Gilliam County seeks funding for internet expansion efforts

A special meeting of the Gilliam County Court was held on January 24 with the focus being on expansion of internet services in the county.

The court has strived to bring fiber-optic connectivity to all residents, an ambitious goal that is expected to cost $30 million.

The court has worked to map existing fiber-optic lines and to survey the entire county in a feasibility study that was completed in 2023 by LS Networks, a consultant group that specializes in broadband connectivity. The feasibility study was limited in scope and the county court is now looking to take the next steps in developing a plan for implementation.

To do that, the county court is hoping to get a grant from Business Oregon, who is offering a new grant called the Broadband Technical Assistance Program (BTAP). The grant funded program helps with the planning of high-speed internet to unserved and underserved locations in Oregon. The competitive grant has a closing date of February 2, 2024 and the court worked quickly to get support from a contractor to assist with the application.

On January 17, 2024 the Gilliam County Court approved a contract with Catalyst Public Policy Advisors, which specializes in public-private partnerships in housing, infrastructure and broadband internet. Nick Green is the President of the limited liability company, which he founded in 2022. Green was formerly the City Manager of John Day and oversaw several ambitious projects that aimed to boost housing, tourism, agriculture, and infrastructure.

In their draft application, the Gilliam County Court is seeking $150,000 from the BTAP grant to do preliminary planning and engineering services for areas identified in the county's broadband feasibility study.

In a statement to the court, Nick Green of Catalyst Public Policy Advisors said that the challenges for Gilliam County are similar to other rural areas – that with low population density there are challenges in funding projects.

"By hiring consultants, you can go a little bit deeper in your design," Green told the court.

In his application to the county, Green factored in probable costs and a network design that would be eighty-percent project ready. He also said that the county has a high probability of being awarded the grant.

For the BTAP program, the focus will be on the north end of the county. Recently, Rally Networks, the only internet service provider in Condon, received a federal grant to improve broadband internet in the southern part of Gilliam County.

Should the grant win approval, funds are expected to be released within six months. The funding is also expected to open doors for other funding sources, particularly for federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Green estimates that with the findings from the Business Oregon Grant, the county would be eligible to apply for $15 million in additional funding.

Judge Farrar told the court that with just eleven months left in office, she recommends working with Nick Green to continue with his technical consulting services. Judge Farrar noted that the learning curve for this information is high and that for continuity, she recommended that Green write himself into the funding proposal.