Andy Close
WARREN, Pa. – Warren County has been looking for the best way to utilize American Resue Plan funds for broadband, and it now may have an answer.
The county will have a resolution on the agenda for Wednesday’s (June 28) meeting for a matching broadband infrastructure program grant that is open until Aug. 9.
“Those funds would go to the grantees (internet service providers) and that would help infuse some money,” said Warren County IT Contractor Bill Gallagher during Monday’s work session. “This is the county’s opportunity to help co-fund that grant match. These projects are very difficult because of the economics behind them, with seven to eight houses per mile, and getting those grant funds that would assist with the match is what this resolution is all about.”
Gallagher indicated that the county would contribute approximately $1.1 million and could draw an additional $8 million from the state and whatever provider they went with (the county is still gathering feedback from ISPs).
“Funds would be coming from three different areas in this case (ISPs, county, state/federal) in this case,” Commissioner Ben Kafferlin said. “The project would be in the $10 million range. We will receive information from ISPs at some point and will identify the maximum number of houses we can get at the lowest cost.
“We’ve tried to extend as much as we can for the right opportunity. We’re waiting for providers to bring in more info and having CTC (consulting firm) to vet some of those responses. Hopefully, this match by the county helps bring that award in. This is a very competitive grant.”
Gallagher noted that CTC has been working with the county in prior cases to help ISPs identify and make sense out of where networks are and aren’t.
“What we’ve been looking at with CTC and the providers is trying to come up with the opportunities to fund some of these broadband projects,” Gallagher said.
The resolution, No. 3249, is expected to be voted on during Wednesday’s meeting.
