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Public commenter says Siler City lost a digital‑skills grant and downtown public Wi‑Fi stalled
Summary
Justin Bradley told commissioners he helped assemble a digital‑inclusion plan and that a grant intended to reach underserved areas was awarded through a regional council; he said Siler City's downtown Wi‑Fi proposal stalled during a staff transition and asked the board to revisit implementation.
Justin Bradley, a local program director who identified himself as a digital navigator and founder of a small nonprofit, told the board he helped pull together a digital inclusion plan intended to make devices, training and hotspots available to residents. Bradley said a state grant intended to cover 17 counties was administered through a regional council and that after a competitive process the local implementation partner positioned funds away from Siler City.
"I'm angry, mad, sad, and confused about an issue that was brought to your attention last year," Bradley told commissioners as he outlined the meetings and presentations he said occurred with town staff, the downtown business association and regional partners. He said his organization and local partners planned downtown Wi‑Fi and device distribution and that the town had asked for a final proposal in November; Bradley said months passed and then, two weeks before the meeting, he was told the town would not move forward.
A town official acknowledged the presentation had coincided with a staff transition and said the project "fell through the cracks"; commissioners asked staff to re‑examine the files and determine whether the project or funding could be re‑activated. The board closed public comment after the exchange; no formal action or funding decision was taken on the record.
