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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us May 14, 2005 New leader will have to prove value of AFN On Tuesday, the Ashland City Council voted to hire a new, independent director for the Ashland Fiber Network. Last week, local resident John Gaffey said he would try to put whether to sell the business on the coming November ballot. Paired together the moves seem in opposition to one another and counter productive. Why hire a leader until you know the company will continue to exist? Why vote to sell a business that just brought in a new leader? Still, it’s hard to take issue with either move. Combined, they may just create the synergistic energy needed to propel AFN more solidly in the future. The council’s decision to hire an independent director for the Ashland Fiber Network is the type of commitment to leadership the beleaguered project requires. The council rightly determined that without a leader, any hope of competing in the combative world of Internet technology was like a wish upon a star. At the same time, a citywide vote over the future of the business is sure to stoke passionate debate from both sides while creating a level of uncertainty for any possible new candidate. But it isn’t necessarily a deterrent that will chase off qualified applicants. An election will put the status of AFN, along with debate about it future and its merit, in the middle of the public spotlight. A new director should seize this opportunity to convince the voters of Ashland of the potential of this project and set reasonable goals for voters to back. Accountability to the voters can be highly motivating to a new leader intent on building public support necessary to keep the network open. If an election forces the creation of a plan that voters can approve — one that eventually pays off the debt and makes AFN financially viable — then the uncertainty that has plagued the venture will diminish. The situation with AFN is such that delays will only add to the debt and lessen the overall feasibility. Council’s decision to hire leadership and give a strong push toward profitability may prove to have lasting value. Technology, and our dependence on it, is only going to increase, as are the opportunities for these businesses to become profitable. We have argued for a long, cautious approach to selling AFN. The council seems to have done just that by voting to bring in leadership that is fundamental to success. A vote on the future of AFN could trump the council’s plans, but it doesn’t have to. Should the matter be put to the ballot, the council, AFN and the city as a whole should see the campaign as a time for the new leadership to present a plan for the future and build a consensus of support that will make AFN a fundamental part of the city. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Online Pharmacy Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations Hammocks Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams