Court approves Starlink installation for Precinct 1 extension office to address outages
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Summary
Young County authorized installation of Starlink satellite internet at the Precinct 1 extension office after officials described repeated outages during rain that impede phones, cameras and office work; commissioners approved the purchase by motion 5-0.
The Young County Commissioners Court voted 5-0 to approve installing Starlink satellite internet service at the Precinct 1 extension office to improve connectivity that county staff said fails during heavy rain.
Commissioners heard that the extension office repeatedly loses phone and internet service during storms, preventing staff from taking calls, accessing records and receiving camera feeds. One speaker said the interruption occurs “every time it rains,” and that outages also affect job‑critical functions such as receiving reports of road problems.
Court members discussed a Starlink plan sized at one terabyte to reduce interruptions, and noted the extension office and the extension program would share the subscription cost. County staff acknowledged the purchase will raise the precinct’s budget but said current outages are disrupting essential services and that Starlink has worked for several nearby users.
After brief discussion, Commissioner Cresswell moved to approve the Starlink agreement and Commissioner Wiley seconded; the motion passed 5-0. Staff were directed to arrange installation and billing so the extension office receives prioritized bandwidth and service continuity.
Next steps: county staff will schedule installation, confirm the exact service tier and price, and include the recurring charge in the appropriate precinct/extension budget.
