The Town of Clay Banks will go back to the drawing board in its attempt to get broadband internet to its residents at a special meeting on August 19th. In a letter sent to residents this week, the Clay Banks Broadband Committee stated that after two months of applying for three grants, the township did not receive any financial support.
At a Special Town Meeting held in October 2022, a resolution was approved authorizing the installation of a Fiber Optic Communication Package with Bertram Communications contingent on Clay Banks applying for grants while financing up to 40 percent of the project through bonds and loans.
Having been rejected on the Middle Mile, the USDA Federal Grants, and a PSC State Grant, the Town of Clay Banks will now have to fund a larger amount than previously approved to move forward on the broadband project.
Town Chair Mike Johnson says hopes are to bring in the county for emergency communications and also cellphone companies to provide more reliable coverage in the area. He adds that ultimately it is a community project and it is up to the people to decide what direction the township will take in the future.
The Special Town Meeting scheduled for Saturday, August 19 will have a report on the Broadband Committee’s look at alternate timeline of planning and financing options, including the possibility of the township financing the entire project.
The meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. and be held at the Clay Banks Town Hall on County Road OO or next door at the Tanum Forest Lutheran Church if necessary to accommodate the public.
