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County approves waiver of broadband easement filing fees for ARPA-funded Volo project
Summary
Champaign County approved a resolution waiving $51 easement filing fees per parcel for an ARPA-funded broadband project with Volo; the county estimated the fee waiver at about $31,000 and said the waiver applies only to the ARPA project and could be counted as an in‑kind contribution.
At a Champaign County board meeting, members approved a resolution to waive easement filing fees for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)–funded broadband projects carried out in partnership with the Champaign County clerk and recorder. The motion was moved by Thorsland, seconded by Wilson, and approved by voice vote; the minutes record the motion as carried.
The resolution waives the clerk and recorder’s $51 filing fee for each parcel involved in the ARPA-funded project. County officials estimated the total value of the waived fees at about $31,000. Board members said the county could record the waived fees as an in‑kind contribution to the ARPA project, which may strengthen future grant applications tied to the same broadband work.
Discussion at the meeting said the county selected Volo through a competitive process to build an open‑access fiber network. County participants described the project as potentially benefiting multiple broadband providers because Volo will lease or make portions of the fiber available to other providers. Meeting remarks emphasized that the fee waiver applies only to the ARPA-funded phase and is not a blanket waiver for other projects.
Board members also discussed later phases of Volo’s build. Officials said Volo expects to include easement filing fees in future grant budgets (phase 2 or 3) if those phases receive state or other grant funding; the county did not commit to covering those future fees. Meeting remarks noted that absorbing additional fee costs now or later could help Volo’s competitive standing for future grants, but county members declined to promise future budgetary decisions.
The board gave final approval by voice vote. The meeting packet and minutes record the resolution and related materials; the transcript records the discussion of scope, estimated fee totals, and the suggestion to treat the waived fee amount as an in‑kind county contribution for grant accounting.
The board did not cite a specific statute or ordinance when approving the waiver; the decision was discussed as an administrative/fee waiver tied to ARPA grant administration and the county’s agreement with the clerk and recorder.
