Broadband Committee

BROADBAND COMMITTEE December 10, 2024 County Board Room, Courthouse Call Meeting to Order: Sue Swiantek called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m., as Mike Bub was delayed. Members Present: Sue Swiantek, Kenny Ceaglske, Rollie Thums and Gene Knoll. Members Present via Zoom: none. Members absent: Chuck Zenner and James Stokes. Other Attendees: Jim Metz, Grant Bub, Tracy Hartwig, Candice Grunseth, Steve Deml, Dennis Hinderliter and Andria Farrand. Other attendees via Zoom: Mark Leonard, Stan Schmidt, Johanna Kirk, Katie Z., Aaron Leismeister, Josh Klingbeil and Mitch Olson. Approve the agenda: Motion by Metz, seconded by Ceaglske, to approve the agenda with 11 items. Motion carried. Approve the minutes of the November 12 and November 19, 2024, meeting: Motion by Knoll, seconded by Ceaglske, to approve the minutes. Motion carried. PSC Endorsement due January 30, 2024: Grant asked the committee if they had any questions they wanted to ask of the ISPs we are considering endorsing. There were none. Mark Leonard- PSC said the endorsement resolution should contain the name of the ISP, the BEAD groups we want them to cover, and if there is a local match, which is not required. Farrand asked if there is a resolution template he could share. Leonard said there is a template and he will send it. Leonard also said that when we meet with the ISPs again, it does not need to be in closed session, but we should meet with them individually. Round 1 of the BEAD process is Jan. 13 th - Feb. 25th, but this may change since the endorsement due date changed to Jan 30th. Rollie Thums arrived at 9:39 a.m. Mitch Olson and Josh Klingbeil joined the Zoom meeting at approximately 9:39 a.m. Bug Tussel update: Olson stated that the connections are taking longer than anticipated, both from WANRack and Marathon County. This is delaying the fiber being lit. He said once the Interwald tower is lit, Rib Lake will be next and then Whittlesey. Mike Bub arrived at 9:46 a.m. Grant will be meeting with Brian Wilson and the radio station to provide updates. The fiber in Perkinstown is in, but the drops to the homes are not in yet. This can be done in the winter months; they leave the connections on top of the ground and bury them in the spring. Bub added some questions he has for the ISP’s: • What is your timeline? Where does Taylor County fit into your priorities? • Will you utilize the Taylor County middle mile network? Broadband Manager report: nothing to report. Bug Tussel contract with ARPA funds: Grant shared the map and the proposed contract with the committee. No feedback was provided. The committee may go into closed session pursuant to Wis. Stat. sec. 19.85(1)(e), for the committee to meet with potential bead grant partners, that if discussed in open session, may negatively impact the contractual negotiations regarding the agreement. N o action will be taken in closed session: Motion by Thums, seconded by Swiantek, to go into closed session. A roll call vote cast, motion carried. The committee was in closed session at 10:01 a.m. The meeting will reconvene in open session: Motion by Swiantek, seconded by Thums, to reconvene in open session at 10:39 a.m. Motion carried. Steve Deml and Candice Grunseth re-joined the meeting in person at 10:40 a.m. Mark Leonard and Aaron Leismeister re-joined via Zoom at approximately 10:40 a.m. Other items for the committee: None Adjourn: Motion by Ceaglske, seconded by Swiantek, to adjourn. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 10:46 a.m. Andria Farrand County Clerk BROADBAND COMMITTEE November 19, 2024 County Board Room, Courthouse Call Meeting to Order: Mike Bub called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. Members Present: Mike Bub, Chuck Zenner and Gene Knoll. Members Present via Zoom: James Stokes. Members absent: Rollie Thums, Sue Swiantek and Kenny Ceaglske. Other Attendees: Grant Bub, Tracy Hartwig and Andria Farrand. Other attendees via Zoom: Russell Berg. Approve the agenda: Motion by Zenner, seconded by Knoll, to approve the agenda with 7 items. Motion carried. Approve the minutes of the November 12, 2024, meeting: Motion by Knoll, seconded by Zenner, to approve the minutes. Motion carried. The committee may go into closed session pursuant to Wis. Stat. sec. 19.85(1)(e), for the committee to meet with potential bead grant partners, that if discussed in open session, may negatively impact the contractual negotiations regarding the agreement. N o action will be taken in closed session: Motion by Zenner, seconded by Knoll, to go into closed session. A roll call vote cast, motion carried. The committee was in closed session at 9:33 a.m. The meeting will reconvene in open session: Motion by Zenner, seconded by Knoll, to reconvene in open session at 11:31 a.m. Motion carried. Other items for the committee: None Adjourn: Motion by Knoll, seconded by Zenner, to adjourn. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 11:32 a.m. Andria Farrand County Clerk BROADBAND COMMITTEE November 12, 2024 County Board Room, Courthouse Call Meeting to Order: Mike Bub called the meeting to order at 9:32 a.m. Members Present: Mike Bub, Rollie Thums, Sue Swiantek, Chuck Zenner and Gene Knoll. Members Present via Zoom: James Stokes. Members absent: Kenny Ceaglske. Other Attendees: Grant Bub, Tracy Hartwig, Michelle Grimm, Russell Berg, Josh Klingbeil, Joe Leigl. Other attendees via Zoom: Candice Grunseth, Stan Schmidt, Katie Zenner, Mitch Olson, Bob Judnic. Approve the agenda: Motion by Thums, seconded by Swiantek, to approve the agenda with 10 items. Motion carried. Approve the minutes of the November 11, 2024, meeting: Motion by Thums, seconded by Zenner, to amend to the minutes of October 8, as the November 11 th meeting was cancelled. Motion carried. Motion by Thums, seconded by Swiantek, to approve the minutes as amended. Motion carried. Bug Tussel Update: • Tower update: o 5 towers live: