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County weighs level of involvement as state selects vendor for next round of broadband (CAB) grants
Summary
Johnston County staff said the state is moving to a second round of broadband grants (CAB grants) and offered three options for county involvement: no involvement, limited review after state selection, or full technical collaboration. The county will return to the board with a recommendation on the level of participation.
County Manager (name not specified) updated the board on the state's next round of broadband competitive (CAB) grants and discussed options for county participation in the vendor selection process.
Manager said the state previously required a local match but had removed the match requirement for the current CAB funding round; the county is now in the state's selection queue. Staff outlined three options for involvement: (1) no involvement (the state selects a vendor without county input), (2) review after the state selects a vendor and provide county feedback the state may consider, or (3) full technical involvement in the vendor selection and evaluation.
Manager noted the county does not have a dedicated broadband specialist on staff and said he would consult information-technology staff and return in two weeks with a recommendation for how actively the county should participate. Commissioners favored not leaving the process entirely to the state and asked staff to report back.
Manager also said the state had already provided materials to prospective vendors and that the state will ultimately select the vendor for Johnston County while communicating with county staff during the process.
