Title
Broadband Ad Hoc Committee, in coordination with the Chief Administrative Office, recommending the Board:
1) Receive and file a presentation and report from NEO Connect regarding updated capital costs and funding alternatives of implementing county-wide broadband, as a result of further research, financial modeling and the physical ride-out of the County terrain;
2) Provide direction to staff regarding options and strategies to pursue Broadband development in El Dorado County, including any next steps in the planning process, including but not limited to:
a) Countywide broadband implementation via a 40-year bond, resulting in a countywide property assessment;
b) Countywide broadband implementation via a 30- or 40-year bond after seeking and negotiating a partnership with a co-investor and securing grants, in combination with a countywide property assessment;
c) Broadband implementation planning by identification of smaller priority areas/projects, with a localized property/benefit assessment; and
d) Broadband implementation planning by seeking a partnership with an investor and/or grant opportunities to fund smaller priority areas/projects; and
3) Authorize the Purchasing Agent to negotiate and execute a new agreement with Neo Connect with a not-to-exceed amount of $15,000, for as-needed, on-going staffing support and consulting services related to Broadband efforts and the County’s “Dig Once” policy for parallel conduit in County projects, and coordination with other agencies and developers on future projects. (Est. Time: 1 Hr.)
FUNDING: Funding for Broadband efforts has been funded through Economic Development using Transient Occupancy Tax revenue.
Body
BACKGROUND
In December 2018, the Board authorized broadband consultant NEO Connect to continue to fine tune and verify the assumptions contained in the Feasibility Analysis of implementing Broadband in El Dorado County. NEO Connect submitted a report in July 2019, El Dorado County Broadband Roadmap-Fur...
Click here for full text