Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette After nearly two years of failed negotiations between the County Board and ShoreWaves internet provider, Board Chairman Don Piche said the board has been left wondering if ShoreWaves’ business interest in the county is sincere.

EAGLE RIVER — The Keweenaw County Board reached a final decision at Wednesday’s regular meeting, when commissioners said they will not conduct further negotiations internet provider, ShoreWaves, after owner Steve Fitzpatrick found a third contract unacceptable. ShoreWaves now has two weeks to either accept the original contract offered or remove its equipment from the county’s towers.

In September 2017, the board approved a proposal from ShoreWaves internet provider of Houghton to expand broadband coverage to residents and businesses in the county. The 10-point proposal included an initial one-year agreement for tower leases, separate leases for each location, with up to a total of 10 antennas to be mounted concurrently through the trial period.

“Because we were pleased to see another company interested in providing internet service to our county,” said Board Chairman Don Piche, “we gave him one year free to use as a trial period. All this time was rent-free.”

The county’s established rent is $150 per antenna, or four antennas for $600, said Piche. Twelve months at no charge equals $7,200.

Several disputes over the use of an equipment shed at the base of the tower at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, which the county owned at the time, and back-and-forth bickering between Fitzgerald and Pasty.net president Charlie Hopper, and a number of county contract rejections by Fitzpatrick, have dragged on.

“Nearing the end of this time (September 2018),” Piche said, “our attorney have him (Fitzgerald) a contract that was almost identical to that of another internet service provider. Mr. Fitzgerald said he didn’t like that contract, so staff, (Commissioner) Del Rajala, and the sheriff met with him to listen to his concerns. We have spent countless hours trying to work this out.”

In April of this year, another attempt at an agreement between the county and ShoreWaves failed when Fitzgerald said he could not sign the agreement as it was written by Chuck Miller, the county attorney.

Fitzgerald told the board during its April meeting that the agreement leaves him no protections, and omitted several verbal points that had he thought had been agreed upon during an earlier meeting between himself, Commissioner Del Rajala, Equalization Director Ann Gasperich, and Sheriff Bill Luokkanen.

“Every County Commissioner wanted this to succeed,” said Piche, “but we are now left wondering if Mr. Fitzgerald’s business interest in Keweenaw County is sincere.”

The board, said Piche, must protect its infrastructure, and represents the entire county’s best interest.

“We cannot be responsible for signing an irresponsible contract,” he said.

The County Board did not offer this service, nor did the County Board take it away, he said.

The fate of ShoreWaves (in Keweenaw County), Piche said, is up to Mr. Fitzgerald.