WESLACO, Texas – The Texas Broadband Development Office, which is administered by the Texas Comptroller’s Office, wants more people from the Rio Grande Valley to join a regional broadband working group.
According to the TBDO, the mission of the South Texas Regional Working Group is to “engage with local governments, non-profits, community anchor institutions, and residents to gain insight on how broadband access, adoption, and use impacts your region and what the priorities, challenges, and opportunities are for your community.”
Manuel ‘Manny’ Cruz, executive director of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council, has been named a co-chair of the South Texas Regional Working Group.
Executive Director’s Report
For his monthly executive director’s report for June, Cruz wrote:
“On Monday, May 1, 2023, the Texas Broadband Development Office (BDO), invited the LRGVDC to serve as co-chair of the newly created South Texas Regional Working Group to support and assist with the state’s broadband planning efforts.
“The BDO’s main efforts are to continue to prepare the administration of key federal programs from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
“The mission of this RWG is to engage with local governments, non-profits, community anchor institutions, and residents to gain insight on how broadband access, adoption, and use impacts your region and what the priorities, challenges, and opportunities are for your community.”
Cruz also spoke about the new group at last week’s LRGVDC board of directors meeting. He said the group extends over a wide area, from Eagle Pass across to Corpus Christi and south to Brownsville.
“Our region has been designated as the South Texas Regional Working Group,” Cruz said, during his executive director’s monthly report.
Cruz showed a slide of the geographical area of the South Texas Regional Working Group and a list of the members currently assigned to the group.
“I am asking for participation from any one of you that would want to join this group,” Cruz told his board of directors.
“This group has been slated to take on the 2021 Infrastructure, Investment & Jobs Act, which is basically the implementation of broadband with millions of dollars that are coming down the pike here in the near future.”
Many of the LRGVDC directors are elected officials. Cruz asked if any of them have IT professionals in their governmental body that may want to sit on the new group. Or maybe other broadband experts in their community that would wish to serve.
“Right now we’re working to develop the first meeting, working on the agenda that’s coming up. We are going to have at least two meetings per region. And that (the venue and date) will be decided here in the near future. As you can see the service area is quite large from Eagle Pass down to Brownsville and up to Corpus Christi. At a minimum must have two meetings within the region to address some items that are coming down from the Broadband Development Office.”
Cruz said the LRGVDC directors do not have to choose a member for the new group right away. “But send me an email, mcruz@lrgvdc.org with the name of the individual, their organization, their email, and phone number.”
Memorandum
Cruz also sent a memorandum to the LRGVDC board of directors on the same topic. It stated:
Call to Action – Texas BDO Regional Working Group Invitation
May 25, 2023
Having access to reliable, affordable high-speed internet enables connection to health, education, public safety, and economic opportunity for communities across the state.
On behalf of the Texas Broadband Development Office (BDO), we request your support in our efforts to connect Texas by serving as a member of the South Texas Regional Working Group to support the state’s broadband planning efforts.
A critical component to program success is robust public engagement to help inform program planning and design. The BDO has developed a public engagement model which mobilizes three sets of working groups to coordinate, canvass, and consolidate public input:
- A Statewide Working Group
- Six outcome-focused Task Forces
- Twelve geo-based Regional Working Groups
As key community leaders, we believe you are the right group to be able to select additional members to join the regional working group. The mission of this group is to engage with local governments, non-profits, community anchor institutions, and residents to gain insight on how broadband access, adoption, and use impacts your region and what the priorities, challenges, and opportunities are for your community.
The time commitment for the role of RWG member will be approximately four hours per month between April and August, which includes time for:
- Attending 1-2 regional meetings to discuss broadband opportunities in the region;
- Supporting planning and hosting of 2 public meetings in the region;
- Distributing survey links and data collection tools with your networks; and
- Sharing any local broadband plans, data, materials with the BDO.
Broadband impacts life for Texans across sectors, geographies, and demographics – hearing from everyone is vital to ensuring a comprehensive plan. This role will position you to do meaningful work advancing broadband development and digital opportunity for your fellow Texans/RGV. We hope you will join us in this mission to Connect Texas.
Thank you for considering this invitation, and we look forward to your response with names of stakeholders from your jurisdiction. For more information or questions please contact me at (956) 682-3481 or (956) 279-4130. By email: mcruz@lrgvdc.org.
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