Fort Bragg City Council adopts resolution supporting middle-mile broadband network

During its meeting on February 27, the city council adopted a resolution to support consolidating the coastal development permits related to the development of the middle-mile broadband network. The council also approved shifting $36,000 of police department salary savings to the Care Response Unit.

In July 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 156 to create an open-access middle-mile network. The middle-mile broadband network is the physical fiber optic infrastructure needed to enable internet connectivity. It is made of high-capacity fiber lines that carry large amounts of data at high speeds over long distances. This project will install approximately 10,000 miles of broadband infrastructure along the state highway and the interstate system in California and should be completed by December 2026.

This type of development would typically require CalTrans to request permitting from several different agencies, which could slow down the project. However, with the council’s support, the permitting process may be consolidated within the district.

The public participation process will be similar to normal permitting operations. Once CalTrans submits its application, the city will have 30 days to respond and up to 180 days before a hearing is set on the project. The public can comment on agenda items when they come up.

The project has three major parts: conduit installation, vault installation, and network hub installation. This network will only provide the “backbone” of the fiber optic infrastructure needed in Fort Bragg. Once this is complete, the city will still need to implement its underground network for its residents.

The Care Response Unit was grant-funded in March 2022, but the funding will run out at the end of March. Due to open positions in the police department, the city is saving money that would otherwise go to its officers. The city will shift $36,000 of this

of this money toward the CRU program, which will keep the program going until July. The city hopes the CRU program will receive more grants by July.

CRU started as a crisis unit for homeless people in Fort Bragg but has since evolved. The team now provides mental health care follow-ups, addiction services, and the operation of the extreme weather shelter. In addition, the team co-responds and selfdispatches with the police department, doing fieldwork and proactively seeking people who need help.

Since July 2022, CRU has assisted 140 individuals on 485 cases. Some provided services include connecting unhoused individuals to family and friends with the Homeward Bound program, providing fuel to get people home, and connecting people to rehabilitation services.

CRU also runs the extreme weather shelter, which has served 82 individuals. Of these individuals, seven people have been moved to stable housing.

From July 2021 to December 2021, police officers arrested 157 homeless people in Fort Bragg. From July 2022 to December 2022, this number dropped to 74 people. While over 50% of the arrests made in 2021 were for homeless individuals, this number dropped to 18%. However, the total amount of arrests in 2022 increased. According to Police Chief Neil Cervenka, this is due to the additional time police officers can spend on traffic stops, DUI arrests, and arrest warrants. As the police no longer focus on issues with the homeless, they can focus on more dangerous crimes. According to Cervenka, CRU’s work benefits the homeless and the entire community.