County eyes high-speed Net plan
County eyes high-speed Net plan
By CHRISTOPHER DIEM, Journal Staff Writer
MARQUETTE — High speed Internet access may become widely available in five Marquette County townships.
The Marquette County Board will discuss entering into agreements with the Michigan Broadband Development Authority and PastyNet, an Internet service provider from Calumet, so that low- to moderate-income townships in Marquette County will have high-speed Internet access.
The county board may award a $1.026 million grant for broadband development to PastyNet to use in five townships: Ewing, Republic, Wells, West Branch and Michigamme townships. The grant money is available through the Digital Divide Investment Program, administered by the MBDA and created in 2004 by Gov. Jennifer Granholm to facilitate broadband expansion in low to moderate income areas. Marquette County was chosen as one of two counties to implement the program.
“The county is receiving the grant funds and will contract with PastyNet to implement the Internet project,” said County Administrator Steve Powers.
PastyNet will also qualify for loan money from the MBDA.
“The loan fund and the grant fund are leverage to have private companies serve underpopulated, rural areas — areas that have not been profitable in the past — that have typically been where the digital divide has occurred,” said Powers.
In other action, the board is scheduled to vote on the architectural services needed at the proposed Ishpeming Service Center at its meeting Wednesday
At the Committee of the Whole meeting last week, the board voted unanimously to award a $19,125 contract to Northern Design Works, an architectural/engineering firm in Negaunee, for architectural services at the service center.
The service center has been proposed at the old Ishpeming Community Federal Credit Union. It would serve as a home for Ishpeming’s District Court and possibly house other government agencies or county departments. According to Powers, the money for the renovation will be funded through the Public Improvement Fund.
In further action, the board will vote on the 2006 mid-year budget amendments. The General Fund budget will be increased by $488,831. The most significant adjustment is the use of $330,000 in reserve for utility tax settlements.
Expenditure increases total $475,038 or $13,793 less than the revenue increase. That amount has been added to the contingency account.
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