The Willmar City Council will convene on January 20, 2024, to consider awarding contracts for the construction of phase one of the Willmar Connect project. The meeting is set for 18:30 in the boardroom of the Kandiyohi County Health and Human Services building, located at 2200 23rd St. N.E. in Willmar. This session is rescheduled due to the observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on the preceding Monday.
The Willmar Connect initiative aims to establish a city-wide, city-owned open access broadband network, a project the city has been developing since early 2023. To facilitate this effort, the city has engaged Hometown Fiber for assistance in network design, phased construction, and management. The network will allow multiple internet service providers (ISPs) to operate, generating revenue through fees that will help service the debt from approximately $24.5 million in bonds issued for construction.
Details of the Project
The lowest bid for phase one has been submitted by NC3 of Clearbrook, Minnesota, amounting to approximately $7.6 million. This initial phase will extend to all businesses and residences located west of First Street South, between U.S. Highway 12 and 19th Avenue. The anticipated cost for this first phase is around $7.8 million.
The project is structured in three phases. Following the completion of phase one, phase two will focus on expanding the network to the southern and eastern areas of the city, while phase three will extend it further north, each estimated to cost around $7 million.
For those interested in the council’s agenda and meeting materials, the full packet can be accessed on the city’s official website at willmarmn.gov, under the mayor and council section.
