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Commissioners approve infrastructure development zone to expand rural broadband
Summary
Leaport County commissioners approved Ordinance 2026‑4 to create an infrastructure development zone limited to rural broadband, clearing the way for Surf Internet to build fiber to roughly 3,362 addresses under a $9.586 million capital plan and limited tax relief tied to a 10‑year term and a 15% payment back to the county.
LEAPORT COUNTY — The Leaport County Board of Commissioners on July 1 approved Ordinance 2026‑4, creating an infrastructure development zone (IDZ) limited to broadband construction in unincorporated areas and authorizing a structured tax‑relief framework aimed at leveraging federal BEAD and private investment to expand service to rural residents.
Matt Rhoden, who introduced the hearing, told commissioners the IDZ would be narrowly focused on broadband and would include limits negotiated by the county. "This is limited to one broadband expansion to focus on giving people access to broadband," he said, describing the county's intent to cap the abatements and require procedural safeguards with the building department.
Steve Caringer of Surf Internet described the company’s proposal and the scale of the project: Surf identified 1,373 BEAD‑eligible locations and committed to build for an additional 1,989 non‑BEAD addresses for a combined total of about 3,362 addresses. "When we take the Surf funds and the BEAD funds together, it's a $9.586 million capital investment in Leaport County," Caringer said, and he cited an infrastructure value of roughly $2,851 per location.
Caringer said the tax relief being requested would apply only to new rural construction (not to Surf's existing fiber assets) and that Surf would remit 15% of the county's projected tax savings over 10 years as part of the deal. "We're talking about our new fiber construction as part of this program only in rural development areas," he said.
During public comment, Paige Marshall read a statement from Angela Hensman urging support, saying reliable broadband is essential for education, health care and small businesses. David Wiler and John Matson described long periods without reliable service in rural pockets of the county, arguing the IDZ would allow private investment to reach places cable or wireless providers had refused to serve.
Commissioners discussed the statutory framework and said they had negotiated a 10‑year limitation on the IDZ rather than an unlimited term. After debate about mapping precision and procedural safeguards, a commissioner moved to suspend rules and approve Ordinance 2026‑4 on first reading; the board approved the measure by voice vote.
Ordinance 2026‑4 designates specific areas in unincorporated Leaport County as an infrastructure development zone under Indiana Code section 6‑1.1‑12.5‑4 and authorizes the limited tax relief structure described in the ordinance. The ordinance requires project limits and contractor information be provided to the county building department as part of implementation.
What passed is an enabling local ordinance; details such as exact parcel lists, the formal agreement language with Surf Internet, and the schedule for payments to the county remain to be finalized during implementation and contracting steps.
Votes and actions: the board moved and seconded approval of Ordinance 2026‑4 and approved it by voice vote (recorded in the meeting transcript as "All in favor say I").
