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From YouTube: Board of Commissioners' Briefing (May 4, 2021)
Description
May 4, 2021 Briefing of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. The purpose of the briefing is for the board to hear upcoming agenda items and to discuss County business in an open, transparent manner. No official actions take place during the briefings. Read about future agendas at buncombecounty.org/commissioners.
A
All
right
I'm
going
to
go
ahead
and
call
the
meeting
to
order.
Thank
you
all
for
being
with
us
for
our
may
4th
county
commissioner
briefing
meeting.
Let's
let
me
ask:
are
there
any
questions
about
any
items
on
the
agenda
for
the
briefing
meeting
or
any
items
that
any
commissioner
would
like
to
add
to
discuss
during
the
briefing
meeting?
A
A
Maybe
we'll
do
that
after
we
recognize
the
national
nurses
week,
proclamation
we'll
do
it
after
that.
So
remind
me
if
I
forget:
okay
great,
then,
let's
move
on
to
the
staff
updates
and
the
first
is
going
to
be
an
update
on
covet
19
and
vaccination.
Work
in
buncombe,
county
and
stacy
saunders
is
going
to
present
this
item.
C
And
though
we
saw
an
uptick
in
cases
over
the
last
two
weeks,
we
did
see
a
bit
of
stabilization
in
our
epi
curve.
Again,
you
might
remember
me
saying
we
saw
just
the
slightest
bit
of
uptick
in
new
cases
and
are
starting
to
see
that
stabilize
and
flatten
out
again
and
seeing
a
potential
dip
in
cases
over
the
last
few
days.
C
Our
hospitalizations
again
as
the
region,
this
is
the
18
county
region,
continue
to
stay,
stay
fairly
low
and
here
we're
showing
our
weekly
metrics
and
these
metrics
continue
to
show
overall
favorability
and
stability
over
time.
Our
new
cases
per
100
000,
as
I
as
I
mentioned
earlier.
These
are
always
pulled
on
the
monday,
so
you
heard
me
say
today
it
was
82,
so
these
numbers
are
as
of
yesterday,
so
that
we
can
compare
week
to
week
and
you
can
see
there
it's
at
83,
which
was
actually
a
decrease
from
the
week
before.
C
C
So
for
about
a
month
now,
our
indicators
have
been
mostly
stable
and
overall
plateauing
in
new
cases
and
a
slight
decrease
in
our
percent
positivity,
and
this
is
good
news.
But
while
it's
good
news,
we
still
do
have
a
lot
of
work
to
do
to
protect
ourselves
and
our
community,
and
each
vaccine
means
that
we
are
closer
to
controlling
the
virus.
C
C
With
that
that,
please
be
sure
to
get
your
vaccine,
we
do
have
available
appointments
through
our
site,
which
is
the
welcome
county
hhs
site
at
a
b
tech,
which
is
on
fernie
hurst
drive,
in
addition
to
being
able
to
schedule
an
appointment
on
buncomberready.org,
we
have
walk-in
availability
that
we
started
last
week
and
that
has
been
moderately
successful
as
well,
which
I'll
talk
about
soon
and
if
our
site
is
not
as
convenient
to
you,
it
doesn't
matter.
If
you
come
to
us,
we
just
want
you
to
get
your
vaccine.
C
So
if
we're
not
the
most
convenient
site
for
you,
please
visit
myspot.nc.gov
to
find
a
provider
nearest
to
you
and
nearest
to
your
home
in
your
neighborhood.
There
are
several
locations
in
buncombe
county,
including
community
health,
centers
and
many
pharmacies
that
are
located
in
grocery
stores
that
we
might
frequent
very
often,
and
if
you
are
somebody
who
has
already
received
your
vaccine,
I
do
want
to
say
thank
you
for
doing
your
part
to
beat
covet
19.
C
C
But
with
that
said,
almost
47
percent
of
buncombe
county
population
has
been
at
least
partially
vaccinated,
so
well
on
our
way
to
reaching
that
50
percent
that
this
that
the
state
is
at
as
well,
and
that's
total
population
versus
just
adult-
and
this
is
121
346
individuals
that
have
done
their
part
to
protect
themselves,
their
families,
their
friends,
their
coworkers,
their
neighbors.
They
are
even
protecting
folks,
they
have
never
met,
and
this
is
an
amazing
gift
that
each
one
of
those
folks
is
doing
for
our
community.
C
I
did
want
to
share
the
demand
curve.
Again.
We
modified
this
slightly
from
the
last
time.
You
saw
it
to
better
represent
the
transition
from
waitlist
to
scheduling
to
what
the
actual
first
dose
is
given
are,
and
so
you
can
clearly
see
that
the
demand
has
waned
over
time
and
in
the
last
two
weeks
we
are
seeing
about
a
thousand
first
doses
administered
each
week
and
that's
quite
a
big
decrease
from
our
early
days.
C
As
you
can
see
here
where
we
are
hitting
a
peak
around
four
thousand,
we
did
begin
providing
walk-in
availability,
beginning
april
28th.
That
was
just
last
week.
This
has
proven
to
be
successful
in
the
first
week
offered
and
has
added
anywhere
from
20
to
40
percent
of
first
doses
administered
from
day
to
day,
so
was
very
desirable
for
our
our
community.
C
We
do
have
one
waiting
for
you
at
ab
tech,
but
if
you'd
rather
get
one
at
a
local
another
local
provider,
they've
got
one
waiting
for
you
as
well,
and
that
makes
us
just
as
happy
and
as
I
reported
last
time,
we
are
consolidating
our
first
and
second
sites
into
one
site.
Beginning
may
10th,
so
our
second
dose
site
at
biltmore
church
will
be
transitioning
this
week.
May
6
will
be
its
last.
C
C
Statewide.
As
we
look
at
new
cases-
and
you
may
you
might
remember
the
last
time
I
presented
to
you
all-
that
we
were
seeing
even
with
our
new
cases,
the
average
age
was
in
the
30s
and
so
statewide.
That's
ringing.
True,
too,
that
most
of
our
new
cases
are
around
younger
unvaccinated
populations
which
happen
to
be
folks
who
are
in
work
in
the
workforce,
and
so
part
of
our
outreach
now
is
to
add
on
outreach
to
worksite
so
that
we
can
begin
to
reach
some
of
those
populations
in
more
of
a
convenient
space
for
them.
C
So
those
are
still
in
the
planning
phases,
but
we
are
looking
at
a
approach
at
work
sites.
That
would
also
include
friends
and
families
right.
So
not
just
you
as
the
employee,
but
if
you
have
a
loved
one
or
someone
that
you
care
about
or
a
friend
who
also
would
like
to
have
the
vaccine
bring
them
along
with
you
so
more
to
come
on
that
those
are
still
in
the
planning
stages.
C
C
Countless
phone
calls
for
contact,
tracing,
numerous
home
visits
to
drop
off
information
and
supplies,
and
pages
and
pages
of
new
test
results
and
thousands
of
vaccines
and
arms,
and
not
to
mention
still
continuing
to
carry
on
the
what
we
would
have
thought
of
as
regular
public
health
that
it
didn't
stop
during
the
the
pandemic.
