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Durham County staff update commissioners on ARPA spending timeline and broadband GREAT grants
Summary
Deputy County Manager Claudia Hager and broadband officials briefed the Board that Durham County received $62,445,275 in ARPA funds (must be encumbered by 2024 and invoiced by 2026) and that GREAT grants awarded to Frontier and Lumos aim to bring broadband to roughly 1,776 households by December 2026; county staff discussed CAB grant options and prioritization tradeoffs.
Claudia Hager, Deputy County Manager, and Grants Administrator John Keffer updated the Board on American Rescue Plan Act funds and broadband infrastructure opportunities during the Sept. 3 work session.
Hager said Durham County’s ARPA allocation totals $62,445,275 and that federal rules require funds be encumbered by 2024 and invoiced by 2026. Keffer said the county had approved an Interlocal Agreement and would provide additional information about Request for Proposal timelines when signatures were complete.
On broadband, Jeffery Brooks from the NC Department of Information & Technology’s Broadband Infrastructure Office reviewed federal and state programs, including GREAT grants awarded to Frontier and Lumos that are expected to bring high‑speed internet to approximately 1,776 households in Durham County by December 2026. Brooks advised the county that prioritizing specific locations for GREAT-funded builds could reduce competition for bidders and thus limit outcomes; he suggested the county may opt not to exercise location prioritization in some programs. County staff also discussed CAB grant options, matching requirements, and reallocation of previously budgeted broadband funds.