Interwald, Deer Creek, Goodrich, Water Apple and Rib Lake. Rib Lake has an issue with western sector from other provider interference. o Waiting on WANRack solution for other tower connections. o Residents can call 1-833-BTussel. • Possible fiber projects. o ARPA funds (Castle, Sunset and others) $1.5 million, completion expected in 2025. o Progressing around lakes, continuing to lay fiber and conduit. • Rib Lake plans. o Project is moving quickly; the conduit is in and they are splicing fiber now. Bug Tussel is working with WANRack for connection. • Little Black towers should be covering areas that TDS is passing by and customers will have a choice. • Engineers will be able to tell speeds on a case-by-case basis upon request from the towers. • Bug Tussel to push sales efforts around tower sites. PSC BEAD GRANT: Endorsement due date was changed from December 18th to January 15th. Broadband Manager Update: Grant provided an update on the following: • BEAD grant map update o Preliminary maps are viewable. • Immanuel Lutheran connection o Still pending, will reschedule with Ken. • Town of Hammel concerns: Repairs are completed and agreement has been reached with Town of Hammel and Michels. The committee may go into closed session pursuant to Wis. Stat. sec. 19.85(1)(e), for the committee to meet with potential bead grant partners, that if discussed in open session, may negatively impact the contractual negotiations regarding the agreement. N o action will be taken in closed session: Motion by Knoll, seconded by Thums, to go into closed session. A roll call vote cast, motion carried. The committee was in closed session. The meeting will reconvene in open session: Motion by Thums, seconded by Swiantek, to reconvene in open session. Motion carried. Other items for the committee: Interest in sending mailers for Bug Tussel areas to encourage people to sign up. Next meeting date: The next meeting is scheduled for November 12th at 9:30 a.m. Adjourn: Motion by Thums, seconded by Swiantek, to adjourn. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 11:03 a.m. Grant Bub Broadband Manager BROADBAND COMMITTEE October 8, 2024 County Board Room, Courthouse Call Meeting to Order: Mike Bub called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. Members Present: Mike Bub, Rollie Thums, Sue Swiantek, Chuck Zenner and Gene Knoll. Members Present via Zoom: none. Members absent: James Stokes and Kenny Ceaglske . Other Attendees: Grant Bub, Tracy Hartwig, Michelle Grimm, Steve Deml, Candice Grunseth, Bud Suckow, Galen and Nancy Story and Andria Farrand. Other attendees via Zoom: Mark Leonard, Katie Zenner, Preston Pearson and DeAnna Westpahl of Mosaic Technologies. Approve the agenda: Motion by Swiantek, seconded by Thums, to approve the agenda with 14 items. Motion carried. Approve the minutes of the September 10, 2024, meeting: Motion by Thums, seconded by Swiantek, to approve the minutes of the September 10, 2024, meeting. Motion carried. Introduce MOSAIC Technologies: Grant introduced DeAnna Westphal and Preston Pearson and they gave an overview of their company and its expansion into broadband as well as their interest in working with Taylor County as an ISP. Bug Tussel Update: Mitch did not attend. PSC BEAD GRANT endorsement due December 18, 2024: Grant stated that the endorsement of the projects are due by December 18 th. Letters of intent from the ISP’s are due November 1st and our pick of ISP will need to go to the County Board for approval. TDS update: no update. Per Mark of the PSC, they did not submit a letter of intent for the BEAD grant. WANRack update: Rib Lake Westboro repairs may go into next year when the sewer project is finished. Town of Hammel did most repairs themselves. Broadband Manager Update: Grant provided an update on the following: • BEAD grant map update: no change to the map, still waiting on the units. • Immanuel Lutheran connection: Grant will complete the switch on October 9th. • Town of Hammel concerns: Michels will reach out to the Town of Hammel. The Broadband Committee may convene in closed session by taking a roll call vote, pursuant to Wis. Stat. sec. 19.85(1)(e), for purposes of discussing county broadband business that has competitive or bargaining reasons, that if discussed in open session, may negatively impact the contractual negotiations regarding the network. No action will be taken in closed session: Motion by Swiantek, seconded by Thums, to go into closed session. A roll call vote cast, the committee was in closed session at 10:44 a.m. The meeting will reconvene in open session: Motion by Zenner, seconded by Swiantek, to reconvene in open session at 10:59 a.m. Motion carried. Other items for the committee: None. Next meeting date: The next meeting is scheduled for November 12th at 9:30 a.m. Adjourn: Motion by Swiantek, seconded by Zenner to adjourn. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 11:00 a.m. Andria Farrand County Clerk TAYLOR COUNTY BROADBAND COMMITTEE September 10, 2024 County Board Room, Courthouse Call Meeting to Order: Rollie Thums called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. Members Present: Sue Swiantek, Rollie Thums, Kenny Ceaglske. Members Present via Zoom: James Stokes and Gene Knoll. Members absent: : Mike Bub and Chuck Zenner. Other Attendees: Courtney Graff, Grant Bub, Tracy Hartwig, Michelle Grimm, Steve Deml, Dennis Hinderliter and Andria Farrand. Other attendees via Zoom: Russell Berg, Mitch Olson -Bug Tussel, Candice Grunseth, Stanley Schmidt, Mark Leonard, Katie, Bob Judnic. Approve the agenda: Motion by Swiantek, seconded by Knoll, to approve the agenda with items. Motion carried. Approve the minutes of the August 6, 2024, meeting: Motion by Swiantek, seconded by Ceaglske, to approve the minutes of the August 6, 2024, meeting. Motion carried. PSC BEAD GRANT endorsement due December 18, 2024: Grant stated that the endorsement of the projects are due by December 