The Long Beach City Council hasn’t yet committed to an estimated $67-million technology investment, but at its meeting on Dec. 5, the city leaders moved one step closer to a modernization plan that includes a major expansion of the Long Beach-owned fiber-optic network.
If the full plan for the fiber network is ultimately realized, that network could offer more than an improved connectivity between municipal departments housed in buildings throughout the city. It could also offer better Internet access for both residents and businesses.
Last Tuesday, the council approved a recommendation by the Technology and Innovation Department and the Financial Management Department that requests to return to the council with specific recommendations for new technology needs and how to finance those purchases. According to a staff report, the specifics of the new technology plan and how to finance that investment will be discussed at a future meeting of the city council.
There is a little time for the actual costs to be fully outlined. The staff said Tuesday that a significant amount of the cost is expected to be budgeted into the 2019 fiscal year.
The council voted 7—0 in favor of the recommendation. Councilmembers Jeannine Pearce and Dee Andrews were not present for the vote.
The $67-million estimate covers three areas of the so-called critical technology needs, and staff noted in its report that the annual cost for these technology upgrades will total approximately $6.6 million from the City’s general fund and $10.4 million from all funds. According to a city staff presentation, the proposed costs for the plan to expand on the fiber network will cost $11.9 million. Replacement of outdated equipment is estimated to cost approximately $43.1 million. The new technology system has been estimated to cost $12 million.
A presentation that Tuesday by the Financial Management and the Technology and Innovation departments underscored the urgency for the new investment. In the presentation, Long Beach Technology and Innovation Director Bryan Sastokas told the city council that a team composed of members of his department, the Public Works Department and various outside consultants spent a long time developing a modern tech plan for the new civic center and citywide systems. He emphasized a conclusion that the team had made that marked the urgency of a major tech upgrade.
“As previously stated, the City’s technology infrastructure is at the end of life and is not able to reliably support the new systems that are being installed to meet city business needs,” Sastokas said. He went on to describe how the City needs the new equipment for its transition when staff moves into the new civic center.
The proposed new building for the civic center had already been approved for a couple of years. The Signal Tribune did ask for a comment from a spokesman from the city manager’s office to clarify why the estimated technology upgrades were not included in the original estimated project costs. No statement was available before press time.
Vice Mayor Rex Richardson supported the idea of offering better connectivity throughout the entire city. The City had already built a fiber network in the 9th District that made a Wi-Fi corridor possible. He noted last Tuesday that the Wi-Fi corridor between the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library and Houghton Park had a strong signal, but there were numerous “dead” spots where residents couldn’t get a signal to connect to the Internet.
He was hoping to build on that Wi-Fi corridor along Atlantic Avenue in north Long Beach. Richardson noted that the Wi-Fi corridor was a pilot test case, and he voiced the need to revisit expansion of the network.
“It’s important to us,” Richardson said, adding that it was part of the plan to activate that Atlantic corridor for residents who may take classes in the area.
There may also be opportunities for businesses to take advantage of the fiber network. The plans for the network may include public-private partnerships with tech providers and offer opportunities to provide an expansion of the fiber network.
Blair Cohn, executive director of the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association, notes that all of the businesses are on their own for buying Internet service. He expressed support of the new technology updates for the city.
The Signal Tribune asked Cohn if a government-run fiber network would necessarily be as efficient or as innovative as anything that the private sector may dream up.
“Well, that’s a good question,” he said. “I think it depends on who is involved beyond City Hall.”
Cohn added that he was going to follow the issue closely as the plans develop. “I can only imagine,” he said, “that City Hall wants it to be as seamless or easy as possible.”
