Supervisors approve contract for $20.3 million internet project

After the county was awarded an Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) grant for just over $9.7 million, the county approved the selection of eX2 as the new fiber optic network provider, as WANRack and the county were unable to agree on the terms and conditions of an agreement.

The project is partially funded pending ACA grant receipt, and the total amount requested is just under $20.3 million, including the $9.7 million from the ACA ADBG grant and $10 million from the American Rescue Plan Act funds. The project is divided into two phases, with phase one taking approximately six months to complete, including preliminary designing, final design stage, and permit acquisition. Phase two will take approximately a year to complete, including construction and testing of the system.

County Attorney Brad Carlyon emphasized the importance of investing in strong internet infrastructure to keep up with demand, as many people are moving to Navajo County due to new remote working opportunities during the pandemic.

Grant Evans, the capital projects manager for the county stated that the project would begin in Joseph City and travel east along I-40 to Holbrook, and then south alongside Highway 77 until a few miles north of Show Low. The system will curve and eventually approach Show Low from the east to keep the entire system underground and avoid the more expensive basalt in the area.

The project will act as middle mile infrastructure, and private companies will be given opportunities to invest in last mile infrastructure to provide internet access to customers. With the approval of the contract with eX2, the county is taking a crucial step towards providing better broadband access to its residents.

The board also approved a new zoning ordinance to bring the county up to recommended standards from the Arizona Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which puts restrictions on what type of mobile homes can be moved. Now mobile homes 20 years or older must go through the refurbishment process and certification to be relocated in order to bring Navajo County up to date with current HUD-established safety protocols.

In other business, the board:

* Authorized the transfer of budget appropriations to the department in which the expenditure will be recorded.

* Approved reissuance of stale dated checks.

* Approved a contract with Strategic Government Resources for recruitment of an economic development director position for RealAZ.

* Approved canceling elections for White Mountain Lakes Special Road District and Timberland Acres Special Road District and appointing the candidate(s) or deeming the position vacant.

* Authorized the expenditure $1,575 in Anti-Rackeetering Revolving Fund funds to the Holbrook High School choir to help provide the choir a trip to Disneyland. It was noted that funds were provided to support a healthy and positive activity for teens.

* Approved extending slurry seal, which helps extend the life of pavement, contract one additional year and increasing the rate for the Winslow area to 1.61 per square yard and the Show Low, Pinetop-Lakeside area to 1.51 per square yard.

* Approved extending employee benefits contract with the Mahoney Group an additional year.

* Approved extending the Navajo County Jail medical and psychological services contract with Wexford Health Sources, Inc. for one additional year.

* Approved fiscal year 2022-23 fund transfers.

* Approved sale of back tax land from online auction for the amount due.

* Approved appointment of Lucinda Ann Honani, Jolanda Joyce Aguilar and Lydia A. Dosela as Democratic precinct committeemen for their respective precincts and Wyatt Edward Buschschulte and Steven Allen Le Sueur as Republican precinct committeemen for their respective precincts.

* Approved re-appointment of Chuck Howe and Ruth Ann Smith to four-year term to the Navajo County Planning and Zoning Commission and appointment of Vance Muder to a four-year term to the Navajo County Planning and Zoning Commission.

* Approved extending the contract with Liquid Asphalt Products one additional year and increasing the rates.

* Approved intergovernmental agreements to extend COVID-19 services to July, 31, 2024, so funds could be used before end of contracts.

* Approved the creation of the White Mountain Lakes County Recreation Improvement District Board of Directors as well as the appointments of Ashley Dodds, James Derek Scoble, Jason Giangiuli, Kathy Henderson-Essel and Scott Hurst as board members.

* Approved participation in the settlement agreement reached in the multi-state opioid litigation case with Teva, Allegan, CVS, Walgreens, and Wal-Mart.

* Approved purchase of new dump truck from RWC Group in the amount of $127,332.

* Approved a Navajo County zoning ordinance regarding the prohibition against placement/movement of mobile homes 20 years old or older.

* Approved amendment to subdivision regulations to update lot-splitting processes.

* Approved a zone change for the southern portion of a 10-acre parcel from R1-10 (Single-Family Residential Zoning) to C-R (Commercial-Residential) to be consistent with the northern portion which is C-R for the first 300 feet from the northern boundary on White Mountain Lake Road.

* Approved zone change to commercial-residential to build an accounting and tax office located at 4989 Sherwood Drive in Lakeside.

*Approved $48,000 contract with Tomhave Group for lobbying services associated with the Winslow levee project.

* Approved termination of relationship between the Local Workforce Development Board and Northeastern Arizona Community Resources Network.

The next meeting of the Navajo County Board of Supervisors will be held at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 14, in the board chambers, located at 100 E. Code Talkers Drive.