2024-07-08-minutes-public-works-community-development-services-study-session

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KITTITAS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS PUBLIC WORKS — BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS STUDY SESSION STAFF REPORT STUDY SESSION DATE: July 8, 2024 TOPIC: Broadband Planning ACTION REQUESTED: None Required LEAD STAFF: Joshua. Fredrickson RECOMMENDATION: No action required. BRIEFING SUMMARY: • High speed internet, referred to as Broadband, is identified by the County as essential infrastructure • Sources of grant funding received by the County include the Washington State Public Works Broadband Program and the Washington State Broadband Office Broadband Infrastructure Grant • Additional funding is becoming available through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program. BACKGROUND: Funding for deployment of broadband services to areas within the County has been made available through the Public Works Board and the Washington State Broadband Office. Additional funding will become available through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program. Public Works has been working with the County's broadband consultant for development of these phases. DISCUSSION: Kittitas County adopted Resolution 2023-072 establishing policy standards for broadband infrastructure expansion under the authority of Kittitas County. Recognizing that high- speed internet (Broadband) is essential infrastructure and there are gaps in availability across the County, the County has taken the lead to expand broadband deployment. Funding has become available to help provide broadband infrastructure. This funding is focused on unserved and underserved broadband serviceable locations (BSL) located in the rural areas of the County. For example, unnerved BSL are locations without access to