The Christian County Commission voted Oct. 2 to approve a three-year internet services agreement with Liberty Connect to formalize use of local "last mile" fiber connections and consolidate redundant circuits.

The agreement, presented by county staff member Kim, was approved by motion and a unanimous voice vote. Kim said Christian County has used SpringNet for internet services for several years and that SpringNet "has always used Liberty in the last mile." Kim described the procurement as falling below the county's statutory bid threshold and said SpringNet and Liberty "both agree" on the planned transition.

Commissioners and IT staff said the contract is intended to replace an informal, long-standing arrangement under which Liberty allowed the county to use fiber and equipment without a written contract. An IT staff member, John, said the contract will "shore up and get a contract in place to use that equipment and pay for that equipment as I think we should since we've been utilizing it for nobody can remember how long on this handshake deal." John said the county previously had separate circuits in each building for redundancy but will consolidate circuits under the new agreement.

Kim and IT staff described expected cost and performance changes. Kim said the county will move to a "much faster circuit, much cheaper circuit" and that the contract term is three years with options to renew. An IT staff speaker estimated future monthly costs and stated amounts during discussion: references included figures phrased as "consolidating $100 down to $3,100 a month" and "$700 down to $3,100 a month." The transcript records those figures as stated; the county did not provide a formal written cost breakdown in the meeting presentation.

Commissioners asked whether the new circuit would be available at the county's future campus; staff said Liberty has already brought fiber and equipment into that site and a circuit could be activated "in a couple weeks." Commissioners and the presiding commissioner, Lynn Horton, praised the county's in-house IT department and noted anticipated savings compared with prior outside contracts.

The motion to "approve the Internet services agreement" was made and seconded and carried on a unanimous voice vote.

The agreement formalizes use of local Liberty Connect equipment, consolidates redundant circuits across county facilities, and is intended to reduce monthly circuit costs and increase available bandwidth. The county did not provide a detailed line-item contract price or a published transition schedule during the public portion of the meeting; those details were not specified in the transcript.