Finney County received a $1.8 million dollar grant award through the State of Kansas for fiber optic connectivity improvement.
The project, an approximate 5.5 mile fiber optic run originating in the Southwest part of Garden City and terminating in the Northeast part of the City, is designed to provide connectivity reliability for critical County and public operations.
The need for online communication, virtual meetings, video conferencing, and online processing is increasing daily in order to increase access to these vital services while maintaining efficiency and speed. With a fiber optic network, access to services will increase, wait times for services in offices will decrease, and we, along with our non-profit community partners, will increase the ability to provide reliable service to those we serve.
The Finney County IT Department worked with other community partners and colleagues to conceptualize this community-wide network. Total cost of the project is approximately 2.7 million dollars with the balance of the cost being paid from the State-provided SPARK Grant program. Following a competitive bid process, the Board of County Commissioners awarded the contract to IdeaTek Telcom, LLC, out of Buhler, Kansas. Local contractor Speer Construction, in association with IdeaTek, began Phase One of this project in Mid-October, drilling the pathway for the fiber optic cables.
Because of the carefully engineered pathway, the contractor anticipates minimal road closures or delays during the construction process.
Phase Two will see the running of fiber optic cable and connection at the building entry points.
The entire project will be completed by December 30, 2020, per the SPARK Grant requirements, and the following buildings will see immediate fiber connectivity:
- Senior Center and Transit Authority buildings
- Finney County Administrative Center
- Finney County Juvenile Detention Center and Community Services Center
- Finney County Health Department
- Finney County EMS building
- Finney County Fairgrounds
- Finney County Public Works office building
- Finney County Attorney’s Office
- Finney County Courthouse
Interested in following the progress of this project? The public can stay up-to-date on this project by following Finney County on Facebook and Twitter, and see flyover progress from GIS videos at regular County Commission meetings.