Ozark County Commissioners have lastly pulled the set off on allocating cash to a White River Valley Electrical Cooperative (WRVEC) fiber optic web undertaking, voting Monday to earmark $1 million to the undertaking.
Presiding Commissioner John Turner learn a letter Monday morning through the common weekly commissioners’ assembly from Stone County commissioners, who’ve earmarked $4.3 million to the undertaking.
WRVEC had requested for a $10 million complete dedication from the 5 counties it serves (Ozark, Stone, Taney, Christian and Douglas counties). The cooperative had requested $1.4 million from Ozark County from the $1.8 million the county had acquired from the American Restoration Plan Act (ARPA), federal funds tied to covid-19 aid.
Turner stated Ozark County couldn’t give the complete $1.4 million requested of them, as a result of all however $1.1 million of the ARPA funds had already been spent or have been allotted for different tasks.
In making the movement to earmark the million {dollars}, Turner stated he appears like, because the cash was sort of a present from the federal authorities, he thinks it will likely be nicely spent if it brings excessive pace web to the county.
“We are able to’t simply use this cash on something,” Turner stated. “And this broadband web is one factor that it may be spent on. I believe the quick web will assist with schooling and can assist our enterprise group and assist draw companies to Ozark County.”
Western District Commissioner Layne Nance echoed Turner’s sentiments: “It’s sort of like what the governor advised us at our assembly in regards to the ARPA cash. He stated for us to make use of this cash on one thing our children and grandkids will see advantages from for years to come back,” Nance stated. “I believe this fiber optic web is basically going to assist us and generations to come back.”
Japanese District Commissioner Gary Collins stated he was slightly reluctant to vote to provide that a lot cash to WRVEC for the web undertaking.
“I don’t like the thought of giving that a lot cash,” Collins stated. “Ozark County doesn’t have the income of a few of these different counties, and Douglas County isn’t giving something.”
After a quick dialogue, all three commissioners voted to earmark the cash to WRVEC for the excessive pace web undertaking, with stipulations that different counties contribute and that the web is delivered as promised.
$234 million undertaking
The general value of the fiber optic web undertaking will probably be about $234 million, in accordance with WRVEC officers, who’ve stated that the undertaking will take 5 years, however that 90 p.c of the county will probably be on-line with it in three years.
To date, solely Stone and Ozark counties, out of the 5 counties, have dedicated native funds to the undertaking.
WRVEC officers stated the native funding is required to acquired grants for the undertaking.
Douglas County district 2 commissioner Brad Lovelace advised the Ozark County Occasions lately that their county can’t contribute financially.
“We simply can’t proper now,” stated Lovelace.
Lovelace advised the Occasions that WRVEC requested Douglas County to contribute $2.4 million of its ARPA funds. “We’re solely getting $2.2 million and we’ve already spent half of that on the courthouse,” Lovelace stated. The commissioner stated that they’re spending over a $1 million to make enhancements to the their courthouse which embrace a brand new central warmth and air system.
“Our courthouse has by no means had (central) air con, so when this cash got here out there we noticed it as a possibility to get it carried out,” Lovelace stated. “Additionally the roof is about to fall in on the courthouse so we’re going to must most likely spend cash on that too,” he added.
Lovelace stated Douglas County has supplied to do “no matter else” they’ll do to assist WRVEC’s broadband initiative. “There’s some issues occurring and we really feel that the state will step in and foot most of this invoice … there’s different cash on the market,” Lovelace stated. “We do need and are in assist of this plan,” Lovelace stated.
The proposal would deliver excessive pace web packages to WRVEC prospects, damaged up into three packages, together with:
• 100 Mbps for $69.99 per 30 days
• 500 Mbps for $79.99 per 30 days
• 1 Gbps for $99 per 30 days.
Different enterprise
In different enterprise Monday, Turner stated he wished to make clear what the county’s normal income fund is and clarify what it helps.
“Lots of people apparently don’t perceive that the county’s normal income fund takes care of lots of issues,” Turner stated. “Individuals are speaking about this use tax [proposal], they usually see that county normal income will get one and half cents they usually surprise why that fund will get a lot whereas street and bridge and the sheriff’s division every solely get half a cent (on a greenback) tax.”
“The final income fund covers lots of issues,” Turner stated. “It pays for the maintenance of the courthouse and employees, the recycling heart and we assist the sheriff’s division to the tune of about $200,000 per 12 months and provides the assessor about $40,000 yearly.”
Turner continued “normal income has a giant plate. Some huge cash goes out of normal income … yeah it’s a giant pot however there’s lots of holes in it.”
Turner’s feedback have been in response to some criticism to a use tax proposal that’s on the April 5 poll. The tax, if handed, would place the identical 2.5 cent tax on web and catalog gross sales that’s at the moment on native gross sales.