Wednesday, December 27, 2000
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Wednesday, December 27, 2000 |
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County demands action from AT&T By DAVE
HAMRICK Fayette County officials are going to have a meeting with AT&T Broadband representatives whether the company representatives show up or not. "We're still not happy" with the level of response the company has shown to local concerns, said County Administrator Chris Cofty this week. Cofty has sent a five-page letter to AT&T Broadband Senior Vice President Steve White informing him the county has scheduled a meeting for Jan. 3 at 9 a.m. "I have scheduled this meeting based upon what you told me at the meeting of Sept. 5, 2000 in Fayette County," Cofty said in the letter. "You told me that if Fayette County was experiencing problems in dealing with AT&T, then you would get involved and solve the problems. "Mr. White, Fayette County is experiencing problems with AT&T and I am asking for your help in solving the problems." The last two meetings scheduled to address the county's issues, Nov. 13 and Dec. 14, both were cancelled by the company due to last-minute conflicts, Cofty said. AT&T is in the process of upgrading its cable television system in Fayette County, replacing out-of-date coaxial cable with new state-of-the-art fiber optics. When the project is completed, Fayette residents will have access to more cable channels and broadband technology that eventually will allow for telephone and high-speed Internet service using the same cable. But completion of the project is a month past due, according to the county's franchise agreement with the company, and the county has had numerous problems with service interruption and disruption of other utilities during the reconstruction process, according to Cofty. He outlined ten problem areas that were presented to AT&T during the Sept. 5 meeting, and said those problems have yet to be addressed. The Jan. 3 meeting is not negotiable, Cofty said. "I do not want to hear that this meeting time, place or date is inconvenient," he wrote. If AT&T doesn't send representatives, he told The Citizen, "we're going to move forward and do whatever we have to do. I hope we can get their attention this time."
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