05-19-2020 Work Session Packet
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
WORK SESSION
Tuesday, May 19, 2020 – 4:30 PM
Gallery Room - Chatham Community Center
115 South Main Street,
Chatham, Virginia 24531
AGENDA
1. CALL TO ORDER (4:30 PM)
2. ROLL CALL
3. AGENDA ITEMS TO BE ADDED
4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
For the citizens’ convenience, all Work Session and Committee Meetings are now being
recorded and can be viewed on the same YouTube location as the Board of Supervisor’s
Business Meetings. Please remember that the Board’s Work Session is designed for
internal Board and County Staff communication, discussion, and work. It is not a
question and answer session with the audience. Accordingly, during the Work Session,
no questions or comments from the audience will be entertained. Respectfully, any
outbursts or disorderly conduct from the audience will not be tolerated and may result in
the offending person’s removal from the Work Session. As a reminder, all County
citizens, and other appropriate parties as designated by the Board’s Bylaws, are permitted
to make comments under the Hearing of the Citizens’ Section of tonight’s Business
Meeting.
5. PRESENTATIONS
a. Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd); (Presenter: Jean Plymale);
(45 minutes)
6. STAFF, COMMITTEE, AND/OR CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICER REPORTS
a. Franklin County Fire and EMS Service Recommendation Discussion (Staff Contact:
David M. Smitherman; Christopher C. Slemp); (15 minutes)
7. BUSINESS MEETING DISCUSSION ITEMS
8. CLOSED SESSION
Work Session - May 19, 2020
a. Discussion or consideration of the acquisition of real property for a public purpose, or
of the disposition of publicly held real property, where discussion in an open meeting
would adversely affect the bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the public
body.
(1) Legal Authority: Virginia Code § 2.2-3711(A)(3)
Subject Matter: Landfill Easement and Right-of-Ways
Purpose: Discussion of Disposition of Publicly Held Real
Property
9. RETURN TO OPEN SESSION & CLOSED SESSION CERTIFICATION
a. Closed Session Certification
10. ADJOURNMENT
Board of Supervisors
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
INFORMATION ITEM
Agenda Title: Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd); (Presenter: Jean
Plymale); (45 minutes)
Staff Contact(s): Scott Budd
Agenda Date: May 19, 2020 Item Number: 5.a
Attachment(s):
Pittsylvania
Pittsylvania Decision Points Document
Pittsylvania County Citizen Survey Comments
Reviewed By:
Jean Plymale, Center for Innovative Technology, will update the Board on the Broadband
Survey via GoToMeeting.
5.a
Packet Pg. 3
Pittsylvania County Virginia
Community Broadband Survey Update
February, 2020
Prepared by The Center for Innovative Technology
Powered by Pittsylvania County Virginia
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 1
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 4 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
Topics
•Adoption
•Economics
•Community Demographic Profile
•Current Reported Coverage
•Broadband Demand
•Local Assets
•Review of local policies & fees
•Broadband Needs
•Next Steps
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 2
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 5 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
Adoption & Usage
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 3
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 6 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
Why Broadband
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 4
•boosts personal productivity
•facilitates more flexible work arrangements –Telework, Telecommute
•enables a home-based business as a replacement, or compliment, to a primary job
•assists people in becoming more informed
•provides education, social, and cultural opportunities
•can increase household income by $1,850 (some say more!) per year
•reemployment approximately 25% faster than traditional searches
•higher employment rates in rural counties
•improves access to healthcare
•advance solutions that help manage chronic diseases, like diabetes and obesity
•connecting health and broadband sectors is a path to a more connected, healthier
community
•can increase home value.
•can help grow population by attracting or retain millennials.
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 7 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
Why Does Broadband Matter?
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 5
Economic
Development
Education
Jobs
Healthcare
Shopping
Entertainment
Energy
Management
Public
Safety
Civic
Engagement
Broadband
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 8 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
Why Does Broadband Adoption Matter?
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 6
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 9 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 7
Take away: Data from the Purdue Center for Regional
Development suggests that “if a rural area has widely
available and adopted broadband, it can start to successfully
attract or retain millennials.”
Pittsylvania County Adoption Rate
Source: https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/maps/connect2health/data.html
Pittsylvania County Health
Behavior Estimates
National
Estimates
Obesity 32%27.80%
Diabetes 14%9.90%
Take away: Pittsylvania County health indicators exceed
national estimates. Connecting healthcare and broadband
sectors and increasing broadband adoption rates is a path to
a more connected, healthier community.
*Adoption rate is the number of residential fixed connections to the
Internet per 1000 households. Sources differ on this metric, some
say as much as 80%, others as low as 20-40%. Given the DSL
coverage, estimated 60% to be safe.
Internet Adoption: ~40-60%
Pittsylvania County y Census Tract 5.a.a
Packet Pg. 10 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 8
Families in Poverty
by Census Tracts
Pittsylvania County
Take away: Pockets of poverty exist within Pittsylvania County.
Expand adoption and usage programs across county to ensure
these populations are ready to subscribe to new services
offered by CAFII expansion efforts.
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 11 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
Economics
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 9
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 12 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
The Economics of Broadband
Provider Perspective
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 10
𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑠>(𝐶𝑎𝑝𝐸𝑥+𝑂𝑝𝐸𝑥)=𝑅𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑥
It doesn't matter if it is the private or public sector building and/or deploying
services, the math has to work; revenue has to offset –be greater than -capital
and operating expenses in order to sustain the network and create profit for
upgrades, maintenance etc.
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 13 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
The Economics of Broadband
Locality Perspective
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 11
*Revenues from a few of the biggest customers in a community (anchors/carrots) can make or break a business plan.
Increase Revenues LOWER COSTS
Adoption and Demand Local Assets/Infrastructure
Population Density Policies & Fees
Community Anchor
Institutions*
Partner for Funding Opportunities
Localities can improve the investment opportunity for broadband expansion by
helping to balance the sustainability equation. Recall:
𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑠>(𝐶𝑎𝑝𝐸𝑥+𝑂𝑝𝐸𝑥)=𝑅𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑥
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 14 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 12
According to a study by Ohio State University Swank Program, “Estimates of the average annual benefits received by US
broadband subscribers range from $1,500 (Greensteinand McDevitt, 2012) to $2,200 (Nevo et al., 2016) per household.
Using the mean from the Swank study; $1,850, and broadband defined as: minimum speeds of 25 Mbps download/3 Mbps
upload we can estimate economic benefits and losses expected from broadband availability in Pittsylvania County:
477 Estimate of County Households without BB (connections < 25/3) = 3164
477 Estimate of County Households with broadband (25/3 and above) = 1119
Estimates of potential annual economic benefits (or losses) for households according to the Swank Study could range from:
•Without Broadband: 3164 x * $1,850 = $5,853,400 economic loss -due to not having broadband connected homes.
•With Broadband : 1119 x * $1,850 = $2,070,150 economic gain –due to a broadband connected homes.
•The economic gain if all households in County had broadband service: 26,687 x $1,850 = $49,370,950
FTTH Council released a study showing access to *fiber-delivered*Internet boosts home values by up to 3.1 percent.
Median occupied household value (census 2017) for Pittsylvania County Virginia: $113,800 * .031 = $3,528 increased of home
value.
The Economics of Broadband
Local Perspective
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 15 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
Community Profile
Sources: https://www.census.gov/acs/www/data/data-tables-and-tools/data-profiles/2017/
https://www.fcc.gov.edgekey.net/health/maps
https://www.census.gov
Broadband Perspective
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 13
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 16 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 14
Pittsylvania County
Household Income
Total Occupied Households: 26,687
Median Household Income: $44,356
Take away: Adoption issue –According to ACS 40% of households earn < $35K per year and may be slow to adopt new services
or have affordability challenges.
Less than
$10,000
$10,000 to
$14,999
$15,000 to
$24,999
$25,000 to
$34,999
$35,000 to
$49,999
$50,000 to
$74,999
$75,000 to
$99,999
$100,000 to
$149,999
$150,000 to
$199,999
$200,000 or
more
Less than
$10,000
8%
$10,000 to
$14,999
7%
$15,000 to
$24,999
13%
$25,000 to
$34,999
12%
$35,000 to
$49,999
18%
$50,000 to
$74,999
18%
$75,000 to
$99,999
12%
$100,000 to
$149,999
9%
$150,000 to
$199,999
2%
$200,000 or
more
1%
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 17 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
Pittsylvania County Age and Population
Total Population: 61,970
Median Age: 46.4
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 15
Take away:
•Adoption Issue -20% may be slow to adopt.
