Mayor Signs Off on Deal with Verizon, School Technology and Hormel Stadium Bonds

Mayor Michael McGlynn signed off on bonds to fund school technology improvements and renovations to Hormel Stadium Friday morning, and also signed an agreement with Verizon to bring FiOS internet and cable to parts of the city.

"It's unbelievable, there's a lot to celebrate," McGlynn said during a press conference at Medford High School Friday. "The papers are piling up."

The agreement with Verizon opens up 71 percent of Medford residents to the option of FiOS internet and cable. In 2009, Verizon had wired about 70 percent of the city for FiOS, but then decided to stop expanding on a national level. Since then, the city has been negotiating an agreement to bring it as a cable alternative to at least part of the city.

"This is a very unique agreement for Verizon," said Donna Cupelo, regional president of Verizon New England. "We really had an issue relative to the economy and we took a step back, but because of the partnership we had here, we continued to work together."

The city and Verizon will continue to negotiate wiring the 29 percent that isn't eligible for FiOS, McGlynn said Friday.

"I don't want anyone to be under the misunderstanding that they can just dictate they have to do that," McGlynn said. "That isn't the way the law works, that's not the way negotiations work."

Mayor Signs off on Hormel, School Tech Bonds

With a few strokes of his pen, McGlynn also approved funding half of a $1 million renovation to Hormel Stadium and $3.3 million in upgrades to school technology in Medford. Both of those proposed bonds were approved recently by the city council.

The school technology bond will replace most of the computers in the district, many of which are 9 to 12 years old. It will also purchase rolling carts of laptops that can be used in classrooms and computer projectors for every classroom.

The Hormel Stadium bond will fund a new tuft field at the stadium, and McGlynn said he believes that bond could be paid off in as few at 6 years because the field will be a revenue source from rentals.