18th. Letters of intent from the ISP’s are due October 1st and our pick of ISP will need to go to the County Board for approval. TDS update: TDS is continuing to connect homes and lay fiber with no repair issues except in the Town of Hammel. WANRack update: Nothing to report, other than a service issue at Camp 28 that Grant took care of. Broadband Manager Update: Grant provided an update on the following: • Additional rack at the Courthouse: The rack is installed. • BEAD grant map update: Maps of BEAD eligible and BEAD challenge were shared. The 1617 RDOF locations that Charter defaulted on are now also BEAD eligible. • Possible addresses for Bug Tussel FTH proposal with ARPA funds: Grant has the list of addresses compiled when they did the drive around with Bug Tussel. • Immanuel Lutheran connection: Still in process. • Town of Hammel concerns: there is some damage from Michels, Hammel wants to repair themselves, Michels will first need to assess the damages. Grant will coordinate. Bug Tussel update: Olson stated that the Water Apple tower is now live and the Whittlesey tower is out of regulatory. Rib Lake is progressing, conduit is laid and they are waiting on permitting along Hwy 102. He then shared a map of the county showing the progress of the construction of conduit and fiber. Fiber is laid on the west side of the county, drops and connections are being made, just waiting for the main connection. The Broadband Committee may convene in closed session by taking a roll call vote, pursuant to Wisconsin State Statutes, 19.85(1)(g), to confer with legal counsel regarding potential litigation involving a contract dispute that the county may become involve d in: Motion by Swiantek, seconded by Ceaglske, to go into closed session. A roll call vote cast, the committee was in closed session at 10:00 a.m. The meeting will reconvene in open session: Motion by Swiantek, seconded by Ceaglske, to reconvene in open session at 10:34 a.m. Motion carried. Other items for the committee: None. Set next meeting date: The next meeting is scheduled for October 8th at 9:30 a.m. Adjourn: Metting was adjourned by Thums at 10:35 a.m. Andria Farrand County Clerk TAYLOR COUNTY BROADBAND COMMITTEE August 6, 2024 County Board Room, Courthouse Call Meeting to Order: Mike Bub called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. Members Present: Mike Bub, Sue Swiantek, Chuck Zenner, Rollie Thums, Kenny Ceaglske and Gene Knoll. Members Present via Zoom: James Stokes. Members absent: None. Other Attendees: Grant Bub, Tracy Hartwig, Michelle Grimm, Steve Deml and Andria Farrand. Other attendees via Zoom: Russell Berg, Mitch Olson -Bug Tussel, Candice Grunseth, Stanley Schmidt, Mark Wesle, Mark Leonard. Approve the agenda: Motion by Thums, seconded by Swiantek, to approve the agenda with 14 items. Motion carried. Approve the minutes of the July 9, 2024, meeting: Motion by Swiantek, seconded by Zenner, to approve the minutes of the July 9, 2024, meeting. Motion carried. TDS update: TDS continues to lay fiber and connect homes but there has been no communication from them to know exactly where they are working. WANRack update: The restoration in Westboro will be completed during the sewer project. Broadband Manager Update: Grant provided an update on the following: • City of Medford connection: Connection has been completed. • Fairground: Mark Wesle did most of the work at the fairgrounds; connections were much better this year. Wesle asked who to contact about the partial spools of fiber still at the fairgrounds, he will reach out to Joe Svejda. • Additional rack at the Courthouse: The rack is here, just waiting on Maintenance to add the 2 poly beams, then Heartland will complete the installation. • RDOF/BEAD grant: Mark Leonard stated the challenge data is still being reviewed, and any ISP’s interested in participating need to submit their letter of intent by October 1st. • Immanuel Lutheran connection: Complete, Grant to confirm this week. • Equipment for additional town hall connections: Received quote from Heartland, might be removing the switches as they are not necessary. • Drive around with Bug Tussel, Chuck, Kenny and Gene: identified potentially 400 -450 houses that could be connected between Hwy Q and Sunset Rd, north of Hwy 64. The committee wants to get this moving sooner than later. Courtney will draft an ARPA sub - recipient agreement with Bug Tussel, since ARPA funds will be used. The PSC then needs to be notified of the project by September 1st. Bug Tussel update: Olson stated that several towers are waiting on the connectivity piece, but things should start moving quickly very soon. They are continuing to add customers to the live towers. The Broadband Committee may convene in closed session by taking a roll call vote, pursuant to Wisconsin State Statutes, 19.85(1)(g), to confer with legal counsel regarding potential litigation involving a contract dispute that the county may become involve d in: Motion by Thums, seconded by Swiantek, to go into closed session. A roll call vote cast, the committee was in closed session at 10:24 a.m. The meeting will reconvene in open session: Motion by Thums, seconded by Zenner, to reconvene in open session at 11:16 a.m. Motion carried. Other items for the committee: None. Set next meeting date: The next meeting is scheduled for September 10th at 9:30 a.m. Adjourn: Motion by Thums, seconded by Swiantek, to adjourn. The meeting was adjourned at 11:21 a.m. Andria Farrand County Clerk TAYLOR COUNTY BROADBAND COMMITTEE July 9, 2024 County Board Room, Courthouse Call Meeting to Order: Mike Bub called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. Members Present: Mike Bub, Sue Swiantek, Rollie Thums, Kenny Ceaglske and Gene Knoll. Members Present via Zoom: James Stokes. Members absent: Chuck Zenner. Other Attendees: Grant Bub, Tracy Hartwig, Bud Suckow, Joe Liegl and Andria Farrand. Other attendees via Zoom: Russell Berg, Mitch