Clinton County Fiscal Court held its regular monthly meeting last Thursday evening, October 19 with all members present and among items on a short agenda, delayed action until next month on a proposal from Duo County Telecommunications out of Jamestown, Kentucky for a franchise agreement pertaining to providing fiber optic broadband service to some areas of the county.

Earlier this month, Albany City Council had voted to approve first reading of a 20-year franchise agreement with Duo County to provide broadband service to some areas of the city where the lines are being run on city right-of-ways.

However, after hearing a presentation from Duo County representatives, including a lawyer who represents the company, fiscal court members had several questions and comments from others about the proposed service.

Clinton County Judge/Executive Richard Armstrong, in noting there were several questions raised, suggested to Duo representatives and fiscal court members that they table action on the proposed franchise agreement for another month to allow for information to be gathered.

Representatives noted that Duo County was a subcontractor for the state which is subsidizing the fiber optic high speed broadband service in Kentucky, which was primarily created to provide high speed internet broadband to government offices, schools, libraries, municipal buildings, etc.

The company is required to have a franchise agreement from each city and or county in which they expand existing service lines to add the lines on right-of-ways, and stressed the service, which would be optional for customers that would be in the path of the lines and available for the service, would be at no cost for the county.

They further noted the high speed broadband service was “state-of-the-art” and provided only internet service and would not override any existing internet services unless a customer chose to switch their service. It was also noted the franchise, if approved, would be “non-exclusive,” meaning any internet provider would be able to compete for customers.

Clinton County Sheriff Jim Guffey, who lives in an area where internet and cable service in his rural area is not available, asked if Duo County would provide internet service to such areas of the county, which they said they could not.

The sheriff noted that Mediacom, the local cable provider in the county, would not run a line to the remote area in which he lives for less than $10,000 per house on that particular road.

Duo representatives said the rate structures for the service, depending on the speed of the service, would begin at $34.95 per month and upward and some magistrates questioned whether or not the company, once the agreement is in place, would eventually begin raising rates to customers, like other cable and/or internet and phone providers often do.

Following the discussion, judge Armstrong said it was evident there was some questions that needed to be clarified and suggested the company wait 30 days, or until the court’s next regular meeting next month, for the court to make a final decision on the franchise proposal, which was also acceptable to the Duo County representatives.

In other business, the court voted unanimously to hire James Michael Huckelby, as a replacement for a worker who has quit, on the road department, starting out at $8.50 per hour.

They also voted to pay claims and bills, approved fund transfers and acknowledged receiving the monthly and quarterly treasurer’s reports.

The next regular meeting of Clinton Fiscal Court is scheduled for November 16 at 5 p.m.