•Majority of population, 80% considered technology adopters.
•Largest population group; 20-64 –prime workforce age.
5 to 9 years 10 to 14
years
15 to 19
years
20 to 24
years
25 to 34
years
35 to 44
years
45 to 54
years
55 to 59
years
60 to 64
years
65 to 74
years
75 to 84
years
85 years and
over
19 and
under
22%
20-64
58%
65+
20%
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 18 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
Pittsylvania County
Populations with Special Broadband Needs
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 16
Take away: Adoption Issues -17% disabled, and 9% veterans, may be slow to adopt or need special equipment.
Veterans living in rural areas are among the largest population of Americans who struggle to receive accessible and
affordable healthcare. While broadband-enabled telehealth services and applications can improve veterans’ access to health
care, lack of connectivity is a significant barrier to telehealth adoption.
Veterans
9%
Non-
Veterans
91%
With a
disability
17%
W/O a
disability
83%
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 19 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
Pittsylvania County Educational Attainment
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 17
Take away: Adoption Issue -17% of the population may be slow to adopt and/or less likely to
subscribe to new services.
Less than 9th grade
6%9th to 12th grade,
no diploma
11%
High school
graduate (includes
equivalency)
36%
Some college, no
degree
24%
Associate's degree
9%
Bachelor's degree
9%
Graduate or
professional degree
5%
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 20 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
Pittsylvania County
Households with K-12 Children
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 18
Take Away: According to Census, X% of households need broadband at home to support K-12 education.
K12
28%
Non-K12
72%
Add survey results for K12
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 21 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
Pittsylvania County Residents Working from Home
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 19
Take away: According to Census, ~4% of Pittsylvania County’s
workforce work from home, 96% commute in some way.
~53% commute outside the county for work.
Revenue and economic development opportunities lost to neighboring localities when working outside county of residence.
Working from home keeps dollars circulating in the local economy.
Worked at
home
4%
Comutes to
work
96%
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 22 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
Pittsylvania County Housing
Total Occupied Housing Units: 26,687
Owner Occupied Household: 20,068
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 20
Take away: 16% of housing units are vacant or represent seasonal/weekend homes.
25% of housing units are rentals.
Broadband availability could reduce vacant housing units.
*a vacant unit may be one which is entirely occupied by persons who have a usual residence elsewhere.
Source: https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/definitions.pdf
Owner-
occupied
75%
Renter-
occupied
25%Occupied
housing
units
84%
Vacant
housing
units
16%
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 23 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
Reported Current Coverage
FCC 477 Provider Reported Data –June 2018
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 21
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 24 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
Important note about FCC reported coverage
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 22
Block-Level Deployment and Competition
A provider that reports deployment of a particular technology and bandwidth in a particular
census block may not necessarily offer that particular service everywhere in the census block.
Accordingly, a list of providers deployed in a census block does not necessarily reflect the
number of choices available to any particular household or business location in that block, and
the number of such providers in the census block does not purport to measure competition.
Source: Source: https://www.fcc.gov/general/broadband-deployment-data-fcc-form-477
*A Facilities-based Broadband Provider is an entity that provides broadband services over
facilities it owns, provisions and/or equips.
All facilities-based broadband providers* are required to file data with the FCC twice a year
(Form 477) on where they offer Internet access service at speeds exceeding 200 kbps in at least
one direction.
Fixed providers file lists of census blocks in which they can or do offer service to at least one
location, …
Mobile providers file maps of their coverage areas for each broadband technology (e.g., EV-DO,
HSPA, LTE).
Take away –FCC coverage maps are overstated !
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 25 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
Pittsylvania County Providers reporting to
FCC
Technology
Name
Consumer
Only?
Business
Only?
Total
Households in
Locality (2010)
Covered
Households
Percentage of
Households
Maximum
Consumer
Download
Maximum
Consumer
Upload
Maximum
Business
Download
Maximum
Business
Upload
B2X Online, Inc.Fixed Wireless No No 31,307 49 0.16%25 6 15 4
Block Line Systems, LLC Fiber No Yes 31,307 0 0.00%0 0 10 10
CenturyLink, Inc.DSL Yes No 31,307 63 0.20%10 1 0 0
CenturyLink, Inc.DSL Yes No 31,307 6,086 19.44%25 2 0 0
CenturyLink, Inc.DSL Yes No 31,307 5,369 17.15%100 40 0 0
CenturyLink, Inc.Copper
Wireline No Yes 31,307 39 0.12%0 0 100 100
CenturyLink, Inc.Fiber No Yes 31,307 83 0.27%0 0 1,000 1,000
Charter Communications Fiber No Yes 31,307 0 0.00%0 0 50 50
Chatmoss Cablevision Cable No No 31,307 7,260 23.19%10 2 10 2
Comcast Corporation Cable Yes No 31,307 17,017 54.36%987 35 0 0
Consolidated Communications, Inc.DSL No No 31,307 9,144 29.21%25 2 25 2
Consolidated Communications, Inc.DSL No No 31,307 1,501 4.79%50 10 50 10
Gamewood, Inc.Fiber Yes No 31,307 53 0.17%150 150 0 0
Kinex Networking Solutions, Inc.Fiber No Yes 31,307 159 0.51%0 0 1,000 1,000
LTS Group Holdings LLC Fiber No Yes 31,307 591 1.89%0 0 1,000 1,000
Shenandoah Telecommunications Company Cable Yes No 31,307 542 1.73%150 10 0 0
Shenandoah Telecommunications Co.Fiber No Yes 31,307 250 0.80%0 0 1,000 1,000
Verizon Communications Inc.DSL Yes No 31,307 9,487 30.30%15 1 0 0
Verizon Communications Inc.Copper
Wireline No Yes 31,307 12 0.04%0 0 20 20
Windstream Holdings, Inc.DSL No Yes 31,307 3 0.01%0 0 6 1
Zayo Group, LLC Fiber No Yes 31,307 31 0.10%0 0 1,000 1,000
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 23
Pittsylvania Co. Internet service providers reporting to FCC as of June 2018 5.a.a
Packet Pg. 26 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 24
Pittsylvania County Cable Coverage
Chatmoss Cablevision
Comcast Corporation
Shenandoah Telecommunications Company
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 27 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 25
Pittsylvania County DSL Coverage
CenturyLink
Consolidated Communications, Inc.
Verizon Communications, Inc.
Windstream Holdings, Inc.
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 28 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 26
Pittsylvania County Fixed Wireless Coverage
B2X Online, Inc.
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 29 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 27
Pittsylvania County Fiber Delivered Services
(Not Commercial Fiber Routes)
Block Line Systems, LLC
CenturyLink, Inc.
Charter Communications
Kinex Networking Solutions, Inc.
LTS Group Holdings LLC
Shenandoah Telecommunications Company
Zayo Group, LLC
Gamewood, Inc.
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 30 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 28
Pittsylvania County –areas of no broadband reported (<25/3)
Of the 32,229 E911 address points in Pittsylvania County, 12,839
are unserved with broadband.
~40% of address points unserved by broadband
DISTRICTID SUPERVISOR
~# of Addr Pts
w/NoBB
1 Robert W. Warren 802
2 Ben L. Farmer 3351
3 Dr. Charles H. Miller, Jr.2193
4 Joe Davis 1822
5 Elton W. Blackstock 1965
6 Tim R. Barber 2282
7 Ronald S. Scearce 421
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 31 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 29
Pittsylvania County
CAFII
CAFI Upgrades reported by FairPoint Communications and
CenturyLink
CAFII bid winner locations: Wilkes/Riverstreet
Take away: Many CAFI upgrades in Northern and Eastern parts
of the county. CAFII upgrade areas, yet to be built, East and West
of route 29 in the central portion of the county.
Ensure areas of CAFII are prepared to take new services by
addressing adoption issues.
Ensure residents in CAFI upgrade areas are aware there may be
better service offerings due to CAFI upgrades.
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 32 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
Broadband Demand
Now and Into the Future
Pittsylvania County Survey Results
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 30
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 33 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
1514 residential responses
•~6% of occupied households (26,687) responded
•81% of residential respondents subscribe to the Internet at home.
•The primary reasons cited for no home Internet was “Internet service not available, too expensive, and Internet service not reliable.”
•19%of residential respondents report they have NO Internet service at home. Of those, the primary reasons cited: 48%“Internet service not
available,” 21%“Internet is too expensive,” and 19% “Internet service is not reliable.”
