December 2, 2020 Minutes

CTAC Meeting Minutes   December 2, 2020 – ZOOM TELECONFERENCE
            (due to virus pandemic)

Attending members:

Peaches Quinn – (New Haven) – Acting Chair
George Alexander – (Hamden) – Treasurer
Yvonne Manning-Jones  – (New Haven) – Advisor
Laurel Colemen (Hamden) Advisor
Anthony Cardo   (Hamden) Advisor
John Jessen (New Haven Free Public Library System – NHFPL)
Johnes Ruta – (New Haven) – Acting Secretary

Sharon Codeane – Comcast Represntative – not in attendence.
Joe Schofield      – CTV Represntative – not in attendence.

1. Call to order 6:02pm.   Teleconference members on Zoom.

   All members have received XMAS benefit Grubhub delivered pizza items from De Legna
   X Nolo at their residences. Requests received and ordered submitted by Acting Secretary
   Johnes Monday and Tuesday. Ordering required reimbursement to Johnes debit-card for
   $169.43 as the CTAC Connex Credit-Union credit-card would not register for payment
   on Grubhub or either UberEats or DoorDash websites. Connex was contacted but card
   problem not solved.   Reimbursement completed by George.

   2.     New Business
   a.   Yvonne reports that Comcast announcement that it will now charge for “excessive data usage.”     $10 extra on bill for every 50GB over the 1.2 TeraByte threshold up to $100.

   Anthony Cardo concurs on this threshold report. Comcast claims that this will only
   affect 5% of its customers. All CTAC members agree that this is a concern for older
   people, especially during the current Covid-19 Pamdemic, when many subscribers,
   especially elders in nursing home, are confined to indoors all the time.

   b.   Johnes reports that Comcast has eliminated their free Norton AntiVirus download
   for subscribers’ internet protection, effective December 31, 2020.

   c.   George Alexander makes a Motion that CTAC writes to Sharon Codeanne, the Comcast
   Representative for an explanation of this added “Excessive Data Usage” charge.
   Johnes seconds this Motion. Vote unanimous.

   3. Old Business

   a.   Regarding New Haven Library System CTAC participation, Peaches Quinn questions
   City Librarian Advisor John Jessen as to what will be the NHFPL agenda to interface
   with the CTAC ?   John Jessen provides his work cell phone number to confer with
   Peaches and CTAC members.

   b.   Peaches also asks John Jessen: “What about NHFPL provision for City-Wide WiFi?”
   John Jessen replies: “Some schools have already installed WiFi antennae on roofs
   for local coverage for up to a 3 city-block radius around a school.”
   George asks John what is the cost to add a WiFi “hotspot” ?
   John reports the charge of $30 per month, so that five hotspots will cost $150.

   George reminds us that CTAC has a “mission” to be mindful of community needs,
   such as school children needing internet access during the pandemic school closings
   and on-line teaching. .

   George questions whether there are funding donors that can be contacted to defer these
   costs ? Laurel Coleman mentions the on-going CT State initiative for expanded WiFi                    coverage, scuh as the state Technology Group, and the New Haven IT Group.

   c.   Johnes questions the privacy and security of public hotspots, especially regarding
   retail purchases made with credit-cards ?

   d.   Peaches requests John Jessen to enhance the request letter from City-Wide WiFi before
   it will be submitted to the Mayors’ offices for to New Haven, Hamden, and West Haven,
   and the CT State Legislature Communications Committee taskforce. John agrees to this
   request. This process will be addressed in three steps:

2. Follow-up draft of letter to mayors of the three towns in our district,

   2. We should make contact the CT State IT Committee and invite them to the
   January CTAC Zoom meeting.

   3. John Jessen will reach out to the Legislative Office.

   Johnes Ruta makes Motion to pursue these objectives during December.
   Yvonne Manning-Jones seconds this Motion. Vote unanimous.

   4.         Treasurer’s Report   – George Alexander

   Treasurer’s Report. Peaches asks if there is any news to report for November. George:
   “Not at this time.”

3. COMCAST Sharon Codeanne – Comcast Representative – not in attendance.

   6.     CTV Report     Joe Schofield – Executive Director CTV – not in attendence.
   No report.

   7.   Next CTAC Meeting by Zoom, scheduled for January 6^th, 2021, 6:00pm.
   December 2^nd, 2020 CTAC Meeting Minutes respectfully submitted by Johnes Ruta, (New Haven)
   Acting Secretary, December 22, 2020.