Title
Consider recommendations regarding the Last Mile Federal Funding Account Grant opportunity for broadband initiatives and reallocation of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds for broadband consulting and grant writing services, as follows: (4/5 Vote Required)
a) Approve and ratify County support and partnership with Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) on an application for the Last Mile Federal Funding Account for up to four of the County’s identified priority areas; Guadalupe, Cuyama, Los Alamos and/or Casmalia;
b) Approve and authorize the Chair of the Board to sign letters of support upon request of a local Internet Service Provider applying for Last Mile Federal Funding Account monies in Santa Barbara County;
c) Approve and authorize the County Executive Officer, or designee, to submit a grant application on behalf of the County for Last Mile Federal Funding Account monies as needed;
d) Approve the reallocation of available ARPA funding in an amount up to $115,000.00 for consulting services with the Broadband Consortium of the Pacific Coast (BCPC) ($100,000.00) and grant writing services, as needed ($15,000.00);
e) Approve the Budget Revision (BJE No. 0009221) for $115,000.00 for consulting services; and
f) Determine that the above actions are not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), because pursuant to section 15378(b)(5) of the CEQA Guidelines the actions consist of organizational or administrative activities of government that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.