Commissioners discuss fiber, grant possibilities

Milam County Commissioners discussed several other topics in addition to issues with emergency services during a meeting Aug. 23.

Milam County Judge Steve Young updated commissioners on several topics including small business grants, a recovery grant and building projects for the Thorndale Volunteer Fire Department.

“The county has received 102 applications for the Milam County Small Business Grants,” Young said. The county has been awarding funds out of the $1 million set aside.

Young said those funds are being put back into the county’s businesses and that is a good thing.

Young also discussed the grant proposal for National Telecommunications and Information Agency Grant.

He said the county has filed its grant application. They have partnered with Zochnet for the broadband grant.

“We selected Zochnet because they have already began installing underground fiber,” he said. “This fiber is the fastest you can get. Be will be installing a fiber ring in the county. We will be connected to three long haul carriers that will provide fiber.”

Young said that getting the fiber put underground will benefit the county, but it is expensive. 

He said it is a one-year grant and that Zochnet will be hiring more people to install. There will be no charge to customers for running the cable. 

“This is huge for the county,” he said. “We need good internet in the county. Fiber will be more reliable. It will connect the seven schools in the county along with county and city services. It will also connect about 5,000 households and most of the businesses in the county.”

He said this will connect a lot of anchor points and public services in the county and we should be high on the list.

Young also updated commissioners on a Build Back Stronger Grant the county is applying for that will create a regional training center in the county to train people for technical jobs.

“This is also huge for us,” he said. “This comes from the Economic Development Agency. The plan is to build a regional training center in Milam County to train people for jobs we have and jobs we see as the future for the county that we think are headed this way.”

This is a two-part grant. The first part is to develop a plan. There is a $500,000 grant to develop that plan. The county is working with Texas Workforce Commission, Central Texas Council of Governments and Temple College for those plans.

Young said the county could possible renovate several unused classroom spaces in the county such as the O.J. Thomas School in Cameron and the Acock Center in Rockdale.

He said that the new President of Temple College is excited about the possibility of partnering with the county.

Young also spoke about fundraising efforts with the Thorndale Volunteer Fire Department for the construction of a new building. He said he met with Drayton McClane and he has agreed to donate $30,000 to the project to go along with the funds already raised by the Thorndale VFD.

The project will cost about $1 million to complete the new station.

The Thorndale Volunteer Fire Department has created a fundraising page to help them build a new fire station. A new station will further the goal of having a 24/7 ambulatory staff stationed within the City of Thorndale. This is a great need for the town and for neighboring rural communities. You can go to www.snap-raise.com and search for TVFD Fire Station Fundraiser. 

If you would like to make a donation, you can contact Kirk Becker or go to Prosperity bank in Thorndale and make a donation in the fire station fund account. You may also go to the department’s Facebook page to find a link to the fundraiser. Above is a rendering of the new station.

Young also updated commissioners on the renovation of the Milam County Annex.

He said that doors and the new chiller are being installed and that metal studs are mostly up. He said that the phone services and internet services were not included in the cost of the renovation, so a request for proposals will be needed.

Commissioners voted to go out for proposals for those needs.

Commissioners also voted to extend the disaster declaration of a local public health emergency so that federal funds can be applied for if they are available.