•At least 62%of residents depend upon inadequate, expensive, unreliable and/or obsolete services; 21%Satellite, 31%DSL, 9%Cellular, 1% Dial-up.
•62% report their home Internet service does not meet their needs, citing slow connections (57%) and unreliable service(27%) as the primary
reasons.
•DSL, Satellite, and Cable were cited most often as Internet service that does not meet the residential needs.
•93%of respondents said they would commit to a new contract if an affordable, faster option became available.
•56% of respondents would be willing to pay between $50-$100 per month for a faster home Internet connection, 34% under $50./month.
•78%of respondents depend on cellular service for their home phone, 19% landline.
•63% of residents say their home phone service is reliable;
33% report cellular is not reliable
24% report landline is not reliable
•67%of respondents report K12 school-aged children at home.
•12%of K12 households report no access after school.
•4%of K12 household report they depend on the Pittsylvania County Public Library for Internet access after school.
•39%of respondents would work from home if they had better access
•15%(202) report operating home based businesses.
Occupied housing units 26,687 (2017 Census)
Based on occupied housing units, these 1514 unique residential responses represents Lancaster County households with: 95% (+/-2%) accuracy
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT
Pittsylvania County Broadband Survey Summary
31
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 34 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 32
Location
# of
responses
Danville 349
Chatham 253
Ringgold 179
Gretna 143
Dry Fork 121
Sutherlin 82
Keeling 64
Blairs 62
Hurt 62
AXTON 48
Cascade 43
Callands 34
Java 26
Pittsville 12
Penhook 9
Long island 8
Sandy Level 8
vernon hill 5
South Boston 3
DRY FORK 2
Eden 1
Pittsylvania County Residential Survey Response Locations
Take away: Good response rate,
well distributed across county.
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 35 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 33
No
19%
Yes
81%
INTERNET AT HOME?
Pittsylvania County
Why no Internet at home?Count
Internet service not available 115
Internet service is too expensive 51
Internet service is not reliable 45
Device is too expensive 13
I DO have Internet access 7
Have Internet access elsewhere 4
Other 3
Do not want it 2
Privacy/security concerns 1
Do not own device to access the
Internet 1
Take away: 48% of those without Internet service at home say service isn’t available.
Adoption and affordability issues-26% of respondents say Internet service and device too expensive.
Other responses: Can’t afford Internet, slow and unreliable service.
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 36 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 34
Pittsylvania County
Take away: ~62% of residential respondents depend upon
inadequate, expensive, unreliable and/or obsolete services; 21%
Satellite, 31%DSL, 9%Cellular, 1% Dial-up.
Cable
34%
DSL
31%
Satellite
21%
Cellular
9%
Fixed Wireless
4%Dial up
1%
Fiber
0%
Internet Connection Type
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 37 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 35
Pittsylvania County
Does NOT meet
my needs
62%
Meets my needs
38%
Rate your home Internet service
Take away: 62% of residential respondents say their Internet service does not meet their needs. DSL, Satellite and Cable were
cited most often as not meeting residential needs.
Connection too
slow
57%
Unreliable service
27%
Data caps
12%
Other
3%
Poor customer
service
1%
What is the primary reason your home Internet service
does not meet your needs?
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 38 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 36
Take away:Comcast and Chatmoss Cable service areas primarily North and East of the City of Danville and East and South of
Blairs. Cable segments may be over subscribed and/or need fiber upgrades. Work with providers to determine why these areas
do not meet residential need.
Reasons reported why Cable
does not meeting residential
needs:
•Connections too slow,
•Unreliable service.
Other reasons reported:
•Expense
Pittsylvania
County
Zoom in of areas where Cable was reported “Does not meet my needs.”
Cable service area
Residential Response
Cable does not meet needs
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 39 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 37
Responses that Cable does not meet customer needs
Cable service areas
Comcast and Chatmoss Cable service areas primarily North and
East of the City of Danville and East and South of Blairs. Cable
segments may be over subscribed and/or need fiber upgrades.
Work with providers to determine why these areas do not meet
residential need.
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 40 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 38
Pittsylvania County
Connection too
slow
57%
Unreliable service
27%
Data caps
12%
Other
3%
Poor customer
service
1%
What is the primary reason your home Internet service does not meet your needs?
Take away: 84% of residential respondents claim their Internet service is too slow and/or unreliable.
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 41 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 39
Pittsylvania County
No
7%
Yes
93%
$50 -
$100/month
56%
Under
$50/month
34%
$100 -
$150/month
9%
Over
$150/month
1%
Would you be willing to commit to a year-long
contract for a faster Internet option?
How much would you be willing to spend per month
for a faster Internet option?
Take away: Most (93%) residents want a faster Internet option. Most (56%)are willing to pay between $50. -$100 per month for
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 42 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 40
Pittsylvania County
Cellular
78%
Landline
19%
Other
1%
VoIP
2%
Take away: Most (78%) residents depend on cellular home phone
services, however 33% of those say their home cellular service is not
reliable.
Residential responses
Cellular not reliable Home phone service?
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 43 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 41
Pittsylvania County
No
33%
Yes
67%
K12 at Home?
K12 Households
K12 No Access after school
Take away: A significant percentage –67% -of households report K12
students. 12% report NO access to the Internet after school. 4%
depend on the library for after school Internet access.
K12 households need Internet connections that can support media rich
online educational activities.
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 44 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 42
Pittsylvania County
No
82%
Yes, I own a
home-based
business
15%
Yes, I own a traditional storefront
business
3%
Take away: 202 (15%) of residential responses report operating a
home-based business. 55% (112) of those report their Internet service
does not meet their needs.
Businesses, home-based or traditional store front must not be
constrained by bandwidth!
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 45 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 43
Other
Operate a home-based business
Transmit large data files
Search for work
Healthcare communications/monitoring (i.e.…
Work from home (i.e. telework)
Video & Phone calls via the Internet (e.g. Skype)
Video Games
Online education and training
News
Music Streaming (E.G. iHeart Radio, Spotify)
Video Streaming (e.g. Netflix, YouTube)
Financial/banking transactions
Social Media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter)
Online Shopping
Browsing (i.e. looking at websites)
Email
What do you use your home Internet for?
What do you use your home Internet for?# of responses % of
1104
Other 41 3.71
Operate a home-based business 179 16.21
Transmit large data files 181 16.39
Search for work 296 26.81
Healthcare communications/monitoring
(i.e. telehealth)359 32.52
Work from home (i.e. telework)462 41.85
Video & Phone calls via the Internet (e.g.
Skype)474 42.93
Video Games 488 44.20
Online education and training 627 56.79
News 634 57.43
Music Streaming (E.G. iHeart Radio,
Spotify)658 59.60
Video Streaming (e.g. Netflix, YouTube)729 66.03
Financial/banking transactions 832 75.36
Social Media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter)881 79.80
Online Shopping 937 84.87
Browsing (i.e. looking at websites)990 89.67
Email 1036 93.84
Take Away: Low bandwidth consumer online activities dominate. Consistent with slow, unreliable Internet service. ~42% of
respondents report they work from home, ~16% responded that they operate a home-based business. “Other” responses
included; home security systems and cameras, use multiple devices, library digital services.
Working from home and keeps dollars circulating in the local economy.
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 46 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 44
Other
N/A
Search for work
Operate a home-based business
Healthcare communications/monitoring (i.e.…
News
Transmit large data files
Video Games
Social Media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter)
Financial/banking transactions
Video & Phone calls via the Internet (e.g. Skype)
Work from home (i.e. telework)
Online Shopping
Music Streaming (E.G. iHeart Radio, Spotify)
Email
Online education and training
Browsing (i.e. looking at websites)
Video Streaming (e.g. Netflix, YouTube)
What would you like to be able to do online that you can't with your
current home connection?
What would you like to be able to do online that you can't
with your current home connection?
# of
responses % of 1243
Other 65 5.23
N/A 199 16.01
Search for work 223 17.94
Operate a home-based business 260 20.92
Healthcare communications/monitoring (i.e. telehealth)306 24.62
News 371 29.85
Transmit large data files 387 31.13
Video Games 418 33.63
Social Media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter)460 37.01
Financial/banking transactions 469 37.73
Video & Phone calls via the Internet (e.g. Skype)477 38.37
Work from home (i.e. telework)480 38.62
Online Shopping 522 42.00
Music Streaming (E.G. iHeart Radio, Spotify)535 43.04
Email 545 43.85
Online education and training 555 44.65
Browsing (i.e. looking at websites)566 45.53
Video Streaming (e.g. Netflix, YouTube)718 57.76
Take away:Respondents want to use higher bandwidth, producer,applications
and services. ~39% responded they would work from home and ~21% would
operate a home-based business if they had a better connection. “Other”
responses included; home security systems, cameras, and monitoring, use smart
home devices.