Olson-Bug Tussel, Josh Klingbeil, Bob Judnic and Candice Grunseth. Approve the agenda: Motion by Thums, seconded by Swiantek, to approve the agenda with 13 items. Motion carried. Approve the minutes of the June 11, 2024, meeting: Motion by Knoll, seconded by Swiantek, to approve the minutes of the June 11, 2024, meeting. Motion carried. TDS update: no update. WANRack update: no update. Restoration issues: Grant Bub stated that once the sewer project in Rib Lake, by the Community Center and library is finished, that restoration will be completed. All other work is done. Broadband Manager Update: Grant provided an update on the following: • City of Medford connection: connection has been completed. • Fairground: Mark Wesle of the fair board is getting things ready for Heartland to come in and finish. • Additional rack at the Courthouse: The county will now be adding 2 poly beams instead of the concrete slab. • BEAD grant/Bug Tussel maps: Grant will work with Mitch on the area to target, using ARPA funds. Knoll and Ceaglske will meet with Grant to discuss the plan. • Immanuel Lutheran connection: Heartland will do the cutover soon. • Equipment for additional town hall connections: working with Heartland to ensure we have everything needed. Ken Ceaglske arrived at 9:45 a.m. Mitch Olson joined the meeting via Zoom at 9:46 a.m. Bug Tussel update: Olson stated that he is still waiting on Operations to get exact launch dates, hopefully by the end of the week. Farrand to follow up next week. The Broadband Committee may convene in closed session by taking a roll call vote, pursuant to Wisconsin State Statutes, 19.85(1)(g), to confer with legal counsel regarding potential litigation involving a contract dispute that the county may become involved in: Motion by Thums, seconded by Swiantek, to go into closed session. A roll call vote cast, the committee was in closed session at 9:55 a.m. The meeting will reconvene in open session: Motion by Swiantek, seconded by Ceaglske, to reconvene in open session at 10:17 a.m. Motion carried. Other items for the committee: None. Set next meeting date: The next meeting is scheduled for August 6th at 9:30 a.m. Adjourn: Motion by Knoll, seconded by Ceaglske, to adjourn. The meeting was adjourned at 10:21 a.m. Andria Farrand County Clerk TAYLOR COUNTY BROADBAND COMMITTEE June 11, 2024 County Board Room, Courthouse Call Meeting to Order: Mike Bub called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. Members Present: Mike Bub, Sue Swiantek, Chuck Zenner, Rollie Thums, Kenny Ceaglske and Gene Knoll. Members Present via Zoom: None. Members absent: James Stokes. Other Attendees: Grant Bub, Michelle Grimm, Tracy Hartwig and Andria Farrand. Other attendees via Zoom: Russell Berg, Mitch Olson-Bug Tussel, Josh Klingbeil, Marlena Pfieffer and Aaron Lesmeister -Hometown Fiber, Bob Judnic and Mark Leonard-PSC. Approve the agenda: Motion by Thums, seconded by Zenner, to approve the agenda with 15 items. Motion carried. Approve the minutes of the May 14, 2024, meeting: Motion by Swiantek, seconded by Knoll, to approve the minutes of the May 14, 2024, meeting. Motion carried. TDS update: no update. WANRack update: WANRack hired County Wide for restoration in Westboro. They did not do anything with the fiber behind the Community Center as there is a gas line there and there was not a locator wire installed when they laid the fiber. Grant will follow up with Jeff Pe terson to ensure all is completed to their satisfaction. Broadband Manager Update: Grant provided an update on the following: • City of Medford connection: the switch is installed, waiting on WANRack to configure, then the city will need to switch their fiber and update their IP address. • Fairground: the equipment is ordered, and delivery is being expedited so all is done in time for the fair. • Additional rack at the Courthouse: Received a quote for $2,500.00 from Heartland for the rack and installation. The county will be adding the concrete slab. • RDOF update: no good information, just a lot of speculation at this point. • BEAD grant maps: No changes. • Immanuel Lutheran connection: working with Ken Wisnewski. • Equipment for additional town hall connections: Buying Cisco routers and access points for all remaining town halls. Zenner asked that the Airport be added to the list as well. Update PSC/WI Extension conferences: The BEAD grant process will have a portion that will allow the ISP’s to be rated. Twelve points is the maximum, with up to five for engagement and up to seven for endorsement by the county. This will also need a signed resolution from the County Board. The county can endorse more than one ISP as long as the service area is designated for each. Mitch Olson joined the meeting via Zoom at 10:02 a.m. The Broadband Committee may convene in closed session by taking a roll call vote, pursuant to Wisconsin State Statutes, 19.85(1)(g), to confer with legal counsel regarding potential litigation involving a contract dispute that the county may become involve d in: Motion by Knoll, seconded by Zenner, to go into closed session. A roll call vote cast, the committee was in closed session at 10:02 a.m. The meeting will reconvene in open session: Motion by Ceaglske, seconded by Knoll, to reconvene in open session. Motion carried. Resolution for Consideration of Initial Resolution Approving Revenue Bond Financing for Bug Tussel Wireless, LLC. Information with respect to the job impact of the project will be available at the time of consideration of the Resolution: Motion by Knoll, seconded by Zenner, to approve additional Revenue Bond Financing for Bug Tussel Wireless, LLC. Motion carried. Other items for the committee: None. Set next meeting date: The next meeting is scheduled for July 9th at 9:30 a.m. Adjourn: Motion by Zenner, seconded by Swiantek, to adjourn. The meeting was adjourned at 10:43 a.m. Andria Farrand County Clerk TAYLOR COUNTY BROADBAND COMMITTEE May 14, 2024 