Clermont County approves up to $4.5 million in ARPA funds for campus broadband loop

The Clermont County Board of Commissioners voted Dec. 11 to authorize execution of a subrecipient agreement with the Clermont County Port Authority for up to $4.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to construct a middle-mile underground fiber loop linking county campuses.

Chris McClintock, who introduced the item, said the project is intended to create a redundant campus loop that will increase speeds from 1 gig to 10 gig and provide a backbone the county can use to extend service to unserved and underserved residents. He said the county had a feasibility study in 2023 and that the state of Ohio and private partners have since brought additional funding to the region.

Chris Davis, director of Information Services (on the record during the presentation), explained current campus connectivity relies on single-point links without redundancy; the proposed loop would let traffic re-route if a line is cut and would permit future capacity increases.

The board discussed the scope and directional authority and then voted by roll call to authorize David L. Painter, president of the board, or another commissioner in his absence, to execute the subrecipient agreement with the Port Authority not to exceed $4,500,000 from ARPA funds. The motion passed unanimously.

County staff said the design work included a “campus loop” high-level design and that UltaFiber (as referenced by staff) and state ARPA allocations are contributing money to broader regional efforts to expand broadband access. Two county information-technology staff and a consultant remained available to answer technical questions during the meeting.

Next steps include finalizing the subrecipient agreement, completing the middle-mile construction design, and coordinating with state and private partners on grant and construction timing.