POMEROY–The Port of Garfield County Board of Commissioners announced at their meeting on August 3 that the United States Department of Revenue is requiring sales tax on the fiber internet, as well as the current leasehold tax. The sales tax is 7.9% of the bill, and will be collected starting with July bills. The Port is fighting this tax legally, as it is double taxation.

A bid from Chris's Professional Electric was accepted for replacing flooring in the Forest Service building. The bid is for $16,160, of which $4,200 is designated for trim. The bid is accepted on the condition that the work can be done in the time window of November to January. The blinds for the USFS building are ordered. They cost $13,000 and will be installed in October. The building's air conditioning needs repair, and the commissioners voted to accept an estimate of up to $7,000. The estimate has been accepted before presentation to speed up repair times.

Port Manager Diana Ruchert announced the timeline for the Pataha fiber project. All paperwork is expected to be finished before the end of the year, and the project itself will hopefully be completed in the fall of 2022. It is currently in the pre-design stage, and the designing will include lessons learned from creating the Pomeroy fiber system.