The Netherlands – Dutch taxpayers may be asked in August if they will financially support the construction of a city-owned fiber network to bring high-speed internet to every home.
The Holland City Fiber initiative was announced by the Dutch Council on Public Works during a Netherlands City Council meeting Wednesday that was full of big news for the city.
The city also announced that it is receiving two large donations: $1 million to build an ice rink and $5 million for an entertainment center. Both could be built in the next few years.
High-speed internet throughout the Netherlands
The plan of the Public Works Council of the Netherlands, presented on Wednesday, requires residents to support one million people to fund the creation of a high-speed, open-access fiber-optic network across the city.
Private ISPs will be able to use the open access infrastructure to deliver broadband service at up to 10Gbps to residents who connect to the fiber network. The Dutch Public Works Board may also offer its internet service directly to customers, as is already the case in a limited service area in the city center.
Households will choose whether to subscribe and pay for the home-to-fiber connection. The cost estimate submitted to the council for a “drop,” or connection from the citywide network to the home, was $812. The city plans to offer payment plans, such as about $7 per month for 10 years.
City officials said Wednesday that the open access model will encourage competition between internet service providers to offer better rates, and building fiber-optic infrastructure will reduce barriers for new internet service providers to enter the Netherlands market.
“Similar to public ownership of city streets, the proposed publicly owned broadband network will be open to access, encouraging internet companies to offer fast internet at a lower price,” said Dave Koster, general manager of Holland BPW. “Given the success of our downtown pilot project, we are confident in our ability to reliably manage the infrastructure and pass the savings on to our owners.”
City officials are looking forward to the August primaries with a million-filled question.
Under the latest estimates presented to the council on Wednesday, the project will require an investment of $24 million to build the municipal network, which could translate into a 1.5 million proposal. However, the board is considering using half of the $4.2 million in COVID-19 recovery funding from the US bailout bill, to partially fund the fiber buildup, which will reduce the amount of millions to taxpayers.
The dollar amount of the required milage has not yet been determined. The Netherlands city council is expected to receive a detailed ballot proposal for consideration in April.
Citi receives $1 million to build an ice rink
Retired teacher Frank Kray is making a $1 million donation to the city of Holland to build an ice rink, the city announced during a council meeting, with Kray sitting in attendance.
The ice rink has been a passion project for Kraai for years. He has consistently donated funds over the years totaling $116,000 over the years leading up to Wednesday’s big donation announcement.
Plans to put an outdoor ice rink in Window on the Waterfront Park near 6th Street and College Avenue are in the development stage.
Representatives from the city visited outdoor ice skating rinks in South Bend, End. , Elkart, Indiana, and Chicago to consult with engineers and park staff about the design and operation of the rink, and public participation for residents who live near the park is the next step, with construction to begin early next year.
“I’ll see you on your sled,” Cray, 86, told city council members at the end of the discussion.
Heeringa’s estate awards $5 million to rec . center project
Another big announcement on Wednesday was the news of a $5 million donation from James P. Heringa’s estate to build an entertainment center.
The recreation center, which is still in the early planning stage, could include multiple gyms and provide a constantly available public space for the city’s recreation programs currently taking place in schools and other locations throughout the community.
The city overlooks Fairbanks Avenue and 16th Street near Boss Bowl as the location of the registration center.
Heeringa, who has been a longtime resident of the Netherlands and co-owner of Trendway Corp. He was a major donor to the renovation of the Holland Civic Centre, named in honor of parents George and Lucille Heringa, and also a major donor to Jim Heringa of Hope College. Sport Center.
The city government’s long-term financial forecast presented to council on Wednesday has been used to support plans moving forward for the ice rink and recreation center, demonstrating funds earmarked in the Venture Capital Improvement Fund and a strong financial picture over the next 10 years.
The council has discussed the possibility of imposing property tax restrictions on the city’s pocket starting in 2028. Michigan’s various property tax reduction laws, including the Headley Amendment, limit the rate at which the city can grow its tax revenue on an annual basis. The city can prevent Headley’s decline from reducing the city’s rate of millions by asking voters what is often called a “Headley reset,” in which voters reauthorize the city’s maximum millions, undoing a backslide.
“With the help of these very generous gifts, we know we can financially carry out these projects,” said City Manager Keith Van Beek. “But then we are also relieved that, when we look at our financial projections, the additional additional cost of hiring and maintaining those buildings is something we feel comfortable recommending. And again, the reason is that we did these long-term financial projections, which is why we recommend moving forward” .
– Email Carolyn Muskens Reporter at cmuyskens@hollandsentinel.com and follow her on Twitter at Tweet embed.