OLDS — O-NET, the municipally-controlled TV, high-speed internet and phone service, now has council’s approval to go after business across Canada.
And Mountain View Power will now be controlled directly by the Town of Olds so profits can be invested in culture, recreation and leisure needs in the community.
Council approved both those changes after a public hearing was held Sept. 26 in council chambers.
Brent Williams, the Town of Olds' chief administrative officer, outlined the reason for the change to O-NET.
He noted that O-NET is operating in partnership with FourNetworks Inc. and Nation Fiber Corp. That’s been the case since council approved that partnership last month.
“The rationale for this change is to provide O-NET with the ability to compete in new jurisdictions, which is being led by our new operating partners: Four Networks and Nations Fibre,” Williams said.
“The hope is that within a to-be-determined timeframe, O-NET will be established in multiple provinces with a more diverse customer base and revenue stream.”
The second change approved by council transfers a Mountain View Power contract from O-NET to the Town of Olds.
Williams noted that contract is with UtilityNet, a gas and electric retailer based in Calgary.
“The rationale is to build a stronger community presence for Mountain View Power within the Olds community and to use it to better facilitate investments into culture, recreation and leisure within the town of Olds,” Williams said.
“During this transition, no changes will be made to the customer service quality that Mountain View Power delivers to its subscribers.
“And once it’s complete, the Town (of Olds) will operate that contract, still in partnership with UtilityNet.”
Williams told council that by law, a public hearing had to be held before the changes could be made because those changes to the way O-NET and Mountain View Power operate “constitute 'material changes' as defined by the Municipal Government Act.”
A public hearing was indeed held, but since there was no one in the council chambers gallery, it was officially closed within several minutes and both proposed changes were approved.
