Commissioners support broadband Internet project

ALBANY — Linn County residents — especially those who live in rural areas of the county — could benefit from faster Internet service, IT Director Steve Braaten told Commissioners Roger Nyquist and Sherrie Sprenger Tuesday morning.

Commissioner Will Tucker is on vacation.

Braaten asked the commissioners to approve an intergovernmental agreement with the Cascades West Council of Governments in conjunction with Lincoln and Benton counties to explore broadband options that would greatly increase Internet speeds for area residents.

Lane County had been another program partner, but has pulled out of the agreement.

Braaten said Linn County will pay $10,000, Benton County $16,000 and Lincoln County $15,800. The Council of Governments will contribute $18,200. The $60,000 will be used toward a grant application for $300,000.

Commissioner Nyquist said he was concerned because there has been talk about increasing faster Internet access for years, with little progress.

Braaten said the good news is that there is money available to support faster Internet services to rural areas and the installation of fiber optic data lines.

Braaten said Linn County is part of a statewide coalition encouraging rural residents to check their Internet’s speed. Braaten said some communities in the county have had good participation, but others have seen only a couple residents respond.

The information will be used to develop overreaching Internet systems. Linn County residents can participate by visiting https://www.fasterinternetoregon.org/.

In other business, the commissioners:

• Were told by Dr. William Muth, Linn County Health Officer, there were 422 reported Covid-19 cases in September and 15 “outbreaks” in communal living facilities. Commissioner Nyquist asked Dr. Muth what role the County Health Department might play as Fall nears and more people are confined indoors. Dr. Muth suggested the Health Department could provide vaccinations and booster shots at group living facilities. Public Health Director Todd Noble said the Health Department is doing that, although the county is not hosting mass vaccination clinics like it once did.
• Environmental Health Manager Shane Sanderson said it is a busy time of year for his department, as contractors try to finalize septic tank installations before wet weather sets in. Sanderson said he has a person assigned to answer telephone calls to expedite final inspections to assist those projects.
• Appointed Commissioner Tucker to the Association of Oregon Counties board of directors and Commissioner Nyquist as alternate; appointed Commissioner Tucker as representative to the Forest Trust Lands; appointed Commissioner Nyquist to the Cascades West Area Commission on Transportation and Commissioner Sprenger as alternate.
• Approved an intergovernmental agreement with the National Association of County and City Health Officials that will provide $75,000 to support the Medical Reserve Corps, which was a vital asset during the county’s mass vaccination clinics at the Linn County Fair & Expo Center.
• Approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Oregon Health Authority in the amount of $731,909 for substance abuse prevention programs.
• Approved an intergovernmental agreement with Linn-Benton Community College for $6,000. The college will provide “Foundations to Facilitation” training for Public Health staff.
• Appointed Steve Woodcock to Position 9 on the Linn County Developmental Disabilities Advisory Board.
• Learned there were 76 births (36 females and 40 males) and 98 deaths in September.
• Were introduced to Lagea Mull, the new Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce director by Lebanon Chamber director Rebecca Grizzle. Mull was most recently the Public Information Officer for the City of Sweet Home.

Photo caption: Linn County IT Director Steve Braaten and Commissioner Sherrie Sprenger discuss high-speed Internet service after Tuesday's meeting of the Linn County Board of Commissioners. 

Media contact: Alex Paul, Linn County Communications Officer, 541-967-3825 or email apaul@co.linn.or.us.