Supervisors’ Economic Committee has agreed to put only the $200,000 in “leftover” ARPA monies towards its state-funded $30 million last-mile broadband build-out.
They’ll also need to agree to bond the $35.8 million project until reimbursement starts coming in, a decision they’re expected to take Friday.
There was discussion at last Wednesday’s Economic Development Committee about also using $314,000 in a reserve account funded by a portion of sales tax revenues, but in the end, that was a hard no.
“I’d be reluctant to do that,” Wright Supervisor Alex Luniewski said.
He’s less enamored with the idea that broadband will solve all of the county’s economic development problems, he said, and he’d rather see that $314,000 invested in the I-88 corridor.
Mr. Lunieski was one of seven supervisors who voted against accepting the ConnectALL grant.
Blenheim Supervisor Don Airey was another.
He also argued the economic development reserve could be put to better use.
“The seed didn’t grow and now we’re going to plow it up,” he said.
Supervisors could also dip into the county fund balance—again, just until the Bond Anticipation Note and then the reimbursement starting coming in.
But Mr. Airey said that would also be a mistake.
“I’ll say it out loud: I’m against throwing down our fund balance for this project.”
The first bill supervisors are expecting is about $90,000 from FARR Technologies for work going back to November that helped with the grant.
The $200,000 from ARPA “In all likelihood will get us through until the BAN arrives,” said Gilboa Supervisor Alicia Terry.
“Yes,” agreed Economic Development Committee chair Werner Hampel of Cobleskill.
“That protects the fund balance. Hopefully, all we need is the $200,000.”
County Treasurer Mary Ann Wollaber-Bryan has been working with Andrew Watkins of Fiscal Advisors & Marketing on the BAN.