County Board Room, Courthouse Call Meeting to Order: Mike Bub called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. Members Present: Mike Bub, Sue Swiantek, Chuck Zenner, Rollie Thums and Gene Knoll. Members Present via Zoom: James Stokes and Kenny Ceaglske. Members absent: none. Other Attendees: Grant Bub, Michelle Grimm, Tracy Hartwig, Steve Deml, Bud Suckow and Andria Farrand. Other attendees via Zoom: Russell Berg, Mitch Olson-Bug Tussel, Candice Grunseth, Bob Judnic and Mark Leonard-PSC. Approve the agenda: It was requested to reorder the items on the agenda, moving agenda item 4 after agenda item 8. Motion by Zenner, seconded by Swiantek, to approve the revised agenda with 13 items. Motion carried. Approve the minutes of the April 24, 2024, meeting: Motion by Swiantek, seconded by Zenner, to approve the minutes of the April 24, 2024, meeting. Motion carried. Michelle Grimm arrived at 9:35 a.m. TDS update: There was not a representative from TDS in attendance. WANRack update: We are still waiting for WANRack to finish the restoration in Westboro. The deadline is now the end of May, or we will get it done and send WANRack the bill. Mark Leonard from the PSC provided an update. He said they were still waiting for the official word that Charter was going to default on their RDOF contract in the state. He also said challenges to grant awards are being accepted for the areas that Chart er walked away from. He will be in touch with Grant to discuss. Broadband Manager Update: Grant provided an update on the following: • City of Medford connection: The City approved the money for the switch. It has been installed and they are working on a cutover date. • Fairground: We received a new quote, reduced by approximately $4,600.00 since we no longer need to rent a lift truck. • Additional rack at the Courthouse: This is still being researched, reaching out to Heartland for a quote. • RDOF update: Charter is defaulting on their RDOF obligations throughout the state. Of the six census blocks they won in Taylor County, they are defaulting on three of them, all on the west side of the county. Upcoming PSC/WI Extension conferences: There is a meeting next Wednesday, May 22 nd in Antigo. Bug Tussel update: Mitch said that 2 towers were live as of May 14 th, Interwald and Goodrich. They will be contacting residents that are interested and connecting them to the network. Questions arose about the Sacketts Lake area as there is not a tower close by. The plan was to do fiber to the home there. Once the Mondeaux and Whittlesey towers are built, they can evaluate the coverage and see if there is need for an additional tower. Rollie Thums left the meeting at 10:10 a.m. Mitch stated he felt the BEAD awards wouldn’t be until 2026 considering the process isn’t even defined yet. The Broadband Committee may convene in closed session by taking a roll call vote, pursuant to Wisconsin State Statutes, 19.85(1)(g), to confer with legal counsel regarding potential litigation involving a contract dispute that the county may become involved in. Motion by Swiantek, seconded by Zenner, to go into closed session. A unanimous roll call vote cast, the motion carried. The committee was in closed session. Sue Swiantek left the meeting at 10:40 a.m. Rollie Thums returned to the meeting at 10:45 a.m. Gene Knoll left the meeting at 11:11 a.m. Michelle Grimm left the meeting at 11:14 a.m. The meeting will reconvene in open session: Motion by Zenner, seconded by Thums, to reconvene in open session at 11:18 a.m. Motion carried. Set the next meeting date: The next meeting is scheduled for June 11, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. Adjourn: Motion by Thums, seconded by Zenner, to adjourn. The meeting was adjourned at 11:19 a.m. Andria Farrand County Clerk TAYLOR COUNTY BROADBAND COMMITTEE April 24, 2024 County Board Room, Courthouse Call Meeting to Order: Mike Bub called the meeting to order at 11:04 a.m. Members Present: Mike Bub, Sue Swiantek, Chuck Zenner, Kenny Ceaglske and Gene Knoll. Members Present via Zoom: none Members absent: Rollie Thums, James Stokes and Melissa Lind. Other Attendees: Courtney Graff, Grant Bub, Michelle Grimm and Andria Farrand. Other attendees via Zoom: Russell Berg, Mitch Olson-Bug Tussel, Approve the agenda: It was requested to reorder the items on the agenda, moving agenda item 6 ahead of agenda item 4. Motion by Zenner, seconded by Knoll, to approve the revised agenda with 10 items. Motion carried. Approve the minutes of the April 9, 2024, meeting: Motion by Swiantek, seconded by Zenner, to approve the minutes of the April 9, 2024, meeting. Motion carried. The Broadband Committee may convene in closed session by taking a roll call vote, pursuant to Wisconsin State Statute, 19.85(1)(g), to confer with legal counsel regarding potential litigation involving a contract dispute that the county may become involved in: Motion by Swiantek, seconded by Knoll to go into closed session at 11:06 a.m. A unanimous roll call vote, the motion carried. There was then a motion by Zenner, seconded by Ceaglske, to begin with the closed session for agenda item 4 first. The Broadband Committee may convene in closed session by taking a roll call vote, pursuant to Wisconsin State Statute, 19.85(1)(e), for negotiations with Bug Tussel. A unanimous roll call vote, the motion carried. The meeting will reconvene in open session: Motion by Zenner, seconded by Swiantek, to go into open session at 11:24 a.m. Motion carried. The Broadband Committee may convene in closed session by taking a roll call vote, pursuant to Wisconsin State Statute, 19.85(1)(g), to confer with legal counsel regarding potential litigation involving a contract dispute that the county may become involved in: Motion by Swiantek, seconded by Zenner, to go into closed session at 11:25 a.m. A unanimous roll call vote, the motion carried. The meeting will reconvene in open session: Motion by Swiantek, seconded