Council opposes bills that regulate broadband
By Catharin Shepard
Published in News on April 19, 2009 2:00 AM
The Goldsboro City Council will vote Monday night on a resolution opposing Senate Bill 1004 and House Bill 1252, known as the "Level Playing Field Act."
The measures would require cities that provide communications services to the public to comply with laws applicable to private providers.
They would require the establishing of separate enterprise funds, not cross-subsidize communications service with other governmental funds, impute the costs that would be incurred by private providers and remit to the city's general fund the costs that would be incurred by private providers.
The city council resolution states, among other objections, that the bills would "greatly hinder local governments from providing needed communications services, especially advanced high-speed broadband services, in underserved areas," and that the bills would not create a level playing field, but would instead "impose numerous obligations on cities and towns that private broadband companies do not have to meet."
In other business, council members will vote on whether to approve the summer operations contract for the Mina Weil swimming pool, operated by the Goldsboro Family YMCA. The Family Y is requesting to change the hours of operation from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Sunday. The Peacock swimming pool will remain closed this year due to safety concerns and cost-cutting measures, the Parks and Recreation decided at its April meeting.
Another item is whether to hire a firm to perform a structural examination of the W.A. Foster Center to determine if repairs are needed and their costs.
A public hearing also is scheduled to allow comment on the proposed use of the additional Community Development Block Grant funds that the city expects from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The city anticipates receiving $107,437.
The council isexpected to discuss a proposed rezoning froom office to business use for the LBJ Community Development Center on the west side of South John Street. The council also will address a proposal that would rezone the northwest corner of South Berkeley Boulevard and East Elm Street from a business conditional ddistrict to general business conditional district for a place of entertainment with ABC permits, and a truck rental operation.
The council will discuss the construction of a 199-foot-tall communications tower on the south side of Tommy's Road between U.S. 117 North and Deans Lane.