Executive Committee Meeting - July 6, 2026

Call to Order

F. X. Flinn called the July 6, 2026 meeting of the ECFiber Executive Committee to order at approximately 2:07 PM ET.

A quorum was present with Executive Committee members in attendance.

Attendance and Introduction of Guests

In addition to Executive Committee members and ex-officio members, the following guests were present: Al Iuppa from VISPO, Joe Canavan from VISPO, and Ryan Long.

Changes to Agenda

Jerry Ward requested time to discuss what should be written about the VCBB grant in Front Porch Forum posts. F. X. Flinn indicated this would be addressed in item 7.

Public Comments

Public comment was invited; no members of the public commented.

Approval of Minutes

a. June 1, 2026

The minutes from June 1, 2026 were reviewed. With no requests for changes or corrections, the minutes were adopted by unanimous consent. Dan Leavitt complimented the quality of the minutes.

Legal Matters / Update (Executive Session)

On a motion by Irv Thomae, seconded by F. X. Flinn, the Board voted unanimously that premature general public knowledge would clearly place the public body at a substantial disadvantage pursuant to 1 V.S.A. § 313(1)(F).

On a motion by F. X. Flinn, seconded by Chris Noble, the Board voted unanimously to enter executive session at approximately 2:09 PM ET pursuant to 1 V.S.A. § 313(1)(F) to receive advice from counsel. The following persons were present during executive session: members and ex-officio members of the Executive Committee and Ryan Long.

The committee returned to open session at approximately 2:39 PM ET. No formal action was taken in executive session.

Grants Contractual Matters (Executive Session)

F. X. Flinn explained that the committee needed to discuss contractual matters related to grants in executive session. The grants in question included the construction grant, the Affordable Long Drop Program grant, and the Rural Development Opportunity Fund grant. This was described as an update to keep the Executive Committee aware of progress on satisfying various contractual aspects.

On a motion by F. X. Flinn, seconded by Dan Leavitt, the Board voted unanimously that premature general public knowledge would clearly place the public body or a person involved at a substantial disadvantage pursuant to 1 V.S.A. § 313(1)(A).

On a motion by F. X. Flinn, seconded by Clare Holland, the Board voted unanimously to enter executive session at approximately 2:41 PM ET pursuant to 1 V.S.A. § 313(1)(A) to discuss contractual matters related to grants. The following persons were present during executive session: members and ex-officio members of the Executive Committee, Al Iuppa, and Joe Canavan. Jim Masland exited and then re-entered at 3:26 PM.

The committee returned to open session at approximately 3:59 PM ET. No formal action was taken in executive session.

Operations Update

Due to time constraints, the operations update was deferred.

Chair Report

Due to time constraints, the chair report was deferred.

Adjournment

F. X. Flinn thanked all members for their extra work in helping make the miracle happen and declared the meeting adjourned at approximately 4:00 PM ET. He noted that the next Board meeting would be on Tuesday night the following week.