Presenter/Contact
Presenter
Gretchen Pruett, Library Director
Contact Info
(830) 221-4322 - gpruett@nbtexas.org
Subject Header
SUBJECT:
Title
Approval of an Interlocal Participation Agreement between the City of New Braunfels and the Education Service Center, Region 20, as the agent for the ESC 20 Fiber Consortium, establishing guidelines and terms for the purposes of acquiring Federal E-Rate funding for the construction and implementation of a large scale broadband dark fiber network.
Body
BACKGROUND / RATIONALE:
Through the Education Service Center Region 20, (ESC 20) Fiber Consortium, Federal E-Rate funding will be acquired to construct and maintain a large-scale broadband network for school districts in ESC Region 20. Under the aegis of the Texas State Library and Archives, ESC 20 expanded the fiber ring to include public libraries within Region 20. This fiber ring will connect the Main library on Common St. as well as the branch library at the Westside Community Center at time of completion to a high speed and affordable broadband network. When implemented, the fiber ring will provide ten times the capacity for one half of the current broadband charges.
ADDRESSES A NEED/ISSUE IN A CITY PLAN OR COUNCIL PRIORITY:
FISCAL IMPACT:
At time of connection, currently projected to be in Quarter 2 of FY 2020-2021, charges for broadband will be reduced to less than half of the current costs.
Recommendation
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION:
N/A]
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of an Interlocal Participation Agreement between the City of New Braunfels and the Texas Education Center, Region 20, for participation in the extension of a fiber network to the Main and Westside Libraries.