Johnson Controls Municipal WiFi Project in Hollywood, FL called a FLOP

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Excerpts:

“More than three years ago, the city of Hollywood borrowed $16 million to pay for a wireless communications platform, which would give residents free computer network service, as well as provide an automated water meter reader system and solar-powered parking meters. But the system doesn’t fully work. The idea was simple: install transmitters throughout the city that would allow water meters to be read and transmitted digitally and parking meters that would accept credit cards and work for all spaces. There would also be a secure network for police, fire and code enforcement officers. The bonus was a wireless network for the residents. But Johnson Controls, the company hired to handle the project, ran into problems installing enough access points — similar to antennas — throughout the city that would allow the system to work . . . Johnson Controls was met with problems. The automated meter reader system would not work because the digital equipment would not transmit through concrete caps. The company then placed the caps with plastic ones, but when it rained the caps floated away . . . After months of trying different caps and methods, the automated reader system should be online any day . . . the parking meters are also working, but with cellular modems instead of wireless, which is being paid for by Johnson Controls. The Wi-Fi portion, however, will likely not work . . .”

http://www.muniwireless.com/2011/09/07/hollywood-fl-muni-wi-fi-network-a-flop/

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26 COMMENTS

    • Don,

      We haven’t been zappeled just yet. City Council still has to vote on the Bond Issue for these automated meter readers + the “sizzle” of free Wi-Fi and converting FOG (Fats, Oils, Grease) to energy. It will be truly enlightening to see if the 5 Yes votes for Earthcare doubledown and we have a repeat 5-4 in favor of this “project” (and I use the term project very loosely). Come on citizens, call your City Councilman/or Councilwoman and tell them what you think of this deal.

  2. Will Johnson Controls be Earthcare II (the sequel)in terms of no vetting ? This article quotes a Miami Herald article dated 8/28/2011, stating that the Wi-Fi was being abandoned by the city of Miami. The Evansville Water & Sewer Board (Steve Titzer, President) signed the Johnson Controls deal on 11/15/2011. Clearly, a google search would have turned up this article. Does this mean the outdoor hotdog vendor at the Arena will not get his wi-fi after all ?

  3. Isn’t Steve Tizer a CPA?

    So CPA Tizer was the President of Evansville Water and Sewer Board at the time this $68 million dollar deal was approved without public discussion or vetting by City Council?

    Also is there any truth that the CPA firm Tizer works for does a great deal of work for City and County boards?

  4. Titzer is the head guy at Harding & Shymanski, a long-time CPA firm in Evansville. When this thing unwinds, Titzer will be made to look like a fool for signing the contract, IMHO. Harding has done the reviewed financial statments for The Centre (County), I don’t know about Evansville Water & Sewer.

    • Steve Titzer is no longer the Managing Partner at Harding, Shymanski. He resigned that position and a new Managing Partner was named at their last annual meeting, about one year ago.

  5. This is the project that Weinzapfel filed with the IURC on December 29th, right before he turned out the lights and stepped the door.

    Weinzapfel has left us a host of projects to deal with, most of which have not been vetted.

    The downtown hotel, the Johnson Controls-City of Evansville Water Department, the consolidation referendum.

    If Winnecke does not propose a single new thing, he still has enough on his plate to overwhelm an executive office that was not even capable of seeing through the Earthcare proposal.

    This year will be a very interesting one for taxpayers/ratepayers who are being bombarded on all sides by greedy projects of dubious necessity.

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    • Don’t forget about Centennial Park. That was a last minute photo op for the outgoing Mayor too.

    • I was trying to remember off the top of my head when I posted that date. Here is the official filing date: “Petition Date: 11/28/2011” if you visit the IURC site today.

      Sorry, I was not trying to be misleading.

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      • Press, wasn’t being critical my friend. It just amazed me they slipped this huge project under the radar just as the old regime is about out the door. Multi-multi millions for WIFI? WIFI? Weren’t the abject failures of the Greyhound Station, Historic McCurdy Hotel and of course the 4 star replacement for the Executive Inn enough?? Let’s hope the new found backbone by some City Council members put a stop to this madness.

        • I think part of our problem is that we see this as “old regime” and “new regime”, hen in fact it is all the “same regime”.

          It seems as if a lot these plans were laid in the past with the intention that the anointed future leader would shepherd them through to fruition without a closer look or any further vetting.

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          • Ya ‘ think? Not enough difference in them to notice. Wienieke’s wife has never been far from the trough of taxpayer money. reguardless of which party is “in”.

  7. When the hotdog cart vendor outside the Arena got the news about the Wi-Fi not going to work, he told me he relished the idea of outdoors Wi-Fi, this information really leaves him in a pickle, and he will have to play catch up fast !

  8. I hear City Councilman John Friend has been raising “holy hell” about multi million project.

    It’s time for Mr. Friend to step forward to lead the battle against this “waste” of tax payers hard earned dollars.

    I hope he won’t take cover and hide behind Ms Riley’s pant suit when the political heat comes his way.

    • Friend protested some projects only when he was able to get “face time” BEFORE the last election. He has been amazingly silent since then. Why”?

  9. What’s the new Mayor opinion about this project?

    I guess the past Mayor told him be a good boy and a team player and let it be approved without comment.

    Wow-a proposed $68 million dollar project and he has no comment on this project.

    He–is can’t even figure out the Earthcare project so how we expect him to figure this out.

    • Johnson Controls cost more money than the McCurdy, the downtown hotel, and the Greyhound place combined. Why, so they can read the water meters from a computer? These people have no sense of value at all. Dumb,Dumb,Dumb. Weinzapfel did get a trip to Canada and a job out of the deal though.

  10. Why in the heck would anyone one in the County want to merge with the city because of all the debts the city now has? If approved, the County would assume about $68 million dollars more debt from this project along. The attached article about Hollywood, Fla. tells it all!

    • Tea,

      Just a minor correction–it’s $ 11 Million more than stated, $ 79,700,xxx or there abouts. That includes interest over 20 years. Johnson Controls gets their $ 51 Million in 2 years, and I guess the rest of us get HOPE for the next 18.

    • The c&p refuses to put the CORE 2012 meetings on their page 3 public meetings notice. Their bias in editorials and articles is an embarassment to the public’s trust. We meet Thurs. evening on Diamond Ave. farm bureau insurance @ 6 pm. If they continue this dis-service , their actions will be brought out with a big Is it true media blitz.

  13. A number of years ago the Water & sewer department attempted to cram an automated system down our throats. This would have allowed the meter readers to tap the lid of the water meter and the reading would appear on their hand held on a stick. It was turned down as being too costly. But somehow they installed the system anyway.

    Evidentally it didn’t work because I have just received my second water bill with a zero (0) reading to make up for prior bills, for which I was overbilled. I guess they had been estimated.

    Mechanical and eletronic things do not just work automatically. You have to understand them and MAKE THEM WORK.

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