TOWN BOARD AGENDA MEETING Thursday, March 5, 2026, 7:00 pm

[Caroline Town Announcements]

TOWN BOARD AGENDA MEETING 

Thursday, March 5, 2026, 7:00 pm 

The March 5, 2026, Town Board Agenda Meeting will be held at the Caroline Town Hall and by Zoom videoconference. Members of the public may attend in-person or by Zoom. Please be aware that if internet connectivity fails, the meeting will proceed at the town hall. Minutes and video recordings will be posted on the Town of Caroline website. Comments may be provided at Privilege of the Floor during the meeting, by email (cl...@townofcaroline.org), or by mail (P.O. Box 136, Slaterville Springs, NY 14881).  

INSTRUCTIONS TO ATTEND THE ZOOM MEETING (https://zoom.us)  

You do not need to have a Zoom account to join. Options 2 and 3 are easiest without an account. You may need the Meeting ID for any of these methods. 

Direct: https://zoom.us/j/7142580644?pwd=MlJXbzJWZVZQa2VBaHF3NklKUGxLQT09

Meeting ID: 714 258 0644; Passcode: xd3U0n

One tap mobile: +19292056099,,7142580644#; Phone dial-in: +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)

by phone press *6 to mute/unmute, *9 to raise hand

Privilege of the Floor: Opportunity for citizens to bring forward matters of concern.

Please be prepared to make one statement not to exceed 3 minutes in length. Please sign up in advance on the sign-in sheet at the meeting hall or by raising your Zoom hand before the salute to the flag to be registered by the Clerk.

Dryden Fiber Broadband Project: Update with Dave Makar

Reports: Committee Reports

Business:

• Authorize Support for Broadband Infrastructure Bond Modernization Bill A102121
• Authorize purchase of 2025 Western Star Snow Plow Truck2
• Appropriate 2025 Streetlight Unreserved Fund Balance to the 2025 Streetlight Fund3
• Approval of minutes of February 19, 2026

————-Adjourn———-

1Resolution #______ (2026) AUTHORIZE SUPPORT FOR BROADBAND BOND MODERNIZATION LEGISLATION

Whereas, Dryden Fiber is a project of the Towns of Dryden and Caroline,

Whereas, Dryden Fiber is actively engaged in developing and operating municipal fiber broadband

infrastructure to ensure our residents and businesses have access to reliable, high-quality internet

service, and

Whereas, in doing so, we have gained firsthand experience with the cost structure and asset life

characteristics of fiber networks, and

Whereas, experience demonstrates that broadband’s passive fiber infrastructure has a

lifespan of at least 30 years, and often significantly longer, and

Whereas, current Local Finance Law establishes a ten-year period of probable usefulness for

broadband infrastructure. This misalignment between asset life and financing term creates

untenable fiscal pressure on municipalities that host and operate municipal broadband systems.

Requiring repayment of long-term infrastructure within a ten-year window artificially inflates annual

debt service, undermines affordability, and limits the ability of communities to invest responsibly in

essential communications infrastructure, and

Whereas, Assembly Bill A10212 appropriately recognizes this distinction by aligning a thirty-year

financing period with the long economic life of passive fiber infrastructure, while allowing

electronics to remain on shorter operational replacement cycles,

Therefore, be it resolved that the Caroline Town Board hereby authorizes Caroline Town Supervisor Mark Witmer to send a letter in support of A10212 – Extension of Bond Amortization Period for Municipal Broadband Infrastructure to the New York State Assembly.

Subject: Town of Caroline Support for A10212 – Extension of Bond Amortization Period

for Municipal Broadband Infrastructure

Honorable Members of the New York State Assembly,

On behalf of the Town of Caroline, I write in strong support of Assembly Bill A10212, which

would extend the allowable bond repayment period for municipal broadband

infrastructure from ten years to thirty years.

Caroline is actively engaged with Dryden in developing and operating municipal fiber broadband

infrastructure to ensure our residents and businesses have access to reliable, high-quality

internet service. In doing so, we have gained firsthand experience with the cost structure

and asset life characteristics of fiber networks. Ample evidence demonstrates that broadband’s passive fiber infrastructure has a lifespan of at least 30 years, and often significantly longer. The passive plant—including conduit and duct systems, handholes, splice enclosures, splitters, and fiber optic cable—

represents the long-life portion of the network and typically constitutes the majority of total

construction costs. Credible industry sources place the useful life of this passive

infrastructure in the 30- to 50-year range, with manufacturer evidence commonly

supporting service lives of up to 40 years or more. In practical terms, the passive fiber plant

is a 30–40+ year public asset. Despite this, current Local Finance Law establishes a ten-year period of probable usefulness for broadband infrastructure. This misalignment between asset life and

financing term creates untenable fiscal pressure on municipalities that host and operate

municipal broadband systems. Requiring repayment of long-term infrastructure within a

ten-year window artificially inflates annual debt service, undermines affordability, and

limits the ability of communities to invest responsibly in essential communications

infrastructure. Compounding this issue, municipalities have faced substantial cost increases over the

past five years. Materials, labor, contractor pricing, and utility pole make-ready expenses

have all risen significantly. These market conditions have materially increased total project

costs, making it increasingly difficult to structure municipal broadband financing in a way

that is sustainable under a ten-year amortization schedule.

It is important to distinguish between passive infrastructure and active electronics. The

active electronics component of a broadband network has a shorter lifecycle and should

continue to be treated differently. Electronics represent a relatively small portion of overall

construction costs and are typically acquired, maintained, and replaced through ongoing

operational revenues rather than long-term bonded debt.

Assembly Bill A10212 appropriately recognizes this distinction by aligning a thirty-year

financing period with the long economic life of passive fiber infrastructure, while allowing

electronics to remain on shorter operational replacement cycles.

By increasing the allowable payback period for broadband and related

telecommunications infrastructure from ten years to thirty years, this legislation would

provide municipalities with a financing framework that reflects economic reality. It would

reduce unnecessary financial strain, improve long-term affordability for residents, and

enable responsible stewardship of public broadband investments.

For communities like Caroline and Dryden, this change is not theoretical—it is essential to sustaining

locally controlled broadband infrastructure that supports economic development,

education, healthcare access, and public safety in our community.

The Town of Caroline respectfully urges passage of A10212.

Sincerely,

Mark Witmer

Town Supervisor, Town of Caroline

2Resolution ___ of 2026. Resolution for Purchase of 2025 Western Star Snow Plow

RESOLVED, the Caroline Town Board hereby authorizes the purchase of a 2025 Western Star Snow Plow Truck..

3Resolution ___ of 2026. Appropriation of 2025 Streetlight Fund Unreserved Fund Balance to the 2025 Streetlight Fund

RESOLVED, for the 2025 Town of Caroline Streetlight Fund the Caroline Town Board hereby appropriates $3,873,56 of Unreserved Fund Balance to the 2025 Streetlight Fund.