MINOT — Residents on Friday voted overwhelmingly in favor of a $15 million plan that will expand broadband service throughout the town. The tally was 120-3.
Voters were asked if they support a plan to appropriate $100,000 from surplus to serve as a ConnectME Authority Grant match. The town is partnering with FirstLight to expand broadband service to underserved parts of the town and will cover about 50% of the residences that do not have adequate internet access.
“This is a great opportunity for the town to bring broadband to about half the homes currently lacking internet access,” Colleen J. Quint, chairwoman of the committee on the broadband issue, said earlier in the month, “and by using undesignated fund balance we can cover the town’s share of the project without needing to raise new funds or impact taxes of the townspeople.”
Selectmen voted unanimously last summer to support passage of the $15 million state bond to bring high-speed internet service to unserved and underserved areas.
The ConnectME Authority voted in February to open the next round of funding applications town officials will need to submit in April.
Also on Friday, Michael Downing and Scott Tiner won seats on the Regional School Unit 16 board of directors. All votes were write-ins. Downing got 12, Tiner received 10.
Incumbent Lisa Cesare and newcomer Matthew Callahan ran unopposed for the Board of Selectmen. Cesare received 105 votes, Callahan got 102.
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