by Zenner, to go into open session at 12:16 p.m. Motion carried. Motion by Zenner, seconded by Knoll, to designate $400,000.00 of borrowed money, to partner with Bug Tussel, to build out the Village of Rib Lake. Motion carried. Set the next meeting date: The next meeting is scheduled for May 14 at 9:30 a.m. Adjourn: Motion by Swiantek, seconded by Ceaglske, to adjourn. The meeting was adjourned at 12:19 p.m. Andria Farrand County Clerk TAYLOR COUNTY BROADBAND COMMITTEE April 9, 2024 County Board Room, Courthouse Call Meeting to Order: Mike Bub called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. Members Present: Mike Bub, Rollie Thums, Sue Swiantek, Chuck Zenner, Kenny Ceaglske and Gene Knoll. Members Present via Zoom: James Stokes Members absent: Melissa Lind. Other Attendees: Michelle Grimm, Grant Bub, Tracy Hartwig, , and Andria Farrand. Other attendees via Zoom: Russell Berg, Mitch Olson -Bug Tussel, Mark Leonard - PSC, Bob Judnic, Teri Hatchell, Pat Anderson, Chris Crawford and Katie -Charter, Mitch Gordon and Kyle Morehead- Hometown Fiber and Stan Schmidt. Approve the agenda: Motion by Thums, seconded by Zenner, to approve the agenda with 14 items. Motion carried. Approve the minutes of the March 12, 2024 meeting: Motion by Swiantek, seconded by Thums, to approve the minutes of the March 12, 2024, meeting. Motion carried. Bug Tussel update: Mitch attended via Zoom and provided an update. They will begin putting equipment on the first 3 existing towers, Goodrich, Interwald and Deer Creek, early next week and they will be live in about 2 more weeks. Residents will be contacted to get service, or they can call Bug Tussel at 833 -BTUSSEL, 833-288-7735 to get connected. There are currently 10 towers standing, and by year end, no fewer than 14 towers will be live. Bub asked Mitch how to use our funds to get more customers connected, Mitch said to send him the details of our proposed build outs and they will review. At the Community meetings, it was asked if customers would have a problem with being too close to the towers. Mitch said no, there is no problem with being too close. James Stokes joined the meeting at 9:56. Hometown Fiber update: Kyle and Mitch from Hometown Fiber attended via Zoom. They have revised the draft report as there are now some ineligible areas. The Office of Broadband has confirmed that any area already covered by RDOF or A-CAM will not be awarded any other grants. We need to partner with an ISP to apply for grants. Hometown Fiber has created an ISP, Bravo Broadband and Mitch Gordon is putting together numbers to build out from the WANRack network and will have them ready in a few weeks. Kyle also suggested we look at pockets that need service and reach out to ISPs that connected residents nearby, to see if they are interested in servicing the unserved pockets. At this point, they have done all they can to prepare for what they know about the BEAD grants. There is so much unknown. Teri from Charter provided an update. They are currently focused on their RDOF build out in Taylor County. They are unsure if they are going to participate in the BEAD grants, they are still waiting for the requirements. Pat from Charter provided a construction update. See attached map. MF10-50% complete MF14-starting construction-Chelsea area. MF08-starting in the coming weeks-Rib Lake area. Village of Rib Lake was not part of the original RDOF, they have not yet decided to service them yet. Bub started we would be interested in partnering there. WANRack update: They attended the Home Show as Quickcom and their current business model for Taylor County does not include fiber to the home. Broadband Manager report: March 19th informational meeting at the Education Center: The meetings were well attended; they went well and people were interested. Richter Lake residents are concerned about the aesthetics. City of Medford connection: The switch is installed; the contract will be sent to the City of Medford on April 10th. Taylor County Fair request: The fairgrounds need additional access points and other hardware. The quote from Heartland is $8,803.64. Motion by Thums, seconded by Swiantek, to approve the Heartland quote but asked that Grant call the City of Medford, or the Fire Department to see if we can use their lift trucks to save $2,212.20. Motion carried. WANRack repairs update: Grant is working with John to get the repairs finished in Westboro. Working to get a date of completion. Additional rack at the Courthouse: we need an additional equipment rack at the courthouse. Grant will have a quote at the next meeting. Upcoming PSC/WI Extension conferences: Grimm is attending the Antigo session, Grant and Knoll to go to Stevens Point and Bub and Thums will attend Hayward where Bub will be speaking. IT proposal/request for SAN: See additional sheet for the request from IT, to use some of the money borrowed for the Broadband project, for upgrades to our servers and SAN at both the courthouse and Human Services. The Courthouse will cost $117,429.25 and Human Services will be $97,811.69. There is currently $675,000.00 remaining of the borrowed money that needs to be spent by May 31, 2024. There is a third request to replace county laptop and desktop computers for $110,989.04. Motion by Zenner, second ed by Swiantek, to approve the Courthouse and Human Services Server/SAN requests, totaling $215,240.94. Motion carried. The committee would like more specific information on the computer replacement program from Melissa. Request to purchase additional access points for remaining towns: there are seven towns that still need access points. Some will have fiber and some will have fixed wireless connections. Grant to get a quote from Heartland for the next meeting, so we can purchase the needed equipment with the remaining borrowed money. Mark Leonard of the PSC stated that the Wisconsin Digital Equity Plan was posted on the PSC website. It is a part of