Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Central Sierra EDD outlines Jobs First projects, broadband push and $4M rural EV grant
Summary
Central Sierra Economic Development District told Angels Camp council it is pursuing Jobs First implementation funds, broadband deployment and a newly awarded $4 million rural EV charging grant that would install 17 chargers across the region; Calaveras County projects were pushed to CASF round two.
Central Sierra Economic Development District officials gave the Angels Camp City Council a regional economic update on Dec. 2, highlighting ongoing Jobs First implementation projects, broadband planning and a new rural electric-vehicle charging grant.
Alex Blitt, economic development manager for the district, said the statewide Jobs First initiative moved the region into implementation and catalyst phases and that “there are $9,000,000 in projects that are currently being implemented throughout the Sierra Region.” He described priority sectors for the Central Sierra as health care, agriculture, natural and working lands (forestry), recreation and tourism, and clean energy.
Blitt and colleague Sofia Kaufman said the district is working to coordinate widely dispersed county partners, reduce duplicative efforts and provide a single source of workforce and industry data. The presentation noted a forthcoming regional web portal, sierraindustry.org, to centralize labor-market information and sector partnerships for employers and jobseekers.
On broadband, presenters said the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) grants are rolling in phases. Blitt told the council that Calaveras County was deferred to round two of CASF, with awards anticipated in February–March, and that CSED “advocated or, I should say, educated on behalf of Calaveras County to the CPUC” in hopes of securing funds for the county.
Blitt announced CSED received a $4,000,000 rural EV charging grant to fund 17 proposed locations across the Central Sierra region, and said the implementation partner is aiming to have the network in place by June 2026. CSED staff said they will host webinars for property owners and businesses interested in hosting chargers and will coordinate outreach with the Calaveras County Chamber.
Funding highlights in the presentation included Jobs First awards, support from the Department of Labor for healthcare and natural-working-lands workforce work, and a proposed Prop 4 ask to support biomass-sector workforce initiatives. Blitt estimated that, beyond Jobs First funds, the region could see “upwards of a $120,000,000 in investment in this region over the next 3 years” related to broadband and related infrastructure.
Why it matters: The CSED presentation ties statewide workforce and infrastructure programs to local economic development opportunities. Local officials asked specific questions about Calaveras County’s CASF timing and possible EV charger locations; CSED committed to follow up offline with staff and to include city staff in upcoming webinars.
Next steps: CSED said it will submit a Jobs First implementation proposal due the day after the council meeting and will provide updates to city staff about CASF timing and EV-charger siting as plans progress.
