Stearns County Administrator Mike Williams retires after tenure of broadband expansion

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KNSI Radio reports on the retirement of Stearns County Administrator Mike Williams…

After a decade leading Stearns County through some of its most consequential years, County Administrator Mike Williams has announced he’s retiring.

A nice nod to his broadband work…

His tenure will be remembered in large part for a sweeping broadband expansion effort that has transformed rural connectivity across the county. By leveraging American Rescue Plan funds, state Border-to-Border grants, and township contributions, the county secured more than $60 million for the project. Nearly every home and business in Stearns County now has, or will soon have, access to high-speed internet.
Williams also helped guide the county through the Justice Center project, the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and efforts to strengthen intergovernmental partnerships and improve countywide planning.

In 2021, he received the Joe Ries Excellence in County Management Award, the highest annual honor given by the Minnesota Association of County Administrators.

New MN Bill introduced: Require payment of certain local government utility costs related to trunk highway construction SF4051

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I am going to try to at least track the bills that get introduced that are at all related to broadband and/or broadband use. I may not follow all closely. Click the bill number for more info and updates:

Description

Require payment of certain local government utility costs related to trunk highway construction out of the trunk highway fund
March 2:
Referred to Transportation

Does not currently include fiber but sounds like a Dig Once opportunity.

New MN Bill introduced: Municipalities prohibition from entering into nondisclosure agreements SF4379

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I am going to try to at least track the bills that get introduced that are at all related to broadband and/or broadband use. I may not follow all closely. Click the bill number for more info and updates: This meeting is happening today (Mar 19).

From the MN House:

Committee on State and Local Government
Chair: Sen. Tou Xiong
11 a.m.
Hybrid hearing: Room 1100 Minnesota Senate Bldg. and Remote
*Agenda items may be added or removed. Please submit documents to Committee Administrator, mikayla.mtanous@mnsenate.gov by Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 2:00pm. Late submissions may not be posted in advance of the hearing or included in prepared materials for committee members. TESTIMONY: Testimony is limited. The number of testifiers and length of time permitted is at the discretion of the chair and is subject to change. Please plan accordingly. If you would like to testify, please email the Committee Administrator, mikayla.mtanous@mnsenate.gov by Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 2:30pm. Requests for Zoom testimony must be made at least 24 hours in advance. Include the bill number, your name, title and/or organization where applicable, and whether your testimony will be in support of or opposition to the bill. WRITTEN TESTIMONY AND HANDOUTS: Written testimony is encouraged. To submit written testimony or hand-outs, email Committee Administrator, mikayla.mtanous@mnsenate.gov by Wednesday, March 18 at 2:30pm. Please email the submission in following pdf format: yearmonthday_bill number_organization_testimony-or-handout Example: 20250329_SF2373_MinnesotaOrganizationName_Testimony
Agenda:
Call to Order

S.F. 4379-Maye Quade/Maye Quade: Municipalities prohibition from entering into nondisclosure agreements.

New MN Bill introduced: providing requirements for artificial intelligence chatbot technology HF4452

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I am going to try to at least track the bills that get introduced that are at all related to broadband and/or broadband use. I may not follow all closely. Click the bill number for more info and updates:

From the MN House:

Finke, Koegel, Sencer-Mura, Curran, Moller, Acomb, Jordan and Youakim introduced:

H. F. 4452, A bill for an act relating to civil law; providing requirements for artificial intelligence chatbot technology; creating a cause of action for harm caused by artificial intelligence chatbot use; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 604.

The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Commerce Finance and Policy.

New MN Bill introduced: require age monitoring and verification for social media platforms HF4138

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I am going to try to at least track the bills that get introduced that are at all related to broadband and/or broadband use. I may not follow all closely. Click the bill number for more info and updates:

From the MN House:

Rep. Peggy Scott (R-Andover) believes social media platforms “are designed to be addictive.”

And minors, she notes, are especially vulnerable to the dangers posed by social media, and as such, need extra protection.

HF4138 would require age monitoring and verification for social media platforms, parental approval, and specific treatment of accounts for children under age 15 related to addictive features, paid advertising, and the creation and termination of accounts.

“This bill does not ban users from having social media, instead it requires a parent or guardian to approve of social media contractual agreements,” Scott said of the bill she sponsors.

Via voice vote, the House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee approved the bill, as amended, Tuesday and sent it to the House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee.

