Minutes 09-16-2025-Business Meeting

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22 Andrew Stevenson said after speaking with the county, the question was,what can Lumos doe for the remaining $6 million, and those three areas was where they thought they could get the most bang for their buck. Commissioner McKee asked how many homes have conduit and no fiber. He asked why there has been no work in months. Andrew Stevenson said 1,200-1,300 homes have been connected in 2025. Commissioner McKee asked why homes with conduits have not been connected with fiber. Andrew Stevenson said that it is a result of their strategy to "follow the light." Commissioner McKee said he believes that there has been a ploy to stop work to force an amendment. Andrew Stevenson said it boils down to an $18-20 million overage on the project. Commissioner Fowler asked what the likelihood is of completion of the contract without the amendment. Andrew Stevenson said he believes this is the best offer by the company. Commissioner Fowler said that is the big concern. She said they are trying to figure out the best way to get them to complete as many as can be done. She said they cannot apply for other grants for these homes if they are still included in the grant contract. She said that they proposed paying 92% if they complete 92% of the project. She said she does worry that Lumos may not complete all three areas. She said they want to get as many done as they can. She said doesn't have a way to value each area. She said she is willing to say yes as structured, because they are trying to get as many people connected as possible. She said they also wanted to make it clear who is not included so they can pursue other methods of providing service. Commissioner Portie-Ascott expressed sympathy for those experiencing lack of reliable internet. She asked if there is a way to verify who is unserved on the proposed amendment. Travis Myren said they could cross check the list of addresses compared to FCC maps. Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked how long that would take. Chair Bedford said it has been done before. Commissioner Portie-Ascott said once they looked at that list and determined that some of the addresses are not unserved. then those folks could more forward with other options. Chair Bedford said it is an ongoing process and will be adjusted until they end up with 600+list of eligible properties. Commissioner Portie-Ascott said it seemed the list doesn't reflect the need. Chair Bedford said they could email and then the County Manager and Chief Information Officer to match it up with Lumos's records. Commissioner Greene said they need to clarify who is included on the list. She questioned if the list is accurate and if not, is it a significant enough an issue that they want to get right before they negotiate. Travis Myren said it likely wouldn't be a significant change, and they would be talking about eliminating an entire polygon, which would be 665 addresses. Chair Bedford said that makes sense. Commissioner Carter expressed sympathy with residents. She appreciates Vice-Chair Hamilton's suggestion to reinstate the broadband task force. She noted that 5,187 homes have been passed, and that addressed part of the rural areas of the county that did not have access. She said she feels a responsibility to support work to enable every single possible pass. She said the county has a limited ability to control how a business operates. She said that they are making business decisions, and the Board is making the best decision to try and serve the community. She said she was inclined to support the amendment. Commissioner Greene said she co-chaired the previous broadband task force with Commissioner McKee. She said she is disappointed with where they are with the project. She appreciated Commissioner Fowler's comments and the feeling that their hands are tied. She said