So
I
appreciate
each
and
every
one
of
you
that
have
dedicated
your
career
for
caring
for
others,
and
so
thank
you,
commissioners.
For
the
time
to
present
to
you
today.
D
D
D
D
She
worked
really
hard
with
a
lot
of
other
people
to
bring
this
deal
to
fruition,
and
I'm
going
to
invite
her
to
take
over
from
here
and
also
when
I
take
back
over
the
presentation
to
loop
me
back
in
or
I'm
going
to
reserve
the
right
to
keep
calling
on
commissioner
ferreira,
because
she
knows
a
lot
about
this
topic.
Thank
you.
Well,.
B
Thank
you
and
I've
been
honored
to
have
the
opportunity
to
represent
buncombe
county
on
the
555
committee,
which
was
convened
by
ncacc
to
work
with
the
north
carolina
department
of
justice
on
developing
a
settlement.
Brandon
will
talk
in
a
lot
of
detail
about
what's
involved
in
the
settlement,
but
at
the
big
picture
level.
I
think
this
is
one
of
the
best
outcomes
that
we
could
hope
for
for
the
people
of
north
carolina
and
to
ensure
that
local
governments
have
the
resources
necessary
to
respond
in
the
most
impactful
ways.
B
Buncombe
county
has
unfortunately
experienced
the
heartbreak
of
the
opiate
crisis
and
we've
also
been
one.
You
know
at
the
very
front
of
innovation
in
this
state
in
responding
to
it.
I
know
so
many
of
you
all
have
worked
on
this
issue,
whether
it's
been
ride-alongs
with
community
paramedics
or
briefings
or
meeting
with
community
members.
B
I
think
we're
hearing
those
stories
from
them
on
the
front
lines.
Very
much
counties
are
on
the
front
lines
of
this
issue,
as
we
are
so
many
other
critical
issues
and,
as
you
all
know,
buncombe
county
has
worked
very
hard
to
respond
across
agencies,
whether
it's
dss
ems,
public
health
and
and
in
doing
that,
we've
expanded
a
lot
of
local
resources,
which
is
part
of
what
led
us
to
be
income
involved
in
litigation.
In
the
first
place.
B
I
hope
to
recover
those
so
that
we
can
fund
the
kind
of
programs
around
ensuring
access
to
the
best
practices
and
treatment
and
prevention
efforts.
As
well
as
the
enforcement
side
of
this,
the
other
piece
we
know,
of
course,
is
that
this
epidemic
does
not
respect
county
lines
and
we
can't
be
siloed
in
any
part
of
our
response,
and
I
think
part
of
what's
so
compelling
about
the
settlement.
Agreement
and
credit
goes
to
ncaacc
staff
and
also
doj
staff.
B
D
D
That
is
the
litigation
where
we
are
expecting
to
see
a
large
settlement
and
potentially
more
settlements
to
come.
But
this
initial
large
settlement
is
a
26
billion
dollar
settlement
and,
as
I
mentioned,
the
task
for
local
governments
was
to
decide
what
to
do.
If
money
is
allocated
on
a
state-by-state
basis.
How
would
we
use
that
money
to
combat
this
epidemic
max
next
slide?
Please.
D
D
D
D
I
think
the
most
impressive
thing
here
is
to
think
about
the
amount
of
control
that
local
governments
are
going
to
be
given
over
these
funds.
I
think
one
of
the
big
fears
of
local
governments
was
that
this
money
would
go
to
the
state
and
may
not
make
it
down
to
the
community
level
and
be
spent
in
a
way
that
helps
the
specific
local
community.
That's
been
impacted
by
the
opioids.
It's
really
difficult
to
take
a
state
approach
to
a
problem
that
is
so
specific
to
local
governments
that
have
these
problems.
D
That
may
not
may
not
be
addressed
by
a
global
or
even
a
statewide
program
to
address
them.
So
I
I
was
shocked
when
I
saw
that
80
percent
of
the
money
under
this
agreement
was
going
to
go
to
local
governments
15
to
the
state
and
then
5
in
a
county
incentive
fund.
And
if
we
go
to
the
next
slide,
we
can
see
some
of
those
details.
D
The
reason
for
this
is
that
the
plaintiffs
are
going
to
want
some
amount
of
finality
they're
going
to
want
to
know
that
when
they
settle
these
claims,
they're
settling
them
for
good
and
it's
difficult
to
say
that
you're
going
to
have
a
global
settlement
for
all
of
this.
But
the
more
people
who
the
more
communities
in
north
carolina
who
are
willing
to
accept
this
agreement,
the
more
finality
they
have
and
potentially
the
more
money
that
could
come
to
north
carolina.
Because
with
that
finality
comes
value
and
these
defendants
are
willing
to
pay
to
have
that.
D
D
All
right,
the
agreement
will
be
will
be
supervised
in
part
by
a
coordination
group.
This
group
will
have
the
ability
to
help
audit
funds
and
make
sure
that
funds
are
being
spent
in
a
way.
That's
appropriate
they'll
also
be
able
to
modify
the
way
in
which
counties
can
spend
these
funds
in
the
event
that
some
new
approach
take
shape,
that
that
was
not
anticipated
before
this
agreement.
So
there
is
a
way
for
this
agreement
to
be
flexible
and
and
and
evolve
as
it
needs
to
max
next
slide.
D
F
What
would
come
next?
The
ncacc
has
actually
put
out
some
templates
of
a
resolution
that
we
could
sign.
So
the
plan
would
be
to
bring
that
forward
to
the
board
for
signature,
and
one
thing
brandon
did
not
focus
on
is
cities
in
our
county
that
are
over.
A
certain
population
should
also
sign
on
the
deadline
for
signing
is
october
1st,
but
if
we
can
sign
earlier
and
get
that
turned
in,
that
will
be
beneficial.
F
So
the
plan
will
be
to
talk
to
the
city
as
well
to
make
sure
that
they're
on
board,
because
the
city
is
the
only
city
in
our
town
that
has
the
population
to
get
them
to
sign.
But
our
goal
will
be
to
bring
that
before
you,
if
not
the
next
meeting
in
may
as
soon
as
we
get
our
templates
out
to
bring
that
forward
for
signature.
If
that's
the
pleasure
of
the
board.
G
G
G
F
G
F
B
The
one
other
thing
I'll
add
just
to
consider
is
the
slide
that
outlined
option
a
and
option
b.
I
I
think
we
would
be
eligible
for
option
a
funding
primarily
because
we've
been
doing
so
much
front,
loaded
work
and
that
is
sort
of
in
theory
quicker.
The
other
one
requires
a
planning
process
and
then
approval
of
strategies.
I
think
we'd
be
able
to
come
to
the
table
and
say
we're
doing
most,
if
not
all,
of
the
high
impact
strategies
and
we're
ready
to
go.
