Frustrated Los Altos Hills City Council members last week openly questioned why it was taking so long to get expanded broadband infrastructure installed in needed areas, even as some members questioned the lack of specifics and a process for getting it done.
A fairly animated discussion broke out during the April 15 special meeting after a presentation over American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. The town must contract the remainder of its ARPA funding on qualified projects – a little more than $2 million – by the end of December or forfeit the money. The town has a list of 14 projects in line for ARPA funding, but some council members wondered why the in-demand $800,000 broadband project was not on the list.
“I am in favor of doing the broadband (with ARPA money),” said Councilmember Linda Swan. “It’s a legacy we’re leaving for the town. It’s a huge issue for a lot of residents.”
Council members cited a lack of broadband in the town on the east side of Interstate 280. Also cited was a need around town hall. Gautham Agrawal of Los Altos Hills Community Fiber said he had two projects “shovel ready,” awaiting council approval.
Other council members felt that the process of contracting broadband might take too long to meet the ARPA deadline. A town consultant cited possible federal restrictions in the procurement process that could cause delays for broadband implementation.
Councilmember Lisa Schmidt argued that the town should fund the broadband separate from the ARPA funding.
“We’ve heard from different consultants that this may or may not work,” Schmidt said. “I don’t know why we need to tie broadband to ARPA money – there’s no reason we need to do that.”
However, the council majority voted to add broadband to the ARPA funds list and develop a plan, working with the town’s technology committee, to get the project contracted by the end of the year.
Councilmember George Tyson was a dissenting vote.
“I don’t think anyone’s against expanding broadband,” Tyson said. “I feel the urge to get something done, but I don’t want to turn it into a fire drill. … I’ve been on too many projects where if we’re rushed, there’s going to be risk.”
There’s also an issue of fairness. “People who have broadband at home don’t want to fund the people who don’t have broadband at home,” said Rajiv Bhateja of the town’s technology committee. “It’s a divisive issue in town.”
However, Bhateja said the ARPA funding was a “unique opportunity” to pay for broadband without impacting the town’s general fund. Bhateja said he reviewed ARPA guidelines that show “infrastructure investment is allowed.”
Council members debated on the readiness of projects that had been previously discussed. Tyson said what he heard was more of “an investment pitch, … it really didn’t have the level of detail or the level of staff collaboration it takes to get things done.”
But Mayor Stan Mok and Swan underscored the urgency of a town broadband project.
“The town of Los Altos Hills has limited assets,” Mok said. “We need to use the assets in the greatest way possible to extend the greatest amount of benefit to the greatest number of people. I think broadband is something we really need in our town. … This is very important for the city.”
“Broadband keeps falling through the cracks and is going to fall in the cracks again unless we act,” Swan said.
