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County discusses letter of support for last-mile fiber grant to serve Big Wells; USDA Community Connect deadline April 21
Summary
A fiber provider asked Dimmit County for a letter of support for a USDA Community Connect grant to build last-mile fiber to Big Wells and nearby routes; county officials agreed to provide a letter and asked for timing and engineering details to include in the application.
A broadband provider told Dimmit County commissioners about a proposed last-mile fiber build to serve Big Wells and nearby stretches along Texas 85 and asked the court for a letter of support for a USDA Community Connect grant application. The company said the red-lined backbone route would reach roughly 1,000 households and that the USDA grant has a $5 million ceiling for the applicant.
The presenter described construction methods (horizontal directional drilling for constrained crossings and vibratory plow for open stretches) and said the project would use buried fiber to a minimum standard cover depth, employ local crews for construction where possible, and aim for resiliency by tying to multiple upstream points. The presenter said the USDA requires an applicant (an Internet service provider) and that local governments may provide letters of support and local coordination; the county itself cannot be the applicant. The presenter asked the court for a letter of support to be included in the application packet by a hard deadline of April 21. The company representative offered to provide high-level design documents and coordinate with county staff.
County grant staff said the county cannot submit the USDA application — it must come from the provider — and advised commissioners that the county’s role would be to provide a letter and other administrative support. Commissioners and staff discussed service terms the provider would offer to county facilities: the USDA program requires the grantee to provide service at no charge at the maximum available speed to certain public sites for two years; the presenter said the company would provide those public connections for two years and described typical retail pricing afterward.
Commissioners requested engineering maps and asked for the letter of support to be prepared and delivered within a week or two so the provider could finalize the submission. No formal vote was recorded on granting the letter of support; commissioners instructed staff to prepare a letter and coordinate with the provider ahead of the April 21 submission deadline.
