Broadband group hears funding source

On Monday, the Broadband Committee gathered for their second meeting.

Janea Delk, a representative of CERB, Washington State Department of Commerce’s Community Economic Revitalization Board, spoke to the group about how the agency provides financial support to rural communities that are planning broadband construction.

“Currently we have $10 million to get us through this biennium,” Delk said, “which is June 2019.”

The committee is comprised of representatives from Wahkiakum County, Port 1, Port 2, the PUD, Wahkiakum West, and the Town of Cathlamet. Bill Fashing from the Cowlitz Wahkiakum Council of Government, and local attorney Tim Hanigan have been involved as well. This month, a representative from the Chamber of Commerce was in attendance.

After Delk left, everyone quietly confirmed their continued interest in the project. Discussion turned to several issues, including which local entity might take the lead, and how to move forward.

“This needs to be handed over to someone who does something fairly soon. This group has no money, we have no charter. We have good ideas. We need to pick out somebody to be our lead agency and get it going,” PUD Commissioner Gene Healy said.

Healy, who has championed this project, is looking for what he described as a “technocrat” to speak to the committee next month to explain what “this would look like built.”