News
Clinton County Commissioners Engage Spectrum for County-Wide Fiber Build
Wilmington, Ohio. Clinton County Commissioners have allocated $7.6 million with over $6.5 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act funds toward upgrading existing connectivity and expanding broadband internet access to un-served and under-served parts of our county.
Commissioners signed a contract with Charter Communications/Spectrum for the installation of nearly 400 miles of new fiber optic infrastructure to more than 3,000 homes and small businesses with completion expected within 18 months of the approved pole permit necessary to complete the entire Project Area.
The Board of Commissioners initially commissioned a study which included public meetings as well as other public input through April, 2022, to confirm existing access to adequate internet services, priorities and the specific needs of the community in the areas of remote work, e-learning/education, telehealth, public safety and business needs. The study confirmed 47% of respondents completely lacked internet access.
In a separate $11 million project beginning in January, 2022, Spectrum began construction of fiber infrastructure in Clinton County under the FCC Rural Digital Opportunity fund to bring broadband services to more than 2,000 locations, activations for this phase of the project are 85% complete.
The combined projects and investments from both parties total more than $29 million for Clinton County and will deliver speeds of up to 1 Gbps with minimum speeds of 300 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload. Once complete, more than 5,000 homes and small business across all 13 townships within the county will have access to broadband and other services.
“Internet connectivity is critical for families, students, businesses. This fiber installation places Clinton County in a great position strategically for the right type of growth, to keep and to attract good companies to the county. Allocating ARPA dollars to reach unserved and underserved areas of the county was an opportunity to use the federal funds in a manner to do the greatest good for the community, for something that would make an impact for years to come,” Commissioner Kerry R. Steed said.
“We heard from schools and parents that children were having difficulty connecting for remote learning, we heard from employers and employees that remote work was impossible in some cases, telehealth could not be accessed, we heard from the agricultural community the importance of connectivity for their business, this is a huge step forward in providing all of Clinton County with the fiber infrastructure needed for residents, businesses and future controlled growth,” stated Commissioner Mike McCarty.
“This improvement in our infrastructure to state-of-the-art technology places Clinton County in a position to attract businesses and to support the needs of residents,” stated Commissioner Brenda K. Woods.
**********************************************************************
For Immediate Release: June 5, 2023
For more information, press only:
Clinton County Commissioners
Lisa Hipke, Clerk
937-382-2103
hipke.lisa@clintoncountyohio.us
County Commissioners publish statement on Solar
The Clinton County Board of Commissioners in session today stated their objections to the plans of Invenergy to build large solar arrays in the southern part of Clinton County.
Yellow Wood Solar Project as proposed in Clark and Jefferson townships would consist of 740,000 solar panels, ground-mounted on a tracking rack system. The project would occupy approximately 2,460 acres within an approximate 4,400-acre project area and would include associated infrastructure including access roads, operations, and maintenance building, underground and overhead electric collection lines, weather stations, inverters, and transformers, a collection substation, and a 345-kV gen-tie electric transmission line. The project would be secured by 6’ tall perimeter fencing with a standard 300’ setback from fence line to residences.
Commissioner Brenda K. Woods stated, “Our neighbors in other counties have seen firsthand the lack of accountability once thousands of these panels and related infrastructure are installed. There are issues with disruptive and continual noise during construction, ongoing drainage and erosion that affect neighboring properties, and a reduction in neighboring property values. I remain concerned about the lack of oversight, maintenance, and upkeep over a long, 30+-year installation as well as end-of-life removal and disposal of the equipment. Agreement has not been reached on essential terms for Clinton County, including substantial increases in all setbacks and authority to approve or deny stormwater mitigation plans. This agreement does not protect the county and its citizens who are directly affected. We do not want this for our Clinton County residents.”
Commissioner Kerry R. Steed added, “I am on the record as being 100% opposed to these types of industrial-scale solar projects. I find it unacceptable that this industrial-scale solar project takes thousands of acres of the most productive farmland in the state out of use and negatively affects the ag economy in Clinton County.”
Commissioner Mike McCarty stated, “from the beginning, I’ve been concerned about the lack of accountability. Based upon their own statements, the Ohio Power Siting Board does not proactively monitor or enforce compliance once the sites are built. When you look at projects in other counties, which I have, you can see firsthand the results of this lack of accountability. The project sites are poorly maintained and for a project that will require a commitment to ongoing maintenance for 30 or more years, that is a significant concern.”
The Commissioners also discussed their opposition to an anticipated request by Invenergy to receive a tax abatement, which would effectively reduce the anticipated full value of taxes on their project to all taxing authorities over a 30-year period.
BOARD APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED
County Commissioners seek Qualified Candidates
An important responsibility of the board of Clinton County Commissioners is the appointment of citizens to serve on various boards that oversee important activities throughout the county. Finding qualified people to serve on these boards can sometimes be a challenge.
Board appointments are made for the following organizations: Rural Zoning Commission, The Clinton County Port Authority; The LEGACY Committee, Zoning Board of Appeals, The Public Defender’s Board, Board of Developmental Disability, Regional Airport Authority Board, Elderly Services Board, Regional Planning Commission, Joint Recreation District, and The Wilmington Public Library. Other board positions are needed for overseeing the community reinvestment areas, Metropolitan Housing Authority, Human Services, Mental Health/Recovery Services, Emergency Communications, and others.
Anyone interested in serving on a community board should contact the office of the County Commissioners and request a board member questionnaire. Once this questionnaire is completed and returned, the person will be eligible for consideration for serving on one of the community service boards.
The questionnaire is available online at https://co.clinton.oh.us/ApplicationsPermits
OR, at the Commissioner’s Office, 46 S. South Street, Wilmington, OH 45177, or by calling the office at 937-382-2103.