Kewaunee County board endorses Bertram for federal BEAD broadband grants

The Kewaunee County Board of Supervisors voted 17-0 to endorse Bertram Communications LLC’s proposal for federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) grant funding, the board said during its regular meeting. The endorsement commits the county to in‑kind support only and specifies that the county will provide no direct funding.

The endorsement matters because the county’s recommendation can add seven points to a provider’s score in Wisconsin’s BEAD subgrant evaluation, County Administrator Kroll said. He told the board that Wisconsin submitted over 4,000 addresses in Kewaunee County as eligible for BEAD funding and that the county’s endorsement could be decisive for a successful proposal.

Kroll told the board the federal program is administered nationally by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and at the state level by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. He said the federal program will distribute funds to states, which then award subgrants to providers. "The BEAD project ... will entail an investment of $42,000,000,000 across the country," Kroll said, describing why the county engaged with potential providers and formed a broadband committee to review bids.

The broadband committee — made up of Supervisor Shelton, Supervisor Papi, Chairman Olsen, resident IT expert August Neverman, IT Director Ross Learning, the administrator and other staff — reviewed proposals from four providers and unanimously recommended Bertram. Kroll said the company did not request any county money; the county’s main expected contributions would be staff time and, possibly, permission to use county‑owned sites for equipment placement under a future agreement. He emphasized that a draft agreement shown to the board that evening was informational only and was not before the board for approval.

Supervisor Swagel questioned whether the endorsement meant a financial commitment; "No money from Kewaunee County — period," he noted, reading the resolution language aloud and pressing the committee’s clarification that the county will provide in‑kind contributions only.

Board members asked about coverage and timeline. Kroll said roughly 4,200 addresses would be impacted by the proposal and that the project could make a significant dent in unserved and underserved locations but would not guarantee every single residence service. Grants are due to the state by Feb. 25; Kroll said awards are unlikely to be announced until early to mid summer and construction would likely begin no earlier than early to mid 2026.

Residents and board members raised competition concerns with existing local provider Bug Tussle and others. Kroll said federal and state program rules govern awards, and that competition among providers is expected; he also noted Bug Tussle is current on outstanding loans to the county. IT committee member August Neverman, a local resident and technology consultant who spoke to the board, said the proposal would help many eligible yellow areas shown on the county map and that he would support the endorsement: "If I was voting, still vote for it because it's gonna help all of these yellow areas," Neverman said.

The board also discussed oversight and consumer protections. Kroll and Neverman said the Wisconsin Public Service Commission will have complaint processes and oversight responsibilities tied to BEAD projects. Committee members told the board Bertram presented underground fiber‑optic plans rather than the tower‑based wireless service some other local providers use, and that Bertram indicated competitive rates would be published as required under the grant.

The board voted to adopt the resolution endorsing Bertram Communications LLC for the county’s BEAD subgrant scoring (motion by Supervisor Shelton; second by Supervisor Ortlieb). The motion passed 17-0.

Next steps outlined by the administrator included notifying towns and municipalities of the county endorsement and encouraging any municipal endorsements (each municipal endorsement can add two points on affected project units). Kroll also noted the state and federal governments will make the final award decisions and the county will not be the direct recipient or manager of grant funds.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to approve agenda: passed, 17-0. - Motion to approve previous meeting minutes: passed, 17-0. - Appointments (Nicolay Federated Library System Board: Mark Teske; Local Emergency Planning Committee: Hilary Roehl): passed, 17-0. - Resolution endorsing Bertram Communications LLC for BEAD subgrant scoring (motion by Supervisor Shelton; second by Supervisor Ortlieb): passed, 17-0. - Motion to reschedule April meeting to April 8: passed (voice vote).

Ending

County staff said they will send a letter to towns and municipalities explaining the committee’s recommendation and the distinction between the county endorsement and the separate municipal endorsement process. The state Public Service Commission will administer BEAD subgrants and publish final award decisions after its evaluation and federal review.