Working from home and keeps dollars circulating in the local economy.
Home-based businesses keeps dollars circulating in the local economy.
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 47 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 45
35 traditional storefront businesses responded
•18%of respondents report operating a business; 3%(35) traditional storefront, 15%(202) home-based.
•9% of storefront business report they do not subscribe to the Internet, citing unreliable service as the main
reason.
•At least 64%of businesses depend upon inadequate, expensive, and/or unreliable services; 45%DSL, 14%
Satellite
•Nearly all of storefront businesses report the Internet is “Very Important” to their business operations.
•50%of respondents report their business Internet service does not meet their needs, citing slow
connections, and unreliable service as the primary reasons.
•87%of business respondents said they would commit to a new contract if an affordable, faster option
became available.
•40%of businesses are willing to pay between $100-$150 per month for a faster Internet option, 32% would
be willing to pay between $50-$100 per month for a faster service.
•75%of businesses respondents depend on a landline,12%depend on cellular for their business phone
service.
•Most, 88% of storefront respondents report their business phone service is consistently reliable.
Pittsylvania County Business Survey Response Summary
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 48 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 46
Pittsylvania County Traditional store-front business response locations
DSL
45%
Cable
28%
Satellite
14%
Fiber
10%
Fixed Wireless
3%
•Most business report they use DSL Internet Service.
•Most business respondents report the Internet is VERY important
to their business operations.
•Half of businesses report their Internet service does not meet
their needs citing slow connections and/or unreliable service as
the main reasons.
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 49 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
Local Assets
Vertical Assets, Fiber, Conduit and Community Anchors
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 47
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 50 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
Three (3) Commonwealth towers at;
Tower Ln.
Woodlawn Hgts.
Ford Rd.
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 48
Unserved areas:
Pittsylvania County Vertical Assets
Take away: There are multiple tower sites in close proximity to
unserved areas. The county should work with tower owners to verify
if space and engineering would accommodate additional broadband
and/or cellular equipment.
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 51 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 49
City of Danville
Lumos
MBC
NGN
Pittsylvania County Schools
Shentel
Uniti
Windstream
Zayo
Pittsylvania County
Commercial Fiber Routes
Take away: LOTS of commercial fiber along Rt. 29 and 58. Not
much east and west of Rt. 29.
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 52 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 50
Pittsylvania County Qualified Opportunity Zones
The Federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 included provisions for a
new revitalization tool, the Opportunity Zone and Opportunity
Fund. The Zones and Funds will allow investors to receive tax
benefits on currently unrealized capital gains by investing those
gains in qualified census tracts (Opportunity Zones).
Qualified Opportunity Zones (QOZs) allow keen investors and
developers to turn redevelopment opportunities into tax savings
while fulfilling a need for community reinvestment and renewal.
Take away: Pittsylvania County,local providers, others should
consider if/how the QOZ can aid in broadband expansion
efforts.
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 53 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 51
Unserved areas:
Address points in
unserved areas of
Opportunity Zones
Pittsylvania County Qualified Opportunity Zones
In relation to unserved areas
Take away: There are over 800 address points in the unserved areas
within the Opportunity Zones. See map below: The County should
investigate if Qualified Opportunity Zones can help with broadband
expansion.
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 54 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
COMMUNITY BROADBAND NEEDS
Assessment Based
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 52
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 55 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
X County Needs Identified
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 53
Technology Adoption and Usage•9% of population are veterans•20% of population are seniors, •17% of population have educational deficiencies, •17% of population have a disability,•40% of population have incomes <$35K•21% of respondents who do not have Internet at home say Internet service is too expensive•5% report device is too expensive. •According to the FCC Connect2Health Task Force (C2HFCC), the Pittsylvania County Internet Adoption Rate
Estimate: ~40-60% -low •According to the FCC Connect2Health Task Force (C2HFCC), Pittsylvania County health indicators for obesity
and diabetes exceed national estimates:
These populations may be slow to adopt or less likely to subscribe to new services. The lack of digital literacy and
the ability to pay for services are significant barriers to broadband expansion. The lack of connectivity is a
significant barrier to telehealth and online educational opportunities. Connecting healthcare, education and
broadband sectors is a path to a more connected, healthier, more educated community.
Recommendation: Prioritize adoption and usage solutions:
•Promote digital literacy, computer classes and training throughout the county.
•Consider a computer refurb/donation program such as Virginia Star -a state-wide Student Training and Refurbishment program;http://vastar.org/
•Consider offering computer and digital literacy classes in areas where families in poverty can attend
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 56 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 54
Pittsylvania County School district
paying significantly more per Mb than
neighboring counties.
Bedford pays $1.18 per Mb.
5900/5000 = 1.18
Contact Expires soon
Recommendation: Consider other providers available on MBC’s network
that can theoretically provide competitively priced Internet access and
transport to the schools. To maximize countywide broadband expansion,
the school district should consider coordinating with local government
before next contract renewal.
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 57 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 55
Pittsylvania County Libraries
No data provided by locality. According to the Universal Service Administration Co. (USAC), the Pittsylvania County
Libraries purchase the following services.
Source: USAC_471_Detail_Report_Current_VA_FundingYear2019
Location Provider Function
Product
Type Upload Download
Cost per
Month Units
Total cost
per month
Contract
Expiration
History Branch Comcast Copper
Cable
Modem 5 Mbps 25 Mbps $105.64 1 $105.64
Month to
Month
Hermon Gamewood Fiber
OC-N
(TDM
Fiber)25 Mbps 150 Mbps $234.95 1 $234.95 8/31/2020
Main,Gretna,Brosvill
e Internet GRC Fiber
OC-N
(TDM
Fiber)100 Mbps 100 Mbps $1,300.00 3 $3,900.00 6/30/2021
Bookmobile
Internet Verizon Wireless
Data
plan for
portable
device 5 Mbps 12 Mbps $40.01 1 $39.99
Month to
Month
Take away: Pittsylvania County Public Libraries spend approximately $51,366 annually for Internet services.
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 58 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 56
DISTRICT DISTRICTID SUPERVISOR
# of residents that
would commit to
new services
Dan River 4 Joe Davis 199
Callands-Gretna 2 Ben L. Farmer 180
Tunstall 6 Tim R. Barber 115
Banister 3
Dr. Charles H. Miller,
Jr.70
Staunton River 5 Elton W. Blackstock 61
Chatham-Blairs 1 Robert W. Warren 47
Westover 7 Ronald S. Scearce 15
Unserved areas
Residential responses within unserved areas that would
commit to new services.
Prioritize expansion in areas where residential broadband
services are not reported; where coverage speeds are less than
25 Mbps download, 3 Mbps upload, and where location
counts are highest where respondents said they would commit
to a new service contracts if an affordable, faster option
became available.
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 59 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 57
DISTRICT DISTRICTID SUPERVISOR
# of residents that
would commit to
new services
Dan River 4 Joe Davis 199
Callands-Gretna 2 Ben L. Farmer 180
Tunstall 6 Tim R. Barber 115
Banister 3
Dr. Charles H. Miller,
Jr.70
Staunton River 5 Elton W. Blackstock 61
Chatham-Blairs 1 Robert W. Warren 47
Westover 7 Ronald S. Scearce 15
Unserved areas
Residential responses within unserved areas that would
commit to new services.
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 60 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 58
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 61 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
Review of Local Policies & Fees
Affect the Broadband Economics
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 59
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 62 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
Make sure your policies and procedures are “Broadband Friendly”
Review comprehensive plans, community zoning regulations and process, policies,
fees, etc. must encourage and enable broadband investment.
Review local franchise agreements for setback or long-drop policy. Long-drop policy
information should be proactively conveyed to all new homebuilders, and real estate
developers.
Adopt Dig Once: Dig Once means less construction disruption, and lower costs for
private providers—who may simply decide not to deploy in an area where the
economics don’t work.
Google Fiber Checklist:
https://fiber.storage.googleapis.com/legal/googlefibercitychecklist2-24-14.pdf
Remember to make it “cheap, quick & easy”
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 60
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 63 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
County Local Policies
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 61
The following policies may not represent a comprehensive list of potential local Internet related policies. All local Internet related
policies should be reviewed with potential partners and adjusted as necessary to explore incentives and identify barriers to
broadband expansion
X County has / has not adopted the PPEA procurement process.
