PORT ANGELES — The owners of Port-Angeles-based Capacity Provisioning Inc., providers of fiber-optic Internet services to multiple public agencies in Clallam County, are considering an offer to sell the company, the company’s vice president said Saturday.
“We’ve had an inquiry from an interested party,” CPI Vice President Craig Johnson said.
He declined to provide any other details about the offer or the interested party.
“We’re doing nondisclosure at this point,” Johnson said.
Johnson said the sale is far from a sure thing.
“I think the bottom line is, we’re just listening at this point,” Johnson said. “It’s a possibility, and that’s kind of where we’re at.”
Port Angeles City Council members will discuss options for addressing the possible sale of CPI at their Tuesday meeting, set for
6 p.m. in council chambers at Port Angeles City Hall, 321 E. Fifth St.
“The city is not that interested party,” Johnson said.
City Attorney Bill Bloor said Friday city staff will seek direction from council members on what to do, if anything at all, in response to possible sale of CPI.
The company provides fiber-optic services and infrastructure to the city, Clallam County, Olympic Medical Center, the Port Angeles School District, Peninsula College and most large businesses in Port Angeles and Sequim, according to CPI’s website.
CPI recently completed Port Angeles’ $2.7 million Metro-Net system, a network that provides wireless Internet access to Internet-capabable devices for about 80 percent of the city.
According to a memo in the City Council agenda packet, city staff will present the council with several options, including doing nothing, replicating CPI’s infrastructure, negotiating the purchase of CPI and triggering the right of first refusal in the city’s contract with CPI.
The right of first refusal, included in the city’s seven-year contract with CPI authorized in 2010, means the city, under certain conditions, has the first right to purchase fiber-optic infratructure owned by CPI and used by the city, Bloor explained.
Under the terms of the 2010 contract, the city’s bill for CPI’s services is $5,045 per month, before taxes.
“With the city in particular, we have an agreement that allows the contract to continue,” Johnson said.
“And whoever buys [CPI} would be obligated to that agreement.”
CPI was founded in 2001 by Bill Roberds and Bob Jensen, with Johnson coming aboard a year later.
City Hall signed its first fiber-optic Internet infrastructure and service contract with the city in 2002.
Bill Roberds, who Johnson said is more or less retireed from CPI, is married to city planning manager Sue Roberds.
Johnson said Sue Roberds “is in a completely different department from anything we [at CPI] do.”
“[The city has] always gone to extra efforts to make sure they are no cross-over or cross-contaminations,” Johnson added.
“It certainly is a concern on the city’s part that everything is done correctly.”
Reporter Jeremy Schwartz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jschwartz@peninsuladailynews.com.
