Zoning Committee hears update on broadband plans

 

[April 12, 2022] 

At the April 6, Logan County Board Planning and Zoning Committee meeting, committee members heard an update on plans and pricing for countywide broadband.

In recent weeks, committee member Keenan Leesman has been working with Telecommunications Service Provider WANRack on plans for broadband. Leesman and WANRack have worked together mapping out layouts for the project phases and discussing project costs. These are preliminary plans. Leesman said these plans have not been submitted to Logan County States’ Attorney Brad Hauge to review legal aspects.

They have developed two phases. Leesman said phase one would start in Lincoln and go in a X formation to a few areas of the county. Phase two would cover the entire area of the county.

If broken up into two projects, the first phase would go out to 21 sites and the second phase would have eight additional sites.

The total for phase one would be $4.8 million, some of which could come from matching state funds. The total for phase two would be $4.3 M.

For the entire project with both phases, Leesman said the total costs would be a little over $9 M. The matching state grant has a ceiling of $10 M.

Board Chairman Emily Davenport asked if that meant the county could apply for up to $10 M in grants from the state.

The county would be able to apply for $10 M or just the remaining funds needed. Leesman said the county does not have to provide an exact match.

Last month, the board approved allocating $3.5 M of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to broadband. Planning and Zoning Committee Chairman David Hepler asked if $3.5 M from the county would be enough to the do the whole project.

Leesman said WANRack has indicated that amount would be enough for the whole project. The $3.5 M would meet most of the points required to get that grant.

At the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council, the topic of broadband had come up. Hepler asked recently appointed Logan County Economic Development Director Beth Davis Kavelman what the GPEDC has said about broadband.

When Davis-Kavelman talked to the GPEDC about countywide broadband, she said their feedback was positive. Other counties have been looking at it too.

Trajectory Energy Partner Project Development Manager Kiersten Sheets is working on developing community solar projects for the county. Sheets said her company had applied for funding through the Accelerate Illinois program. She said the county may be able to get a similar grant from Connect Illinois, a broadband matching grant program.

Another organization Sheets is a part of is the Peoria County Farm Bureau. The Illinois Farm Bureau supports activities for agricultural purposes. She said the Farm Bureau lobbied Peoria County for $2.5 M of ARPA money as seed money to go in for broadband.

To apply for a grant, Davenport asked what steps would be needed.

Anyone in the state can apply for the grants. However, certain boxes must be checked before applying for grants. For instance, Sheets said projects should be viable and shovel ready before sending in a grant application.

The second installment of the ARPA funds have been delayed and may not come in until later this year. Davenport asked when the county would have to prove it has $3.5 M in the bank for the project.

The county would need a Memorandum of Understanding showing these funds will be used for broadband. Sheets said the county would not need to have physical money in the bank.

The Memorandum of Understanding is something Leesman said he has been working on.

Hepler asked whether the amount needed to be listed in the Memorandum of Understanding. He asked if a motion for that type of commitment should be brought forward to the full board.

The amount will need to be listed in the Memorandum of Understanding. Leesman moved to allocate the $3.5 M to broadband subject to the receipt of the ARPA funds.

This motion will be brought forward to the full board at the April board workshop.

[Angela Reiners]