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Tuesday, October 23, 2007
More on Tim Nulty's Resignation from Burlington Telecom
Our news editor, Patrick Ripley, made some phone calls yesterday to find out more about Tim Nulty's departure from Burlington Telecom. Here's the story that will appear in tomorrow's newspaper (and online):
Opportunity Knocking . . . Elsewhere?
Head of Burlington Telecom steps downby Patrick Ripley
BURLINGTON — Is the City of Burlington thinking big enough about its telecommunications business? Not according to the longtime and soon-to-be-former head of Burlington Telecom.
BT General Manager Tim Nulty handed Mayor Bob Kiss his resignation Monday morning, opting to accept a job with ValleyNet. That White River Junction-based nonprofit communications group is dedicated to providing community-based information resources similar to the fiber-optic infrastructure BT provides. Nulty says he is accepting a “significant” cut in pay to go to ValleyNet. His last day on the job at BT is November 21.
Based on BT’s initial success — 2200 subscribers, a $2.7 million annual revenue and rapid growth rate — Nulty says BT is poised to expand into, and earn revenue from, other communities. But he’s encountered resistance from Mayor Kiss, he says, citing “nervousness” and “political pushback.” Kiss decided earlier this month to hold off on BT’s growth outside Burlington. Nulty doesn’t want to wait around and let the opportunity pass. The municipally owned network is “the first, it’s the best, it’s the biggest, but it’s not the only game in town,” he warns.
The mayor insists the city is still considering BT’s expansion, just not yet. He says he would like to see more Burlington households enrolled in the program before committing to growth outside the city limits — BT is still in the process of building infrastructure in Burlington. “I think everything is in place for Burlington to be a success story,” suggests Kiss. “As we get closer to our goals, we will share the hub with other communities . . . I think that’s a prudent process.”
BT Marketing Sales and Customer Service Manager Richard Donnelly notes that municipal government processes can sometimes be at odds with entrepreneurial ventures. “Burlington [Telecom] certainly could expand,” says Donnelly. “Now it’s time to explore that, and I don’t think that work should stop [just] because Tim has moved to an organization that is ready to do that tomorrow.”
For his part, Nulty is sure “other flowers are going to bloom” soon, as he puts it, and even more sure he’s going to be there to smell the roses, whether the City of Burlington gets a whiff or not.
October 23, 2007 at 01:23 PM in House Rules | Permalink
Comments
The story makes it sound like ValleyNet could be competing directly with Burlington Telecom, but doesn't say it directly. Wasn't there a non-complete clause in Nulty's contract?
It's rumored Shah Jahan cut his architects' hands off after they finished the Taj Mahal, so they could never build a rival. That was a seventeenth century non-compete clause. But I digress.
As usual, Bob Kiss is right. Hook up the people in Burlington first. It's our network.
Posted by: Haik Bedrosian | Oct 24, 2007 8:57:35 AM
If you believe that the build out will be done by 2008 and there is no reason not to. This will be right about the time that the other communities will need to tap into our system. In addition Burlington Telecom will not be building those systems they will be hiring independent contractors to do it. Burlington Telecom will be providing signal to those communities as well as other services which they will pay handsomly for.
So the question really is, why does the Mayor(and Johnathon Leopold) really want to stop offering services to other communities?
The selling of signal and services to these communities mean good jobs here in Burlington.
Do they not want to sell a key driver of economic development-fast internet access to these communities because they see them as competitors?
Burlington Telecom will shortly be a profit center for the city with more communities on board there will be more profit for retirement funds, lower property taxes etc.
Bottom line Mayor Kiss owes us a better explanation as to why he is stopping good solid economic development.
Posted by: Sam Osborne | Oct 24, 2007 6:09:28 PM
If you believe that the build out will be done by 2008 and there is no reason not to.
It's dangerous to assume.
This will be right about the time that the other communities will need to tap into our system.
Why?
In addition Burlington Telecom will not be building those systems they will be hiring independent contractors to do it.
The use of contractors is supposed to be a plus? Don't you see any potential problems with that?
So the question really is, why does the Mayor(and Johnathon Leopold) really want to stop offering services to other communities?
Stop? You can't stop something you haven't started.
Bottom line Mayor Kiss owes us a better explanation as to why he is stopping good solid economic development.
Bob Kiss is quoted above saying "As we get closer to our goals, we will share the hub with other communities." What's wrong with that? Would you like to see BT overextend itself and fail? Be patient.
Saying that Bob Kiss is stopping development is rediculous on its face. BT is an experimental entity brought about largely through the efforts of Burlington Progressives. You might as well complain that Al Gore isn't doing enough about global warming.
The mayor would like to build on solid ground, not assumptions and projections. I live in Burlington and I'm still waiting for Burlington Telecom to service my house. To paraphrase Tim Nulty, we're not blowing up a baloon here. We're building a real thing.
Posted by: Haik Bedrosian | Oct 25, 2007 1:05:02 PM
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