Walker County hears connectivity plan, opens public hearing on broadband-ready ordinance

Shannon Millsap, COO of Thrive Regional Partnership, presented Walker County's Community Connectivity Plan and the board opened a public hearing on Ordinance O-0125, which would add 'broadband-ready' standards to Chapter 34 of the Walker County Code. The hearing drew no public comment; county staff said the ordinance will return for final approval after additional review.

Millsap told the Walker County Board of Commissioners that the 149-page plan shows gaps in local internet access and use. "Walker County recognizes that connectivity is essential for all residents to participate in the workforce, to have access to public health care, engage in community resources, support agriculture, connect with emergency response services, and provide educational opportunities," Millsap said during the presentation.

The plan cites several headline findings Millsap summarized for the board: about 16% of Walker County residents have no internet access; 40% of households with annual incomes under $20,000 report no internet subscription; and between roughly 7% and 17% of residents rely primarily on wireless service (cellular or satellite) for connectivity. Millsap said those figures combine FCC data and local outreach and described resident accounts of having multiple services or relying on night hours for the reliability they need.

Millsap and her team proposed immediate policy and implementation priorities, including creating a county-level staff position focused on community development/broadband coordination, expanding device access, instituting digital-literacy programming and community tech hubs, and using the plan to pursue federal and state broadband funding. She also said Thrive and partners received a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to begin implementation work such as Tech Goes Home digital-skills training and device distribution in Walker County.

During the public-hearing portion, Chairman Shannon Whitfield invited speakers and noted written comments may be submitted to county staff; no one addressed the board on the ordinance at the meeting. County staff emphasized that the public hearing was an opportunity for comments before the ordinance is brought back for final approval and implementation into the county code.

The presentation noted that, to date, only a small number of Georgia counties have completed similar local connectivity plans; Millsap said Walker County and its neighbor Whitfield County will be among the next counties statewide to adopt local plans, which the state has said it will prioritize when allocating federal broadband funds.

The board did not vote on Ordinance O-0125 during the meeting; staff said it remains pending revision and formal adoption at a later meeting. Millsap and Thrive made materials available to the board and public and offered to answer follow-up questions as the county continues drafting ordinance language and pursues grant opportunities.

For now, the immediate next step is continued county review of the draft broadband-ready standards and written public input; the ordinance will return for formal action after staff and the board consider suggested changes and any additional community feedback.