A
Are
there
any
other
questions,
all
right,
brandon
and
jasmine
thanks
for
the
updates,
this
sounds
very,
very
promising
and
a
lot
of
hard
work
has
been
going
into
this
from
many
places
locally
statewide
across
the
country.
So
it's
great
to
see
it
coming
to
fruition.
In
this
way,
all
right
next
up
is
discussion
about
the
addendum
to
the
weberville
tax
collection
agreement
and
michael
frew's,
going
to
help
us
out
with
this.
E
Item,
thank
you,
mr
chairman,
good
afternoon,
commissioners,
I'm
here
as
the
third
string
today,
filling
in
for
don
warren
and
and
jennifer
pike.
This
one
is
really
simple:
we're
getting
near
to
the
end
of
the
second
year
of
a
three-year
agreement
for
collecting
taxes
for
the
town
of
weaverville,
and
one
provision
in
that
agreement
requires
the
county
to
get
the
funds
to
which
the
town
of
weaverville
is
entitled
deposited
into
the
north
carolina
capital
management
trust
account.
E
They
want
some
flexibility
and
where
the
county
staff
is
willing
to
work
with
them
with
your
consent,
just
want
to
amend
that
just
to
simply
say
to
be
transferred
to
the
town
by
electronic
transfer
into
an
account
identified
for
the
town,
finance
officer.
So
that's
that's
all
we're
really
asking
is
just
to
make
that
change.
J
Good
afternoon,
commissioners,
our
typical
cadence
is
to
come
to
you
a
meeting
in
advance
for
items
that
will
be
added
to
your
regular
meeting.
So
we've
missed
that
because
the
timing
of
a
project-
and
so
today's
check-in
is
about
an
item-
that's
been
added
to
your
agenda
for
this
evening,
but
wanted
to
make
sure
you
had
a
chance
to
see
that
it
was
there
and
ask
any
questions
prior
to
that
agenda.
It's
on
the
consent,
agenda
and
you'll
see
it
listed
as
a
partnership
for
a
pre-k
facility
at
avery's
creek
elementary
school.
J
The
explanation
is
that
the
early
childhood
committee
has
wrapped
up
their
work
of
preparing
funding
recommendations
for
fy22
those
were
delivered
to
the
budget
office
last
friday
and
will
be
included
in
the
county
commissioner's
may
18th
meeting.
When
you
see
the
recommended
budget
for
fy22
in
those
recommendations,
there's
a
hundred
thousand
dollars
for
buncombe
county
schools
to
install
a
pre-k
facility
on
the
site
of
avery's
creek
elementary
school.
J
The
document
in
your
packet
gives
a
little
bit
information
about
that
school.
They
are,
they
would
become
the
15th
out
of
23
elementary
schools
within
the
buncombe
county
school
system
that
would
have
an
on-site
head
start.
Buncombe
county
schools
will
partner
with
community
action
opportunities
to
be
the
provider
of
head
start
services
in
that
site.
J
K
J
A
I
L
Jillian's
with
me
today
and
just
have
a
couple
of
basic
slides,
but
what
we
really
wanted
to
do
is
based
on
your
feedback
answer.
Any
questions
that
you
have.
This
is
an
ongoing
process,
there's
a
lot
of
moving
parts
so
we're
here
for
you
we'll
just
roll
through
the
kind
of
where
we
are
in
the
process.
Now
we
received
five
vendor
responses
to
the
rfp
that
closed
on
april,
the
27th
I'd
like
to
report
to
you
that
we've
stood
up
a
website
now,
that's
gone,
live
it'll,
be
upgraded
at
regular
intervals.
L
There's
not
a
lot
a
whole
lot
of
content
to
it
initially,
but
as
we
move
along
in
the
process,
more
and
more
content
will
obviously
be
added
to
it.
The
steering
committee
application
now
live.
It
makes
a
call
for
representation
to
discuss
the
key
issues
affecting
our
community,
which
we
outlined
in
the
rfp
specifically.
L
So
when
we
get
into
those
rfp
responses,
we'll
be
taking
a
very
detailed
look
at
how
they
responded
to
each
one
of
those
issues,
and
the
reason
that's
important
too,
is
that
part
of
your
work
with
with
staff
in
the
community
will
be
the
appointment
of
that
all-important.
Steering
committee,
who
you
think
and
who
we
evaluate,
is
important
to
represent
each
of
those
key
issues.
L
L
The
selection
committee
will
review
and
evaluate
the
proposals
and
then
we'll
conduct
vendor
interviews
and
jillian
attendedly
scheduled,
may
12th.
Okay,
the
receipt
of
those
applications
again
for
the
steering
committee
by
may
17th
we'll
perform
an
initial
review
and
then
we'll
forward
them
on
to
the
commissioners
for
interviews
and
appointment,
no
different
than
a
lot
of
you
have
done
for
for
the
other
committees
that
you've
assigned
members
to
hope
to
have
that.
M
G
Nate,
perhaps
it'd
be
helpful
if
you
could
kind
of
give
an
overview
for
the
rest
of
the
commission
in
terms
of
the
relationship
between
the
steering
committee
and
the
county
planning
board
and
the
staff
and
the
and
the
future
consultant
and
kind
of
how
information,
flows
and
ideas
and
recommendations
bubble
to
the
surface.
Sure.
L
I'll
be
happy
to
the
planning
board
is
actually
it's.
It's
ingrained
in
the
code
of
ordinances
that
this
is
one
of
their
key
functions.
They
just
don't
get
to
do
it
a
lot.
A
lot
of
their
time
is
spent
doing
things
like
subdivision
review
or
review
and
rezoning
applications,
but
their
primary
goal
is
to
assist
with
the
goals,
objectives
and
policies
of
a
long-range
plan.
So
certainly
they
are
key
in
this
process.
L
I'm
reminded
often
of
the
lady
from
sandy
mush
that
comes
here
often,
and
she
talks
about
how
thankful
she
is
to
get
a
broadband
hotspot
at
their
community
center
hearing
from
those
folks
that
we
don't
often
hear
from,
I
think,
is
critical
to
our
long-term
objectives
across
the
county.
So
we
want
to
not
only
include
just
subject
matter
experts,
but
maybe
somebody,
that's
retired
and
say,
has
worked
for
the
schools
for
30
years
or
or
somebody
who's
worked
in
the
different
fields
and
understands
and
has
a
concept.
L
L
M
L
N
M
M
A
I
have
one
question:
it's
kind
of
maybe
a
question
to
the
commission
as
well
as
any
thoughts
from
the
staff
would
be
welcome.
So
this
is
a
you
know.
I
bet
you
are
gonna
get
a
hundred,
or
you
know
some
large
number
of
folks,
and
we
appreciate
y'all
looking
at
that
to
kind
of
start
thinking
that
through
so,
but
but
you
know,
kind
of
recognizing
what
a
we
you
know
do
a
lot
of
different
boards
and
commission
appointments,
but
recognizing
this
is
probably
the
biggest
group
that'll.
A
We
have
three
people.
I
don't
think
this
has
to
be
three.
