To: Board of Supervisors
From: Supervisor Hamburg
Meeting Date: August 16, 2016
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Department Contact: |
Supervisor Hamburg |
Phone: |
463-4441 |
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Item Type: Consent Agenda |
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Time Allocated for Item: N/A |
Agenda Title:
title
Approval for Supervisor Hamburg to Request to Join “Next Century Cities,” on Behalf of Mendocino County (at no Cost to the County) (Sponsor: Supervisor Hamburg)
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Recommended Action/Motion:
recommendation
Approve Supervisor Hamburg joining “Next Century Cities” and authorize transmitting approved request to the Executive Director of NCC (Deb Socia) asking that Mendocino County be allowed to join as a member county.
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Previous Board/Board Committee Actions:
None
Summary of Request:
Next Century Cities (NCC) is a project that supports communities and their elected leaders, including mayors and other officials, as they seek to ensure that all have access to fast, affordable, and reliable Internet. NCC is dedicated to elevating the voices of communities in the broadband policy discussion and sharing resources and knowledge among members. They welcome partnerships with all cities and counties that share their six principles (attached). Membership is FREE, and already 146 cities/counties across the US have joined. In the US there are six counties that are currently members: Santa Cruz County (CA), Riverside County (CA), Pasco County (FL), Medina County (OH), Martin County (FL), Montgomery County (MD). Northern California cities include Winters, Vallejo, Berkeley, Oakland, S. San Francisco, Palo Alto, San Jose, and Marina. There are also some in the LA area. The NCC website posts a short summary of the broadband issues that each member city/county is working on.
Next Century Cities Member benefits include:
• Elevating the Conversation locally and nationally: cities that have or would like to develop truly next-generation networks are visionary cities, and their leaders recognize what it takes to be competitive in the 21st century. Next Century Cities will work with these leaders and their cities to make the case nationally and within communities that next-generation Internet is essential infrastructure that can deliver transformative benefits to communities today. This includes ability to facilitate conversations with DC politicians and FCC Commissioners - giving leaders the opportunity to stand together on issues of importance.
• Supporting Cities: communities stepping into the 21st century through next-generation networks face myriad challenges. It is essential to provide crucial support to facilitate these innovative projects. Next Century Cities and its partners will work to assist each other in overcoming obstacles to success. This includes connecting people from one city to another doing similar work on topics such as funding, dig-once, and marketing. NCC holds events, hosts monthly calls on topics of importance, and provides regular updates and opportunities to learn and share.
• Providing Tools for Success: developing a next-generation network is a daunting task for a city of any size. It is important that communities have access to resources, advice, and tools to develop effective broadband Internet networks. Next Century Cities is committed to developing and aggregating resources to guide incipient projects, as well as tools to help those already equipped with this infrastructure better leverage their networks to yield community benefits. NCC helps cities by providing toolkits, best practices, sample RFIs and policies - curating and creating good content so cities do not have to do all the research on their own.
To join, a city elected official need only send the Executive Director of NCC an email stating that they want to join and that they agree to the six shared principles. Once they receive that communication, the community is considered a full member!
NCC is a project of the New Venture Fund, a 501(c)(3) pubic charity that hosts and incubates a wide range of conservation, education, health, and other charitable projects. Their work is currently supported by a group of donors that include the Ford Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Open Society Foundations, and Google.
Alternative Action/Motion:
Provide direction to staff.
Supplemental Information Available Online at: http://nextcenturycities.org
Fiscal Impact:
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Source of Funding: N/A |
Budgeted in Current F/Y: N/A |
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Current F/Y Cost: N/A |
Annual Recurring Cost: N/A |
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Supervisorial District: All |
Vote Requirement: Majority |
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Agreement/Resolution/Ordinance Approved by County Counsel: N/A
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CEO Liaison: Janelle Rau, Deputy CEO |
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CEO Review: Yes |
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Comments: