Lewis Public Utility District general manager Chris Roden gestures toward the Fords Prairie substation in Centralia. The PUD is in the process of evaluating its long-term infrastructure needs.
The Lewis County Public Utility District Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted a 10-year strategic plan at their July 7 regular meeting which will serve as a “road map” for the PUD in the coming years. The plan includes the expansion of broadband internet access in the county.
“By and large the strategic plan is really meant to establish a road map for the organization so that as an organization, we know where we’re headed and know how to get there,” said PUD Public Affairs Manager Willie Painter.
The planning process for the 10-year strategic plan began this past February and it includes outlines for plans regarding the deployment of broadband internet, LED streetlights, substation rehabilitations and advanced metering. The plan also includes the estimated costs of the planned projects.
“In addition to reaffirming the important values of leadership, teamwork, respect, communication and accountability, this plan also establishes a roadmap of thoughtful investments needed to maintain safe, reliable and sustainably-sourced utilities for generations of customers,” said Ben Kostick, District 1 Commissioner of Lewis County PUD.
At the PUD Commission meeting on Tuesday morning, the board was presented with the plan to get broadband internet access extended out to the unserved and underserved populations of the community from Chehalis to Pe Ell.
The proposed broadband expansion plan is estimated to cost about $5.5 million and has been submitted to the state Public Works board. Painter said it is the hope that it will be approved by fall. The installed fiber for the broadband internet is planned to follow along state Route 6 into Boistfort and it will pass by 800 to 1,000 PUD customers. It is estimated to take about three years to complete the building process.
Painter spoke about the need for internet access for students learning remotely and seniors needing access to telehealth services.
“If it was (not) apparent before it sure is now, that access to broadband internet has a bearing on the quality of life,” he said.
Before creating this plan the PUD collected surveys regarding internet access in the area and received over 3,500 responses from Lewis County residents. About 98 percent of those surveyed said that they consider internet access an essential utility.
“The reality with broadband infrastructure is that it is both very costly and the construction timeline can be long,” said Painter. “The PUD is trying to approach our work with broadband as ‘how can we be thoughtful in designing a long-term sustainable infrastructural solution to expand broadband access throughout the community — particularly in areas that are underserved or not served at all. This is a project that is going to take a number of years.”
In other PUD business, the organization will be switching from their bi-monthly billing cycle to a monthly billing cycle and expect to have all 33,000 customers switch over to monthly billing by January of 2021.
“There will be lower bill amounts which allow customers to budget better and it also will provide more timely information about their electricity usage,” said Painter.
Painter encouraged all PUD customers to head to the PUD’s website — www.lcpud.org — to review the 10-year strategic plan and let the organization know of any concerns or comments.