If
there
were,
you
know,
if
there
were
four
people
on
the
commission
or
whatever
the
number
is
that
really
wanted
to
dig
into
that
and
work
on
it?
You
know,
I
think
it
could
be
kind
of
whatever
we
want
it
to
be.
If
the
commission
was
interested
in
it,
of
course,
you
know
the
default
would
just
be
it
just
all
comes
to
the
full
board
and
we
just
all
discuss
it.
A
So
I
wanted
to
put
that
question
forward
to
see
just
what
the
what
the
level
of
interest
in
that
might
be
on
the
commission
or
any
kind
of
feedback
on
that.
I
don't
think
from
the
from
the
process.
The
staff
are
recommending
would
necessarily
change
a
lot
there.
It's
just
that
there
would
be
sort
of
a
an
ad
hoc
group
of
the
commission
that
would
kind
of
receive
the
information
first
and
work
on
it
and
then
ultimately
make
recommendations
back
instead
of
full
board.
A
I
think
mostly,
I
think
mostly
I
mean
if
we
did
form
you
know
a
kind
of
a
working
group
of
the
commission.
If
there
were
other
things
that
staff
might
need
some
feedback
on.
Maybe
they
could
provide
that
too,
but
I
think
it
would
I'm
thinking
mostly
in
terms
of
just
processing
the
applications
that
are
going
to
come
in
for
the
appointments
to
the
steering
committee.
That
was
the
main
job
I
kind
of
had
in
mind.
A
G
K
K
O
I
echo
that
commissioner
white
side,
I
think
we
turned
our
microphones
on
at
the
same
time,
to
say
the
same
thing.
I
think
this
is
one
of
the
the
biggest,
if
not
the
biggest
issue
that
we'll
be
addressing
in
you
know
the
next
year
or
two,
and
I
think
it's,
the
onus
is
on
all
seven
of
us
to
ensure
that
the
right
folks
are
selected
and
helping
get
those
folks
on
board
for
the
staff.
A
On
that
to
me,
it's
not
necessarily
like
my
at
least
openness
to
it
is
not
necessarily
a
reflection.
That's
not
important,
but
in
some
ways
that
it's
like
to
me,
it's
so
important
that
actually
dedicating
a
group
of
people
to
spend
extra
time
on
it.
It
means
that
it's
kind
of
more
important
than
you
know
just
kind
of
the
typical
issues
that
come
to
us.
I
I
Either
way
I
mean
I
kind
of
agree
with
you
brownie
there
on
that
that
maybe
a
small
portion
could
get
more
in
depth,
but
then
bring
it
back,
we're
all
going
to
be
involved
in
it
at
the
end,
but
just
really
spend
a
little
extra
time,
even
if
we
alternate
a
little
bit
along
the
way.
So
I'm
good
either
way.
But
I
I
want
to
be
involved
real
deep
into
this.
N
So
I
agree
I
can
go
either
way.
I
my
initial
thought
was
to
actually
have
the
small
group
because
of
the
digging
in
on
that
aspect.
So
I
definitely
see
that
perspective,
but
I
do
believe
at
the
end
of
the
day,
we're
all
responsible
so
depending
on
how
everyone
feels.
But
if
we
do
have
a
small
group,
I'm
certainly
willing
to
put
dedicate
extra
time
to
that
and
working
on
that.
If
that's
what
the
commission
decides,
okay.
B
I'm
with
robert
and
terry
on
this
one
really,
I
I
honestly,
I
think
both
models
work
and
I
think
you
know
I
do
have
a
slight
preference
for
that
kind
of
like
task
force,
smaller
group
model.
That
then
brings
it
back
to
all
of
us.
Maybe
there
could
be
some
slight
modifications
to
that
where,
like,
if
other
commissioners
are,
you
know,
opportunities
for
engagement
throughout
that
process.
B
A
I
A
F
A
Okay,
well,
I
know
I'm
hearing
a
lot
of
really
a
lot
of
interest
in
this
in
the
community.
People
are
excited
about
it,
so
I
think
we're
gonna.
There
will
be
robust
participation.
I
think
that's
that's
almost
a
sure
thing.
So
all
right,
well
any
other
comments
or
thoughts
from
the
commission.
At
this
time.
I've.
G
G
The
reason
I
ask
is
I'm
just
I'm
sure
whoever
we
we
choose
will
have
done
this
dozens
of
times
and
handled
committees
like
this
dozens
of
times,
and
I
I
would
be
personally
interested
to
hear
their
recommendations
and
experience
on
picking
a
group
like
this.
Are
there
particular
professions
that
they
really
think
are?
Essentially,
you
know
essential
to
be
on
this
type
of
group
and
that
that
sort
of
feedback
I'd
love
to
hear
from
them
when
they're
selected,
so.
L
We
do
as
well,
and
I
think,
we're
on
a
marination
period
and
there's
always
a
couple
of
options
of
working
with
a
small
group
convening
a
work
session.
We
really
want
to
get
the
consultant
in
front
of
you
to
answer
those
all
important
questions
and
we
want
to
see
their
work.
What
have
products
have
they
done?
Have
they
done
them
successfully?
Those
are
the
ones
we
want
to
see.
A
Thank
you.
One
other
just
comment
I
would
make
would
be
as
we
think
about
populating
the
steering
committee.
You
totally
agree
with
the
comments
that
have
been
made
about.
We
need
good
representation
from
across
the
county
in
some
ways
you
know
when
I
I
think
when
we
think
about
county
planning
efforts,
we
tend
to
think
about
it
in
terms
of
the
people
who
live
outside
of
municipalities,
because
those
are
the
areas.
Of
course
we
have
legal,
some,
more
legal
jurisdiction
on
planning
and
development
rules,
and
things
like
that.
A
I
think,
for
a
comprehensive
planning
process
like
this,
though
we
definitely
need
to
be
cognizant
of
including
people
who
live
in
asheville,
the
small
towns
in
the
county,
even
though
we
don't
have
the
same
legal
jurisdictions
there.
I
think
how
how
this
county
grows
between
our
towns
and
city
and
rural
areas,
it's
all
so
related
to
one
another
that
those
and,
of
course
all
those
folks
are
residents
of
buncombe
county
too.
A
L
I
want
to
share
that
comment
without
a
doubt.
It's
a
regional
plan.
We
need
to
look
at
what
the
phenomenons
that
are
occurring
outside
of
the
county.
You
look
at
old,
fort
you
look
at
how
it's
redeveloping
now.
That's
only
demonstrates
how
folks
are
moving
outside
and
coming
into
work,
so
the
integration
fully
of
the
municipalities,
business
residents,
it's
all
important,
because
at
the
end
of
the
day,
the
gateway
community,
everyone
starts
here
and
they
move
from
in
or
out
on
a
daily
basis.
So
that's
a
very
good
point.
A
H
You've
heard
me
talk
about
this
topic
before
I
know
you're
very
aware
of
the
challenges
we
face
in
the
community,
but
what
we
wanted
to
do
is
just
take
a
few
minutes
today
to
kind
of
refresh
on
some
of
what
we're
seeing
make
sure
we're
all
kind
of
on
the
same
page
and
update
you
on
some
of
the
big
activities
that
have
occurred.
