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BREAKING NEWS: Board to vote on new broadband expansion proposal at November 10 meeting
Board rescinds August 18 Bug Tussel vote at October 20 meeting
Tom Cornford at Sept 16 Finance Committee meeting
TOM CORNFORD, chair of the Crawford County Board of Supervisors, speaks at the September 16 meeting of the Board Finance Committee. At that meeting, Dale Klemme, Community Development Alternatives, addressed the committee regarding the Bug Tussel proposal that was presented at the August County Board meeting. He asked that the County rescind the action that was taken to support the Bug Tussel proposal. Emille Smith from the 3C Co-op also addressed the committee and stated that they have been working three years to get fiber into the County. He stated that the County already has what Bug Tussel is offering.

BREAKING NEWS:The Crawford County Board of Supervisors agenda for the Tuesday, November 10, meeting contains two agenda items relating to Bug Tussel CEO Steve Schneider, and to another company of which he is also the CEO, Hilbert Communications LLC. Under recognitions and appearances is the agenda item, ‘Wireless grant presentation from Bug Tussel’; and under the presentation of resolutions section is the agenda item, ‘Resolution Authorizing Broadband Expansion Grant Application/Partnership With Hilbert Communictions, LLC.’ Look for more coverage of this development in the November 5 issue of the Crawford County Independent & Kickapoo Scout.

Nov. 10, 2020, county board agenda
Hilbert Communications LLC - CCBOS resolution
Hilbert Communications LLC - Steve Schneider CEO

CRAWFORD COUNTY - The Crawford County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to rescind a decision they made on August 18 to approve Bug Tussel building sixteen cell towers in the county on Tuesday. Their motion also indicated that the company could ask the county to invest $250,000 in the project that was to provide broadband internet.

Most supervisors attending the meeting were wearing masks, but not all. The meeting took place in the County Administration Building in Prairie du Chien, and a virtual option to participate was offered as well. 

The exact language of the resolution to rescind was as follows:

WHEREAS, the Finance Committee has considered  the action of the County Board at the August 18, 2020 Board Meeting supporting the ‘Bug Tussel Wireless Broadband  Proposal’ and determined that it is in the best interest of the County to recommend and the Committee does recommend  that  the Board  rescind  that action  in order to  avoid present  or future misunderstanding  and confusion  as to the meaning or extent of that action in terms of financial or other commitment.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Crawford County Board of Supervisors does hereby rescind the action of the Board at the August 18, 2020 Board Meeting supporting the ‘Bug Tussel Wireless Broadband Proposal.’

The board also heard a report from the CAFO Study Group, presented by County Conservationist Dave Troester, UW-Extension Community Development Coordinator Jessica Jayne Spayde, and Crawford Stewardship Project’s Forest Jahnke.

More than a dozen county citizens attended the meeting virtually, expecting that they would be able to speak during the public input part of the agenda. But as public input has been stricken from county board agendas, no input was allowed.