New MN Bill introduced: requiring public hearings and certain disclosures prior to approval of data center development HF4296

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I am going to try to at least track the bills that get introduced that are at all related to broadband and/or broadband use. I may not follow all closely. Click the bill number for more info and updates:

From the MN Senate:

Senator Xiong from the Committee on State and Local Government, to which was referred

S.F. No. 4296: A bill for an act relating to local government; requiring public hearings and certain disclosures prior to approval of data center development; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 462.

Reports the same back with the recommendation that the bill be amended and when so amended the bill do pass.

MN House Committee hears from local expert on Workforce and AI (artificial intelligence)

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Today, the MN House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy saw a presentation on AI (artificial intelligence) and  Minnesota workforce from the University of Minnesota and about workforce concerns about AI from Northstar Policy Action.

The questions from legislators were interesting and reflected issues that have come up in other committee meetings. So if you have an interest in AI, this is a fairly quick way to learn about what’s happing in Minnesota or at least what’s happening enough to be discussed in policy circles.

Here’s the presentation from the University of MN:

Slides from Northstar Policy Action:

Presentation from TechEquity:

Here’s a list of the documents from the meeting:

Committee Documents:

Mereo Fiber acquires Data Stream Incorporated and Xcelerate Networks

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Some industry news from NewsWire…

Mereo Fiber, a leading national provider of bulk connectivity solutions for multifamily communities, today announced the completion of two strategic acquisitions that further expand its national platform and strengthen its position as one of the industry’s premier at-scale bulk connectivity and infrastructure providers.

The company acquired Data Stream Incorporated, a Minnesota-based provider of managed Wi-Fi and streaming content services, in early February 2026, and Xcelerate Networks, a managed connectivity provider serving multifamily and senior living communities across the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Texas, and the Southeast, in March 2026.

This milestone solidifies Mereo Fiber’s role as a pure-play bulk connectivity platform delivering reliable, high-performance internet infrastructure to multifamily, single-family-for-rent, HOA, and senior living communities nationwide.

Jon Eichten is named new MN chief information officer and commissioner of Minnesota IT Services

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State Scoop reports...

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Monday appointed Jon Eichten, the state’s deputy IT commissioner, as the new statewide chief information officer and commissioner of Minnesota IT Services, the state’s technology agency.

Eichten succeeds Tarek Tomes, who served as commissioner and state CIO for more than seven years and oversaw a range of statewide technology initiatives, including cybersecurity improvements and enterprise IT modernization during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tomes’ last day was Sunday.

REPORT:BRIDGING THE BROADBAND HEALTHGAP: How High Speed Internet Access is a ‘Super’ Social Determinant of Health

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The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society and Center for Health Law  and Policy Innovation have released a report that looks at the impact (and potential) of broadband on health care. They report…

This brief explores the ways broadband and healthcare stakeholders can work together to close the broadband health gap.

The make the case for connection between broadband and health…

The outline numerous ways broadband facilitates healthcare and the benefits. Here’s one example:

Remote Patient Monitoring
Digital devices are increasingly used to monitor patient health,12 including blood pressure cuffs, glucometers (to test blood sugar), pulse oximeters (to check blood oxygen levels), ECGs (to capture heart function), wearable activity trackers, Bluetooth thermometers, and scales.13
Remote patient monitoring can improve diabetes care, hypertension, cancer treatment, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.14 The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) advocates for remote patient monitoring for pregnant and postpartum women due to similar outcomes but fewer higher risk in-person visits.15
In some instances, a remote patient monitoring device is equipped with its own independent network, allowing patients without general internet access to send data from their homes to their care team in real time.16 However, this practice is rare.

There’s a nice chart on how Broadband Impacts All Other Social Determinants of Health…

The offer some high level actions and include a more detailed plan. I’ve included just the high level points – but the detailed plan is worth checking out.

Key Action 1: Screening for Broadband Access and Digital Literacy

Key Action 2: Collaboration with Community Anchor Institutions

Key Action 3: Establish a Broadband-Healthcare Working Group

And a conclusion – but the power in this report is really in the visually presented details…

High-speed internet enables a wide range of healthcare services, from telehealth to hospital at-home programs. By influencing other key social determinants of health—including housing, transportation, education, employment, and access to food—broadband serves as a ‘super’ social determinant of health. Efforts that improve access while prioritizing patients, empowering communities, strengthening the role of anchor institutions, and enabling stakeholder collaboration are winning solutions that build a stronger foundation to close the broadband health gap.

Willmar Council to consider agreements for Willmar Connect initiative on March 16, 2026

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The West Central Tribune reports…

The Willmar City Council will consider two agreements for the Willmar Connect initiative during its meeting on Monday, March 16.

