That with the some of the latest CityWest Information streams featuring former Prince Rupert City Manager Robert Long and former Prince Rupert Mayor Lee Brain as part of their January roll out of updates.
Mr. Long, who left his work at City Hall in 2021, serves as the Chairman for CityWest.
He has been part of the City of Prince Rupert owned communication company since his appointment as a City representative on the Board of Directors during his time as City Manager.
Taking on more of a public profile than in the past, Mr. Long delivered his contribution to the January information blitz is by way of a video presentation.
His commentary outlines how the CityWest-Connected Coast initiative will help to keep British Columbians connected with each other.
The Connected Coast Social Media feed also featured some background on the themes from the Board Chair.
Mr. Brain, joined the CityWest management ranks in late 2022 after leaving municipal politics, he now serves as a Vice-President of Community and Stakeholder relations.
His time in the information spotlight this month is related to his debut for CityWest focused on the recent CityWest Open houses on Haida Gwaii.
More notes on CityWest can be reviewed through our archive page.
Familiar faces, familiar results.
ReplyDeleteSell off Citywest
- They can't keep up using second hand Shaw tech from 15 years ago and claim they are innovative.
- Anybody who has moved to Prince Rupert will tell you that Shaw and Telus are light years ahead.
- Anybody who has moved away from Prince Rupert, will brag about their ability to have a choice
- Consumers expect to be able to change services self serve online, not just Monday to Friday 9-5 over the phone.
- Citywest does not have a public WIFI solution like Shaw, and they do not offer seniors discounts like Telus.
- Rogers and Shaw will merge, which will put additional pressure on rural independent ISP's
- Starlink is now an option, which will be the standard by the end of the decade. Meanwhile Citywest will have a bunch of cable on the ocean floor.
- Yes there is an annual six figure stipend to the city, but what does that stipend cost in relation to taxpayer servicing citywest debt? Plus that stipend is reduced considering Citywest charges Cityhall six figures for telecom services each year.
One last thing,
Connected Coast is a taxpayer funded project that northern residents will be taxed on via the North Coast Regional District "Regional Broadband Contribution Service Bylaw No. 676, 2021"
https://www.ncrdbc.com/sites/default/files/uploads/bylaws/676_regional_broadband_infrastructure_contribution_service_establishment.pdf
The annual "stipend" to the City is actually a repayment of the principal on its interest-free loan, which was $17,132,762 at the end of 2021. Assuming that Citywest continues to make payments of $800,000 a year (which they have not done in previous years) the loan will be paid off in 21 years. Presumably the company will then begin paying the City dividends, assuming that it has not been overtaken by other technology and competition.
ReplyDeleteTowards your note on the distribution payment program, one year ago we updated the list of past payments which you can review from the link below,
Deletehttps://northcoastreview.blogspot.com/2022/01/citywest-delivers-distribution-payment.html
So far there has been no announcement as to what this years distribution level will be, NCR
So the city if they had this money in the bank would realize $685,310.48 in interest at 4% which is being offered right now.
DeleteHow is this a good deal for the taxpayers?
Since 2005 Citywest has produced $9.6 Million in "dividends" but had $20 million in debt forgiven 2008 by City Hall.
DeleteFor the engaged taxpayer, our city owning a telecom is a distraction, and not a good deal.
For the disengaged taxpayer, Citywest will pave our streets with gold and be bigger than Telus, Rogers and Bell.