Residents advocate for internet service, board members putting on the brakes

MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Some Monroe County Power Association members are wanting to catch the next wave in internet. Now they are looking for help from the Association.

On Tuesday, they met with board members to try and make it happen.

Hundreds of concerned residents came out passionately advocating for internet service because they currently don’t have it.

Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley was also in attendance pushing for internet service.

During the meeting, residents asked the board to sign a non-binding resolution that would do three things: create an 11 member advisory committee of the co-op, amend the current charter to allow them to provide internet service and to go ahead and conduct another feasibility study.

The board decided not to sign the resolution, leaving many residents upset.

“Once again Monroe County Electric is delaying,” said Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley. “I think it speaks for itself. I think the members are very disappointed. I know that I feel like there’s been a lot of time wasted here tonight because it’s obvious to me that this board does not want to provide internet service, or at least take the necessary steps quickly to see whether or not they can do it, and they ought to be ashamed of themselves.”

“We don’t have any internet in this county,” said Gerald Weathers, one of the hundreds of residents wanting internet service. “AT&T is not coming here, we just don’t feel like we have many options left other than Monroe County Electric Power Association.”

Board members said they’re not against setting up broadband service, they just want to make sure they have all of their facts lined up before they move forward.

Monroe County EPA General Manager Barry Rowland said they’re in the process of completing a second study on the matter.

He said they should receive those results within the next month.

After that, they’ll make their decision.

Rowland also said the reason they chose not to sign the resolution is because they’re against forming a new committee to determine whether they should implement this service.

“They were wanting to appoint some kind of advisory committee or steering committee to advise them on what decision to make,” said Rowland. “For this board, that should be their decision to make.”

Emotions were running high during the meeting, so high that one of the board members announced he’s resigning from his position.

Rickey Camp cited health reasons and that he can no longer deal with everything surrounding this issue.

The Monroe County EPA Board will meet again in October.

Rowland said he plans to have the results from the second survey completed.

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