So
some
of
this
may
feel
like
old
hat
for
some
of
y'all,
but
for
some
of
you
may
feel
new,
but
either
way,
hopefully
a
good
refresher.
H
So
we'll
start
with
kind
of
what
we
know.
Some
updates
on
the
bunk
and
broadband
work
group,
as
well
as
the
buncombe
rfp,
and
then
we'll
talk
about
what's
coming
next,
so
what
we
know
off
the
off
the
top,
the
importance
of
broadband
and
so
off
at
the
very
top.
We
know
that
internet
access
is
limited
and
when
we
talk
about
access,
I
want
to
talk
about
in
terms
of
access,
but
also
accessibility.
H
H
Respondents
did
not
have
a
subscription
to
use
the
internet,
and
so
there's
an
asterisk
beside
that
number,
because
you
know
we
didn't
survey
250
000
residents,
we
had
a
sample
of
about
2
600.,
so
it
is
a
sample,
but
nonetheless,
10
percent
said
they
did
not
have
access
in
terms
of
accessibility,
which
is
a
different
issue.
So
maybe
access
is
you
know
I
just
can't
get
connected.
Accessibility
is,
I
can
get
connected.
I
just
can't
afford
it.
H
We
found
that
75
said
that
the
service
was
either
inadequate
and
45
said
it
was
too
expensive.
So
even
in
those
places
where
we
have
the
infrastructure,
there's
challenges
it's
too
slow.
It's
too
expensive.
That
said,
we
know.
Internet
access
is
hugely
important
and
I
will
save
you
the
covet
analogy
because
you've
already
heard
it,
but
what
our
survey
showed
us
is
that
60
of
our
respondents
used
the
internet
for
education
and
35
percent
use
it
for
for
business,
and
so
what
that
tells
us
this
isn't
about.
You
know
just
gaming
or
fun
stuff.
H
So
that's
kind
of
what
we
know
about
how
important
this
is
and
why
some
folks
aren't
getting
online.
What
I
wanted
to
spend
some
time
on
is
what
are
the
challenges,
because
there's
a
bunch-
and
I
don't
think
we've
talked
about
this
in
detail,
so
I
wanted
to
take
some
time
on
that
so
challenges
off
the
top
cost.
H
You
know,
terrain
impacts,
construction
costs,
and
we
know
that
anecdotally,
because
we
know
that
we're
in
a
mountainous
place.
We
know
that
trenching
through
granite
is
expensive,
but
that's
exactly
what
you're
doing
when
you're
laying
broadband?
It's
not
just
a
it's
like
any
other
utility
gas
electric,
whatever
we're
doing
it's
expensive
to
build
in
geographically
challenging
areas.
H
Additionally,
in
some
of
parts
of
our
county,
I
think
we
know
these
are
more
rural,
lower
density
areas,
and
so
you
run
into
a
kind
of
a
supply
cost
issue.
You
know
for
a
provider,
the
cost
of
infrastructure
is
the
same,
but
the
the
number
of
folks
to
offset
that
cost
through
subscription
fees
or
whatever
it
may
be,
is
lower
in
our
more
rural
areas.
H
So
you
have
a
challenge
of
how
do
you
build
a
business
case
as
an
internet
service
provider
to
make
it
work
so
that
you
can
invest
in
these
areas
that
don't
have
access
some
of
the
big
costs
that
we
see
in
this
area?
You
can
see
on
the
third
bullet,
this
quote-unquote
make-ready
cost,
and
so
this
is
what
our
utility
providers
refer
to
as
the
cost
to
basically
make
a
telephone
or
a
utility
pole
ready.
You
know
we
see
these
poles
everywhere,
but
the
reality
is
they're
regulated.
H
So
we
can't
just
you
know,
hang
fiber
on
any
pole.
You
know
there
there's
rules
about
the
distance
between
the
the
different
fiber,
the
electricity,
etc,
and
so
to
get
a
poll,
make
ready,
there's,
sometimes
costs,
and
that
could
be
as
simple
as
putting
in
a
new
poll
which
doesn't
seem
that
challenging,
except
if
you
have
to
do
it
thousands
of
times
over
very
rural
areas
of
the
county,
you
can
see
how
that
would
become
costly.
H
Additionally,
laying
fibers
I've
already
kind
of
described
very
expensive,
depending
on
where
you're
at
you
know,
if
you're
retrenching
doing
something
like
that,
that's
an
expensive
cost,
so
the
cost
bucket
kind
of
obvious.
I
think
we
all
get
that
what's
also
a
challenge,
but
maybe
something
we
haven't
talked
about
as
much
are
the
statutes
that
prohibit
local
government
activity
in
this
space
and
so
right
off
the
top
statutes
prohibit
local
governments
from
constructing
internet
infrastructure
unless
it's
for
county
business
operations.
H
So
if
we
wanted,
for
some
reason
to
lay
fiber
that
connected
200
college
to
you
know,
woodfin,
that's,
okay,
it's
a
part
of
our
business
operations,
however,
just
laying
fiber
to
get
to
sandy
mush,
broad
river
or
someplace,
because
it's
in
the
public
interest.
That's
not
that's,
not
a
valid
statutory,
a
reason
based
on
the
way
the
statutes
are
written.
Those
aren't
direct
county
business
operations,
so
we're
prohibited
from
doing
that.
So
we
can't
just
go
run
fiber
wherever
we
want
it.
That's
step
one.
H
Additionally,
the
the
statute
that
I
reference
here
in
bullet
2
153,
a
459
allows
local
governments
counties
in
particular
to
expand
infrastructure,
but
with
some
very
specific
parameters-
and
those
are
one
you
must
do,
an
rfp
which
makes
sense
the
catch
is
after
you
do
that
rfp.
The
infrastructure
that
you've
paid
for
does
not
belong
to
the
county.
H
That
infrastructure
belongs
to
the
provider
that
you
have
partnered
with
and
awarded
that
contract
to
so
think
of
any
provider
in
your
head.
We
could
award
an
rfp
to
them
for
x
dollars,
hopefully
there's
a
cost
share.
There
should
be,
but
all
of
that
infrastructure
then
becomes
the
providers
and
that's
how
the
statute's
written
and
there's
no
exception.
H
So,
in
summary,
you
know
counties
shall
not
provide
internet
service,
they
shall
not
own
infrastructure
unless
for
governmental
purposes
and
they
cannot
sell
or
lease
that
infrastructure.
So
that's
our
current
statutory
environment
and
we'll
talk
at
the
end
of
the
presentation
about
some
of
the
shifting
sands
there.
But
I
wanted
you
to
understand
kind
of
what
we're
facing
today
unless
we
see
some
different
changes
in
our
statutes.
H
Finally,
I
wanted
to
talk
about
data,
and
data
is
important
because
it
drives
our
decision
making.
