HomeMy WebLinkAbout14 Community Wide Broadband Initital Scoping StudyTRUCKEE DONNER
Public Utility District
'400 A
MEETING DATE: January 18, 2023
TO: Board of Directors
AGENDA ITEM 14
FROM: Steven Poncelet, Public Information and Strategic Affairs
Director
SUBJECT: Community -Wide Broadband Initial Scoping Study Results
APPROVED BY
Brian C. Wright, General Manager
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive this workshop presentation and provide feedback and direction to staff.
BACKGROUND:
On May 19, 2021, following significant community outreach and participation, the District
adopted the Truckee Donner Public Utility District Strategic Plan 2021-2024. The
Strategic Plan 2021-2024 established robust goals and Board initiatives prioritized by the
Board, staff and the community. The District established General Manger Task Force
committees comprised of local stakeholders, to explore the four initiatives in detail,
establishing preliminary goals and purpose. The initiatives are listed below:
• 100% Clean Renewable Energy;
• Community Broadband;
• Undergrounding Electric; and
• Local Clean Renewable Generation.
On June 16, 2021 the Board took action to establish standing committees for the
Community Broadband Initiative. The Community Broadband Committee (Committee)
received solid community response with 10 qualified community members applying. The
District selected all ten applicants to fill the committee with staff appointed to facilitate and
provide administrative support.
The Committee held a kick-off meeting on September 23, 2021 and reviewed and
adopted the initial project scope prepared by the original General Manager Community
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Broadband Task Force which was: Identify the level of broadband internet services the
community requires to meet local needs from the perspective of public safety, economic
health and community access; and based upon these needs, establish collaborative
partnerships to facilitate the larger community benefit.
The Committee also reviewed and adopted the proposed goals prepared by the General
Manager Community Broadband Task Force:
■ Identify key stakeholders, potential partners, and local resources;
■ Develop a scope of work for a feasibility study;
■ Identify options for a potential organizational structure; and
■ Identify funding opportunities.
The Committee presented their formal recommendations to the Board at the March 2,
2022 regularly scheduled meeting. The Committee's recommendations included a
suggested next step to "Engage consultants in developing a strategic broadband plan for
the entire Truckee community. Consultant must have PUD, rural community, funding, and
broadband business model experience. Based on Board feedback, District staff issued a
Request for Proposals (RFP) for a Community -Wide Broadband Initial Scoping Study.
The goal of this initial scoping study was to evaluate the District's goal of community -wide
broadband against the current state of broadband in Truckee, an analysis of the demand
for new services, the potential business models presented by the Committee, and the
ability to finance a project. One desired outcome from the study is a recommendation to
the Board of potential model(s)/project(s) that the District could pursue to enable
community -wide broadband and potential funding to pursue a comprehensive feasibility
study and business plan for the potential project(s).
The District's Board also indicated a desire for the Committee to continue to play a role
going forward despite the formal end of the Committee's initial scope which was the
presentation of a recommendation to the Board. In response, the General Manager
created a second Community -Wide Broadband Task Force to help draft the initial scoping
RFP and participate in the selection a consultant for consideration by the District's Board.
Six former members of the Committee volunteered to participate in the RFP process: Dan
Dickerman; Bjorn Book-Larsson; Serita K Cox; John Paul; Judy Price; and Mark
Featherstone.
The District issued the RFP on June 10, 2022 and advertised in the Sierra Sun. The
deadline for submittal of questions was June 27, 2022 and the proposals were due on
July 12, 2022. The Board, at the August 3, 2022 regularly scheduled meeting, awarded a
contract to Uptown Services for the Community -Wide Broadband Initial Scoping Study.
The proposed scope for Uptown Services included the completion of six tasks:
1. Market and Customer Demand Analysis;
2. Potential Utilization of Current TDPUD Assets;
3. Middle & Last Mile Routes/Service Areas and Capex Budget;
4. Potential Funding Sources;
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5. Analysis of Business Model Options; and
6. Service Provider Partnership Request for Information.
To complete these tasks, Uptown Services created a comprehensive survey and
completed 400 phone surveys across age demographics and received over 2,200 online
responses, and 920 completed speed tests. The survey was offered in English and
Spanish, targeted stakeholders within the District's service area, and resulted in a +/-
1.7% sample error at 95% confidence interval. Uptown Service also conducted direct
research on local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and the current California ISP market,
identified potential funding opportunities, investigated potential business models, and
worked with District staff to inventory District assets and estimate construction costs. The
Uptown Services final report for the Community -Wide Broadband Initial Scoping Study,
including recommendations/next steps, is included as Attachment 1.
Uptown Services will be onsite at the January 18t" District Board meeting to present the
study results to the Board and community and discuss their analysis and
recommendations.. District staff is looking for input and direction from the Board on
potential next steps.
Goals and Objectives:
This item is in support of the following goals and objectives:
District Code1.05.020 Objectives:
1. Responsibly serve the public.
6. Manage the District in an effective, efficient and fiscally responsible
manner.
Strateaic Goals:
3. Engage with our customers and communities in a welcoming and transparent way
to identify opportunities.
4. Take the best of private sector thinking to modernize the utility and add value to
our communities
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Uptown Services proposal was for an amount not to exceed $79,000. Staff
recommended a 10% change order authorization of $7,900 for a total contract
authorization not to exceed $86,900. The preparation of the final report is on budget and
the change order authorization remains available if needed.
The District's FY22 and FY23 budgets include $160,000 total each year for the Board's
four strategic initiatives (GL account'/2.1.923.00.756) and the broadband initiative initial
scoping study has used approximately '/4 of these funds if allocated equally to the four
initiatives.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. TDPUD Community -Wide Broadband Initial Scoping Study Final Report
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