County board accepts PSC broadband planning grant, approves Fair Park broadband contracts

The Jefferson County Board of Supervisors on May 21 approved a Wisconsin Public Service Commission local planning grant to prepare the county for federal broadband funding and authorized contracts to expand broadband at the Jefferson County Fair Park.

Supervisor Jones presented the planning-grant resolution, saying the PSC had provided planning grants to counties to prepare for federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment funding and that the county had entered an MOU with the Madison Region Economic Partnership and allocated $20,171.15 to support the planning work. The board approved the budget amendment by roll call, with the clerk reporting 28 yes, 1 no and 1 absent.

Jones also introduced a separate resolution to accept contractor quotes for the Fair Park broadband project. Quotations for underground fiber installation ranged from approximately $31,000 to $51,000, with Underground Specialists identified as the lowest responsible vendor at $31,241; United Electric was the lowest responsible electrical bidder at $32,000. Jones said the project equipment purchases would use cooperative purchasing arrangements and that $120,000 from the state was already appropriated in the 2024 fair budget for the work. The board approved the contract-authorizing resolution by voice vote, with one supervisor recorded as abstaining.

The two actions together aim to position Jefferson County to seek and deploy federal broadband funds and to extend capacity at the county fairgrounds. No additional county capital appropriation was identified as necessary for the Fair Park work beyond amounts already appropriated in the 2024 fair budget; the planning-grant budget change was authorized by the finance director once recorded.