Title
Library Department recommending the Board approve and authorize the Chair to sign Amendment III to perpetual Agreement 6735 with Imperial County Office of Education, the Broadband Services Project Broadband Access Aggregator for the Statewide Library Broadband Access project, to renew router hardware and perform router maintenance maintaining E-rate eligibility, with an estimated first year cost of $60,432 ($45,738 after estimated E-rate discounts).
FUNDING: General Fund.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
In 2014, the California State Legislature approved funding for a three-year project to connect California public libraries to the California Research and Education Network, CalREN. CalREN is a high-capacity fiber optic network operated by the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC). CalREN has over 20 million users, including the majority of K-12 schools, community colleges, and California universities. In addition to connecting libraries to CalREN, the State Legislature also approved $4 million for grants to purchase equipment needed for important upgrades to library infrastructure. Working with CENIC and Califa (a library non-profit), the El Dorado County Library had the opportunity to upgrade and become a key resource for researchers, businesspeople, students, and entrepreneurs.
CENIC benefits its partners because of its bargaining power across the state. It is able to negotiate favorable contracts with Internet Service Providers as well as hardware providers. CENIC also benefits the County through its ability to file for federal E-rate discounts for libraries as a California Library Consortium. All libraries are currently receiving these discounts without having to go through the complicated process of filing themselves. E-rate discounts significantly reduce the cost of providing internet service to libraries across the County.
On February 23, 2016, the Board approved Agreement #345-S1611 with Califa Group to connect all six libraries to the education network CalREN, managed by CENIC as part of the state-subsidized, high-speed broadband program entitled the California Public Library Broadband Project.
On May 17, 2016, the Board accepted a $30,000 grant from the State Library for networking equipment and approved Agreement # 468-F1611 with Southern California Library Cooperative for the purchase of Cisco routers and firewalls. The actual cost of the equipment was $35,389, and the Library reported that the additional cost would be absorbed by one-time salary savings.
On October 25, 2016, the Board approved Amendment I to Agreement 345-S1611 with Califa Group to provide a no-cost circuit at the Placerville Library and to drop the Georgetown circuit due to the withdrawal of the Comcast bid.
On November 15, 2016, the Board accepted a $60,000 grant award from the State Library to allow the Library to purchase racks, wire management, power protection, switches, and to pay the CENIC fee for routers at three libraries. The Board also accepted a $5,000 grant award from NorthNet Library System allowing the Library to offset the $5,389 charge for equipment that exceeded the $30,000 award in Agreement #468-F1611 with the Southern California Library Cooperative.
On February 28, 2017, the Board approved Amendment II to Agreement 345-S1611 with Califa Group, replacing Appendix #1A with Appendix #1B, to add the Georgetown Library back into the original agreement due to a new bid from AT&T.
On September 13, 2022, the Board approved Agreement #6735. Under this agreement CTC provides high-speed Internet services using the CalREN network and pricing that has been negotiated by CENIC with the telecommunications providers. The annual undiscounted cost for all six library branches is approximately $43,666.80; however, CTC will apply for federal E-rate discounts and California Teleconnect Fund (CTF) discounts on the Library's behalf that will be applied after June 30 each year. CENIC has estimated the discounts for El Dorado County at approximately $40,000 per year, resulting in a net cost of approximately $4,366.68 per year. As the numbers are estimates, the Library requested that the Board approve the agreement for $45,000, $4,500 after e-rate discounts, in case there was a variance between the estimates provided and actual invoices provided.
On June 20, 2023, the Board approved and authorized the Chair to sign Amendment I to Agreement 6735 with Columbia Telecommunications Corporation, the statewide broadband access administrator for the California State Library Broadband Services Project. Amendment I to Agreement 6735 renewed high-speed broadband internet service at the Georgetown Library to 7/1/2028.
On January 9, 2024, the California State Library announced the Imperial County Office of Education (ICOE) as the new Statewide Library Broadband Access Aggregator Partner. As a Charter Associate of CENIC, the California State Library offers all public libraries in California the opportunity to connect to CENIC’s high-speed network and obtain fast, reliable, low-cost broadband. The Columbia Telecommunications Corporation agreement with the California State Library as Broadband Services Project Broadband Access Aggregator ended on December 31, 2023, and Imperial County Office of Education assumed all responsibilities on January 1, 2024. Amendment II to Agreement 6735 recognized this change in aggregator and was signed by the Purchasing Agent in alignment with Board delegated authority.
Amendment III replaces end-of-life equipment for all CalREN connections as detailed in Appendix 1, ““Provision, Installation, and Maintenance of Advanced Network (Data) Services: Reimbursement of Circuit Costs,” between El Dorado County Library and the Imperial County Office of Education, effective as of July 1, 2025, upgrading routers at the following libraries: Cameron Park, El Dorado Hills, Pollock Pines, South Lake Tahoe, and performing router maintenance at the Georgetown Library and Placerville Library.
ALTERNATIVES
If the Board declines to approve Amendment III to Agreement 6735 alternative funding would be needed to supplement the loss of E-rate funding.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
The Board approved Amendment I to Agreement 6735 with Columbia Telecommunications Corporation on 6/20/2023, Legistar item 23-1087.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Library staff worked closely with County Information Technologies to set up and maintain the broadband program.
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The cost of the agreement and included equipment has been included in the Library Department's Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget. The equipment is funded by General Fund.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1. Clerk of the Board to obtain the Chair's signature and two (2) of originals of Amendment III.
2. Clerk of the Board to return one (1) fully executed Amendment III to the Library Department.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
N/A
CONTACT
Bryce Lovell, Director of Library Services