IAMU Informer
Follow IAMU!
  • Informer News Feed
  • IAMU Website

Governor Signs Key Priority Legislation – Connect Every Acre.   

6/23/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
On Wednesday, June 22, Governor Branstad signed into law a bill addressing one of his key legislative priorities of the last two years - the “Connect Every Acre” bill.  House File 655 encourages the expansion of high-speed broadband internet.  IAMU has been generally supportive of broadband expansion in the state and was registered in support of the Governor’s broadband bill.  

Most of the policy included in the bill is to promote expansion of broadband infrastructure in targeted service areas.  A “targeted service area” is defined as a United States census block within which no communications service provider offers broadband service at or above 25 megabits per second of download speed and three megabits per second upload speed.  

The state’s Chief Information Officer is given the duties to implement the various portions of the Act, including adopting rules and procedures to determine whether an area meets the definition of “targeted service area” and to administer the broadband grant program and the fiberoptic network conduit installation program. 

The broadband grant program will provide for grants to assist communication services providers to reduce or eliminate targeted services areas throughout the state.  Grants are limited to a maximum of 15% of the service providers project cost.  There was NO money appropriated for the grant program during the legislative session. However, once the grant program receives funding the office is to award grants on a competitive basis based on the following:


  • The relative need for broadband infrastructure in the area and the existing broadband service speeds.
  • The percentage of the homes, farms, schools, and businesses in the targeted service area that will be provided access to broadband service.
  • The geographic diversity of the project areas of all the applicants.
  • The economic impact of the project to the area.
  • The applicant's total proposed budget for the project, including the amount or percentage of local match, if any.
  • Other factors the office deems relevant.

The purpose of the new fiberoptic network conduit installation program is to provide for the installation of fiberoptic network conduit where it doesn’t presently exist.  The CIO is to ensure that providers have the opportunity to lay of install fiberoptic network conduit wherever a state-funded construction project involves trenching, boring a bridge, roadway or opening of the ground, or alongside any state-owned infrastructure.

The Act requires political subdivisions with permitting authority to approve, approve with modification or disapprove nonwireless broadband permits within 60 business days.  If no action is taken within 60 days, the permit is deemed approved. 

A 100% property tax exemption for 10 years is provided in the bill in an amount equal to the actual value added by installation of the broadband infrastructure.  The exemption only applies to infrastructure built between July 1, 2015 and July 1, 2020 in targeted service areas. 

The bill also included the cell tower siting provisions which will be discussed in next weeks Informer.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

      Subscribe To The Informer

      You can subscribe to The Informer by adding the RSS feed to your feed reader. Or, to request to be added to our weekly email blast, provide your information below.  NOTE-you must be an IAMU member (utility, affiliate, or associate) to receive the email blast.
    Submit

    Archives

    January 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014

    RSS Feed

Picture

Copyright 2018 Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities