AGENDA DATE: 1/17/2024
TITLE:
Title
Albemarle Broadband Authority Quarterly Report
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Receive the Albemarle Broadband Authority Quarterly Report
ITEM TYPE: Consent Information Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Richardson, Henry, Fritz, Culp
PRESENTER (S): N/A
LEGAL REVIEW: Not Required
REVIEWED BY: Jeffrey B. Richardson
BACKGROUND: The Albemarle Broadband Authority (ABBA) was incorporated on August 21, 2017, to extend affordable broadband internet service access to every customer in Albemarle County. This quarterly report is being provided as information on ABBA’s work from October - December 2023.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Infrastructure Investment - Prioritize, plan, and invest in critical infrastructure that responds to past and future changes and improves the capacity to serve community needs.
DISCUSSION: ABBA held nine public meetings in 2023. The ABBA agendas and meeting minutes are posted for public review on the County’s website. During this reporting period, ABBA and the Broadband Accessibility and Affordability Office (BAAO) continued the additional work necessary to close-out the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) 2021 project and continued work through a partnership with the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC) on the VATI 2022 project, which combined will achieve universal broadband access in Albemarle County by the end of 2025.
During this reporting period, ABBA met with Brightspeed to receive a letter of intent for the company to complete its work on the VATI 2021 project. The letter from Brightspeed recognizing the missed addresses was reviewed by ABBA and the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). Brightspeed is continuing its work to define the costs to ABBA for the project. Next steps include completing ten additional locations and preparation, review, payment of invoices when approved by ABBA and DHCD.
BAAO continued its work with Firefly Fiber Broadband to extend the VATI 2022 project to additional households. As part of the project, ABBA agreed to an appropriation of available funds to the project. In January 2024 BAAO plans to begin monthly reports on this project to ABBA.
BUDGET IMPACT: There is an expected $117,044 in ABBA funds to be reappropriated to the new Firefly Fiber Broadband project.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Board receive this report for information.
ATTACHMENTS:
A - Quarterly Report