The contract has a term of one year.

In exchange for the ability to mount four wireless antennae atop city buildings at the harbor -- including the harbormaster's office and the ice plant -- and use of electricity to power them, Subconscious Logic will pay the city $50 per month, said owner Tomasz Sulczynski.

In order to provide the entire harbor area with consistent service, the antennae will be mounted high on the buildings and aimed down into the harbor basin, said Sulczynski.

Although harbor users are presently able to access some Internet service on the Homer Spit, the geography of the harbor, especially at low tide, makes it difficult to access at times, said Hawkins.

"Because of the tide and the basin, it's not as good as we need. The goal is to focus on high speed Internet access for all the vessel owners in the harbor," he said.

Users will pay a fee to Subconscious Logic for the wireless service, ranging from $4.95 for four hours of use at 256Kbps to $39.95 for a month's use at 350Kbps -- the same basic rates found at any of the company's other 30 access points in Homer.

Although Sulczynski is a part-time city employee -- he works in the Information Technology department as an assistant system manager -- his bid proposal was thoroughly vetted, he said.

"There were plenty of discussions about all that. What it comes down to is my proposal was scrutinized much more closely because I work for the city. It actually probably made it harder because it got picked over with a fine tooth comb to make sure there was no appearance of conflict," said Sulczynski.

Sulczynski expects to have the new wireless service up and running by the end of September.

Aaron Selbig can be reached at aaron.selbig.@homernews.com.