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2022 LATA GRANT PROGRAM BRIEFING
WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2022 FROM 9:00 AM TO 11:00 AM

The SGVCOG proudly partnered with the Los Angeles Digital Equity Action League (LA DEAL) and the California Community Foundation to host  Local Agency Technical Assistance (LATA) Grant Program Briefing on Wednesday, May 4, 2022 from 9:00am to 11:00am.

The briefing covered details and updates on the existing broadband funding landscape and the LATA Grant Program. Discussions included reimbursable work products and technical assistance activities. A copy of the briefing's presentation can be found below

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ABOUT THE LATA GRANT

Eligibility

Any agency of local government authorized by law to provide broadband internet access service is eligible for LATA grant funding. This includes cities, counties, community services districts, public utility districts, municipal utility districts,  joint powers authorities, local educational agencies, sovereign tribal governments, and electrical cooperatives.


Eligible agencies that have overlapping jurisdictions with other eligible agencies can apply independently but are encouraged to collaborate for efficiency. For the purpose of this program, cities do not have overlapping jurisdictions with the county in which the city is located - so cities, COGs, school districts, etc. within the County of Los Angeles can apply together and independently of each other and the County.

What is covered under the LATA Grant Program? 

The program defines “technical assistance” as reimbursement for work products that support local agencies in their “pursuit of the provision of service to unserved and underserved communities,” resulting from activities including but not limited to:

  • The preparation of environmental, feasibility, and engineering design studies or reports;

  • Assistance in the development of needs assessments, market studies, broadband strategic plans, or business plans;

  • Costs incurred in pursuit of forming a Joint Powers Authority for the purposes of the provision of broadband service to unserved and underserved communities;

  • Consultant and community-based organization services secured to complete reimbursable work product.

“Technical assistance” also includes reimbursement for staff time that is “incremental”  - tasks that would not have been completed absent the grant. Separately, up to 15% of the total requested for reimbursement may be used to cover administrative costs.

A “reimbursable work product” is the final report, study, or agreement resulting from eligible activities described above.  Multiple work products can be proposed in a single application, but each work product can only be covered by a single grant.

What is the maximum LATA Grant amount? 

The LATA program allows for “ministerial review” - staff review with direction to approve all grants that meet stated requirements - of applications requesting up to$500,000 per local agency, per fiscal year.

Applications for more than $500,000, up to  $1 million per local agency, per fiscal year, will be referred by staff to the Commissioners for review.

What are the application requirements? 

The CPUC will post an application form online in the coming weeks. The application will require:

  • A project summary

  • Confirmation that the technical assistance will advance the CASF program goal “to encourage deployment of high-quality advanced communications services to all Californians...” This confirmation should describe specific steps the applicant has taken, and/or will take, to meaningfully address disparities in access to and adoption of advanced communications services.

  • Confirmation that the technical assistance is tied to (or that it could reasonably be expected to lead to) a broadband infrastructure project designed to provide service to unserved or underserved households and businesses and that are designed to, upon completion, reliably meet or exceed symmetrical 100 Mbps download speed and upload speeds.

  • Affirmation, that any staff hours for which reimbursement will be requested are incremental to the applicant’s pre-grant award scope of work, i.e., the specific task performed during the hours for which reimbursement is requested would not be performed by the staff person absent the grant award.

  • Agreement that the scope of work contemplated by the local agency contract(s) included in the application will be concluded within 24 months of the date of Commission approval.

  • A support letter from the county or other relevant political subdivision (such as city council) that details how the various layers of agencies have and will collaborate.

  • For each proposed reimbursable work product: proposed contract(s) from the local agency’s contractor(s) providing details of the proposed reimbursable work product(s), including scope of work, a detailed cost estimate, and a proposed timeline for completion of the work performed under the scope of the contract or project proposal.

    • If the reimbursable work product is to be developed in-house, a written project proposal will suffice.

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