County supports additional access

Locations have been identified in Jay County that are in need of better access to internet, and funding is available to change the broadband outlook.

One service provider is throwing its hat in the ring.

Jay County Commissioners heard an update Monday about Indiana Broadband Office’s ongoing Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) grant program. They also OK’d signing a letter of recommendation for Wabash Mutual Telephone Company of Celina, Ohio, to apply for funding through the program.

Autumn Marshall of East Central Indiana Regional Planning District shared updates about the grant program. She said the office released the list of Jay County addresses identified as unserved and underserved, announcing 500 eligible locations (67 underserved and 433 unserved). She reminded officials that initial estimates for Jay County anticipated the program would mark only 184 unserved and underserved addresses.

“This is a big win for us,” she said, thanking those involved in gathering the data.

Marshall noted that the Indiana Broadband Office will award internet service providers with grant money and locations to build infrastructure for broadband. Applications were set to close at the end of the day today for the first round of funding.

Aker asked Marshall to recap Mainstream Fiber Networks’ proposal in recent years.

In August, commissioners and Jay County Council heard a request from the company for a $2.4 million match in American Rescue Plan Act dollars to go toward installing broadband infrastructure to unserved and underserved locations across Jay County. (Nearly a year ago, council and commissioners agreed to commit $3.9 million toward the Mainstream project to install 395 miles of fiberoptic or fixed wireless internet across the county, with the decision hinging on receiving Indiana Next Level Connections grants, but Mainstream was not awarded the grant.)

Marshall noted that the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program does not require a local match. She said she anticipates if Mainstream receives an abundance of awards, it would like to fully cover the county with access to broadband. That would include about 2,000 addresses, she continued. If it were to propose a full-county project, she added, Mainstream would likely request another match from the county.

“If you’re adding 500 addresses to what they were previously estimating, 184, that’s a big difference, and that means we’re going to save a lot of money,” she said. “So I assume the proposal is going to change now.”

Relatedly, a local internet service provider shared his pitch for installing more broadband in Jay County.

Mike Boley, president of Wabash Mutual Telephone Company, explained he is applying for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment funding in order to provide fiber internet to about 200 locations in eastern Jay County.

Wabash Mutual Telephone Company, a cooperative service, has been in business since 1911. Its reach extends to Mercer County along the state line, as well as in Wabash and Noble Townships of Jay County. 

Commissioner Duane Monroe, who works for electric utility company Jay County REMC, said he’s familiar with Boley and vouched for his business.

“What I do like is all their stuff’s underground, none of it’s overhead, and we’ve never really had any issues with them,” he said. “I think it’s great they’re doing it, coming over into our area and helping us.”

Aker noted another benefit with Boley — he isn’t asking for a match from the county. He asked about providing a letter of recommendation for Boley to apply. Marshall said giving a letter of recommendation to a different project would “level the playing field” for both companies applying for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment dollars.

“I think we owe it to our county, our people, to sign off on this, in my opinion,” Monroe said.

Commissioners then agreed to sign the letter for Boley.

Also Monday, commissioners signed a service agreement with Jay County Development Corporation.

Commissioners agreed at their last meeting to move forward on an agreement and provide $100,000 in funding to the organization. The contract, which runs through June 30, is similar to one the county and Jay County Development Corporation agreed to in the second half of 2023. (Last year, both parties didn’t reach an agreement and the county didn’t contribute money to the organization.)

Plans are for Jay County Development Corporation and the county to consider another agreement and additional funding through the end of 2025 in the next few months.

Also, East Central Indiana Regional Planning District recently announced Darlesia Lee will be taking over community coordinator Nate Kimball’s job after he resigns Feb. 28. Kimball introduced Lee, who is training with Kimball until his departure. She expressed her excitement for shifting into the position.

“I am a local community advocate and now a community developer,” she said, noting she’s been connecting with local officials and community members to begin her work.

In other business, commissioners Monroe, Aker and Doug Horn:

•Agreed to meet at 3 p.m. Feb. 20 to review requests for economic development income tax (EDIT) dollars.

•Heard about plans to create contracts between the county and homeowners in the owner-occupied rehabilitation program stating the county is not responsible for work completed by contractors on homes.

•OK’d moving forward with CivilCon of Jefferson for engineering related to replacing the bridge on county road 600 West north of Indiana 26 with a culvert.

•Approved the following purchases: $348,000 for Jay County Highway Department to buy a 2025 John Deere road grader from West Side Tractor Company in Fort Wayne, with the department planning to trade in its 1989 and 1994 graders and the new equipment expected to arrive in May; $58,810 to replace a book scanner in Jay County Recorder’s Office, with auditor Emily Franks noting the purchase will be reimbursed by insurance; $6,000 to Mike Bishop’s The Paint Company of Dunkirk in exchange for painting Jay County Treasurer’s Office; an additional $5,000 to Hays and Sons Complete Restoration of Muncie in order to purchase carpet squares for the recorder’s office; and $1,650 for additional coats of paint to be used in the recorder’s office.

• Received a 2024 end of the year summary from Jay/Portland Building and Planning director John Hemmelgarn. Last year, 271 permits were issued with 175 of them issued for rural areas of Jay County. Approximately 18 new home permits were issued — 16 were in rural parts of the county — and 30 commercial use permits, six of which were in rural portions of Jay County. The total declared construction value for 2024 came to $20.5 million.

•Agreed to take former commissioner Brian McGalliard off Jay County Country Living’s bank account authorization list and put Jay County treasurer Janel Foreman on the list.

•Gave permission for deputy coroner Michael Brewster to sign a Verizon bill for coroner Brayden Fields while he is on vacation in March.