ELLSWORTH – Pierce County Fair Manager Liz Dietsche asked the board to consider a proposal from Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services/Swift Current Connect to install high speed wireless internet at the fairgrounds. The board heard a first reading of the resolution at the July 28 meeting.

According to a presentation by PPCS Director of Marketing & Growth Dave French, the objective in updating the internet infrastructure would be to provide staff with quality broadband internet for more efficient operations, to allow patrons to be connected and share their experiences, to allow vendors access to quality broadband internet, and to provide other interested parties or events access to high-speed internet, all allowing for a more positive experience, future sustainability and growth, and increased efficiencies and revenue opportunities at Fairgrounds events.

Currently, the Fairgrounds’ internet provider is Northfield Wi-Fi. The proposed resolution states that “the present infrastructure capabilities are unable to effectively meet the needs and expectations of the County staff, commercial clients, vendors, exhibitors, and patrons during Fair events, and Pierce County needs to update its internet infrastructure by bringing in fiber and Wi-Fi at the Fairgrounds.”

French listed four challenges staff wants to address in a long-term community partnership to modernize the Fairgrounds, stabilize funding and deliver measurable public value:

1. Fair staff needs quality broadband to operate more efficiently: Fair staff has limited access; the system is overloaded during the fair. It’s tough to get work done and keep the fair running smoothly with spotty internet.
2. Fair patrons are connected and sharing experiences: Fair patrons use mobile devices to share their experiences; poor quality connectivity can shorten visits, resulting in less time spent at the fair.
3. Vendor access to quality internet is important for sales, Point of Sale systems, capturing customer leads: Vendors complaint about lack of access, leading to constant questions to fair staff. A poor experience may prompt vendors to take their products/services elsewhere.
4. Amenity that supports other events, increasing revenue opportunities: Other events might not use the Fairgrounds if they don’t have access to high-speed internet.

Dietsche said campers bring in a fair amount of revenue to the Fairgrounds, but they want quality internet.

“Many times when we have campers, we have people who are construction workers, so streaming is important for work, watching TV and keeping in touch with families,” Dietsche said. “In the Grandstand, internet provides different ways to present music, sound and more that go on during concerts, demo derbies, and tractor/truck pulls that use the internet to make their shows more successful. We could draw other festivals and performers.”

French said fair staff needs constant connectivity to run efficiently. He listed the following benefits:

• Positions the Fairgrounds as a modern, tech-enabled community venue
• Supports fair sustainability, attendance growth and year-round use
• Reduces reliance on ad-hoc marketing and infrastructure spending
• Establishes a locally rooted partnership that is easily understandable
• Provides a pathway for growth 365 days a year via new events, camping and more vendors

In return, PPCS is asking the county to approve a 10-year sponsorship agreement. PPCS would provide all the infrastructure, equipment and labor required to construct and operate high-speed fiber internet service at the Fairgrounds. PPCS would pay for the initial estimated investment of $200,000, which includes network design, materials, equipment, construction and installation labor, in exchange for naming PPCS the single presenting sponsor and naming rights at all agreed upon locations, such as the Grandstand, entry gates, social media channels and more. The agreement would be a 10-year contract ending after the 2037 Fair; the annual sponsorship value to PPCS is listed as $20,000; and the annual operational expense budget provided by PPCS to Pierce County would be a $5,000 allowance to be applied towards maintenance, including but not limited to routine performance monitoring, pre-approved maintenance and equipment repair or replacement, warranty-related repairs, and onsite troubleshooting; any charges beyond the allowance would be Pierce County's responsibility, billed at $135 per hour. Pierce County would retain the right to have other sponsors at all other locations.

“This is a tremendous experience to create something new, with new vendors, new concerts, new performers, year-round opportunities with connectivity, with video and audio,” French said. “Being able to support these types of events and some of the old faithfuls we’ve had for years, connectivity matters.”

While the resolution listed the proposal as a “donation of infrastructure, equipment and labor from Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services” for high-speed internet and Wi-Fi system, Board Chair Jon Aubart took issue with it being called a donation.

“A donation is something for nothing, and we are giving them rights for $20,000 per year,” Aubart said. “How do we know as a county that what we’re getting is actually worth? We need to know what we’re getting and what it’s costing us.”
Supervisor Mel Pittman had questions about possible upgrades before the 10-year agreement is up and if that would cost money for the county.

Supervisor Mike Kahlow asked about catastrophic events taking out equipment, such as a lightning strike.

“What does insurance cover, not cover, etc. The concept is great, but some of these little pieces need looking at,” he said.

Dietsche said the partnership would be a gamechanger, giving fair staff the ability to modernize and streamline processes, saving hours of work. The hope would be to have the new internet, if approved, in place by July 2027.

“In the four years I’ve been here, we’ve been trying to figure out a solution to this, that won’t interfere with the county’s security,” Dietsche said.

