Franklin County gets $1M grant for internet connectivity

Photo / Maureen Milliken Temple is one of six towns and townships in Franklin County that will get high-speed internet access, made possible by a $1 million grant from the Norther Border Regional Commission.

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By Maureen Milliken

Who else in Maine was awarded a 2020 Ecomomic Impact Grant by the Norther Border Regional Commission?
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A $1 million grant award from the Northern Border Regional Commission will help Franklin County take another step in bringing accessible broadband to the region.

The Economic Infrastructure Development grant, awarded to the Greater Franklin Development Council, will provide high-speed fiber optic internet for the communities of Carthage, Perkins Township, Temple, Washington Plantation, Weld and Wilton. The grant award is the latest step forward in a process that the county has been pursuing for four years. It is one of eight grants, totaling $4.5 million, that the NBRC awarded in Maine last week.

“Our solution for the county recognizes the need to be a public/private partnership, where towns share in the investment along with the internet service providers," said Charlie Woodworth, executive director of the GFDC. "We are now ready to begin our very first implementation project and the $1 million NBRC award will go towards reducing the town portion of the required investment.” The total project amount is $10.5 million.

Photo / Fred Field

Charlie Woodworth, executive director of the Greater Franklin Development Council.

The Franklin County Broadband initiative aims to improve the ability of the county's 30,000 residents to diversify the economy, work and learn from home, establish home-based businesses, reverse out-migration and attract new residents. The NBRC grant will provide 10% of the project cost, with the remaining investment coming from the provider, towns and state.

“This grant application recognizes the necessity of establishing public-private partnerships as viable solutions for our rural region," said Tom Skofield, chair of the Weld select board, in a news release announcing the grant award. "We believe this project will be a model for how other areas in Maine can approach this funding challenge.”

The county broadband initiative began with a study four years ago that assessed how much it would cost each of the county's 21 towns and 14 townships, many of which are in mountainous areas, to get high-speed internet access. The study also included Livermore Falls, which is in Androscoggin County, but shares a school district with Jay, in Franklin County. The towns all "came to agree on the need for a county-wide broadband initiative that would result in putting them on an even playing field with their connected urban neighbors," Woodworth said in the release.

“If we’re going to have a future, we need to grow, we have to attract young families, people have to be able to work,” Woodworth told Mainebiz in July 2018. “Yes it affects education, health care, but it all distills down to economic development. It’s critical for rural Maine.”

A county-wide plan

In sparsely populated areas like Franklin County, much of it comes down to numbers — internet providers are businesses that need to make a profit and they need a certain number of potential customers for that to happen. Woodworth said that the fact the county has attacked the issue head-on, getting buy-in from every town and unorganized territory and formulating a detailed plan, has made a difference.

“The fact that we have a plan is attractive to providers,” he says.

Every town and township in the county has given the project planning support. Woodworth said in this week's news release that town select boards and residents who have strongly advocated for the project have made the grant and the initial success possible.

He said the initiative has also received strong support from ConnectME, the state's authority on broadband access; Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Heather Johnson; Gov. Janet Mills; the federal congressional delegation and the region's Maine state delegation.

GFDC has partnered with consultant Brian Lippold, of Casco Bay Advisors, on the project. “Brian’s deep industry knowledge and perspective have been essential to our progress," Woodworth said.

Wastewater treatment projects, East Millinocket mill site also awardees

The grant was the maximum available in $4.5 million that was awarded to the state in a competitive award process, and the NBRC said in its release that this year's awardees "are among our strongest group thus far in Maine, and across all four Northern Border states.”

In all, there were 23 applicants in Maine seeking $16.3 million, with eight getting grants totally $4.5 million.

Other $1 million grants were to the Anson Madison Sanitary District, for a $2.34 million water treatment upgrade and to the Fort Fairfield Utilities District for a $12.1 new wastewater treatment plant.

Another significant grant was to East Millinocket, for $526,116 to help with the $1.2 million cost of repairing and replacing buildings on the former Great Northern Paper mill site, which the town bought in July.

For a list of the seven NBRC grants awarded in Maine aside from the Franklin County one, and details of the projects, see the sidebar.

Northern Border Regional Commission 2020 Economic Infrastructure Maine grants

An old mill with a high smokestack stands behing weedy grass with a railroad crossing in the foreground

File Photo / Maureen Milliken

The former Great Northern paper mill in East Millinocket is the Maine Redevelopment Land Bank Authority’s first project.

The Northern Border Regional Commission announced Friday that it had awarded eight 2020 Economic Infrastructure grants in Maine, totalling $4.5 million. There were 23 applicants requesting a total of $16.4 million.

Grants were awarded to:

Greater Franklin Development Council
For high-speed fiber optic internet for Carthage, Perkins Township, Temple, Washington Plantation, Weld and Wilton, improving the ability of residents to diversity the economy, work and learn from home, establish home-based businesses, reverse out-migration and attract new residents. Award: $1 million. Project cost: $10.5 million

Anson Madison Sanitary District
For replacement of floating surface aerators with diffused air membrane system to improve treatment and reduce energy cost while maintaining affordable sewer rates and support business development at the former paper mill site. Award: $1 million. Project cost: $2.34 million.

Fort Fairfield Utilities District
For construction of a new wastewater treatment plant, including upgrades to two pump stations, access roads and other associated improvements. The new plant will replace an aging and severely malfunctioning system constructed in the 1960s.
Award: $1 million. Project cost: $12.3 million.

Ashland Water and Sewer District
For replacement of a 70-year-old welded steel water storage tank with a new 400,000-gallon concrete tank and include other associated costs. This will improvement drinking water quality, eliminate safety hazards and comply with OSHA requirements. Award: $505,100. Project cost: $1.5 million.

Town of East Millinocket
For industrial development/construction project to improve and repair buildings remaining on the former paper mill site – the recycle and paper warehouses, train shed, driveway, parking and truck turnaround for each building. This project will collaborate with Canadian Pacific Railway, which will bring their rail lines up to specifications, enhancing the ability to ship via rail. Award: $516,116. Project cost: $1.2 million.

Community Concepts Finance Corporation
For the Maine West Hotspot project will expand public internet access through installation of 10 Wi-Fi hotspots in six to eight rural communities in Oxford County. Annually, these installations will improve economic opportunities for 30 businesses to expand internet connectivity for 8,000 residents and visitors. Award: $44,600. Project cost: $74,514.

Sunrise County Economic Council Entrepreneurship Center S
For replacement of a blighted building in downtown Machias and construction of the Machias Valley Center for Entrepreneurship to provide Washington County small business with open coworking, office/desk space, meeting rooms, training, programming and technical assistance. Award: $345,000. Project cost: $883,181.

Town of Searsport
To upgrade the wastewater treatment plant to improve primary treatment and provide new secondary and tertiary treatment. The plant is on Searsport Harbor and is permitted to discharge treated effluent into the tidal waters of Penobscot Bay. The improvements will increase the quality of water discharged, ultimately decreasing the risk of causing impairments to the areas of shellfishing and recreation in the bay. Award: $88,810. Project cost: $11.26 million.