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<br />League of Minnesota Cities <br />February 22, 1995 <br />Dear Colleague: <br />~~~ t ~ 1995 - <br />.;' t : .. f. ~ .. <br />.~. ~~ - <br />MINNESOTAASSOCIATIONOF`~- ~ - <br />CABLE'TELEVIS1bN_A:DMINISTRATORS - <br />Cities in Minnesota are.fa~ing a,crisis. I.,il~e xn~arai~%palities across the country, they aze. <br />threatened with loss of their authority to manage the public rights-of--way on behalf of their <br />citizens as giant communications companies prepaze for the 1990's version of the Land Rush. <br />In an effort to retain that authority, the League of Minnesota Cities (LMC) and the Minnesota <br />Association of Community Telecommunications Administrators (MACTA) are promoting <br />legislation that would: <br />1. require a--X new telecommunications service to be subject to permitting requirements <br />for the use of public property and rights-of--way to deliver new communications services for <br />profit; <br />• 2: require any new telecommunications service to compensate municipalities for the right <br />to use public rights-of--way to deliver new services for profit; <br />3. require any new telecommunications service to reserve capacity on its network for <br />public and governmental use; and <br />4. prohibit redlining of service territories. <br />We believe that passage of this legislation is critically important for cities, and we urge you to <br />immediately contact your state senators and representatives to support S.F. 620. Companion <br />legislation soon will be introduced in the House. We have enclosed an overview of the bill. We <br />have also included a draft resolution of support for,approval by your city council as afollow-up <br />to your contacts. The telephone industry in particular is lobbying hard against this legislation, <br />and timing is critical, so please call your state legislators as soon as possible. <br />MACTA has led efforts on this important issue. While well worth the time and effort, this <br />project has been expensive. Therefore MACTA is asking. for financial contributions from cities <br />and cable commissions to help fund both the research and the campaign for this legislation. The <br />total cost of the project is expected to be close to $90,000. This includes everything from the <br />initial legal research of both state and federal rules and regulations pertaining to <br />telecommunications to the re-drafting that is necessary to respond to suggestions from interested <br />-over- <br /> <br />