The primary reason for using PPEA procurement rather than a traditional RFP is that the bulk of any broadband project is going
to be defined as “engineering” or “construction” under the Public Procurement Act. Engineering needs to be done by
competitive negotiation; construction can only be procured by competitive sealed bidding. You can do a design/build contract,
but that’s a pain as well and still leaves you with an operating phase that you don’t have covered. So you wind up doing at least
two and probably three separate procurements and contracts: (1) RFP for engineering services to design; (2) IFB for construction
services; (3) an RFP for operational services. As an administrative matter, a PPEA is usually faster, more flexible, and no more
expensive; (4) the PPEA is the most provider friendly procurement type for responding to local broadband expansion requests.
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 64 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
NEXT STEPS
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 62
The Path Forward
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 65 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
Potential Funding
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT
Go to https://www.commonwealthconnect.virginia.gov/
Click the Funding and Partnership Tab
Click the link below for a list of both state and federal broadband funding
opportunities.
https://www.commonwealthconnect.virginia.gov/sites/default/files/CIT%20Docum
ents/Broadband%20Funding%20Opportunities%202019.pdf
63
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 66 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 64
Virginia Funding Opportunities
Source Opportunity Eligible Applicant Application Timeline
Department of Housing and Community
Development (DHCD)
Community Development Block Grant Planning
Grant
Units of local government in non-
entitlement localities.
January -September
http://www.dhcd.virginia.gov/index.php/commu
nity-partnerships-dhcd/79-community-
development-block-grant-cdbg-planning-
grant.html
Department of Housing and Community
Development (DHCD)
Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI)A unit of government (Towns, Cities,
Counties, EDA/IDA, Broadband/Wireless
Authorities, Planning District Commissions,
etc.) with a private sector provider(s) as a
co-applicant.
Fall
http://www.dhcd.virginia.gov/index.php/busines
s-va-assistance/telecommunications/254-
virginia-telecommunication-planning-initiative-
vatpi.html
Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community
Revitalization Commission
TRRC Revolving Loan Fund Public or incorporated non-profit private
organizations located in and/or providing
economic revitalization programs, services,
or facilities in the tobacco region.
Announced annually
https://www.revitalizeva.org/grant-loan-
program/loan-programs/
Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community
Revitalization Commission
Economic Development Grant Program Public or incorporated non-profit private
organizations located in and/or providing
economic revitalization programs, services,
or facilities in the tobacco region.
Announced annually
https://www.revitalizeva.org/grant-loan-
program/grant-programs/southwest-and-
southside-economic-development-grant-
program/
Virginia Resources Authority (VRA)Virginia Pooled Financing Program Local governments Fall and Spring
http://www.virginiaresources.org/page/virginia-
pooled-financing-program/
Virginia Department of Agriculture and
Consumer Services
Agriculture and Forestry Development Fund Political subdivision or alliance of
subdivisions. Broadband project are
eligible.
Applications are accepted
on a continuing basis
http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/agriculture-afid-
facility-grants.shtml
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 67 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
Next Steps: County Decisions
•Determine what role to assume in advancing County broadband goals
•County role needs to be adopted by the County BoS
•Identify and prioritize goals, based on needs
•Assessment findings, identified in Decision Document, need to be conveyed to the BoS
•Broadband Management Team passes its recommendations to BoS for approval
•Determine incentives to offer
•Policy Team passes its recommendations to BoS for approval
•RFP or straight to partnership?
•Adopted goals and recommendations from Decision Document serve ‘summary findings’ and ‘requirements’ for RFP and county/partner action items.
•County chooses private partner(s)
•The County is responsible for generating and publishing the RFP, evaluating responses, and choosing (an) ISP
partner(s)
•CIT can distribute RFPs to our list of resources,
•County should also post on the RFP on the eVa.Virginia.gov site to maximize distribution.
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 65
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 68 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
5/11/2020 Prepared by CIT 66
5.a.a
Packet Pg. 69 Attachment: Pittsylvania (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd)
Pittsylvania County Decision Points
May 11, 2020 Page | 1
The following three steps highlight decisions the County needs to make to stipulate their broadband
goals, desired role in public private partnerships, and how the County will facilitate partner expansions.
Once the County completes the following three steps, these decisions and information from the
assessment should be included within the Scope of Work and Requirements as “summary findings” in a
conceptual phased RFP.
Sample RFP solicitations are available that local leaders can adapt at the link below:
https://commonwealthconnect.virginia.gov/broadband-toolkit
CIT is happy to distribute the RFP to our resources once the County is ready to publish it.
Step 1: Determine the County’s Desired Role in Partnerships
Determine the role and partnership model that works best for the County. Select one from the
partnership models listed below (Place a check mark in the box beside desired role):
Locality Shares Assets Only
o Some localities do not have the resources (people or money) to bring to a
partnership. However, all localities have assets (towers, land, rooftops). In these
types of partnerships, the locality agrees to share assets and even provide the
private partner some “anchor” tenants on their network – government facilities or
fire/rescue stations that would buy service (or receive service in exchange for
sharing assets) from the private partner’s network. This ensures the private
provider has recurring revenue – or customers that will not go away (residential and
small businesses can come and go). Sharing assets lowers the deployment cost
(capital investment) of the private provider, which expedites deployment and helps
make the business case for less populated areas.
Locality Covers Capital Investment
o Some localities prefer to make all the capital investments – funding towers, head-
end Internet service (the connection that provides the bandwidth to the network
and connects to the world), and wireless equipment. The private partner brings
their expertise to the table to design, deploy, maintain, and operate the network.
The private partner would also provide the resources to support end customers
(setting up the connection, billing, etc.). In these models, there is a revenue share -
typically on a sliding scale - providing more of the revenue to the locality in the
early years to reimburse them for the capital investment and then shifts to the
private partner in the later years to offset their overhead expenses. The locality
owns the network and contracts the private partner to run it.
Hybrid Approach (Locality Shares Assets and Invests Some Capital)
o This model is a blend of the previous two. The locality may share assets and invest
some capital - such as incentives - to offset the initial network costs. For instance,
perhaps the locality covers the costs of a new tower (or more) and/or some fiber
deployment. The locality may also arrange to recoup this investment by obtaining
Internet services to county/city facilities, leasing space on the tower/fiber to other
entities (ensuring there is no interference). The locality may purchase Internet
5.a.b
Packet Pg. 70 Attachment: Pittsylvania Decision Points Document (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd) (Presenter: Jean Plymale);
Pittsylvania County Decision Points
May 11, 2020 Page | 2
service from the network and pay for years in advance – providing the private
partner with additional capital to help offset initial investment. The private partner
would fund the wireless equipment, customer premise equipment, and all costs to
deploy, maintain, and operate the network. There would be no revenue sharing.
Step 2: Adopt and Prioritize Broadband Goals
The sections below address areas of need that were identified in the community broadband
assessment. Choose the recommendations associated with each section below that the locality will
adopt as goals and requirements for the Pittsylvania County broadband expansion plan.
Adoption and Usage
All localities benefit economically from expanding digital literacy and broadband availability.
The more members of a community who subscribe and use the Internet, the greater the
incentives for others to get online. Once high adoption rates are achieved in communities,
doors open to numerous improvements not available to communities with low adoption rates.
Adoption rate is the number of residential fixed connections to the Internet per 1000
households.
Below are some statistics pertaining to adoption and usage for Pittsylvania County:
• 9% of population are veterans
• 20% of population are seniors,
• 20% of population have educational deficiencies,
• 17% of population have a disability,
• 40% of population have incomes <$35K
• 5% report device is too expensive.
• 21% Internet service is too expensive
• According to the FCC Connect2Health Task Force (C2HFCC), the Pittsylvania County
Internet Adoption Rate Estimate: ~60% - low
• According to the FCC Connect2Health Task Force (C2HFCC), Pittsylvania County health
indicators for obesity and diabetes exceed national estimates:
Pittsylvania County Health
Behavior Estimates
National
Estimates
Obesity 32% 27.80%
Diabetes 14% 9.90%
These populations may be less likely to subscribe to new services, need special equipment
and/or have affordability challenges. The lack of digital literacy and the ability to pay for
5.a.b
Packet Pg. 71 Attachment: Pittsylvania Decision Points Document (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd) (Presenter: Jean Plymale);
Pittsylvania County Decision Points
May 11, 2020 Page | 3
services are significant barriers to broadband expansion. Research shows that rural counties
with high adoption rates see improved economic indicators. Adoption and usage of broadband,
not just availability, matters for rural economies.
