear the specific microphone(s) that a person(s) are speaking into. This ensures crystal
clear audio. We’ve also included power distribution with surge protection for safely powering
all rack components as well as two wireless handheld microphones.
CAMERA PACKAGE
For outgoing video we have included two digital ePTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) cameras. One at the
back of the room to capture your boardmembers and one at the front of the room to capture in-
room attendees. Within your video conferencing platform (Zoom, Teams, Webex, etc.) you’ll
choose which camera you prefer.
Both cameras are also controlled by a handheld remote control. The remote allows you to
pan, tilt or zoom either camera so you can focus on a specific person or persons.
Preset buttons can also be setup on the remote so you can simply tap a button on the remote
and the camera will immediately go to a specific view.
Price, furnished and installed $14,847.17
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Additional Option
86-inch Display on Cart
This option includes an LG 86-inch tv on a mobile cart with wheels. A wireless casting device
is also included so anyone who walks into the room can share their PC on the screen at any
time.
$6,042.98
Summary – Investing in new technology will make your meetings more productive and
efficient. The good thing about this package is once it’s up and running there are very
little if any adjustments to be made.
If you want to postpone the TV option you can always decide to add it in the future and
continue with your existing projector a while longer.
Terms: 50% down, check payment with order placement, balance due upon completion
of project. For credit card payment, please add 4%. Pricing is good for 30 days, FOB
destination. Please allow 2-3 weeks normal lead time for receipt of goods and
scheduling of installation.
Please call if you have any other questions. Thank you for the opportunity to quote!
Sincerely,
Brian LaPoint
Francis Audio-Visual, LLC
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Making Presentations Better for over 60 Years