Agenda 07/24/2001 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Members Mark A. Crabtree, Mayor M. Gene Teague, Vice-Mayor Bruce H. T. Dallas J. Ronald Ferrill Terry L. Roop Martinsville A CITY WITHOUT LIMITS RESOLUTION Ci~' Manager Earl B. Reynolds, Jr. CiO, Attorney David B. Worthy Clerk of Council Johnathan B. Phillips REQUESTING THE VIRGINIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO SUPPORT LOCAL GOVERNMENT EFFORTS TO ADDRESS CRITICAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS NEEDS WHEREAS, access to affordable high speed telecommunications services is a vital ingredient for a sustained economy, for meeting growing educational needs and enhancing the quality of life, connecting communities and people around the world; and WHEREAS, the "Digital Divide" separating much of Virginia from the benefits of this critical technology is readily recognized and the subject of review by several State commissions organized to study the economic development and technology needs of the Commonwealth, including the Rural Virginia Prosperity Commission, the Joint Commission on Technology and Science and the Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission; and WHEREAS, the Governor's e-Communities Task Force, in its guiding principles, has declared that "if Virginia is to become a Commonwealth of e-Communities - and erase the digital divide that exists between the technology haves and have-nots - it will be up to local governments to lead the way" and that "local elected governmental bodies should move quickly to create an online community presence, a task that can be carried out by private, public or non-profit entities of the community's choosing;" and WHEREAS, the telecommunications industry has acknowledged that there are substantial eco- nomic constraints that effectively place a limit on the ability of private firms to provide service in some areas of the Commonwealth; and WHEREAS, in a recent study of the challenge of making available advanced telecommunica- tions to all Americans, the National Telecommunications and Information Service presented data showing that such service was not available to 84 percent of the communities with 25,000 to 50,000 citizens, 92 Percent of the communities with a population of 10,000 to 25,000, and smaller communities had even less access; and WHEREAS, despite the express goals of the United States Congress in passing the Telecommu- nications Act of 1996, to promote competition and reduce regulation in order to secure lower prices and high quality services for American telecommunications consumers and encourage the rapid deployment of new telecommunication technologies, in the five years since its passage, very limited progress has been achieved in securing the delivery of such important services to many areas of the Commonwealth; and 55 West Church Street RO. Box 1112 Martinsville, VA 24114-1112 540-656-5180 540-656-5280 v^x www.ci.martinsville, va.us