Successful digital inclusion needs to address the “ability to pay” rather than the “willingness to
pay.” Digital literacy, lack of confidence, and being unaware of what kinds of activities the
Internet can facilitate are barriers to broadband adoption. Additionally, connecting health,
education and broadband sectors while increasing adoption rates is a path to a more connected,
healthier community.
Adoption and Usage Recommendations:
⎯ Consider a computer refurb/donation program such as Virginia Star (http://vastar.org/) - a
statewide student training and refurbishment program for households with affordability
challenges.
⎯ Pittsylvania County Libraries provide public access computers and computer learning and
training opportunities. The County should support (fund,) promote and encourage citizen use of
computers and participation in the library computer classes. In the short term, focus efforts in
the CAFII funded areas to prepare population for uptake of new services.
⎯ Consider expanding computer training to other areas of the County where populations may be
slow to adopt new technologies or need special equipment.
⎯ Consider working with local healthcare providers to establish a Pittsylvania County telehealth
initiative to educate citizens about cost-saving telehealth services such as in-home monitoring,
health related educational services, virtual (via videoconferencing) visits with healthcare
providers, and more.
⎯ Pockets of poverty exist in Pittsylvania County. Consider adoption and useage efforts in these
disadvantaged areas. Consider offering computer training classes somewhere within these
areas. See map below.
5.a.b
Packet Pg. 72 Attachment: Pittsylvania Decision Points Document (2024 : Broadband Survey Update (Staff Contact: Scott Budd) (Presenter: Jean Plymale);
Pittsylvania County Decision Points
May 11, 2020 Page | 4
Residential Economics
According to a study by Ohio State University Swank Program, “Estimates of the average annual benefits
received by US broadband subscribers range from $1,500 (Greensteinand McDevitt, 2012) to $2,200
(Nevo et al., 2016) per household.
Using the mean from the Swank study; $1,850, and broadband defined as: minimum speeds of 25 Mbps
download/3 Mbps upload we can estimate economic benefits and losses expected from broadband
availability in Pittsylvania County:
477 Estimate of County Households without BB (connections < 25/3) = 3164
477 Estimate of County Households with broadband (25/3 and above) = 1119
Estimates of potential annual economic benefits (or losses) for households according to the Swank Study
could range from:
• Without Broadband: 3164 x * $1,850 = $5,853,400 economic loss - due to not having broadband
connected homes.
• With Broadband : 1119 x * $1,850 = $2,070,150 economic gain – due to a broadband connected
homes.
• The economic gain if all households in County had broadband service: 26,687 x $1,850
=$49,370,950
FTTH Council released a study showing access to *fiber-delivered* Internet boosts home values by up to
3.1 percent.
Median occupied household value (census 2017) for Pittsylvania County Virginia: $113,800 * .031 =
$3,528 increased of home value.
Residential Economics Recommendation:
⎯ The County should seek technology neutral ‘broadband services’ that deliver, at minimum, FCC
defined broadband; 25 Mbps download, 3 Mbps upload, and fiber-delivered services wherever
possible to maximize county-wide economic benefits of broadband expansion.
⎯ The County should build momentum and increase interest for the creation and execution of
broadband expansion plans.
⎯ The County should support dedicated efforts to increasing adoption and usage programs,
particularly within CAFII areas, as well as in disadvantaged areas of the County.
• Expand the delivery of computer and digital literacy classes to all areas of the county.
• Work with local healthcare providers to educate citizens about cost-saving telehealth
services, such as in-home monitoring, health related educational services, virtual visits
with healthcare providers via videoconferencing, etc.
• The County should engage Pittsylvania School District, Public Libraries, 4-H and
Extension services in collaborative planning to address the impacts resulting from the
lack of broadband for K12 households. Collaborative planning can bring about
innovative solutions, and shared ownership of needs and solutions.
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Residential and Business Demand
All households need Internet connections that will support rich, multi-media online educational and
business related activities. Broadband enables full participation in the digital age.
• ~6% of occupied households (26,687) responded
• 81% of residential respondents subscribe to the Internet at home.
• The primary reasons cited for no home Internet was that “Internet service not available,
too expensive, and Internet service not reliable.”
• 19% of residential respondents report they have NO Internet service at home. Of those,
the primary reasons cited: 48% “Internet service not available,” 21% “Internet is too
expensive,” and 19% “Internet service is not reliable.”
• At least 62% of residents depend upon inadequate, expensive, unreliable and/or
obsolete services; 21% Satellite, 31% DSL, 9% Cellular, 1% Dial-up.
• 62% report their home Internet service does not meet their needs, citing slow
connections (57%) and unreliable service(27%) as the primary reasons.
• DSL, Satellite, and Cable were cited most often as Internet service that does not meet
the residential needs.
• 93% of respondents said they would commit to a new contract if an affordable, faster
option became available.
• 56% of respondents would be willing to pay between $50-$100 per month for a faster
home Internet connection, 34% under $50./month.
• 78% of respondents depend on cellular service for their home phone, 19% landline.
• 63% of residents say their home phone service is reliable;
33% report cellular is not reliable
24% report landline is not reliable
• 67% of respondents report K12 school-aged children at home.
• 12% of K12 households report no access after school.
• 4% of K12 household report they depend on the Pittsylvania County Public Library for
Internet access after school.
• 39% of respondents would work from home if they had better access
• 15% (202) report operating home based businesses.
Storefronts and office buildings no longer define where businesses operate.
• 18% of respondents report operating a business; 3% (35) traditional storefront, 15%
(202) home-based.
• 9% of storefront business report they do not subscribe to the Internet, citing unreliable
service as the main reason.
• At least 64% of businesses depend upon inadequate, expensive, and/or unreliable
services; 45% DSL, 14% Satellite
• Nearly all of storefront businesses report the Internet is “Very Important” to their
business operations.
• 50% of respondents report their business Internet service does not meet their needs,
citing slow connections, and unreliable service as the primary reasons.
• 87% of business respondents said they would commit to a new contract if an affordable,
faster option became available.
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• 40% of businesses are willing to pay between $100-$150 per month for a faster Internet
option, 32% would be willing to pay between $50-$100 per month for a faster service.
• 75% of businesses respondents depend on a landline, 12% depend on cellular for their
business phone service.
• Most, 88% of storefront respondents report their business phone service is consistently
reliable.
Revenue and economic development opportunities are lost to neighboring localities when
citizens travel outside the county for work. The ability to work from home or create a home
based business keeps local dollars circulating in the local economy.
Residential and Business Recommendations:
⎯ Consider prioritizing expansion in areas where residential broadband services are not
reported (where coverage speeds are less than 25 Mbps download, 3 Mbps upload,) and
where location counts are highest where respondents said they would commit to a new
service contracts if an affordable, faster option became available. See map below.
⎯ Work with local providers to ensure that low income residents in are aware there may be
discounted services available to them.
⎯ The Pittsylvania County survey indicates that cellular phone services need improvements.
The County should seek improved cellular services throughout the County in addition to
expanding broadband services.
⎯ Ensure residents in CAF1 upgraded areas are aware there may be better/faster service
offerings due to CAFI upgrades. See map below:
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Libraries and Schools
Schools and libraries have always been centers of information and knowledge. Both schools and
libraries are local champions for closing the homework gap, expanding digital inclusion and workforce
development. The extent to which libraries and schools can become gateways, contributing to local
economic development (job searches, research, workforce development, online degree programs, etc.)
depends in part on these facilities having adequate broadband capacity.
• No information delivered from County about connection costs/types for Pittsylvania
County Schools or Libraries.
• According to Education Superhighway, and County Connections and Costs, the Pittsylvania
County school district is purchasing a 1 Gb Internet connection from GCR
Telecommunications, funded in part by Erate:
o Spends ~$148,500 annually for transport (WAN) services.
o Spends ~$72,000 annually for Internet access.
o Contract expires 06/30/20
o Pittsylvania County School district is paying significantly more per Mb than
neighboring counties.
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Source:
https://www.compareandconnectk12.org/maps/VA/districts/975618/pittsylvani
a-county-public-schools?view=SINGLE_DISTRICT&opportunity=BANDWIDTH
• No information delivered from County about connection costs/types for Pittsylvania
Libraries.
• According to the Universal Service Administration Co. (USAC), the Pittsylvania County
Libraries spends ~ $51,366 annually for Internet services:
• According to the Pittsylvania County’s Main Library, there are computer classes offered and
public computers are available.
• ~4% of K12 students depend on the Library for after school access to the Internet.
Schools and Libraries Recommendations:
⎯ To maximize countywide broadband expansion, the school district and libraries should take
advantage of MBC’s middle-mile infrastructure proximity and the many providers that utilize
MBC’s infrastructure to deliver competitive Internet services. Any voice and data provider (ISPs)
on MBC’s network can theoretically provide Internet access to Pittsylvania County schools and
libraries.
Source: USA71_Detail_Report_Current_VA_FundingYear2019
Source: USAC_471_Detail_Report_Current_VA_FundingYear2019
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⎯ 4% of K12 students depend on the library for access to the Internet after school. Ensure
capacity to the libraries meets national standards of 1 gigabit for communities with populations
of over 50,000. Pittsylvania’s population ~61,970.
⎯ Expand, promote and support digital literacy and workforce development classes at libraries and
other locations in the county to assist populations that may be slow to adopt technology, or
need special equipment. Consult with Library of Virginia about funding to add workforce and
digital literacy training offered by the Pittsylvania County Public Library system.
⎯ Schools and libraries broadband contracts expire soon or are month-to-month. Before renewing
contracts, the Pittsylvania County Schools district and Public Library should coordinate with local
government to maximize potential for offering anchors to new provider partner(s.)
⎯ Consider offering schools and libraries as anchor institutions for chosen provider partner for
broadband expansion.
Public Safety
Virginia’s Police, Sheriffs, Firefighters, EMS, and other public safety officers depend on the ability to
communicate during incidence response. Mobile communications are particularly important in the field
for quick response to save lives and protect communities. Whether urban or rural, in the field or in the
office, public safety depends on robust, reliable communication technology to ensure the safety needs
of all Virginia citizens.
• No information delivered from County about connection costs/types for fire/rescue stations.
Public Safety Recommendations:
⎯ There are multiple vertical assets in Pittsylvania County – see map under the heading Local
Government Recommendations. Consider soliciting for improved cellular services in addition to
fixed wireless broadband services.
⎯ Consider public safety facilities as anchors for potential new provider.
⎯ Consider offering tower space at public safety facilities in unserved areas for new broadband
provider.
Local Government:
Locality zoning, construction, permitting, rights-of-way management, and other traditional municipal
activities will affect what kind of broadband networks it will have in the years ahead. The quality of the
broadband networks affect the ability of what local government and its residents can do and influences
the attractiveness of a locality from many perspectives. Affordable, abundant bandwidth that does not
constrain innovation, economic growth, or social progress is imperative for local growth. Every locality
needs to own fiber assets to participate in today’s digital economy, access educational resources,
provide cutting-edge healthcare and more.
Every locality should be asking, “are the broadband networks in our locality good enough for us to thrive
ten years from now?” If the answer is no, the time to begin thinking about what your locality can do to
assure affordable, abundant bandwidth is now.
• No information was delivered from the County about connections costs/types and locations
of public safety facilities.
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Local Government Recommendations:
⎯ All localities need county owned fiber; extra strands can be leased to provider partner to reduce
expansion costs.
⎯ The County should consult with local telecommunication providers on their long-drop policy.
Long-drop distance is specific to cable services but would apply to broadband services as well.
Long drop distance information should be conveyed to all new homebuilders, and real estate
developers.
⎯ Consider offering local government facilities as anchors for a new provider partner.
⎯ Take advantage of MBC’s proximity and the many providers that utilize MBC’s infrastructure to
deliver competitive Internet services. Any voice and data provider (ISPs) on MBC’s network can
theoretically provide Internet access to Pittsylvania County local government.
⎯ The County should work to engage Volunteer Public Safety entities and include as many of
public safety facilities as possible in broadband expansion plans.
⎯ The County should seek CRA Funding; In addition to state and federal funding, the County
should work with local banks to try to secure bank funding through the Community
Reinvestment Act for broadband projects. For more information see:
https://www.occ.gov/topics/consumers-and-communities/cra/index-cra.html
⎯ Establish a County broadband budget for ‘match’ funds for grants and other broadband
expansion needs. State grants may require 20% or more matching funds, includes in-kind
contributions.
⎯ Establish Service Tax District for broadband - adoption of an ordinance or ordinances or
the entry of an order creating a service district. See Virginia HB2141 -
http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?191+sum+HB2141
⎯ Pittsylvania County has three (3) Qualified Opportunity Zones, each of which contains some
unserved areas. There are over 800 address points in the unserved areas within the Opportunity
Zones. See map below: The County should investigate if Qualified Opportunity Zones can help
with broadband expansion.
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⎯ The Code of Virginia permits “the use of the communication towers by the qualified provider in
its deployment of wireless broadband service within the unserved area or portion thereof.” The
County should work with wireless partner(s) to take advantage of any Commonwealth of
Virginia vertical asset resources (3 identified in Pittsylvania County).
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title2.2/chapter11/section2.2-1150.2/
⎯ Multiple county owned (identified as Board of Supervisors) vertical assets in Pittsylvania. The
County should determine if there is space available and if County owned tower sites are
engineered for additional equipment to facilitate fixed wireless equipment. Knowing this
information ahead of time can save time and money and make a potential wireless project more
attractive.
⎯ There are multiple tower sites in close proximity to unserved areas. The county should work
with tower owners to verify if space and engineering would accommodate additional broadband
and/or cellular equipment.
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Step 3: Specify What the County will Share/Invest
Local governments have to play a role in overseeing broadband deployment through zoning,
permitting, and other regulations. It is critical that government entities protect the public interest,
but also embrace policies and processes that reduce delays and costs. Anything the County can
offer (a) potential provider(s) in the form of incentives - rights-of-way, pole attachments,
easements, permits, or facilities - can shorten future deployment time and make a project more
attractive to potential providers.
The following list of items should be considered for commitment to any future broadband
partnership. Please place a check mark beside the items the County is willing to commit to
partners.
Space on vertical assets – existing towers, silos, water tanks, buildings etc.
o Multiple county owned (Board of Supervisors) vertical assets that are located in areas
of need.
o Waive, reduce, or suspend leases on County or municipality owned towers for (a)
potential provider(s).
Share space for towers, network equipment, or poles.
o Sharing space at fire stations/rescue buildings for small towers or poles.
o Space on, or in, County owned property for tower construction, location of points of
presence, networking equipment etc.
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Waive, reduce, or defer local fees for permitting and construction of any broadband
infrastructure deployed by the private partner(s).
Assist with project marketing and/or public relations leveraging County media relationships,
direct mailings to constituents, and social media.
Leverage county relationships with local utilities, carrier-grade construction companies, and
educational facilities, etc. to help facilitate future deployments.
Provide a single-point-of-contact for any permitting for broadband infrastructure construction
by the private partner(s).
Leverage ongoing or pending capital projects, such as water, road construction, main street
revitalization, new sub-divisions, fiber builds etc.
o Take advantage of “Dig Once” opportunities to coordinate the installation of
underground fiber and/or conduit whenever the ground is open for building or
renovating roads, utility infrastructure, energy distribution channels, sidewalk repair,
etc. Dig Once opportunities can significantly reduce costs and shorten deployment
time for potential (a) private partner(s).
Provide possible assistance with deployment costs depending on available County funds.
Pursue any federal or state broadband funding opportunities to help offset the costs of
broadband access and capacity expansion.
Provide anchor tenants for any private partner(s)’ broadband network to provide recurring
revenue source. The service provided to County facilities must be equal or better than current
pricing, and quality of service, that provides the required bandwidth to support County
functions. The County needs to specify eligible potential anchors. Examples of potential anchor
sites might include:
Step 4: Next Steps
• Decisions based on assessment findings reviewed by Broadband Management Team.
• Broadband Management Team makes decisions for Steps 1-3.
• Assessment findings and decision recommendations conveyed to County Board of Supervisors
(BoS) by Broadband Management Team.
• Policy Team passes its recommendations for policy updates to BoS for approval.
• BoS’s approval of decisions and recommendations.
• County decides to issue RFP or go straight to partnership.
• If RFP is desired, all local decisions and goals should be used to develop the “Scope of Work and
Requirements” section in a conceptual phase RFP. County is responsible for generating RFP
materials.
• County is responsible for evaluating responses and partner(s) selection for broadband
expansion.
