Dane County

Minutes - Final Unless Amended by

Committee

Dane County Broadband Task Force

Thursday, April 4, 2024

9:00 AM

Hybrid meeting: Attend in person in Room 354 of the

City County Building, 210 MLK Jr. Blvd., Madison, WI or

virtually via Zoom.

A. Call To Order

Staff Present: Jaron McCallum, Lauren Kuhl, Cass Hill

Meeting called to order at 9:06am by Supervisor Glazer.

9 -

Present

KATE MCGINNITY, TODD VIOLANTE, BOB WIPPERFURTH, BILL DICKMEYER,

DEANA ZENTNER, PETER WEIL, JEFF GLAZER, SARAH EDGERTON, and

DAVID DIGIOVANNI

2 - RENEE LAUBER, and MELISSA RATCLIFF

Excused

Absent

2 - MICHELLE JENSEN, and SARAH GHEE

B. Consideration of Minutes

Minutes of the February 1, 2024 Dane County Broadband Task Force meeting

1. 2023

MIN-562

Attachments: 2023 MIN-562

A motion was made by MCGINNITY, seconded by VIOLANTE, that the Minutes be

approved. The motion carried by a voice vote.

C. Action Items

D. Presentations

E. Reports to Committee

1. Broadband Coordinator Updates

I. RECONSTITUTING THE DANE COUNTY BROADBAND TASK FORCE

Jaron McCallum provided an overview of the resolution including the shift in focus to

implementation and relationships. McCallum also provided an overview of the

membership changes for the reconstituted Task Force.

RECONSTITUTING THE DANE COUNTY BROADBAND TASK FORCE

RATCLIFF, MCGINNITY, HUELSEMANN, ROSE, RITT, ENGELBERGER and MILES

2023

RES-344

Sponsors:

Attachments: 2023 RES-344

2023 RES-344 FISCAL NOTE

2023 RES-344 SIGNED COPY

II. Wisconsin Digital Equity Plan Approved

Jaron McCallum provided an update including that Wisconsin’s plan was approved by the

federal government. Sets state’s strategy for digital equity. Following the plans approval,

Wisconsin will now receive between $24-$30 million for digital equity. Digital Equity plan

is intended to work in tandem with BEAD.

Glazer inquired about what programs will be available with these funds. McCallum

remarked that the intention is to reach those in the covered population as outlined in the

plan. The focus will be more training, digital literacy, device access and less focus on

subsidizing internet costs.

III. Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD)

Jaron McCallum provided an update that one of the BEAD workshops will be

rescheduled, and may be another opportunity for Task Force members to attend.

The state will develop a challenge process for what locations are and are not eligible for

BEAD funds. McCallum encouraged members to look at the PSC map and let him know

if there are issues with the data. He will notify the state of these issues.

Violante inquired about the timeline. McCallum responded that the PSC reconciliation is

part of the 90-100 day challenge process, and provided an overview of that timeline.

Weil inquired if the EACAM areas will be included in BEAD. McCallum indicated they

would not in an effort to not overlap funding streams. Weil inquired about how will people

submitting corrections for the map know if they are included in the BEAD funding areas

or not. McCallum indicated that the FCC broadband funding map will show if addresses

are in an EACAM or RDOF area, and is happy to help with looking at the maps.

Wipperfurth inquired about a specific project in Windsor with UpNet. McCallum

responded that he isn’t aware of anything, but is happy to contact UpNet if that is

requested. Violante inquired if Dane County highway is aware of this project, but

Wipperfurth did not believe they were.

IV. Public Service Commission of Wisconsin Capital Projects Fund Broadband Infrastructure Grant

Awards

McCallum provided an update that PSC awarded $43 million in funds to 30 applications

out of the 124 that were submitted. The application that was submitted by two towns in

Dane County was not selected.

V. Town of Perry/TDS Developments

McCallum has been meeting with people from the Town of Perry who have been having

conversations with TDS and have been notified they will be building fiber in the Town of

Perry and it will be fiber to the home. There is no specific timeline, but know that the

EACAM program will run until at least 2028.

2. Updates/Comments from Task Force Members

F. Future Meeting Items and Dates

1. The next Broadband Task Force meeting with newly comprised membership will take

place as soon as reasonably possible following the appointment process.

The next Broadband Task Force meeting will take place in a hybrid format.

Reconstituted Task Force will be appointed before the next meeting Task Force meeting

will be scheduled.

G. Public Comment on Items not on the Agenda

H. Such Other Business as Allowed by Law

I. Adjourn

A motion was made by MCGINNITY, seconded by WIPPERFURTH, that the

meeting be adjourned. The motion carried unanimously.

Meeting adjourned at 9:43am.

Minutes respectfully submitted by Lauren Kuhl, pending Task Force approval