Memorandum
Date: April 21, 2020
To: The Honorable Moke Simon, Chair, Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Bruno Sabatier, District 2 Supervisor
Subject: Discussion and Review of Master Broadband Plan with Potential Action
Executive Summary: (include fiscal and staffing impact narrative):
The Upstate California Connect Consortium has been working closely with the Economic Development Corporation of Lake County and Business Attraction and Retention Committee to create a Lake County Master Broadband Plan. This plan has been completed since November. While it's been some time since it's been completed, now seems an opportune moment to review this master plan.
We are all aware that rural communities struggle to connect all of its residents to the internet which can make education, work, and leisure more difficult to do from our homes. This shelter in place has pushed and tested the limits of our broadband infrastructure in Lake County as many of our students access their work online or share video conferencing with their classmates. Many of our employees for the County of Lake have moved their work from their office to their homes and many others in our communities have done the same. While we have shown that working remotely is not an unattainable amenity it is, however, still not where it should be for all.
As noted in the summary of this master plan, better access to broadband and faster broadband speeds can provide a benefit to Education, Health Care, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Economic Development, Workforce Development, Tribal Communities, Emergency Services, and more.
I bring this to you for both discussion and action. The action can be direction to staff, or the action can be to approve or deny this plan. The importance of this plan may not change things for the next calendar day, but it can provide a better solution for the following years. The UCCC is also a great asset in obtaining grants so that we can access the funds required to ma...
Click here for full text