If
the
data
is
bad,
it
makes
decision
making
challenging
so
the
fcc
has
developed
maps
to
identify
unserved
populations
across
the
country.
What
I'm
here
to
tell
you-
and
I
think
the
fcc
would
admit
this
as
well.
Their
data
is
horrendous.
H
They've
identified
unserved
populations
and
they're
limited
in
what
they
can
get
the
example
that
I'll
give
you
if
we
think
about
madison
county.
It's
not
buncombe
county,
but
humor
me
in
terms
of
the
number
of
unserved
households
in
madison
county,
the
fcc
projects,
a
number,
and
this
number
is
used
to
make
decisions
on
grant
applications
at
the
state,
administers
that
the
feds
administer,
etc.
H
But
these
are
just
the
challenges
that
I
wanted
you
to
be
aware
of
as
we
go
into
our
next
sections.
Stop
me
at
any
point
so
key
activities.
What
have
we
done
since
so?
There's
a
few
completed
actions,
I'm
not
going
to
talk
about
those!
I
want
you
to
be
aware
of
our
ongoing
actions,
most
specifically
our
buncombe
broadband
work
group
and
our
broadband
rfp,
and
so
I've
got
a
slide
on
each
of
those.
So
I'll
get
you
up
to
speed
there.
H
The
purpose
of
this
rfp
is
to
comply
with
the
statute,
put
out
an
rfp
to
expand
broadband
to
unserved
areas,
and
so
we've
done
that
and
I'll
talk
to
you
a
little
bit
more
about
it.
Our
work
group
is
made
up
of
a
number
of
different
community
organizations
and
stakeholders,
so
we've
got
both
school
systems
at
the
table.
Acs
and
bcs
land
of
sky
is,
of
course,
providing
support,
north
carolina
department
of
information
technology,
the
housing
authority
and
then
a
number
of
community
members
who
have
come
to
us
as
well.
H
This
was
a
formal
application
process
that
was
where
folks
were
evaluated.
I'd
like
to
note
that
some
of
these
community
members
are
not
your
average
community
members.
These
are
folks
that
have
deep
expertise
in
the
in
the
field.
Former
fcc
employees
that
we're
fortunate
to
have
in
our
community
that
kind
of
know
the
ins
and
outs.
H
Our
work
group
came
up
with
a
handful
of
guiding
principles
and
you
can
see
those
listed
I'll
talk
about
them
because
they
are
important
from
a
priority
in
focus.
You
know,
the
belief
is
that
these
solutions
should
address
access
and
accessibility,
so
not
just
the
infrastructure,
but
also
the
costs
for
those
that
cannot
afford
broadband
from
a
technology
standpoint.
H
We
have
to
be
technology
neutral.
This
is
a
principle
for
us,
but
it's
also
a
part
of
the
statute,
and
what
that
means
is
that
we
can't,
in
our
rfp
as
an
example,
say
that
we
want
a
fiber
solution
or
that
we
want
a
fixed
wireless
solution
or
we
want
spacex.
What
we
can
define
is
we
want
this
speed,
this
latency
or
whatever
it
is.
We
can't
be
specific
to
the
type
of
technology.
H
H
Resources?
Very
simply,
let's
attract
investment
and
leverage
other
funds,
wherever
possible,
state
federal
private.
Let's
make
sure
we're
utilizing.
Other
people's
money,
if
you
will,
the
work
group
has
been
heavily
involved
in
provider
interviews.
We
interviewed
over
15
providers
on
the
front
end
of
this
process,
so
thinking
like
folks,
like
charter
us
cellular
at
t
and
ask
them
specifically,
what
do
you
need?
What
are
the
challenges?
What
can
we
do
to
make
this
a
successful
process?
H
H
In
december
of
20,
we
issued
the
rfp
after
about
three
months
of
development,
which
also
included
sort
of
the
provider
interviews
that
I
mentioned
earlier,
and
that
rfp
includes
a
few
things.
So
scope
is
county-wide.
We
want
to
see
a
county-wide
solution,
but
we
reserve
the
right
to
award
to
multiple
providers.
If
we
desire
the
focus
is
on
unserved
areas,
we're
not
looking
to
just
increase
speeds
in
areas
that
already
have
access
we're
looking
to
hit
those
that
are
unserved
for
some
reason,
we're
offering
up
any
assets
that
we
have.
H
You
know
the
county
has
towers.
We
have
buildings,
some
of
those
assets
are
useful
to
different
types
of
providers,
so
we've
offered
those
up,
of
course,
we're
technology
neutral,
which
I've
already
talked
to
you
about,
but
we
also
requested
an
affordability
plan
from
any
provider
that
responded,
and
so
we
want
to
know
specifically.
What
can
you
do
beyond
what
you're
doing
today
to
make
internet
access
more
affordable
to
those
that
can't
afford
it?
So
that
was
a
part
of
every
proposal
we've
received
in
terms
of
the
technology
requirements.
H
I
mentioned
we're
technology
neutral,
but
that
doesn't
mean
we
can't
define
our
requirements,
and
so
these
are
the
example
requirements
that
we've
we've
put
in
the
proposal.
I
don't
want
to
get
into
all
of
them
with
you
today
unless
you'd
like
to
a
key,
though
that
I
want
to
talk
about,
is
our
preferred
speed.
H
So
we've
already
sort
of
scaled
up
and
said
you
know
what
we
don't
think
25
by
3
is
where
we
need
to
be
and
the
reason
we
know.
That
is
because
we
have
a
perfect
case
study
the
past
year.
You
know
folks
have
been
home,
they've
been
multiple
zoom
calls.
You
know
children
on
at
the
same
time
as
their
parents,
and
we
know
that
creates
challenges
within
a
household,
certainly
that
has
less
than
100
bags
down
in
their
house.
H
So
we
wanted
to
go
ahead
and
acknowledge
that
we
don't
think
25x3
is
sufficient,
we're
shooting
for
100
by
10,
because
that's
where
we
think
we
are
today
candidly,
but
where
we
know
we're
going
to
be,
as
we
continue
to
see
folks
continue
to
use
the
internet
in
their
homes
for
work,
education,
etc.
So,
let's
not
just
solve
today,
let's
think
about
what's
coming
in
the
future,
so
that
was
a
key
point
for
us.
H
H
G
Sorry
to
interrupt
or
to
ask
a
question
about
your
county
assets
bullet,
I
can
kind
of
imagine
what
that
what
that
is,
but
I'm
sure
we
have
emergency
service
communication
towers
that
we
own,
but
also
probably
space,
that
we
lease
and
then
there's
the
fire
districts
that
probably
have
similar
spaces
that
they
own
or
release.
Does
that
include,
what's
included,
underneath
that
yep
you're
spot.
H
On
it's,
the
the
most
valuable
assets
tend
to
be
towers,
and
there
there's
a
variety
of
those,
some
that
we
own
some
that
are
fire
districts
own
there's,
also
a
network
of
towers
that
we
don't
own
that
are
like
statewide.
