Millersville signed up for wireless Internet service

High-speed Internet could be just around the corner for Millersville residents, after an unusual agreement between a Cape Girardeau technology company and the community's district water board.

Members of the Cape Girardeau County Public Water Supply District 2 board, which administers water services in Millersville, and the district's part-time bookkeeper confirmed that an agreement was signed in January. But the district is still waiting for service.

Bob Smith, member of district water board, said Velosity Electronics of Cape Girardeau contacted the district.

Eric Bennett, 26, Velosity Electronics' president, said he'd approached the district board with an agreement to put an antenna on each of Millersville's two water towers.

"You can either build a tower or utilize an existing structure," he said. Bennett had approached Whitewater officials first, but "they didn't seem interested. They just acted like they wanted a piece of the pie."

He said Velosity would charge customers $49 a month for service.

Amanda Hutteger, the district's part-time bookkeeper, said the agreement allowed Velosity to install the antennas in exchange for providing the district office free high-speed Internet and a Web site. Board members who want the wireless service would get free accounts, she said. She estimated the value of the service exchange at "$200 a month."

Neither Smith nor Hutteger benefit from Velosity's agreement with the district. Smith said he doesn't own a computer. Hutteger is not a member of the district water board.

The antennas were installed three weeks ago, she said. The Web site is www.millersville-mo.org. But the district still does not have a high-speed wireless connection, Hutteger said. She said she's getting frustrated, because the contract was signed in January and the agreement indicated the service would begin in 20 to 30 days.

While acknowledging that the ice storm and rain delayed antenna installation, Hutteger said she doesn't know why the company hasn't sent a technician to set up the district's office computer.

"I expected to have service by the end of February, and here it's the middle of April and we still don't have it," she said.

Still, she's hoping the company will make time to do the work soon.

"I was excited about getting the Internet, definitely," she said. "That's what I want, to pay the water district's taxes and electric bills, to do my Missouri One Call locates for digging."

In the meantime, she's manually processing 750 water bills every month. She said notices of the high-speed Internet service will not be mailed to customers until Velocity demonstrates the service is in place.

Bennett could not be contacted to respond to Hutteger's comments.

The water board's next meeting is at 7 p.m. Thursday at the district office, 2345 Route B in Millersville.

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127