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Commissioners table decision on county fiber proposal from Kusy/Cousy Networks (Diverse Power subsidiary)
Summary
A proposal from Kusy/Cousy Networks to provide a fiber ring, tower connections and lease-to-own equipment was discussed; the board voted to table consideration pending contract and Spectrum master agreement details and additional information at the next meeting.
County commissioners heard a presentation from Randy Shepherd and Eric Conley of Kusy (a subsidiary of Diverse Power) on a proposal to build fiber to county facilities and radio towers, offer lease-to-own equipment and expand service options. Staff recommended a five-year agreement at a lower monthly rate; commissioners voted to table the proposal until the county obtains Spectrum contract details and more implementation information.
Randy Shepherd described a plan to construct a fiber ring connecting county facilities — 911, the administrative building, sheriff’s office, jail, elections building and courthouse-area offices — and to connect up to five radio towers to provide redundancy for microwave links. Shepherd said the vendor would offer a lease-to-own arrangement for equipment, typically over five years, so the county would not face a large upfront equipment cost.
The presentation included two pricing options: a 36-month agreement at $12,800 per month (about $153,600 annually) and a 60-month agreement at $9,550 per month (about $114,600 annually). Staff noted the county’s current provider, Spectrum, charged roughly $127,000 for services through June 2025 and that the Spectrum contract currently runs to September 2026; staff said they were awaiting Spectrum documentation to compare termination fees and exact service levels.
Commissioners asked for a complete comparison of current Spectrum service levels, the proposed speeds (a minimum of 2 gigabits to the county versus the county’s current 1-gigabit main line), and any early termination fees. The county manager and IT staff said they had requested Spectrum’s master service agreement and other contract documents and expected them shortly.
Because the county is under an existing Spectrum contract and staff lacked the master agreement and termination figures at the meeting, the board voted to table consideration of Kusy/Cousy Networks’ proposal to the August 26 meeting to allow staff to present the Spectrum contract, early-termination costs, and a side-by-side service and cost comparison.
