Published: July 18, 2008 11:32 am            

No new Net now

City wide wireless bytes dust pending cost FAQs

San Marcos — The whole idea is that there isn’t a plug. But if citywide wireless Internet had one, San Marcos City Manager Rick Menchaca effectively pulled it this week.

“It’s been put on the back burner,” Mayor Susan Narvaiz said on Wednesday.

The City Council had been looking into the possibility of a wireless mesh network since last year, convinced it would save on labor costs, for example, by allowing police officers to fill out their reports while still in the field.

But what started out as a possibly free service didn’t stay that way. The most recent estimates were that the network could cost the city around $5 million. Narvaiz said there were too many uncertainties about how long it would take to recoup that investment.

Narvaiz said more recent concerns included the possibility the network would be in competition with the private sector.

“We were told earlier on it would be a partnership that wouldn’t cause us to ever feel like we were competing with our local businesses,” she said.

Additionally, technology has continued to change at an ever more rapid pace.

“We need to do more work,” Narvaiz said, adding that giving his “new eyes” a look at the issue was one of Menchaca’s first tasks. The former Midland city manager started work here on May 1 and was officially sworn in at Tuesday’s council meeting.

“That’s one of the things we asked him to do,” Narvaiz said, “to analyze the situation and the information.”

Narvaiz said the idea may resurface in the future. “It’s not out of our discussion range forever. As he (Menchaca) gets settled in he’s looking at new technology. He will have time to evaluate.”

Menchaca did not return a phone call seeking comment.

        

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