the BEAD grant, and it is to ensure all people and communities have the skills for the new technology and get them educated. Set the next meeting date: The next meeting is scheduled for May 14 at 9:30 a.m. Adjourn: Motion by Swiantek, seconded by Zenner, to adjourn. The meeting was adjourned at 10:51 a.m. Andria Farrand County Clerk TAYLOR COUNTY BROADBAND COMMITTEE March 12, 2024 County Board Room, Courthouse Call Meeting to Order: Mike Bub called the meeting to order at 9:31 a.m. Members Present: Mike Bub, Sue Swiantek, and Gene Knoll. Members Present via Zoom: Chuck Zenner, Kenny Ceaglske and James Stokes Members absent: Rollie Thums and Melissa Lind. Other Attendees: Michelle Grimm, Grant Bub, Larry Brandl, Steve Deml, Joe Liegl, and Andria Farrand. Other attendees via Zoom: Russell Berg, Mark Leonard- PSC, Candice Grunseth, Bob Judnic, Teri Hatchell, Pat Anderson, Chris Crawford, Lauren Clark and Katie-Charter and Stan Schmidt. Approve the agenda: Motion by Swiantek, seconded by Knoll, to approve the agenda with 11 items. Motion carried. Approve the minutes of the February 13, 2024 meeting: Motion by Knoll, seconded by Swiantek, to approve the minutes of the February 13, 2024, meeting. Motion carried. Charter FTH update: Pat Anderson attended via Zoom and provided a map with the latest updates. The Westboro area is complete, the next areas to be connected are MF10 and MF14, east and south of Westboro. The rest of the map represented the areas to be connected in 2024 (blue) and 2025 (purple). Bug Tussel update: Mitch did not attend. Hometown Fiber update: Nobody from Hometown Fiber attended. WANRack update: Mike Bub sent a letter to Mike Brigman on March 5th, asking for their help in getting residents connected. Brigman did acknowledge receipt of the letter but has not yet replied. Broadband Manager report: Review addresses submitted to WANRack: Grant submitted a proposal to WANRack with 517 addresses to get residents connected along the middle mile network. Gilman sound reduction: The foam was installed Feb. 26th. Candice agreed it has helped. March 19th informational meeting at the Education Center: Grant and Grimm to work on a flyer to post on the Taylor County and Chamber Facebook pages and post in the paper. City of Medford connection: We are still waiting for the contract from Corp. Counsel. Mike suggested scheduling the installation, don’t wait for the contract. WANRack repairs update: Grant is working with John to get the repairs scheduled in Westboro. Waiting on WANRack to provide dates. Mark Leonard of the PSC stated that the Wisconsin Digital Equity Plan was posted on the PSC website. It is a part of the BEAD grant, and it is to ensure all people and communities have the skills for the new technology. UW Extension offices will be holding workshops in Stevens Point April 25th, Chippewa Falls May 14 th and Antigo on May 22 nd. Mike asked Leonard to check into when the maps were changed, as our grant application was declined, stating our area we applied for had prior funding. The map did not originally include the A -CAM addresses, but they were added right before the grant deadline. Set the next meeting date: The next meeting is scheduled for April 9th at 9:30 a.m. Adjourn: Motion by Swiantek, seconded by Knoll, to adjourn. The meeting was adjourned at 10:37 a.m. Andria Farrand County Clerk TAYLOR COUNTY BROADBAND COMMITTEE February 13, 2024 County Board Room, Courthouse Call Meeting to Order: Mike Bub called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. Members Present: Mike Bub, Rollie Thums, Gene Knoll, Chuck Zenner and Kenny Ceaglske Members Present via Zoom: James Stokes Members absent: Sue Swiantek and Melissa Lind. Other Attendees: Michelle Grimm, Grant Bub, Larry Brandl, Bud Suckow, Steve Deml, Joe Liegl, Amber Larson and Andria Farrand. Other attendees via Zoom: Russell Berg, Mitch Olson, Mark Leonard- PSC, Jeff Woods-WANRack, Candice Grunseth, Bob Judnic and Stan Schmidt. Approve the agenda: Motion by Thums, seconded by Zenner, to approve the agenda with 12 items. Motion carried. Approve the minutes of the January 9, 2023, meeting: Motion by Zenner, seconded by Thums, to approve the minutes of the January 9, 2023, meeting. Motion carried. Mike Bub introduced Mark Leonard of the Public Service Commission who attended via Zoom. He has offered to help us with the BEAD grant process. Update on meeting with WANRack and Bug Tussel: Mike and Grant Bub had a good meeting with WANRack and Bug Tussel and they have come to an initial agreement to do some type of fiber agreement. Details to come. Bug Tussel update: Mitch attended via Zoom and stated that there are still supply chain issues, they should have the equipment by the end of March/early April. There are still delays with getting the permits for the National Forest. Towers that are constructed, Rib Lake, Interwald, Goodrich and Deer Creek, will go live in May. They will have a fiber connection as they mobilize, they are still working through Marathon County where we will connect once the splicing is done in Athens. When asked about the Lake Esadore tower, Mitch said it isn’t viable, unless the grant money for that area doesn’t happen, then they may put some equipment on it. There was a lot of discussion about people wondering why they don’t have internet access yet. Everyone was reminded that our goal was to have broadband to the residents of Taylor County by 2025, and it is a long process, and the delays are out of our control. To quote Mitch, “once the slow part is done, the fast part will go fast.” Hometown Fiber update: They were unable to attend the meeting and have not yet delivered their final report as requested. WANRack update: Jeff Woods stated they will be sending out postcards and emails again to the businesses. It was suggested that Bug Tussel and WANRack have booths at the upcoming Home Expo in Medford. Farrand to send the Chamber of Commerce information to