By John Raffel
Correspondent
ALLEGAN – The Allegan County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution at its meeting last week setting broadband expansion, water and wastewater infrastructure as priorities for the use of the county’s American Rescue Plan Act allocation from the federal government.
“Last June the board invited residents to submit ideas for the use of funds,” commission chairman Jim Storey said. “At the same meeting, the project manager for the Broadband Action Workgroup was introduced. An interview committee of the broadband group reviewed the qualifications of six applicants and recommended two finalists to the county administrator.
“Jill Dunham of Gun Plain Township was chosen from a group of six applicants to assist the Workgroup to be the project manager for the broadband expansion project. The group is in the midst of devising a plan for using the ARPA funds to assist local governments in expanding internet access for county residents. It is estimated 34 percent of the county’s populace has little or no access to broadband, a weakness that became prominent during the height of the COVID emergency when forced confinement was common.”
Storey pointed out Dunham has had a long career in the technology arena.
“The broadband workgroup meets the first and third Thursdays of each month at 4 p.m. and their meetings are zoomed for distant attendees,” Storey said.
