Your participation requested – Central New York Internet access survey

As the past year has shown, reliable access to broadband internet is no longer a luxury. Covid-19 forced many aspects of our daily lives online; virtual learning, working from home, online shopping, telemedicine, and simply staying connected with those we care about. It has also shown how prevalent the digital divide is in parts of Central New York.

To help address this issue, the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board (CNY RPDB) has partnered with Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, and Oswego Counties to complete a study that will identify areas within each County that lack access to reliable broadband internet. Assisting with this study is ECC Technologies, a private consulting firm based in Rochester, NY that has a successful history of working with counties and municipalities across Upstate New York to identify and solve broadband internet access issues.

As part of this study, ECC Technologies has created a website and survey material that will allow us to collect data about broadband access in the region, called the Broadband Availability and Adoption Toolset (BAAT).  The BAAT survey is being used to reach residents and businesses to learn about their current internet access issues, service reliability, and the affordability of their internet access options. 

A website with the community survey launched on Friday April 30th and will run through July 31st. The survey is accessible on any device with internet connection. 

The confidential information collected from this survey will be used to identify areas in the County most in need of improved internet access service.  The information will also provide the basis for developing a plan to improve broadband internet access in Oswego County and across Central New York. The plan will be completed by October 2021. 

Please feel free to contact the CNY RPDB at (315) 412-5966 for assistance in filling out the survey over the phone or to request a survey be mailed directly to your home or business. 

Thank you for being an important part of this initiative. Your assistance in helping to facilitate community engagement in the survey will provide the basis for improving broadband internet service in the Central New York. Please feel free to contact the CNY RPDB, if you have any questions about the survey and the broadband internet study.

www.cnyinternet.com/

Town of Orwell 2021 organizational meeting and regular January monthly meeting

The town of Orwell will hold its organizational meeting on Tuesday, January 12, 2021 at 7:00 p.m., with the regular January monthly meeting following.

This meeting will be conducted exclusively via Zoom, with no in-person component.

The public is welcome to attend this meeting. It can be accessed via this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85661892901
or via Zoom at this meeting ID: 856 6189 2901 (no password)
or by phone: 929.205.6099; meeting ID: 856 6189 2901 (no password)
Long distance charges may apply.

Orwell town board Zoom practice session, Monday, December 28, 2020, 5:30 p.m. EST

In compliance with New York State open meetings law and applicable executive orders, the town of Orwell will conduct a practice session for Zoom in anticipation of conducting the Tuesday, December 29 meeting via Zoom.

Although there may be, at any given time, a quorum of the town board in this practice session, the meeting will not be called to order and no business will be conducted except familiarization of participants with how Zoom works.

The public is welcome to observe this session, which can be accessed via this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89100460027
or by accessing Zoom and using this meeting ID: 891 0046 0027
(there is no password for this session)
or by phone: 929.205.6099; meeting ID: 891 0046 0027 (no password)

Town of Orwell end-of-year meeting – December 29, 2020, 7:00 p.m. EST

The town of Orwell will hold an end-of-year meeting on Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. This meeting will be conducted exclusively via Zoom, with no in-person component.

The public is welcome to attend this meeting. It can be accessed via this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87986974895
or via Zoom at this meeting ID: 879 8697 4895 (no password)
or by phone: 929.205.6099; meeting ID: 879 8697 4895 (no password)
Long distance charges may apply.

(updated Tuesday, December 15, 2020)