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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: February 16, 2021 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 8-e <br /> SUBJECT: Contract Approval for Fiber Backbone Connecting the West Campus to the New <br /> North Campus <br /> DEPARTMENT: Information Technologies <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Jim Northrup, Chief Information Officer, <br /> 919-245-2276 <br /> PURPOSE: To authorize the Manager to execute an Agreement with NetPlanner, Inc. in order to <br /> connect facilities with County owned fiber optic backbone, thereby distributing network and phone <br /> services to the following facilities: <br /> 1. West Campus <br /> 2. Whitted Building <br /> 3. North Campus <br /> a. Detention Facility <br /> b. Environment Agricultural Center <br /> c. Parks Operations Base <br /> BACKGROUND: In Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17), the County contracted with ECC Technologies, <br /> Inc. to provide "assessment, planning and consulting in support of the County's desire to develop <br /> fiber optic technologies linking County facilities and potentially creating a county-wide Open <br /> Access (OA) [fiber] system." The resulting plan identified three phases of fiber build out to County <br /> facilities. Also, in FY17, Phase One funding was approved by the Board via the Capital Investment <br /> Plan budgeting process. Phase One, while not specifically defined at the time of approval, was <br /> further developed to include partnering and cost sharing with the Town of Hillsborough. The <br /> intention was to build out fiber runs between County facilities located in Hillsborough and, for the <br /> Town of Hillsborough's part, to lay the groundwork for a town built fiber to the home project. Phase <br /> One in that form never happened. <br /> The contract approval currently before the Board seeks to build upon the original intention of the <br /> County to build a fiber network between the County facilities listed above and to create a fiber <br /> network that can be used with an eye toward economic development and internet expansion. <br /> The Town of Hillsborough is aware of this project and is looking to partner with the County at a <br /> future date and tie into the fiber proposed in this contract. <br />