Title
Consider/Discuss/Act on a Resolution Adopting the Broadband Assessment Report and Recommendations and Authorizing the Publishing of a Corresponding Request for Information/Qualifications
Summary
COUNCIL GOAL: Direction for Strategic and Economic Growth | 1A
MEETING DATE: February 15, 2022
DEPARTMENT: City Manager's Office
CONTACT: Trevor Minyard, Director of Strategic Services
RECOMMENDED CITY COUNCIL ACTION:
* Staff recommends approval of resolution.
ITEM SUMMARY:
* The presented Broadband Assessment Report and Recommendations, completed in partnership with HR Green, Inc., provides recommendations and summarizes the current condition of broadband access in the City of McKinney. Specifically, the plan recommends,
o Community infrastructure base: Work with the provider community to develop a tech base that moves towards a Fiber-to-the-Premise model.
o City facilities: Expand the current, city owned fiber ring to City facilities that could benefit from connectivity but have not had fiber deployed to them.
o City economic development: In addition to having excellent connectivity that could come from Recommendation 1, the McKinney Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) could initiate pilot projects to enhance certain properties and attract certain businesses or business types.
o Adoption: There are people and groups in McKinney who might have access to broadband, but because of financial reasons, language barriers, age related challenges, etc. are not able to adopt (or purchase) broadband services.
* Once adopted, moving forward with the Request for Information/Qualifications (RFI/Q) process will allow city staff and HR Green to evaluate submissions by members of the market, and assess their ability to assist in completing the presented recommendations.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
* In the Summer of 2021, the City Council approved the continuation of staff's work on evaluating the city's digital infrastructure. Throughout 2021 and into January...
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