I’m pleased to provide a quick update on the RS Fiber project and I thank Mark Erickson for taking time out of a very busy week to send an update and for the Renville-Sibley County Facebook Page for helping me keep the details straight.

First for folks who haven’t been watching the project, here’s a brief description of the project taken from the RS Fiber website…

RS Fiber is a community-owned High Speed Fiber Optic Connection to every home, farm, business and government office to provide everyone with low-cost, reliable high speed Internet, crystal clear cable television, and phone services. Fiber to the Home (FTTH) has become the leading technology for next-generation communications network worldwide.

RS Fiber will be owned by participating towns and communities including; Arlington, Brownton, Buffalo Lake, Fairfax, Gaylord, Gibbon, Green Isle, Lafayette, New Auburn, Stewart and Winthrop, along with Sibley and Renville Counties.

And an update from their Facebook page…

The members of the RS Fiber Marketing Committee feel it is important to inform you of the ongoing process, provide a schedule of the meetings, and give you an opportunity to reaffirm your support for the RS Fiber project.

This is the critical period for the RS Fiber project.

The respective council and commissions of the eleven cities and two counties that make up the RS Fiber project will be taking final action on financing project this month [September] in a series of meetings.

You should also know that the terms for financing the project have not changed since last spring when the cities and counties approved financing language for moving the project forward to final bonding.

Sibley and Renville county commissioners have decided to discuss the final bonding documents at a work session next Tuesday, September 11th. Both commissions will not make a final decision on bonding language until September 25th. We think that’s a good approach.

Finally the up to the minute update paraphrased from Mark…

Nine of the 11 communities have approved bonding resolutions. (Both Stewart and Winthrop passed their bond resolutions tonight. Another town is expected to pass the resolution tomorrow night.)

Sibley and Renville counties vote tomorrow morning. The joint powers board meets Thursday to assess participation and move the project forward.

I will report more as I get word. It has been interesting to watch the RS Fiber project – especially in terms of lesson to be learned from other communities becuase they are a community that has really forged ahead post ARRA-funding.