The resolution will come back to the board at the August meeting

Data centers

The board heard a first reading on an ordinance that would amend language in the zoning code regarding data centers.

Land Management Director Andy Pichotta said someone in the town of Martell initiated a land use that didn’t mesh well in a land use category (a contractor yard), which brought up this question.

“We’re not saying there can’t be a data center; it needs to go through the approval process,” Pichotta said. “It is a conditionally permitted use; there is a requirement that they go to the town in which they’re proposing. The town can identify any concerns and make recommendations.”

The proposed code language defines data centers as “land use consisting of one or more buildings, structures, modular units, shipping containers, or similar enclosures designed or used primarily to house computer servers, data storage systems, networking equipment, or other electronic equipment for the processing, storage, transmission, or hosting of digital information or high-density computing operations.

“Data centers include facilities providing cloud computing, colocation services, artificial intelligence computing, cryptocurrency or digital asset mining, blockchain validation, or similar computing services. The term does not include accessory server rooms, network equipment, or communications equipment serving another use on the same property (e.g. hospitals, schools, government facilities, manufacturing facilities, agricultural operations, or commercial businesses operating their own internal information technology systems) or telecommunications switching facilities and communications infrastructure operated by public utilities or communications providers for the purpose of delivering telephone, broadband, wireless, cable, or similar communications services.”

Applicants would be required to provide:

• A utility coordination letter that shows proof of grid capacity and total (b) MW demand.
• A water usage disclosure statement that provides annual and daily water demand.
• Water source (municipal vs. groundwater).
• Cooling type shall be identified and described, including a water discharge plan and expected water replacement intervals for closed-loop or evaporative systems.
• A landscape buffer plan
• An emergency operations plan detailing procedures for fire protection, hazardous materials management, backup power operations, and coordination with local emergency response agencies.
• A decommissioning plan.
• A construction schedule or phasing plan for build out.
• Chemical disclosure identifying types of treatment chemicals used onsite.

They would also be required to be located a minimum of 500 feet from any dwelling unit other than that of the owner or operator of the establishment and be located a minimum of 100 feet from property lines.

Any data center could not produce a sound level at its property boundary that exceeds 55 decibels, Pichotta said.

“We can put in place any condition that is supported by evidence,” Pichotta said. “A lot of documented situations that we can rely upon to place conditions that are greater than what’s in our code. The entire point of a CUP is to mitigate affects to adjacent property owners. I think that we would have the ability to address any concerns that come up.”

The resolution will go before the board for final consideration next month.

Public comment

Mary Ann Weiss, of Maiden Rock township, asked the board questions about Ridge Breeze Dairy’s offer to the board to tour their farm. According to Supervisor Frank During, three supervisors visited. Weiss outlined the following questions she would like the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) to answer:

1. Is Ridge Breeze planning on testing the drinking water on neighbors’ land that is within half a mile circumference of its operations?
2. Is a surety bond in place to protect taxpayers and the county in case of a catastrophic event? She cited the Avian flu outbreak in Jefferson County as an example.
3. Does Ridge Breeze have a robust carcass removal plan in case of a catastrophic event, that spells out immediate steps in case the herd dies? She said a carcass removal plan is not part of the DNR permitting process and cited a fire that killed 3,000 hogs near Mondovi.
4. Does Ridge Breeze have a traffic plan? She alleged the twice-yearly occasions when the manure-hauling trucks convoy to empty the 90 million-gallon lagoons, sloshing manure and waste across the roads.

Weiss commended the board for taking the steps to study the impacts of data centers.

“I wish they would have done that with Ridge Breeze, which uses five high-capacity wells,” she said.

During said anyone can reach out to Ridge Breeze to tour the facility.

“I walked away feeling good about it. They are doing the best that can be done. I don’t necessarily share much of your concerns there,” he said.

Dale Webb, an Elmwood veteran, spoke highly of Pierce County Veterans Service Officer Melissa Hildebrandt and Veterans Case Coordinator Tami MacGregor, and the help they provided him with his VA claims.

“The office has been working with me on a continuous basis and my life has changed for the better,” Webb said. “Even though it is a state-mandated office, it is so much more than a body in a chair pushing paper. You’ve got one helluva staff there. And I had all but given up.”

Other business

• The board approved Tyler Hawkins as the new finance director. Hawkins trained with Julie Brickner for over five months before she retired. He has an extensive background in public sector finance.
• The board heard the first reading of a resolution to amend compensation for the Pierce County Board of Canvassers and election officials. The Board of Canvassers would increase to $21 per hour, while election officials’ compensation would increase to $18 per hour, plus mileage.
• The board also heard the first reading of a resolution to increase marriage license and domestic partnership fees to $100. The last time the amount was updated was January 2012.
• The board voted on two resolutions, disallowing claims made by James Patrick White and Erin Miller. The claims involve damages the parents are seeking after a child was removed from their custody by Child Protective Services.