Travis County Commssioners Court
June 22, 2004
The Closed Caption log for this Commissioners Court agenda item is provided by Travis County Internet Services. Since this file is derived from the Closed Captions created during live cablecasts, there are occasional spelling and grammatical errors. This Closed Caption log is not an official record the Commissioners Court Meeting and cannot be relied on for official purposes. For official records please contact the County Clerk at (512) 854-4722.
Item 10
10. Discuss and take appropriate action on an order amending the Travis County code chapter 39, wireless communications policy. Good morning. It's still morning.
>> good morning.
>> good morning.
>> danny hobby. Emergency services coordinator.
>> whoa. Wait, wait, wait.
>> y'all -- y'all -- hello? Hello? Could you all please step outside and have those conversations. We have to proceed on with our meeting, everybody please step outside unless you are here on the wireless policy. Thank you.
>> good morning, I’m danny hobby, the emergency services coordinator. For the purposes of this agenda item, I have facilitated the cell phone committee. As well as working with the regular users committee as well as working with the wireless board. What I have just given you is a quick summary, since I know you are running behind. But this is just a quick process of what we have gone through. And if you remember, last fall, you the court gave us a -- a purpose as far as the committee to go and see if we couldn't come up with alternatives of how we could improve our cell phone use in the county. So we went to work and came up with a -- with a policy, a cell phone policy, that would allow for an additional option to our current options. And I think this is something that -- that is important to note. That is that we are not replacing or forcing anyone to go with this alternative. This is simply an additional option of which -- of which department heads and officials can use. But on 318, we-- in a work session we presented you the draft copy. And aloud you to ask questions -- allowed you to ask questions in regard to that, indicated we wanted to come back with the action to allow officials and department heads to review this and comment as well. On April the 6th we did that or we received your approval. On 4/7 we actually e-mailed it to the official department heads and we also sent it to the department contacts. As you know, with a lot of wireless equipment and activities, we established contacts within the agencies and -- and we deal with that as far as operational concerns. The agencies that we responded were nine excuse me, the individuals representing of various agencies responded to that. Based upon that, I have that note down there, is that we then took back their comments and suggestions back to the cell phone committee and then made appropriate changes to the policy. We do appreciate those responses. We then, based upon requests from -- from christian smith, that -- that it would be good to go ahead and send some financial questions out that he felt like would be good for people to respond to. And so -- so he came and met with the cell phone committee and we sent that out to a select group that we felt like were our major users and there you see that we did receive four back with some analysis that they did in regards to -- to -- to the financial questions. Based upon that, the cell phone committee then went ahead and decided that it was in the best interests to go ahead and apply this as an alternative, and submit it to you, but they also put a little bit of a caveat in there. That is that you'll see in the order that it is for a one-year pilot program. And that way it gives everyone an opportunity to kind of really see how it works, to see if it needs to be modified, see if it needs to be changed, see if it needs to be done away with. But to just give it a real test, but not obligate this forever and ever. And so you will see in the order that you have attached that -- that we want to give you that opportunity and if you wish to extend it, that will be number 2 under the order. The wireless communication policy attached to this order is effective from October 1st, 2004, to September 30th, 2005 unless the Commissioners court orders its extension, so we feel like that -- that in fairness to everyone concerned that this be given a -- a test program. Now, the other thing that's attached, though, in this order is -- is in regards to something that needs to be some cleanup work. That is that we needed to always go back to the regular users committee and the wireless board and go ahead and correct some things that needed to be corrected there. That is that based upon the fact that we split out justice and public safety, we no longer have an executive manager of justice and public safety. So we had to make those connections. What you will see on the regular users committee, they put my title, emergency services coordinator, in as chair of the regular users committee before it was the executive manager. We also made another change that I think is significant, too. That will help as far as representation. And that is pete baldwin with emergency management was on both the regular use committee and wireless. We felt like it might be good to get another department to come in. What you see listed here in the order or in the policy is that we would allow facilities management to come in. And so -- be represented. Pete, had no problem with that whatsoever, he will still serve on the wireless board. And -- and then what you will also see on the wireless board, executive manager, you simply see my position, my title on that particular board. So -- so those are the -- really the major changes. The cell phone policy, it has been revised. It has this alternative now. The -- the allowance is give for your need yam users -- medium user, it says high, medium, low, but your real heavy users, real light users wouldn't probably use this allowance whatsoever, they will still use their cell phone plans. What we are doing again is testing this. One of the comments that we got from several was we really think the amount is too low because a lot of our users are beyond the 400 minutes. That may be true. You know what's also I think kind of fun here for us is that with the number portability that took place last November, the carriers are really battling one another. As I’m talking to you today, the opportunities are there for -- for governments as well as individual users and the prices are lowering themselves, they are offering now different types of plans and so even though we are offering this alternative, the cell phone plans themselves are changing to where I think we are really going to see some benefits to the county. And anyone using a cell phone. And -- and so I submit that to you today. Submit this to you today, ask that you approve the order amendmenting chapter 39 with the changes that i've just mentioned.
>> this is obviously subject to budgetary con straipts. Even -- con state representatives, even -- constraints. Even though the policy changes, we have a budget on how much money can be spent on cell time. You still have to work within your budget.
>> that is correct.
>> any questions for mr. Ivey.
>> I would second. Moved and seconded. Any further discussion? All in favor? That passes unanimously, thank for you your patience.
Last Modified: Wednesday, June 23, 2004 8:44 AM