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Commissioners vote to support Decatur County REMC fiber grant application
Summary
The board voted to sign a letter of support for PowerStream Fiber/Decatur County REMC's state grant application to expand broadband in underserved census blocks. REMC CEO Fred Plant presented project scope and financing assurances.
Decatur County commissioners unanimously approved providing a signed letter of support for PowerStream Fiber, a broadband division of Decatur County REMC, as the cooperative seeks state grant funding to expand fiber service to unserved and underserved addresses.
Fred Plant, CEO of Decatur County REMC, outlined a multi-phase plan that received one state grant award for roughly 1,400 passings (phase 1) and seeks additional funding to serve remaining unserved census blocks in the cooperative—s territory. Plant said the full program across REMC territory would be about a $52 million build; the state award for the teal-colored phase referenced in his presentation is roughly $4.9 million with total phase construction estimated at about $11 million.
Why it matters: REMC leaders told commissioners the cooperative prioritizes unserved addresses and that the proposed build would use local contractors and financing. Commissioners said they preferred REMC—s proposal because it focuses on underserved rural areas that other providers may not serve.
Board action: A commissioner moved to approve a letter of support for the REMC—s application; the board voted and the motion carried.
Ending: Plant left the board with a draft support letter for signature; staff said they will circulate the signed copy to REMC for inclusion in the grant application.
