WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Two committees in Marathon County showed their support for local companies looking to expand broadband service in Central Wisconsin.
Thursday afternoon Marathon County’s Executive Committee and the HR and Finance Committee held a joint meeting to hear a presentation from Bug Tussel Wireless regarding their project for a 2021 Public Service Commission Grant Application. The project would expand broadband service in 16 different areas of Marathon County with financial help from the state commission.
The County is also looking to partner with two other Internet Service Providers in supporting their PSC Grant Applications. The other service providers, Cirrinity and Country Wireless would also expand broadband services in different areas of the county with fiber installation to new homes.
At the meeting Thursday, the two Committees only took action on motions to advance the County’s support for the applications to the full County Board. The County Board will get a final vote on if letters of support are included with the three PSC Grant Applications at their next meeting on Thursday, July 22nd as the applications are due to the PSC on July 27th.
If the three grant applications get approved by the PSC next month, District 20 Supervisor Sara Guild detailed the potential financial commitments from the County. “Of the three, Cirrinity and Country Wireless are actually asking for funds out of that $250,000 we put into our budget last year. Bug Tussel, while I’m sure they would accept funds, they are working with the loan thing that we just heard about.
“Of the amount that’s remaining, the recommendation was that $62,000 goes to Cirrinity and the balance goes to Country Wireless. So these two would use up the remaining amount out of our budgeted funds for this year’s budget. And so I just wanted to make sure that we were clear on that component of what we’re asking out of this recommendation. Also there’s no guarantee that both or either would be approved by PSC. So if only one were to be approved versus only the other, there could be funding left and things like that.”
The committees did both unanimously approve motions to partner with the three Internet service providers on their Public Service Commission Grant Applications.
Comments