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MRP Broadband Study notes from Bird Island

(Dec 15, 2003)
TECHNOLOGY PROMOTION TEAM
DATE: 12-15-03
PLACE: Bird Island Municipal Building

ATTENDANCE: Deb Lingl, Gene Wenstrom, Suzi Peterson, Jeff Englemann, Gordon Jacques, Todd Sheehan, Shirley Schulte, Trisha Wasmund Mark Glesener, and Bill Coleman (Community Technology Advisors).

MEETING: Bill discussed the project sponsors-the Blandin Foundation and the Minnesota Rural Partners. MN Rural Partners is a state and federal funded nonprofit Development Corporation, which works on projects like this one. He also noted their Biz Pathways Project, which is for small business and prospective businesses, they also have a guidebook for EDA's on how to work with small businesses. The Blandin Foundation feels that most communities now have the telecommunication infrastructure and that the need now is for marketing. Historically those people and businesses that have clamored for the telecommunication infrastructure in their communities are the 5 - 10 % that sign up once it is in place. This project is to promote broadband utilization, so that a community has 20 companies utilizing broadband communications and being competitive rather than only 1 - 2 companies. There needs to be more users and more uses.

The team than listed the goals each hoped to accomplish through the project. They are listed as follows:

• Develop a 1-page web page for each community business/organization utilizing the Rural Computer Consultants server.
  
• Develop a mechanism to maintain/update web pages/sites.
  
• Educate businesses/organizations on how to increase their number of web pages.
  
• Improve Senior Citizens use of the Internet, the "Senior Surf Day" at the Library is an example.
  
• Introduce community businesses to e-commerce.
  
• Develop a consortium of Internet providers and computer service providers. A central source for info for prospective businesses, enable joint bidding and marketing, be a resource for the Bird Island EDA and Bird Island Business Center.
  
• Increase public knowledge of broadband.
  
• Create a Public Library website.
  
• Develop Internet utility billing for the city.
  
• Obtain free broadband access for City Hall.
  
• Make good use of New Horizon's free on-line training offer.
  
• Have an on-line community calendar on the city web site.

Bill noted that there is an example of internet providers and computer service providers forming a consortium at Moose Lake called Northern Consortium, they do joint marketing and bidding. When Maynard's Grocery was approached concerning on-line shopping, the manager was concerned about having all their prices in easy public view of competitors. The Team felt this might not need to be a concern. One suggestion by Bill of utilizing the New Horizon's training would be to have a group of businesses at school to take one class together (e.g. "intro to marketing").

The group then reviewed the Computer Systems Policy Project (CSPP) self-assessment tool for communities (pp. 40 - 44 in member's handbook). In looking at Internet availability and speed, it was estimated that all professionals (attorneys, accountants, insurance agents, etc.) had broadband Internet access in this area. It was also estimated that 90 -95 % of all residential homes had at least dial-up Internet access. However, it was noted that not all households had Internet access and one member noted that school kids would come over to his place to use the Internet when school projects came due. It appeared that the only real public access site for the Internet was the Public Library which had high speed Internet and access was limited to the hours the Library was open. Bill pointed out that the school computer labs were a good resource and ways to make it accessible makes sense, it has been paid for with our money.

It was felt that the existing residential broadband service was affordable at about $50 per month. The experience of providers has been that users are initially reluctant to switch to the faster broadband service, but once they do they can't understand why they didn't do it months earlier. It was noted that the area heath clinics (Prairie Family Practice) were networking all of their medical record among the three clinic sites (Renville, Olivia, and Hector) and were going on-line. The City Hall and Police Dept. both have dial up Internet at present. At a number of businesses, employees have their own email accounts. There is at present no unified "community portal" for a broad range of community information and services, although the city web site has a number of these features. Currently there is an access problem for updating the web site. The school has just started an interactive website for teachers, students and parents. The Public Library renews books on-line. The City has no on-line services at present. In reviewing area Community College training opportunities, there are 3 colleges within a 35 - 40 mile drive at Granite Falls, Willmar, and Hutchinson.

In looking at e-commerce, there are at least 2 businesses in town selling items on-line. In looking at networked applications and services, there is some purchasing on-line, city government jobs are not posted on-line, the schools do have interactive TV classes, and several community organizations (Lions, Scouts, 4-H, etc.) do have web pages. Overall there appears to be uneven use of the Internet.

In developing plans for upcoming projects, Bill recommended thinking about doing the projects at "their" meetings, i.e. Lions, Parent/Teacher nights, etc. The people are already there so a special meeting isn't called for and attendance/exposure seems greater. In moving toward strategy development 4 key (target) audiences were selected: Businesses (retail), Senior Citizens, and School Kids lacking Internet access.
The possible topics were:

• Businesses (retail): web site development, web site maintenance, e-commerce, use of Microsoft products (Front Page, Word, etc.), use of Extension Service on-line curriculum for web development, having 2-way customer contact, wireless e-marketing.
• Senior Citizens: basic Internet education, learn how to utilize Internet for health, investments, news, etc.; expose to advantages of wireless services.
• School Kids lacking access: provide with computers, expand hours of access.

In discussing methods the following possibilities were reviewed:

• Doing another Senior Surf Day event at the Public Library. Shirley and Gordy expressed interest in this.
  
• Start a publicity campaign throughout Bird Island to highlight the possible upcoming community Internet projects, list the goals/topics/target audiences discussed above, do a city wide brochure mailing that introduces the Technology Team's goals, introduce the New Horizon's free on-line training, survey the community on which on-line classes they are interested in, have a booth at the upcoming Farm Show, collect surveys at the Farm Show, encourage other community involvement ("do you want to help?" in publicity.
  
• Suzi was interested in furthering the New Horizon's training.
  
• Mark was interested in the town-wide brochure.
  
• Shirley was interested in the Senior Surf project.

It was planned to have the next Team meeting on Monday, January 5, 2004 at 4:30 PM at the Municipal Building.

Submitted by Mark Glesener