Internet provider and city officials have heated discussion over business deal

During Tuesday’s Ville Platte council meeting, the council, mayor and city attorney discussed adding another internet service as an option for residents. The discussion was one that turned somewhat heated between the internet provider and city officials.
Todd Morein, owner of Universal Communications, was impatient with the Council and upset over a business deal to bring a new internet provider to Ville Platte.
In Jan. 2017, Morein first approached the Council, offering to pay a monthly rent to the city in exchange for allowing him to install internet distribution antennas to the city’s three water towers. Morein offered to pay $150 per month per tower.
The antennae would not interfere with the normal operation of the water tower; and he would pay to have them installed.
Morein said that he could provide internet plans for 5 megabytes for $50; 10mb for $75; and 15mb for $99.
However, in the meantime, the City was examining different issues surrounding the deal, notably how much rent it should charge. Tuesday evening, Morein was tired of waiting for an answer.
“It’s been over 15 months,” Morein said. “I’ve had enough.”
Vidrine, after talking with City Attorney Eric LaFleur, countered with a proposal of $300 per month per tower, causing Morein to balk.
“That’s double what I originally proposed,” he said, visibly upset. “This is a poor community, and I hate to see the residents lose a third internet provider, that can give them good service at a lower price.”
The sticking point, as LaFleur pointed out, is that the city is trying to get fair market value for the tower space.
“It’s not an arbitrary figure for us,” LaFleur noted. “We’re trying to make a price based on the volume of customers you have.”
Morein, however, didn’t like the idea of having to “open up my books” to the government. At one point, Morein was prepared to walk away. Riggs, who along with Lemoine, was supportive of a rental fee closer to $150, told Morein to wait a little longer so that something could be decided.
Finally, Morein warmed to the idea of more negotiation, including a rate scale that would see the rental fee slide according to the number of subscribers he has. He agreed to meet with LaFleur to work out a deal.