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Planning and Building Department, Economic Development Division, recommending the Board take the following actions related to the program-level Environmental Impact Report for the El Dorado County Broadband Fiber Project (State Clearinghouse 2024081255):
1) Adopt and authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 071-2025 certifying the Final Environmental Impact Report pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act, comprised of the Draft Environmental Impact Report dated March 2025 and the Final Environmental Impact Report dated May 2025; adopting the Findings of Fact; adopting a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan; and approving the Project as described in the Final Program Environmental Impact Report; and
2) Authorize staff to proceed with filing the Notice of Determination.
FUNDING: Program Environmental Impact Report: Discretionary Transient Occupancy Tax - 100% / El Dorado County Fiber Project: Grants - 100%. (California Public Utilities Commission Federal Funding Account Grant [Awarded]; Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Grant [Applied]).
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Project Description
The El Dorado County Broadband Fiber Project (Project) is a County-wide effort that proposes to expand access to fiber optic broadband technology throughout the unincorporated and incorporated (City of Placerville and City of South Lake Tahoe) areas of the County. The Project would consist of installation of fiber optic lines either underground or in buried conduits, overhead on existing or newly constructed utility poles, or a combination of both. It is anticipated that the depth of excavation for buried conduits would be five (5) feet, and the maximum height of new utility poles would be 100 feet. Although a majority of the Project would be built within the typical roadway cross-section within the Project areas or the California Department of Transportation’s (Caltrans’) public right-of-way (ROW), there is potential that infrastructure could be constr...
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