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January 3, 2023
Board of County
182
Commissioners
0 Jefferson Street
PO Box 1220
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Kate Dean, District 1 Heidi Eisenhour, District 2 Greg Brotherton, District 3
Mason County PUD No. 1
Kristin Masteller, General Manager
kristinm ,mason-pud l .org
Re: Mason PUD 1's Application for SBO ARPA Broadband Infrastructure Funding for the PUD 1-HCC Pole
Line Replacement Project in Brinnon, WA
Dear Kristin,
The Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners commends the efforts of Mason PUD 1 to continue to
partner with private and public entities to help bring broadband to Brinnon, Washington. We support the PUD's $2
million grant application to the Washington State Broadband Office (SBO) for the ARPA Broadband Infrastructure
grant to replace undersized and under -classed poles in Brinnon, which will support Hood Canal Communication's
(HCC) fiber buildout to every last mile customer in the zip code.
Jefferson County is classified as an "economically distressed county". Satellite internet providers claim to provide
service to our area, but the coverage maps are inaccurate and the services are very expensive and unaffordable for
many rural residents.
The public/private partners on this project including yourselves, HCC, Jefferson County and Jefferson PUD, all
want to see this buildout happen. HCC has done the heavy lifting getting the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (NTIA) and SBO funding, but they need this support from Mason PUD 1 and the SBO
to close the last part of the funding gap to ensure that no home or business is left behind on this buildout. If the
buildout doesn't happen, it will take decades before Brinnon is served, leaving this area of our county, including
Brinnon School District, to continue to fall behind in a digital economy and world.
Mason PUD 1 & HCC are capable and trusted partners with federal and state infrastructure funds, as evidenced by
the Mason County buildout up Hwy 101 with local ARPA and CERB funding to connect the area south of Brinnon.
Digital equity for students, families and businesses is important to ensure that our kids and economy don't continue
to fall behind. The PUD's grant proposal is a good use of ARPA infrastructure funds to support HCC, who has been
the only entity to step up with a viable plan to serve Brinnon. We hope the SBO will agree and fund Mason PUD
1's pole replacement project.
Sincerely,
Jefferson County Commissioners
li',A Dean
District 1
District 2
lGreggotherton, Chair
District 3
Phone (360) 385-9100 Fax (360) 385-9382 jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us