Council approves $5,000 to file Caltrans time extension for Lake Street PS&E; staff and public discuss conduit for broadband

The Mount Shasta City Council approved a $5,000 task order to Green Dot Transportation to file a time-extension with Caltrans for PS&E (plans, specifications and estimate) work on Lake Street and to prepare an RFP to hire the firm that will do the PS&E work.

Staff clarified that the PS&E allocation from the state is $100,000 (a typo in meeting materials had shown a larger number) and that the requested time extension would give the city nine months to complete PS&E. The $5,000 task order combines both the STIP amendment work and RFP drafting.

Council and members of the public raised the possibility of coordinating underground utilities, including telecom conduit, during the reconstruction to improve high‑speed Internet access on sections of Lake Street that currently lack reliable service. Staff said an existing plan to create a utility district for undergrounding (primarily for power lines as a fire-mitigation strategy) could be used to include conduit but that the “devil’s in the details” — specifically who would pay for trenching and long‑run fiber/trunk installation. Staff said they would investigate whether a provider would install trunk line infrastructure as part of reconstruction without costing the project, and would consider building conduit into the PS&E specifications if funding arrangements can be confirmed.

Why it matters: combining roadway reconstruction with utility upgrades can reduce future disruptions and lower costs for installing broadband, but it requires clear funding commitments and contract/spec changes in advance of construction.

Council approved the $5,000 funding by unanimous voice vote and directed staff to proceed with the extension filing and RFP drafting.