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Committee directs staff to draft amendment to let towns borrow for broadband under Resolution 3523
Summary
Polk County committee instructed staff to draft a modification to Resolution 3523 (Municipal Housing Program) to allow towns to borrow county funds for broadband projects, with proposed per‑project caps and a 10‑year payback; the committee voted to send the draft back for committee review before going to the county board.
Polk County’s general government committee voted to instruct staff to draft an amendment to Resolution 3523 so towns can borrow from the Municipal Housing Program to support local broadband projects.
The vote followed public comment and committee discussion about using existing, underutilized housing funds to help rural towns finish broadband builds. The motion to instruct staff to prepare the draft resolution passed on a voice vote with all present supervisors answering “Aye.”
Grama Olsen, speaking during public comment, asked that municipal housing funds be expanded to help towns “to finish broadband for housing down the road infrastructure,” saying towns are seeking funds to complete broadband installations so residents and future housing can be served.
Committee members and staff explained how the proposed change would operate: loans would follow the same structure as existing housing loans, require a 10‑year payback to the county, and would be available on a first‑come, first‑served basis within the existing fund. Committee discussion included a proposed per‑project cap for broadband requests of $35,000 — half of the $70,000 cap referenced for housing projects — and clarifying that housing applicants could still access the entire fund if broadband requests did not exhaust it. One committee member noted the county has had one prior housing application under this program that was granted but not yet closed out.
Committee members discussed a town example: McKinley reportedly plans to contribute local funds to a broadband project and to subsidize the local ISP, identified in the discussion as Starwire, after that provider was excluded from a state funding round (referred to as BEAD in the discussion). Committee members characterized the county role as offering a short‑term municipal loan to encourage local providers to complete builds when state funding is unavailable.
Under the plan discussed, staff will draft the specific amendment language and return it to the committee for review; only after committee review would the amended resolution go to the county board. Committee members agreed the item could be returned to the committee for a March meeting for review and approval before being forwarded to the county board.
Votes at the meeting on this item were taken by voice; the committee recorded the motion as carried. The draft amendment will specify repayment terms, the per‑project cap for broadband (proposed at $35,000), and that housing loans retain the previously referenced $70,000 per‑project reference.