You
know
you
may
hear
about
viper
towers
and
things
of
that
nature,
so
those
are
the
types
of
assets
and
where
we
can
just
provide
access.
H
H
So
this
is
our
map.
I
I
don't
know
how
well
you
can
see
it,
but
again.
Red
in
in
this
sense
is
bad,
meaning
that
there
you
can't
get
access
to
100
megs,
but
that
doesn't
mean
that
you
may
not
have
access
to
something
else.
So
you
could
have
a
25x3
service.
You
could
have
dsl,
you
can
have
any
number
of
services,
so
you
may
have
a
way
of
getting
to
the
internet,
but
it's
not
necessarily
efficient.
H
It
may
have
low
latency
where
you're
getting
kicked
off
all
the
time
or
you
have
a
fuzzy
screen.
You
can't
do
a
zoom,
so
there's
any
any
number
of
issues
that
you
may
face,
and
so
we
included
this
map
in
in
our
rfp,
and
you
remember
earlier
when
I
talked
to
you
about
fcc
data,
and
I
told
you
that
that
data
was
really
bad.
We
had
to
create
this
map
because
of
that
fcc
data.
If
we
showed
a
map
of
fcc
data,
it
would
show
a
much
rosier
picture,
which
is
not
the
reality.
H
So
we
went
through
a
process
where
we
effectively
checked
addresses
by
addresses
to
see
who
could
actually
get
service
based
on
an
actual
address,
and
to
do
that,
you
know
we
had
some
some
folks
from
unca
who
supported
us
and
did
it
in
an
efficient
way,
but
we
actually
did
kind
of
a
check.
Can
I
get
access
at
this
household,
and
so
that's
how
we
know
this
answer?
H
I
would
never
claim
that
this
map
is
100
accurate
and
we
asked
our
providers
to
tell
us
if
it
isn't
when
we
gave
them
the
map.
We
said
if
it's
wrong
tell
me
and
we'll
fix
it,
but
what's
key
to
note
about
this
map,
if
you
look
at
sort
of
the
southeast
corner
broad
river,
we
have
a
really
bad
pocket
there,
where
a
lot
of
folks
don't
have
access.
H
H
Naturally,
as
providers
continue
to
build
out
their
networks
in
these
sort
of
more
distant
pockets
like
sandy,
mush
and
broad
river,
that's
where
we
see
the
need
for
more
investment,
because
the
geography
there
is
really
challenging
and
the
the
density
of
the
population
is
really
challenging
or
low.
I
should
say
so:
that's
just
a
picture
of
kind
of
what
what's
going
on
and
what
it
looks
like.
I
caution
you
you
know
this
doesn't
mean
that
everyone
on
this
map
doesn't
have
access.
H
So
shifting
gears
so
we've
talked
about
the
rfp,
we're
evaluating
the
proposals.
I
wanted
to
spend
some
time
on
technology
and
not
get
too
deep
into
the
weeds,
but
just
help
you
understand
because,
as
we
go
through
the
rfp
there's
different
types
of
technologies
that
have
been
proposed-
and
I
just
want
you
to
be
roughly
familiar
with
those.
H
So
this
is
a
graphic
that
we
stole
from
texas,
but
I
think
it
does
a
nice
job,
and
so
I'm
going
to
start
on
the
left
and
so
right
off
the
bat.
We
have
this
concept
of
mobile
broadband,
and
so
I'm
just
going
to
change
the
words
on
this
and
think
of
this.
As
like
cell
phone,
like
the
the
internet,
access
that
that
you
get
on
your
phone,
it's
mobile
because
it
moves
with
you.
H
Our
current
technology
tends
to
be
4g,
but
I'm
sure
you've
already
heard
from
some
good
and
bad
that
cell
providers
are
quickly
moving
to
5g
movement
to
5g
over
time
will
mean
that
folks
will
be
able
to
pull
down
up
to
like
one
gig
in
terms
of
speeds,
so
that
technology
vastly
changing
as
the
network
improves
below
that
you
see.
Cable,
that's
just
your
traditional
provider,
like
charter,
who
provides
through
a
cable
modem.
H
If
we
go
back
up
to
the
top,
you
see,
there's
a
water
tower
on
top
of
that
water
tower,
there's
a
little
satellite,
that's
fixed
wireless
and
so
fixed
wireless
is
similar
to
maybe
mobile
broadband
except
different.
Fixed
wireless
typically
requires
you
to
have
direct
line
of
sight.
So
as
long
as
you
can
see
that
water
tower
and
that
that
antenna
on
that
on
the
water
tower,
you've
got
a
pretty
good
signal.
H
So
that's
a
key
difference
between
fixed
wireless
and
mobile
broadband,
5g
technology,
less
impacted
by
things
like
foliage
like
trees,
although
somewhat
impacted.
So
as
we
think
about
solutions,
you
know,
a
cellular
solution
may
be
more
robust
than
a
fixed
wireless
solution
which
relies
on
different
technology
and
you'll
start
to
see
this
as
we
bring
proposals
forward
going
back
down
to
the
bottom
fiber.
This
is
your
traditional.
You
know
fiber
to
your
home.
H
H
H
The
final
is
dsl
and
so
dsl
all
around
the
county
speeds
are
really
low,
also
sort
of
a
strange
infrastructure
in
that
there's
like
a
physical
barrier
to
how
many
people
can
be
on
the
internet.
So
you
may
have
people
that
are
connected,
but
you
can't
actually
get
connected
until
someone
else
drops
out,
because
the
dsl
box
is
full,
which
is
just
a
strange
thing,
it's
old
technology,
but
I
just
wanted
to
share
that.
That's
something
that
does
exist,
but
not
something
that
we
think
will
continue
to
be
a
key
player
for
us.
H
H
You
know
a
fixed
wireless,
a
mobile
broadband
solution
might
be
better
in
a
place
where
construction
cost
is
really
high
and
popular
population
density
is
really
low,
as
opposed
to
in
a
very
urban
setting.
Additional
fiber
may
be
more
attainable
because
of
the
density
to
offset
those
costs,
so
it's
kind
of
a
trade-offs
conversation.
So
I
just
wanted
y'all
to
be
aware
of
that.
H
At
any
point,
if
there's
questions
stop
me,
but
in
terms
of
what's
next
we're
going
through
the
proposal
review
now
we
went
through
an
initial
response
that
we
received
in
march,
based
on
what
we
saw
from
the
providers.
We
asked
them
to
kind
of
take
a
different
look
at
what
we
needed
to
accomplish
in
buncombe
county,
which
is
to
serve
our
unserved,
and
so
we
issued
an
addendum,
which
everyone
has
responded
to
and
which
we
just
received
yesterday.
H
H
So
that's
what's
next!
If
you've
got
questions
on
that,
please
let
me
know
I
have
one
more
slide
and
then
I'll
take
any
questions
you
have.
I
also
wanted
to
talk
about
the
changing
landscape,
and
so
this
is
an
area
where
there's
a
ton
of
attention,
not
just
here
locally
rather
at
the
state
and
federal
level,
and
so
things
are
changing
and
so
we're
just
evaluating.