• If partnership without RFP is decided, County works with chosen partner to address all local goal
based decisions for expansion of broadband services.
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Pittsylvania County Broadband Survey Comments
GENERAL COMMENTS:
Summary:
The majority of respondents who provided comments expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of
availability, as well as the cost and reliability of their current service. Many mentioned having to depend
on cellular service as their primary internet connection. Also, many comments noted dissatisfaction with
satellite service. Some respondents reported the need for more reliable internet for telehealth services.
Examples:
1. “We use a Verizon hotspot for our internet connection and it is so, so slow. We can't stream movies
or TV shows and it takes a long time to pull up a website. We would love for someone to offer internet
services in our area. So far we are dead in the water!”
2. “The only available service in this area besides cellular based is satellite which is prohibitively
expensive, slow and with extremely limited data.”
3. “I am a mother of 2 and we cant get internet at our house. we r a low income family. we really need
some internet in our area. we have tried to find some unlimited internet for my kids. I hope u all can
help us out. thanks.”
4. “Our internet works some days, some days it doesn’t. Over priced compared to what people are
paying in the city of Danville which is less than 15 minutes from our house. And there are some days
where the connection is so slow, it’s impossible to load work emails, or the internet for my high school
daughters homework. When I call the cable company they just say the next work is overloaded and
running slower. Especially happens in the evenings. We need fast, reliable, and affordable.”
5. “I love living in a rural community, and I love that working from home allows me to do that. But
internet access is a huge hurdle. When we moved here we had to pass on at least one home because
there was no hope of getting decent internet, and even now my connection is at the bottom range of
my minimum acceptable standards. We moved from a rural area in North Carolina, but at least we had
access to high-speed cable internet that was affordable. Here, my "high-speed" DSL connection is 90%
slower than in NC, and it costs double!”
6. “My husband and I live paycheck to paycheck. I need internet service for email at work, my husband
has Parkinson's disease and needs internet service for his health monitoring and clinical trial
information, and we also would like to be able to use internet service for our television viewing. We
currently have satellite TV which becomes more expensive all the time with little to choose from that
interests us. The service that we have now has limited data and if we were to watch one movie then the
service slows down to a crawl for the remainder of the month. Our location does not have high speed
internet available.”
EDUCATION RELATED:
Summary:
Of the respondents that made education-related comments, all reported needing service or improved
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Pittsylvania County Broadband Survey Comments
service to complete homework assignments or to take online courses. One respondent noted that the
lack of cellular service at the schools is a safety concern.
Examples:
1. “As a teacher, it is a big concern that my children as well as my students cannot access the internet
for classwork and projects and studying and watching educational videos. Many of my daughter's
teachers assign homework that requires the internet and she gets very frustrated with slow speeds. I
literally live 1 mile away from Hwy 29 and comcast doesn't come out that far. It's ridiculous and
frustrating and honestly will eventually drive residents out of these rural areas.”
2. “My service is very good from home. However, I work at Kentuck Elementary School, Dan River High
School, and Dan River Middle School and the service in the schools is great but my cellular phone data
and phone service is nonexistent. To be completely forthright, the lack of service is very frightening
because I know that in the event of an emergency, I would be unable to contact emergency services.
There is also no public library in Keeling that offers internet connectivity so the public schools offer the
only internet in this community. Although I am not a business owner, I would think that the lack of
connectivity would be a deterrent to this area expanding and attracting businesses to our region.”
3. “The lack of reliable, affordable internet puts our children in Pittsylvania County at a huge
disadvantage. Anything my children require for school I have to complete at my workplace because once
I get home we only have cell phone internet. The signal is not strong enough to support hot spots for
laptop use. When my husband was laid off he had to go to friends’ houses to put in for work because
everything is online now. Our community can not afford to be behind the times and expect to prosper.”
4. “My 15 year old has a rare genetic illness that causes her to miss alot of school. She makes excellent
grades and several of her teachers have suggested public school online so she can still be a part of her
school group. Sadly, we cant take advantage of that or telehealth options because of the lack of
broadband. Lots of other young people are being left behind by the "real world" as well. Please help.”
BUSINESS RELATED:
Summary:
The majority of business-related comments mentioned difficulty or an inability to telework.
Examples:
1. “I am an IT professional; would love to have the opportunity to work from home. Satellite internet
does not have the throughput to allow a consistent VPN connection, so that is simply not an option. In
fact, I must say if Satellite is the only option for a citizen, then they are borderline not having internet at
all. With the amount of multimedia on a single webpage now, multiple accessing of any page can
significantly eat up a data package. Virginia has a great economy, but making sure the rural areas are
connected with reliable internet, will help guarantee economic growth outside of the increasingly
congested urban/metro areas so that opportunity is available for all Virginians to contribute to building
an ever-stronger Commonwealth.”
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Pittsylvania County Broadband Survey Comments
2. “We operate a cow/calf/farming operation and would like faster internet service than we can get
through our land line phone.”
3. “I own a home based photography business and would love to have a dependable internet source to
subscribe to. There are not many options for us out here and what my family members who live close by
have is just not reliable enough for me to spend $70-$80 per month on. Because of this, I have to travel
into town to my office to use the internet to do things that are at the heart of my business, such as
uploading large files and communicating with clients. I would gladly pay for a dependable source of
internet and we would benefit from it in many ways. Not only would my business benefit, but on a
personal level it would be nice to be connected as well, especially when phone service is not reliable
either. Living as far out as we do, it’s easy to forget about the few to serve the many. We see it in our
road maintenance and service, snow clean up, electrical service during power outages, the list goes on. I
understand the need to compromise on some things, but this day in age, I don’t feel as though those of
us who choose to live further away from the hustle and bustle should have to continue to pay such
prices. The time has long since passed for our community to have reliable and affordable internet
options. We would all greatly benefit from it.”
4. “The business is a highway contractor that deals with companies all over the state and needs more
reliable services. We are constantly losing our connections while in use, our speed is so slow that we are
unable to use the cloud for backup”
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Board of Supervisors
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
INFORMATION ITEM
Agenda Title:
Franklin County Fire and EMS Service Recommendation Discussion
(Staff Contact: David M. Smitherman; Christopher C. Slemp); (15
minutes)
Staff Contact(s): Christopher C. Slemp
Agenda Date: May 19, 2020 Item Number: 6.a
Attachment(s):
Reviewed By:
David M. Smitherman, County Administrator, and/or Christopher C. Slemp, County Public
Safety Director, will lead Board discussion regarding potentially implementing the Fire and
Rescue Commission and Finance Committee’s recommendations regarding the Franklin County
Fire and EMS Service issue. This issue is proposed for action at the Board’s Business Meeting
under the Matters from Work Session Agenda section.
6.a
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Board of Supervisors
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
INFORMATION ITEM
Agenda Title:
Discussion or consideration of the acquisition of real property for a public
purpose, or of the disposition of publicly held real property, where
discussion in an open meeting would adversely affect the bargaining
position or negotiating strategy of the public body.
Staff Contact(s): David M. Smitherman
Agenda Date: May 19, 2020 Item Number: 8.a
Attachment(s):
Reviewed By:
(1) Legal Authority: Virginia Code § 2.2-3711(A)(3)
Subject Matter: Landfill Easement and Right-of-Ways
Purpose: Discussion of Disposition of Publicly Held Real
Property
8.a
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Board of Supervisors
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
INFORMATION ITEM
Agenda Title: Closed Session Certification
Staff Contact(s): J. Vaden Hunt, Esq.
Agenda Date: May 19, 2020 Item Number: 9.a
Attachment(s):
Reviewed By:
PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
CLOSED MEETING CERTIFICATION
BE IT RESOLVED that at the Meeting of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors
(the “Board”) on May 19, 2020, the Board hereby certifies by a recorded vote that to the best of
each Board Member’s knowledge only public business matters lawfully exempted from the Open
Meeting requirements of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (the “Act”) and identified in
the Motion authorizing the Closed Meeting were heard, discussed, or considered in the Closed
Meeting. If any Board Member believes that there was a departure from the requirements of the
Act, he shall so state prior to the vote indicating the substance of the departure. The Statement
shall be recorded in the Board's Minutes.
Vote
Joe B. Davis Yes/No
Timothy W. Dudley Yes/No
Ben L. Farmer Yes/No
William (“Vic”) Ingram Yes/No
Charles H. Miller, Jr. Yes/No
Ronald S. Scearce Yes/No
Robert (“Bob”) W. Warren Yes/No
9.a
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