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Harlan County has approved an agreement to provide broadband internet access to parts of the county which are currently without high-speed internet service.

Harlan County Judge-Executive Dan Mosley shed some light on the situation during a recent Harlan County Fiscal Court meeting.

“As you recall, last month we discussed the Move the Needle Project to help the citizens in Cloverlick in District 3 to obtain better internet access,” Mosley said. “Right now, basically all they have is what you would equate to DSL or a satellite internet provider that provides very low service.”

According to Mosley, the Harlan County Economic Development Authority (EDA) reviewed proposals from multiple internet providers last month and requested more time to research the issue.

“They recommended we reject one proposal, which we did due to overall costs,” Mosley said. “The other three proposals that were submitted were within $22,000 of each other.”

Mosley explained the bids ranged from $100,000 to $122,200. The EDA provided a letter recommending the proposal from Access Cable be accepted by the Fiscal Court.

“Access Cable’s proposal was selected for several reasons,” Mosley read to the court. “First, Access Cable already has infrastructure in place in the area. Access Cable has already extended service to a portion of the College Road area. Second, Access Cable has a local presence in the Tri-Cities. Access Cable has a local office, so local residents will be able to make payments in person. Third, Access Cable was the lowest cost option…Fourth, Access Cable’s price and speed schedule offer adequate options for residential business needs.”

Access Cable additionally had the fastest timetable for construction, stating they would begin construction within 90 days of receiving pole attachment agreements, Mosley said.

“Lastly, Access Cable will be able to offer cable television services to residents as a result of extending broadband into the area,” Mosley said.

Mosley told the magistrates he believed all three proposals were competitive.

Magistrate Paul Browning, whose district includes Cloverlick, agreed with the EDA’s assessment.

“What more could you hope for?” Browning said. “Access Cable has stepped up throughout the district and gone to fiber optics. They’ve moved the needle way forward. In my district, nearly every household has access to good Internet, with the exception of Cloverlick.”

Browning mentioned teachers who live in Cloverlick have had problems communicating with students on alternative education days when classes are held online.

“This will truly be transformative for the people of that area,” Mosley said.

Browning made a motion to accept the EDA’s recommendation to accept Access Cable’s proposal for the Move the Needle Project on Cloverlick. The motion was seconded by Magistrate James Howard and passed by the court with no objections.

Court hears from water non-profit

The Fiscal Court also heard a presentation from the Dig Deep Appalachian Water Project during the court’s regular July meeting.

The presentation gave the magistrates information on the project’s possible impact on Harlan County.

Harlan County Judge-Executive Dan Mosley called on Dig Deep Appalachian Water Project Manager David Woodard to address the court early in the meeting.

“We are a nationwide nonprofit that has projects on the Navaho Nation, three of them in Mexico, Arizona, and Utah, in Texas along the border, and in southern West Virginia,” Woodard said. “We’re looking at how we can expand our footprint in Appalachia to make the Appalachian Water Project a larger project and more impactful.”

Woodard stated there are currently 2.2 million plus people in North America with regular access to clean drinking water.

“We’re trying to cut that as much as we can,” Woodard said. “I know from speaking with Judge Mosley, Harlan has great coverage. But there are some rehab projects coming up that we possibly could work with in the future.”

Woodard explained his organization has dug wells, provided rain catch systems and other such projects.

“We take different innovative approaches when we need to,” Woodard said. “Our preferred method is to get public water to people. Also, understand that Harlan can be part of the solution for other counties.”

Woodard pointed out the organization is not looking for funding from the county.

“We are completely funded by donations and grants, so we don’t come with our hand out,” Woodard said. “Last year we had 13,700 and some odd donors. Some of those are major corporate sponsors, brands you see every day. A lot of them were small, under $1,000. Altogether, our Appalachian Water Project runs just under a $2 million budget, so we bring to the table a pretty serious game. We’re not here to take over anything; we’re not here to run anything, we’re just here to help get people water.”

Magistrate Paul Browning drew a comparison between the water project and the current broadband internet situation in southeastern Kentucky.

“In the world of broadband, they keep talking about the last mile,” Browning said. “I guess you all are the last few feet in getting a line to a house or complex.”

Woodard said his organization attempts to fill a gap in getting water to homes.

“You all get the major part of the infrastructure in place, and then we come in,” Woodard said. “A lot of times, the homeowners can’t afford it. Sometimes you’re talking $7,000 or $8,000 just to get from the meter to the house if you hire a professional to do it. That’s a lot of money for some folks. We’re able to come in and do that.”

Woodard mentioned his organization also helps with sanitation projects.

“Have you all done any package water treatment sites that would essentially treat water from a well in areas that would serve five or six residences?” Mosley asked.

Woodard responded his organization had yet to tackle that issue in that way.

“What is not financially feasible for (the county) because of the cost of the infrastructure to get there might be financially feasible if the infrastructure to get there didn’t cost you anything,” Woodard said. “We’re looking at a community on top of a mountain in West Virginia that has seven homes in total. It’s going to be about three miles of pipe. We can come in and do that, charge the county nothing and get it done. They pick up the seven customers, and they’ve got new pipe that’s not going to need maintenance for several years.”

Mosley mentioned some areas in the county which could benefit from such a project.

“There are places at the top of Pine Mountain…that come to mind and two different locations across the mountain where people have wanted water for years, but not only does the cost to run it exceed the cost per household they’re willing to take on, but the maintenance issue of serving three or four residences…causes a problem with the water district meeting public service guidelines,” Mosley said.

Following some further discussion, the presentation concluded with no action taken.