Yuma County approves LATCF interest use to advance fiber and AgTech wireless towers
Loading...
Summary
The Board authorized use of unallocated LATCF interest/funds to help extend fiber to fixed‑wireless towers and advanced construction of an AgTech wireless network; county staff noted ARPA and state grants already fund most work and construction is underway.
The Yuma County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 19 authorized using unallocated LATCF interest and related program income to help fund the next phase of the county—roadband program, advancing a fixed‑wireless AgTech tower network and fiber connections to those towers.
Deputy County Administrator Josh Scott told the board the county has allocated $5,400,000 for monopole construction for the wireless portion and that the overall middle‑mile Bridal Mile fiber project has received roughly $29,700,000 in combined funding to date. Scott said the wireless design contemplates 34 sites to cover more than 150,000 acres and that the current construction budget will allow the county to build 22 of those sites now. He described the monopoles as roughly 50 feet tall and engineered to support multiple technologies and future equipment.
Why it matters: county officials said the twin projects aim to lower the cost of entry for Internet service providers and support AgTech applications such as autonomous equipment, soil sensors and irrigation controls; board members said improved connectivity is important for water conservation and farm competitiveness.
Board action and staff request: Scott asked the board to allocate unallocated LATCF funds, including interest earned on those funds, to extend fiber to the tower sites. Scott also emphasized in the hearing that staff—was requesting only use of LATCF interest (not to reallocate ARPA principal). Supervisors ultimately made and passed a motion authorizing use of LATCF program income/interest (motion and second recorded and the motion carried). The minutes show the motion passed following the board—vote.
Funding details and next steps: Scott summarized earlier board-authorized funding for the backbone: $18,700,000 of county ARPA funding, a $10,000,000 Arizona Commerce Authority grant, an additional $234,000 in savings reallocated by the board, and authorization to use up to $788,000 of ARPA interest if needed. He said Allo provided a $2,400,000 estimate to extend fiber from the backbone to the 22 tower sites in the current construction phase; that extension would require additional funding if the county pursues it now. Scott said monopole manufacturing is underway, site work will start in the coming weeks and the county expects to substantially complete the current phase over the summer with project closeout targeted for August.
Board discussion: supervisors voiced support for rural coverage but pressed staff to ensure the middle‑mile effort prioritizes genuinely unserved and underserved county areas rather than duplicating service inside cities. One supervisor reiterated the original policy objective for ARPA-funded broadband: serve outlying areas that private providers were not reaching.
The board did not record a line‑by‑line vote tally in the presentation material; the board clerk recorded the motion, a second, and the motion as carried. Scott said he will follow up with Allo about last‑mile buildout in specific neighborhoods and return with any additional funding recommendations if needed.
