October 5, 2023 |
Photo – Mountain West Technologies Logo – Courtesy Mountain West Technologies
Saratoga residents may have access to high-speed broadband internet thanks to a Wyoming Business Council grant.
During the September 5th Saratoga town council meeting, Mayor Chuck Davis said representatives from Mountain West Technologies requested a letter of support from the town. Mayor Davis said Mountain West Technologies is asking the town to back their Wyoming Business Council grant application.
The letter, addressed to Wyoming Business Council Broadband Manager Elaina Zempel, states that Mountain West Technologies wants to use a Connect Wyoming grant to provide high-speed fiber optic internet to 156 homes and businesses in Saratoga.
During Tuesday’s Saratoga town council meeting, Mountain West Technologies Chief of Operations Lesha Thorvaldson thanked the council for the letter of support.
Thorvaldson said the Wyoming Business Council hasn’t announced who will receive grants from the Connect Wyoming project yet. Thorvaldson said while they wait for the announcement, Mountain West Technologies is continuing to work on bringing high-speed internet to Saratoga.
On February 21, 2023, Wyoming received $70.5 million of federal Capital Projects Fund money to expand broadband infrastructure in the state. The Wyoming Business Council Broadband Office was chosen to administrator the funds. The money is being distributed through a competitive grant program called the Connect Wyoming program. The stated purpose of the program is to provide 100 megabit per second internet speeds to as many Wyoming communities as possible.
Mayor Davis asked Thorvaldson when fiber optic lines reached Saratoga, if Mountain West Technologies would enter into a franchise agreement with the town.
A franchise agreement allows the utility provider to use public rights of way to run cables. Thorvaldson said yes, she can write up the agreement whenever the mayor wants it. Mayor Davis said Town Attorney Kylie Waldrip needs to review the agreement first.
Thorvaldson said she’ll attempt to have a franchise agreement ready for attorney review within a month. If Attorney Waldrip gives the document her ok, it will require three public readings before being adopted.
Mayor Davis asked when Thorvaldson expected to hear if Mountain West Technologies had been chosen to receive a Connect Wyoming grant. Thorvaldson said she isn’t entirely sure, but is expecting to know by the end of this month.
The town’s letter of support for Mountain West Technologies states that the installation of fiber optic internet lines in Saratoga should be completed by the end of 2026 if the utility company is chosen to receive a Connect Wyoming grant.