What's
going
on,
first
off
grant
funds
the
american
rescue
plan
as
a
great
example
through
the
local
fiscal
recovery
fund,
prioritizes
broadband
across
the
country.
H
H
Additionally,
there's
the
art
off:
that's
our
third
bullet,
that's
a
federal
program
and
there's
an
impact
to
the
broad
river
area
with
the
art
off
funds.
I
won't
get
into
the
weeds
on
what
that
is.
It's
a
limited
impact
and
the
timing
on
it
is
a
little
tbd,
but
there
are
potential
grant
dollars
available
to
parts
of
broad
river
as
well.
H
So
that's
a
critical
point
that
we've
communicated.
I
know
we've
shared
with
some
of
the
local
delegation,
but
something
I
think
we
need
to
continue
to
hammer
home
547.
Also
interesting.
The
fiber
act
are
really
great,
would
give
local
governments
the
ability
to
expand,
potentially
sell
and
lease
infrastructure,
which
I
think
is
really
exciting,
but
does
not
explicitly
address
the
issue
identified
earlier
with
the
ability
to
use
federal
and
state
dollars,
like
the
american
rescue
plan,
to
sort
of
move
forward
with
broadband
expansion
efforts,
so
both
good
bills.
H
689
to
me
really
critical
today
for
moving
forward
with
coronavirus
relief
funds
to
support
this
critical
need
in
our
community.
So
just
wanted
to
remind
you
all
of
that
in
terms
of
evolving
technologies,
we're
seeing
a
lot
changing.
Elon,
musk
and
starlink
are
getting
a
lot
of
attention
for
what
they're
doing
our
work
group
has
evaluated
the
solution
from
a
technical
standpoint
and
thinks
it's
really
exciting,
but
doesn't
necessarily
think
it's
a
mainstream
solution.
H
H
H
The
final
piece
is
partnerships
with
private
public
and
other
organizations.
A
lot
of
people
are
talking
about
broadband
and
we're
we're
listening,
and
so
there's
a
number
of
pr
partnerships
that
we're
discussing
nothing
that
I
can
share
with
you
today
because
we're
still
in
the
early
steps.
But
there
are
folks
that
are
trying
to
tackle
this
issue
with
us,
which
is
a
good
thing.
B
Thanks
this
is
very
helpful
and
thanks
to
everyone
working
on
this,
just
just
want
to
make
sure
I'm
I'm
tracking
with
you
around
how
the
statutory
issues
intersect
with
what
we
are
trying
to
do.
So
if
we
see
689
pass,
that
clears
the
way
for
us
to
proceed
if
it
doesn't
and
we
have
the
current
status
quo
or
potentially
547
passes.
H
H
Okay,
I
think
that's
right
and
mr
frew
and
I
have
been
chatting
a
little
bit
today-
there's
portions
of
689-
that
if
we
could
just
see
appear
in
any
bill,
I
think
we'd
be
pleased.
So
that's
something
for
us
to
consider,
but
we
really
need
the
go-ahead
to
be
able
to
use
general
fund
revenue
or
state
and
federal
revenue
for
this
rfp.
That
would
be
ideal.
B
G
I
guess
I
have
a
clarifying
question
on
the
grant
funds
speaking
to
the
great
grant
and
the
rdof
grant
just
so
I
know
like
just
because
we
receive
grant
funds.
Does
that
guarantee
actual
internet
access
to
addresses,
or
is
it
still
kind
of
somewhat
up
in
the
air
to
the
private
company
involved
with
receiving
those
funds
like
help
me
understand
that
absolutely.
H
Excellent
question
and
I
think
great
grant,
I
think,
guarantees
access
and
I
guarantee
you
strong
word.
You
know
that,
but
much
more
likely
to
see
something
like
that
come
through
ardoff,
very
different.
This
is
an
auction
process
and
in
a
true
sense
of
the
word,
so
providers
bid
on
areas
of
the
country
and
their
bids
are
evaluated
on
a
number
of
variables,
including
cost,
and
so
you
may
win
a
bid
at
a
low-cost
bid.
H
That
makes
it
very
challenging
to
actually
do
what
you
say:
you're
going
to
do,
there's
concerns
in
the
space
that
that
structure
promotes
folks
sort
of
bidding
on
areas
to
take
them
off
the
map,
and
so
that
that's
a
concern
for
us.
So
anytime,
we
see
art
off
we're
like
excited,
but
we
want
to
see
it
proved
additionally,
art
off
the
structure
of
it.
There's
no,
it's
a
reimbursable
grant
process,
so
you
have
to
spend
money
to
get
money,
but
there's
no
upfront
grant.
H
N
And
tim,
you
can
correct
me
if
I'm
wrong,
but
I
think
so
the
great
grant
in
two
years
they
have
to
build
out
with
that
one.
So
that
really
helps
because
there's
a
defined
period
of
time.
The
ardoff,
I
believe,
it's
five
six
years,
that
they
have
the
ability
and
I
don't
think
the
build-out
is
the
same,
even
if
I'm
remembering
correctly,
whereas
the
great
grant
actually
is
much
easier
to
get
connected
to
with
the
art
off
it's
a
little
fuzzy
to
me.
That's.
H
Right,
it's
a
six
or
seven
year
window
and
then
even
with
that,
there's
a
percentage.
So
I
think
you
have
to
have
40
done
in
three
years
and
then
six
and
it's
a
federal
program.
It's
big!
It's
meant
to
work
everywhere,
whereas
the
great
group
program
is
more
targeted
to
north
carolina
type
issues.
So
I
think
it
works
a
little
better.
H
G
H
H
Thank
you
cool.
One
final
note:
I
would
share
with
you.
There
are
a
couple
examples
across
the
state
of
local
governments
that
are
providing
internet
service,
but
those
are
very
limited
and
tend
to
be
because
of
their
relationship
historically
as
utility
providers.
One
of
the
great
examples
is
in
wilson,
north
carolina
and
their
their
internet
providers
green
light,
which
is
a
part
of
their
old
electric
foundation.
A
A
I
did
have
actually.
I
was
thinking
about
the
agenda
for
this
evening.
I
did
have
one
question
about
an
item
on
the
agenda
for
this
evening.
I
don't
know
if
there's
someone
in
the
room
who
can
address
it
but
just
wanted
to
ask
the
question
and
see
it
is
regarding.
I
think
it's
the
last
item
on
the
agenda.
It's
regarding
the
tda
funding.
So
is
there
someone
who
could
speak
to
that?
A
Yeah
I
mean,
as
I
read
it,
it
basically
said
that
there
was
like
more
revenue
was,
has
either
come
in
or
was
expected
to
come
in
then
had
been
previously
forecasted,
and
so
some
action
was
needed,
but
I
think
there
was
a
little
bit
of
we
weren't
clear
about.
Why
did
we
need
to
do
something?
Because
I
couldn't
remember
something
like
this
happening
before
us
needing
to
vote
on
this
before.
So
what?
What
is
the.