BY SARAH STEPHENS
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
Top Photo: Lisa Van Wagner, with ECEDA, addresses the Elmore County Commission Tuesday.
Tuesday the Elmore County Commission approved two resolutions concerning broadband infrastructure for the public benefit to citizens in the county with increased access for educational purposes, economic development and public resources.
Recently, Elmore County Schools witnessed a breakdown of their internet service over eight days, which caused huge problems for students, teachers and parents alike.
The first resolution approved facilitates investments in broadband infrastructure with Central Alabama Electric Cooperative and the Elmore County Board of Education. Investment will benefit the public through increased access to broadband. Funding will be allocated to ECEDA (Elmore County Economic Development Authority) for use on the project and necessary budget amendments.
The second resolution approved facilitates investment in broadband infrastructure with Central Alabama Electric Cooperative through ADECA’s Alabama Anchor Institution Middle Mile Grant Program.
Both resolutions are pursuant to the requirements of Amendment 772 of the Constitution of Alabama 1901.
“These two resolutions are public/private broadband expansion partnerships. I want to share the background and the overall effort by the county commission as it relates to us promoting broadband expansion tour citizens can have proper access,” Chairman Bart Mercer said.
Mercer said that each week, he and other commissioners are contacted by residents asking what the commission can do to expand broadband to their house or their business.
“Historically, there has been very little we could do, other than to work with ECEDA and use the information found in our Broadband Accessibility Study we funded a number of years ago, to show our internet service providers the area of the county where citizens don’t have access.”
Mercer explained that federal and state leaders have recognized the importance of access for citizens and businesses.
“So, they made funding available through grant opportunities and those dollars going directly to our ISPs for expansion,” Mercer said. He added that the Commission would offer letters of support to the service providers in their attempts to get these grants.
But historically, the state constitution would not allow counties and local governments to partner with internet service providers for expansion. In the last legislative session that changed, with an amendment to the Alabama Constitution with Amendment 772.
If approved by the Elmore County Board of Education, Central Access will install a fiber loop to all Elmore County Board of Education schools. The second project, the Middle Mile Project, would allow Central Access to seek state and federal grant funding if the county is willing to invest up to five percent in the project.
Lisa Van Wagner is the Executive Director of ECEDA and is a member of the Elmore County Broadband Task Force.
She addressed the commission.
Van Wagner said, “I am very excited to present this to you. Both projects will involve the Board of Education. The Board of Education Fiber Loop Project is not a grant, but a partnership with Central Access that will provide redundant fiber to 23 educational facilities throughout the county. It has the potential to extend broadband access to numerous businesses and citizens that are within proximity to the schools. This project would involve nearly 11 miles of fiber…with a total cost $786,480. Central Access would pay half of that. The remainder would be split equally between the Elmore County Board of Education and Elmore County Commission.”
ECEDA would handle the project management for both projects.
“We know that Central Access is already a proven partner and has demonstrated their commitment to broadband expansion in Elmore County. For example, the Hot Spots. (CA) put up 23 before the county of Montgomery even had two up. We know they have a good track record.”
The first part of the project could be completed as early as the end of this school year, Van Wagner said. Certain areas may take a bit longer. But she said CA could begin projects very quickly.
Van Wagner said of the past year, ECEDA has requested proposals from internet service providers in the area to make these projects possible.
“We have received a few,” she said. “But Central Access has always stepped up and they have been proactive in their desire to expand broadband and help us in these projects.”
The second project, the Middle Mile Fiber Grant Project, would be administered through ADECA.
“This grant is significantly larger. If Central Access was awarded this grant, it would involve nearly 20 miles of additional fiber throughout the county. They would initially serve 1,034 structures, mainly educational facilities, churches, businesses and would also include 864 residential structures.”
Van Wagner said this project is also open to expansion in the future, taking in more businesses and residents.
This second project’s total is $1.6 Million. ADECA’s grant would fund 75 percent with the other 25 percent funded by Central Access.
