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Please use the ARPA funds wisely!
For some time now, according to
news reports, the Logan County Board has been discussing how to spend
the $5.5 million dollars given to the county by the Federal government
called ARPA funds. This money just fell on the county like manna from
heaven. It has some strings attached, but does not have to be paid back
and comes from U.S. taxpayers at-large, not just from Logan County
taxpayers. The Board says they want to use these funds for the best
advantage to the county. |
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Board is currently discussing using $3.5 million dollars from the ARPA funds to
build a fiber optic highway in the county for broadband internet, and $1.9
million dollars for necessary renovations to the county jail.
According to news reports, in a proposal from a company called WANRack, $3.5
million from ARPA along with matching funds from the state will get the job
started with a broadband highway that would extend to the city of Lincoln. This
appears to be the only proposal the board has received for this project,
although they had earlier talked to other companies. In future years, likely at
taxpayer expense, the rest of the county could be served by this broadband
highway, linking up all the towns in the county at a currently unspecified
expense (likely at a much higher cost than connecting Lincoln for $7M) .
Board members believe that the county could receive a cut from for internet
service fees (and WANRack would get a cut also), but believes its fiber highway
will keep internet costs lower for Logan County households and businesses than
other competing companies would charge.
There are three things on the table with this proposal:
1) fast broadband internet for a portion of the county
2) an income producing project for the future of the county
3) low cost broadband internet fees for customers
Deductively, you can only achieve two of these three objectives. Either the
county and WANRack will have to forego their portion of the fees or the
customers of their internet service will have to pay higher fees with no
savings. Either way, the Logan County taxpayers will be on the hook for the
remaining cost to extend this fiber highway to the rest of the county (unless
more manna falls from heaven).
The project being considered, brings fiber to Lincoln, but does not deliver it
to any business or customer.
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In the discussion concerning this broadband
internet build-out, it seems that the board members have completely
ignored the fact that at least four other companies are currently
either here in the county already or have announced they are on
their way to build out their own fiber optic internet networks for
county citizens.
Broadband internet delivered over fiber will
absolutely become a reality soon in Logan County. Several businesses
and institutions already have fiber broadband. The Board could
collaborate with one of these companies getting this project done at
little to no cost. NextLink Internet who is already here with plans
to do fiber in the county, or Spectrum Internet, MetroNet or i3 who
have announced they are on their way.
The Logan County Board seems to be determined to deal only with
WANRack. Don't county regs require competitive bids?
Does WANRack have any experience doing business in Illinois? Does
WANRack have any idea how long it will be before an Illinois fiber
subcontractor can even get to this project?
Sheriff Landers commented that the necessary jail renovations will
cost much more than the county offered $1.9 million from ARPA funds
(plus $1.4 million from the state). So, the burden of the remaining
costs for the jail renovations will, as usual, fall on Logan County
taxpayers.
If the county could get its boost to economic
development with a broadband highway build at ZERO cost, then the
entirety of the $5.4M ARPA funds could be used for the jail
renovations, costing county taxpayers much less in the end.
This plan seems like a win-win plan for the county, for economic
development and for the taxpayers: Broadband Internet highway and
jail renovations at a lower final cost to county taxpayers. And the
County Board will look like heroes as good planners and wise
stewards of the county's money.
[Jim Youngquist, former owner and President of CCAonline Internet] |
