Broadband authority authorizes chief administrative officer to review final grant invoice after site visits and document review

The Albemarle County Broadband Authority voted to authorize the county’s chief administrative officer to administer a statewide broadband grant, including reviewing provider invoices and requesting the finance office to disburse grant funds as appropriate.

The authority took the vote after staff described recent site visits and the start of a detailed review of a large invoice package related to the county’s broadband projects. Carl Claudel, program manager at the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), joined a recent walkthrough and, staff said, was “very happy with what he saw.”

Why this matters: the invoice under review is large and must be validated to ensure materials, labor and construction costs billed by providers are limited to grant-supported areas. Staff told the authority they received the invoice package on the Monday before the meeting and expect to take roughly two weeks to filter the materials and confirm compliance with DHCD rules before authorizing payment.

Staff described results from a recent field visit on Oct. 8 that focused on the last 10 work locations on Gilbert Station Road. Jason (county broadband staff) and others said contractors completed restoration work properly at those final sites, avoiding tree impacts and performing boring under roads where needed. Staff also reported ongoing, unresolved deficiencies from earlier project phases — including cables not buried and localized erosion — that county staff continue to escalate with providers.

On invoice review, staff said their primary task is to verify billed materials and construction costs correspond to grant-supported locations. The staff presentation noted an earlier figure for the county’s obligation of “2.9” (units not specified) that staff said has since fallen to “2.3” (units not specified). Staff warned the authority that state grant money that is not used will revert to the state general fund.

Staff described a practical first-pass method: count discrete hardware line items listed in the invoice package (staff used the term “pawns” to describe those items in the presentation) and compare the delivered count to the number expected in project records (a figure mentioned in the meeting was roughly “1,466 divided by 8” as a ballpark check). If counts or area assignments do not match, staff said they will drill down into individual project areas and work with DHCD and the county finance office before issuing any payment.

Authority members heard an update on mapping and BEAD/BEED eligibility. Staff said DHCD published an initial list of 1,481 eligible locations representing 1,663 housing units; after staff review, they expect the number that truly need grant-funded work in Albemarle to be closer to about 400 locations. Staff said that, based on their analysis, roughly 99% of county locations are covered by a project and that the remaining locations may be addressed through provider commitments or future funding.

The authority’s motion to give the chief administrative officer delegated authority to administer the grant and approve payment for compliant invoices passed unanimously.

Next steps: staff will continue the invoice validation process with DHCD and finance and said they will return to the authority only if they identify discrepancies or unallowable charges. Staff estimated an initial two-week review period for the invoice package and said they will report back with findings and recommendations.