them. Broadband Manager report: Grant Bub Review potential Fiber to the Home off of Taylor County network: Grant presented a PowerPoint to the committee with the last page titled Middle Mile as the new focus to connect. It would include 449 addresses, surrounding the WANRack middle mile network. Motion by Zenner, seconded by Thums, to send the proposal to WANRack for an estimate. Motion carried. Gilman sound reduction: Grant will meet with Candice on Thursday, February 22, to install foam in their equipment rack to help reduce the noise. Radio interview: Mike and Grant have done a radio interview that is already airing, to help provide updates, introduce Grant and his role, as well as dispel any rumors regarding the cost of residential service. FAQs sent to Town Chairs, Village Presidents and Clerks: Grant sent an email to the towns introducing himself, as well as the answers to frequently asked questions. Amber Larson, Clerk for Holway, Grover and Maplehurst, stated she didn’t receive it. Bub then asked Farrand to send it again to the clerks after it was discovered it went into Larson’s spam folder. March meeting at the Fairgrounds : Bub is going to schedule a meeting to provide updates and answer questions. It was discussed that there should be 2 meetings to accommodate as many people as possible. It was also discussed that the meeting room at the Education center could hold more people. The meeting is tentatively scheduled for March 14 th at 2:00 P.M. and 7:00 P.M. City of Medford connection: Bub explained that the City of Medford cannot be behind the County’s firewall, and this will require a switch. Corporation Counsel is drafting the agreement, Lind is ordering the switch and Heartland will do the installation. The County and the City will split the costs. Wisconsin Broadband access report: Mike shared the information with the committee from the PSC. Set the next meeting date: The next meeting is scheduled for March 12th at 9:30 a.m. Adjourn: Motion by Knoll, seconded by Zenner, to adjourn. The meeting was adjourned at 10:56 a.m. Andria Farrand County Clerk TAYLOR COUNTY BROADBAND COMMITTEE January 9, 2024 County Board Room, Courthouse Call Meeting to Order: Mike Bub called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. Members Present: Mike Bub, Sue Swiantek, Rollie Thums, Gene Knoll. Members Present via Zoom: James Stokes Members absent: Chuck Zenner and Kenny Ceaglske and Melissa Lind. Other Attendees: Jim Metz, Michelle Grimm, Grant Bub, Larry Brandl, Bud Suckow, Steve Deml and Andria Farrand. Other attendees via Zoom: Russell Berg, Mitch Olson, Kyle Moorhead, Mitch Gordon and Marlena Pfieffer- Hometown Fiber, Pat Anderson -Charter, Candice Grunseth, Bob Judnic, Stan Schmidt Josh Klingbeil. Approve the agenda: Motion by Thums, seconded by Swiantek, to approve the agenda with 11 items. Motion carried. Approve the minutes of the December 12, 2023, meeting: Motion by Swiantek, seconded by Thums, to approve the minutes of the December 12, 2023, meeting. Motion carried. Update from Pat Anderson of Charter: Anderson presented a map of the Charter build out plan, for the Taylor County RDOF (Rural Digital Opportunity Fund) grant award. There are 3 sections, and the first in Westboro is built and activated and should be serviceable in January. There is another section that is planned for 2024 and one more planned for 2025. He stated that the houses that are not included in the RDOF, but in close proximity will be included in their plan. Grant will get the addresses so we don’t include them in our BEAD grant application. Bug Tussel update: Mitch of Bug Tussel attended via Zoom • Tower update-there is another supply chain delay with equipment for the towers, but those that have been constructed should be connected in March. • Fiber should be live by the end of Quarter 1 or early Quarter 2. If residents want to get connected, they can call 833 -BTussel, 833-288-7735. They will also be sending out mailers and there are also plans to have a ribbon cutting. By March there will be 10 towers complete, 14 by July. The Bellinger, Richter Lake and Center Ave towers are facing some delays yet. As far as cell carriers are concerned, Mitch stated they are getting closer to a deal with a big carrier and 7 of the towers in Taylor County should have that carrier’s equipment on them. Bub stated he will facilitate a discussion with WANRack and Bug Tussel. Mitch stated there is no feedback on the PSC grant, but we should know more by April. Tower concerns-James Stokes: Stokes raised concerns regarding the construction of towers, 5G and the radio frequency (RFR). He stated that towers with 5G in close proximity to schools and residences would be particularly concerning. Stokes asked that we do our due diligence to ensure we aren’t doing anything harmful to people or the environment. Olson of Bug Tussel stated that 5G has short waves and doesn’t make sense for a rural setting like Taylor County. He also said that UV, X-ray and microwave signals have had a history of issues and there will not be 5G on our towers. There was some discussion, but no action taken. Hometown Fiber update: Kyle Moorhead, Mitch Gordon and Marlena Pfeiffer attended via Zoom. Marlena stated they are making a few changes to their report and then they will send out their final report. She anticipates it will be finished by January 12. Potential Fiber to the Home off of Taylor County network: Grant presented a PowerPoint to the committee with 709 total addresses, 254 along the WANRack middle mile network, as possible fiber to the home projects. With the update from Charter today, there may be some redundancy, so those in Westboro and Rib Lake will likely be removed. No further action taken. Set the next meeting date: The next meeting is scheduled for February 13th at 9:30 a.m. Adjourn: Motion by Knoll, seconded by Swiantek, to adjourn. The meeting was adjourned at 10:53 a.m. Andria Farrand County Clerk