Commissioners pledge $2.5M recovery money to broadband project

Monday morning the Dubois County Commissioners approved using $2.5 million of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to invigorate the expansion of broadband in the county.

Commissioner Chad Blessinger pointed to broad support for the project from residents in moving forward with the decision.

“I’ve got nothing but positive feedback from the community saying, ‘This is the one you should do. This is important to us. This is what we want to meet the needs of the people in the community,'” he said.

The approved grant will help fund the engineering and pole replacements/updates to allow fiber service to be strung through a major portion of the county. This make-ready portion of the buildout is estimated to cost about $4.35 million according to Dubois REC, the owner of the poles. The $2.5 million in funding will offset that cost.

Once the agreement is finalized with the entities involved, Dubois REC will begin the study of about 20,000 utility poles to determine their suitability for being used to run the fiber through the county. Providers have stated this make-ready study and deployment could cut the broadband expansion through the area from up to seven years down to two years.

When completed, this project will ultimately get fiber to 5,679 locations. Orange County Fiber will provide the bulk of fiber connections (5,000 addresses) with PSC servicing the remaining portion in the agreement. This project should be completed in 26 to 27 months and broadband connections will be made available as the work progresses.

“They are ready to get the work going,” Blessinger told the commission.

He pointed out that this buildout is in addition to other groups planning expansions into Dubois County utilizing Indiana’s Next Level Connections broadband funding opportunities. Charter Communications, PSC, Spectrum, and Mainstream Fiber have all applied for funding through the Next Level Connections grant program to add fiber projects in the county.

“Over the next two to five years, there will be a lot of people getting broadband to their homes,” Blessinger said. “It is really going to impact lives.”

The county received $8.4 million through ARPA and also discussed a list of other projects under consideration for funding.

While the county was recently selected to take part in the Hoosiers Enduring Legacy Program (HELP) to work with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs to optimize the use of the ARPA funds, the county already had a group formed to study and come up with a plan.

The ARPA committee submitted the following list for the potential use of the funds.

• The broadband project was the number one priority on the list at $2.5 million.
• $1.65 million to create a regional sewer district although the cost would likely far exceed this amount and it will be under more consideration through the HELP program.
• $300,000 for the Northeast Dubois Fire District to be used for an ambulance station and support the new fire station being built.
• $181,00 for the renovations of the St. Anthony water towers at Dubois County Park.
• $2.49 million that is set aside to participate in the HELP program. This is the required 30 percent match and could go towards the regional sewer district or other projects identified through the county’s participation in HELP.
• $350,000 for Dubois County Park renovations although the county is uncertain if ARPA funding can be used for the project. The council approved the use of Local Option Income Tax funds if the project doesn’t qualify for ARPA.
• $200,000 to Patoka Lake Regional Water and Sewer to support efforts in Dubois to reline pipes and run a new water main on the west side of the town.
• $100,000 for Patoka Regional Water and Sewer for improvements to the sludge drying beds.
• $100,000 for renovations in the treasurer’s and auditor’s offices, including safety windows and the design fees.
• $100,000 for possible audit that might be required by the federal government.
• $31,600 for hotspots in underserved areas (already funded and installed).
• $25,000 for services financial services from Baker Tilly — some of this money could be reallocated if it is not used.
• $20,000 for a retainer with Barnes & Thornberg for legal services if needed.
• $250,000 held back for any contingency regarding the ARPA funding.

In taking part in HELP, the county will work with OCRA and four educational institutions –Purdue Center for Regional Development, the Indiana University Center for Rural Engagement, the Ball State University Indiana Communities Institute and Ivy Tech Community College — to address four identified pathways for improving communities. These pathways address connectivity, quality of place, community wellness and local economic development.

Here is a previous article on the broadband project.

$4M in Covid-19 funding being considered for Dubois County broadband buildout