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Yamhill County hears report on rural broadband project; 221 hookups planned, some service activated
Summary
County commissioners received a presentation from Lyrica on a nearly completed broadband project that installed roughly 131,000 feet of underground fiber to serve rural households; 221 drops are scheduled and the basic package will cost $59 per month.
Lyrica presented the results of a county broadband grant project on June 18, telling the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners the team installed roughly 131,000 feet of underground fiber and additional aerial strand to pass hundreds of previously underserved addresses. The company said construction and permitting are complete and crews have begun connecting customers.
The project was originally scoped to reach about 297 addresses; Lyrica reported 221 households are on the docket for service drops and 85 drops are currently in the pipeline. "We wound up with a little more underground fiber than we expected in the beginning," Lyrica said, adding underground placement reduces storm and tree‑fall vulnerability. The presenter said the first customers should be turned on in the next few days and the vendor is targeting most remaining drops over the summer, although some very long runs may extend hookups into September or October.
Commissioners pressed logistics and cost. Lyrica said the provider’s basic package is $59 per month and that the project’s budget was roughly $3.6 million (the presenter cited a final figure of about $3,620,000). The company acknowledged supply‑chain pressures for fiber and said procurement staff had to source spools from out of state to keep the schedule on track.
Commissioner Stewart thanked the vendor but raised a policy concern about program rules that restrict use of certain alternatives such as Starlink. "When you compare the cost of Starlink for rural customers ... it comes down to $12,000, $13,000 per hookup of taxpayer money," Stewart said, noting he has been concerned federal program constraints can make some options appear less cost‑effective even when citizens welcome coverage. Other commissioners praised the project team for completing construction close to budget and asked staff to share the presenter’s slides with the board.
The board did not take formal action on the presentation. Staff said they will continue coordinating customer outreach and installations; Lyrica said it had already completed several drops and would keep the county updated on activation milestones.
Next steps: Lyrica will continue customer hookups, staff will receive the presentation materials by email, and the board will monitor completion of the remaining 85 drops and any long‑run installations that may extend into the fall.
