Spencer County Fiscal Court weighs ARPA funds for broadband expansion; magistrate criticizes federal stimulus

SPENCER COUNTY, Ky. — At a special meeting Monday, the Spencer County Fiscal Court discussed using roughly $3.74 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for broadband expansion and other local projects and heard sharply worded remarks from Magistrate Brett N. Beaverson criticizing the federal stimulus.

John Riley, Spencer County judge executive, opened the meeting by listing potential uses for the ARPA allotment, including broadband, outdoor recreation and a sports complex. He said the county had received the funds in two tranches and wanted to discuss how to proceed before the state broadband grant application deadline on Oct. 25.

"Broadband was an eligible expenditure," Danielle Story, a KIPDA representative, told the court, adding that the county should pass a resolution that references the specific expenditure to meet program guidelines. Story also said committed ARPA funds must be reflected in the county budget even though a formal budget amendment might not be required.

Ben U'Sellis, a Spectrum representative, said Spectrum had mapped Spencer County and identified 1,287 homes and businesses that do not have advertised download speeds of at least 25 megabits per second, with many locations reporting speeds under 10 Mbps. "Once they identified that number, they could determine the cost, which he said was around 8 million dollars," U'Sellis said, and he added that state broadband grants could cover about half of the estimated build cost. He estimated Spencer County's portion, if Spectrum were the applicant, would be about $500,000.

U'Sellis told the court the company could edit a draft resolution provided to the court and that the county could contract with multiple providers, but that overlapping service-area applications could mean only one project is selected for grant funding.

Magistrate Brett N. Beaverson read a prepared statement critical of the ARPA law and broader federal policy, characterizing the stimulus politically and urging caution about long-term dependence on federal dollars. "This county will not be part of the socialist agenda," Beaverson said in his remarks. The comment drew an immediate counterpoint from Esq. Brewer, who said he viewed the federal aid differently: "I looked at this stimulus as a stimulus for the County and anytime they could invest in the County to make it better, I thought it was a good opportunity to do that."

Court members also discussed a sample resolution from Bardstown Cable requesting a $50,000 county commitment; KIPDA and Spectrum cautioned against overlapping applications. Story confirmed that ARPA funds could not be used to match other grant requirements, citing that limitation in the discussion of a separate ballfield lighting project that is currently out for bid.

No formal expenditure was approved at the special meeting. Riley asked Spectrum to revise the draft resolution so the court could vote on it at the next regular meeting. The court voted, by voice, to excuse the absence of Magistrate M. Moody and later carried a motion to adjourn. The meeting ended at 6:59 p.m.

Votes at a glance: A motion to excuse the absence of Esq. M. Moody was made by Brett N. Beaverson and seconded by Esq. Travis and carried by voice vote; a motion to adjourn was made by Esq. Brewer and seconded by Esq. Beaverson and carried by voice vote. No ARPA spending motions were introduced or approved.