Port-led Crawl Hollow fiber offers redundancy but leaves county with cost and communication questions

Commissioners discussed a port-led fiber build reaching Crawl Hollow and asked technical and budget questions about whether Columbia County should join the project or rely on existing microwave links.

The discussion centered on whether dedicated fiber would materially improve public-safety communications and how much the county would have to pay to connect its courthouse and radio sites. Michael, an outside presenter, told commissioners the project would provide a high-capacity, dedicated path and “would enable you to improve the communication system.” He cautioned he was not the county's radio expert and deferred detailed technical fit to county staff.

Why it matters: county officials face a trade-off between investing in a fiber termination and relying on upgraded microwave links. Michael gave a rough budget context: a countywide microwave replacement at state contract pricing was “about $250,000,” while a single dedicated fiber run to cover one link had been estimated at roughly $100,000. He said using fiber as a backup could reduce (but not eliminate) microwave overhaul costs by an estimated $20,000'5,000 on a single link.

Commissioners also raised a communication problem about project authorization. One commissioner said the board never sent a formal letter to join; port staff responded that the port applied for a grant that covered most construction costs but not the local match. Port staff also said Columbia County already has a master fiber-optic agreement from a prior project and that the port handled federal audit work for the previous build.

Officials also discussed ongoing fees and termination-equipment costs. Michael noted that the fiber would need media converters or termination boxes at Thorne Radio Site and at the Port Building, and that those costs increase with higher speed and redundancy needs. He emphasized that fiber is a useful medium but not immune to physical damage: “Fiber can be dug up by a backhoe,” he said, and the county should plan microwave redundancy as part of a diversified communications strategy.

Next steps: commissioners asked staff to clarify how much the county's match would be, what recurring fees might apply (one number discussed was about $100 per tower per month for connectivity in some scenarios), and which termination equipment and quotes would be required to connect the new fiber to county systems. The board did not take formal action during the work session.