“What Elmore County is being asked to do as far as funding, we are asking to commit to a five percent matching fund, which is approximately $82,000. That amount is payable after the project is complete. With any grant application they are on a scoring system. They get points for any actions that we do. That additional commitment on our behalf increases their scoring.”
However, Van Wagner said that with the fiber expansion, and potential new customers signing on, it may be the county does not have to pay that amount, or at least the total amount.
“Over the past couple of years, ECEDA and myself, have had the honor of serving on the Elmore County Broadband Task Force. It chaired by Chairman Mercer, and there really is no one more knowledgeable on the subject,” she said.
Jimmy Harris, representing the Elmore County Board of Education, addressed the commission.
“I think everybody in the county knows what happened to our school system two weeks ago. We went without internet for eight days. There was payroll, no telephone, parents could not get access to schools. It was a very tough situation for our teachers, staff, students and parents. But from that this has sparked us to look at other opportunities. Partnering with ECEDA and Central Access can bring a back-up to what we have today. In case this happens again, we have Plan B.”
Harris said the days of looking up information from Encyclopedias is over, and internet access is crucial for education today.
“As we learned with 17 Springs, if we pool our resources together our shareholders win. By us building our resources together and bringing broadband to our schools, the byproduct will be broadband for our citizens. The school system, our board, and Supt. Richard Dennis is a proud partner to be in this.”
In speaking of the internet being down for eight days, Commissioner Desirae Lewis Jackson confirmed that it was a tough time for all involved.
“With this project, we will still have the initial lines, but if this ever happens again, we will have a back-up plan,” she said.
She continued saying, “I think that this is awesome. It is something Elmore County definitely needs. We grow every single year. From our major census change from the last 10 years, it shows we are growing. While everyone thinks the commission focuses on roads, the most complaints and needs that are on me are broadband. Everyone needs the internet, and I am so glad this is coming to the county.”
Commissioner Mack Daugherty said, “I think this is one of the best things that could happen for our students in Elmore County. We certainly remember what happened to all of our students with COVID in 2020. Thankfully, we were able to do the Hot Spots before a lot of counties even thought about it. We had students and families driving to church parking lots and other places where they could get a signal. By doing what this proposal does, I think it is wonderful for our educational facilities and everybody involved. I also believe it would be a very big drawing card for businesses when they consider coming to Elmore County.”
Commissioner Dennis Hill, who has many years in law enforcement, said he learned early that Elmore County is a bit “different.” In that, he said that everyone in the county will come together to do a job, or whatever needs to be done.
“When we see a problem, we don’t stand around and wonder what we will do about it. We put our heads together and we get it done. What we are doing here tonight will have repercussions that stretch long after all of us up here are gone,” he said. “I appreciate all of the work that has been done.”
Chairman Henry Hines said, “It is great to work together. I think we found, looking at some of the other counties and how they work, we as a commission work with the Board of Education, our mayors, ECEDA, our YMCAS and our community. That is a bright spot for Alabama and this broadband. I am on Central Alabama Access and it was tough before trying to do a report. If the Central Access system goes down, it is not down long. They have done an outstanding job.”
Chairman Mercer said, “I think this is a great project. The Fiber Loop Project will not only provide redundant service to our educational facilities, it will also provide service in areas that do not have service. Particularly in the Slapout area, it will bring fiber closer to that area than it has ever been. We are seeing the results of the tools that we put in place to promote expansion years ago. Commissioners, I remind you, that if we were not the first, we were one of the first counties in the state, to commission a Broadband Accessibility Study. We have used that study many times to share with our internet service providers because we knew that if legislation was passed giving us the ability to partner on an expansion project, we would need a separate entity that could take a project request from an internet service provider, to make a funding recommendation based on the facts.”
He closed by thanking ECEDA, Broadband Task Force members, Central Alabama Electric Board, and Central Access leadership for investing in Elmore County. He also thanked County Operational Officer Richie Beyer for his help throughout the process.
