Board to discuss county broadband
By Steve Herring
Published in News on August 15, 2016 1:46 PM
Fewer than 700 of Wayne County's more-than-124,000 residents participated in a survey to gauge public interest in expanding the availability of broadband Internet in the county.
Wayne County commissioners have identified expanding that service as one of their priorities.
Planning Director Chip Crumpler will update the board on the Broadband Internet Survey Project during its Tuesday morning meeting.
An agenda briefing will be held at 8 a.m. followed by the formal session at 9 a.m. Both will be held in the commissioners' meeting room on the fourth floor of the Wayne County Courthouse Annex.
Crumpler will explain the survey, as well as the next step in setting up a meeting with Internet providers.
Other information included is infrastructure, including water towers and other towers, that may be used to provide improved Internet service.
The survey, available from mid-April through July 4, had a total of 678 responses of which:
* 86.2 percent of the respondent households said they have Internet service, 13.8 percent do not.
* Of the ones that don't, 58.1 percent said that no company will provide service.
* 23.7 percent said they can't afford it.
* 65 percent have a wired service while 23 percent rely on wireless or cellular.
* 59 percent are not satisfied with their Internet, 41 percent are satisfied.
* 72 percent say speed was the No. 1 answer for dissatisfaction, cost was No. 2, and reliability was No. 3.
* 30 percent of the respondents said they would be willing to pay up to $50 per month for Internet, 26 percent said up to $25 per month and 12 percent would be willing to pay up to $75 per month.
The results have been provided to the State Information Broadband Infrastructure Office.
The next step is for the State Information Broadband Infrastructure Office to set up a provider meeting. That meeting will be run by the state and hosted by the county in an effort to attract Internet service providers into improving the broadband infrastructure.
The time and location of the meeting have not been determined.
Commissioners also will hold a work session to discuss the legislative goals of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners.
The top five goals are:
* Support continued state funding of Medicaid and support efforts by the state to provide health care access for all citizens.
* Seek legislation to restore the statutory requirement that 40 percent of the net lottery proceeds be allocated to counties for school capital needs and increase the annual appropriation of lottery funds until the 40 percent allocation is restored.
* Seek legislation to repeal the statutory authority under N.C. G.S. 115C-431(c) that allows local school boards to file suit against a county board of commissioners over county appropriations for education.
* Oppose any shift of state transportation responsibilities to counties.
* Oppose unfunded mandates and shifts of state responsibilities to counties.
In other business Tuesday,
Commissioners will consider motions to:
* Accept and recognize Southern Bank and Trust Co. for its $50,000 contribution for the plaza at the Maxwell Regional Agricultural and Convention Center.
* Approve a capital project ordinance for the new 911 center and budget amendment. A capital project ordinance means the funds are available for the duration of the project and do not lapse at the end of the fiscal year.
* Approve the Honeybee Day in Wayne County Proclamation. Beekeepers of the Neuse Events and Membership Chairperson Jo Daniels will read the proclamation and update the board on Honeybee Day in Wayne County from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, at Waynesborough Park.
* Adopt the eighth amendment to the position classification and pay plan for Wayne County for employees who have surpassed maximum amount in Grade 71 creating change from Grade 71 to 72 with merit increase.
* Declare 212 Tina Ave., Pikeville, as surplus property and authorize its sale. The property is jointly owned by Wayne County and the town of Pikeville. It will be sold on GovDeals.com.
* Authorize County Manager George Wood to renew the leases for three buildings leased to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety for Probation Offices. Counties are required to provide office space at no cost for probation offices, which are operated by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.
* Adopt a resolution endorsing designation of Goldsboro High School as a Restart Facility by the Wayne County Board of Education. The resolution encourages support of efforts by the Board of Education to enhance public education in the county by designating Goldsboro High School as a Restart Facility.
Public comments will start at 9:15 a.m. Speakers will have four minutes to comment on their topic of choice, but are encouraged to limit their remarks to issues that commissioners have some control over.
Consent agenda items include: Applications for Disabled Veteran Exclusion; application for Elderly or Disabled Exclusion; resolution observing Suicide Prevention Awareness Month; declaring 624 Slaughter St. as surplus property and authorize its sale; and budget amendments.