Other items on the agenda include approval of several capital improvement projects and two land agreements.

Willmar Connect is the city initiative to construct a more than $25 million city-wide, city-owned fiber optic network. Hometown Fiber has been contracted to manage the network and various internet service providers will pay fees to operate on the network. It is expected that the fees will pay the debt service and interest on the bonds issued by the city for construction of the network.

The council will consider an amendment to the Willmar Connect construction services contract with Bolton & Menk, expanding the existing agreement to address additional professional service needs as the project transitions into construction.

The council on Oct. 7, 2024, approved a professional services contract with Bolton & Menk for phase one of Willmar Connect and amended that contract April 21, 2025, to assist with right-of-way easements in specific areas. The total spent for those services was $503,000.

According to the March 16 agenda materials posted on the city website, the amended contract adds developing contract documents and revisions, construction services, GPS services as the project is constructed and recording the plans at a cost not to exceed approximately $520,000, for a total cost of a little more than $1 million.

The second agreement related to Willmar Connect is a professional services agreement with Hometown Fiber for construction oversight, technical consulting and Network Operations Center planning services for phase one of the project at a cost not to exceed $400,000.

According to the agenda materials, capital improvement projects to be considered by the council on Monday are replacement of the Blue Line Arena roof at the Willmar Civic Center at a cost of approximately $264,000, reconstruction of the Iverson Park lift station at a cost of approximately $549,000, approving plans and specifications for the reconstruction of Fourth Street Southwest and the purchase of a dump truck and snow removal equipment at a cost of approximately $298,000.

The council will also consider approving a professional services agreement with Donohue and Associates for the Jennie-O Turkey Store nutrient removal project in the amount of $99,755. The project includes the design of nutrient removal using biology to remove phosphorus in the industrial clarifier instead of chemicals. This is a more efficient process in the industrial treatment conducted by the Willmar Wastewater Treatment Plant and also provides long-term cost savings for the city.

Emily Thabes running for a seat in Minnesota House 2B – mentions broadband as an interest

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The Bemidji Pioneer reports…

Emily Thabes, Beltrami County Historical Society executive director, has announced her intent to run for the Minnesota House 2B seat in the upcoming midterm election, challenging incumbent Matt Bliss.

Broadband makes her top list of concerns…

Thabes listed child care, environmental hazards, poverty, broadband coverage and unemployment rates in greater Minnesota as some of the key topics of concern for the upcoming election. Thabes believes she will address these issues, pointing to her record as Beltrami County Historical Society executive director.

New MN Bill introduced: relating to modifying tax exemption for data centers HF4173

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I am going to try to at least track the bills that get introduced that are at all related to broadband and/or broadband use. I may not follow all closely. Click the bill number for more info and updates:

From the MN House:

Smith and Lee, K., introduced:

HF. No. 4173, A bill for an act relating to taxation; sales and use; maintaining certain defined terms for other purposes; modifying the exemption for data centers; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 216B.02, by adding a subdivision; Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, sections 216B.02, subdivision 12; 297A.68, subdivision 42.

The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Taxes.

New MN Bill introduced: relating to preapplication evaluations of water appropriations for certain data centers HF4153

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I am going to try to at least track the bills that get introduced that are at all related to broadband and/or broadband use. I may not follow all closely. Click the bill number for more info and updates:

From the MN House:

Mekeland, Swedzinski and Davis introduced:

HF. No. 4153, A bill for an act relating to data centers; modifying the criteria for preapplication evaluations of water appropriations for certain data centers; exempting certain data centers’ electricity sales in calculating a utility’s solar energy standard; exempting certain data centers from paying a fee; exempting certain data centers from paying sales tax on electricity purchases; amending Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, sections 103G.265, subdivision 5; 216B.02, subdivision 12; 216B.1623; 216B.1691, subdivision 2f; 216B.72; 297A.68, subdivision 42.
The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Energy Finance and Policy.

Video: What Rural Communities Need to Know about Data Centers

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From The Rural Assembly…

“What Rural Communities Need to Know About Data Centers” is now available for replay on Rural Assembly’s Youtube channel.

Tune in to the replay to learn more about⁠ many facets of the data center issue, including:

• what data centers are and why companies are interested in building them in rural communities; ⁠

• the political landscape;⁠

• what’s disputed; ⁠

• and what communities can do. ⁠ ⁠

Thank you to Annie Contractor, who led the session, and to our partners at Radically Rural, and to the more than 250 of you who showed up to the webinar last week to learn together, ask questions, and share your own experiences. ⁠