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coverage response for First Responders, new service offerings, and <br />potential financial benefits for the citizens and serving organizations of <br />Kittitas County; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS: Kittitas County is committed to Digital Inclusion and increasing citizen <br />participation in the public process through expanded engagement using <br />broadband; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS: Both Federal and State of Washington governments have committed to <br />broadband standards and connectivity goals, and subsequently have <br />developed funding programs for local government entities to actively <br />participate in the expansion of broadband networks within their respective <br />jurisdictions; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS: Kittitas County recognizes that it potentially has the unique opportunity to <br />impact broadband deployment and adoption in its several local <br />government roles and responsibilities, including as a policy leader, <br />planning body, approval agency, purchaser-consumer of communications <br />equipment and information technology, and a service provider; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS: Kittitas County welcomes the opportunity to partner with the Washington <br />State Broadband Office along with the other local governments, civic <br />leaders, community organizations, employers, workforce representatives, <br />educators, policymakers, and existing telecommunications providers to <br />encourage adoption of broadband technology. <br /> <br />NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the Kittitas County Board of <br />Commissioners hereby adopts the following policy standards necessary for the planning, <br />development, implementation, and maintenance of broadband infrastructure expansion <br />conducted under the authority of Kittitas County: <br /> <br />1. PUBLIC BENEFIT <br />a. Broadband infrastructure expansion shall be pursued with a <br />foundational intent of maximizing public benefit to the citizen <br />taxpayers of Kittitas County. This shall include, but is not limited <br />to the following: <br />i. Ensuring new infrastructure expansion is developed with an <br />overarching purpose of benefiting citizens of Kittitas <br />County and expanding their ability to connect to broadband <br />networks of the highest speed and quality available. <br />ii. Ensuring critical public facilities located in areas of new <br />infrastructure expansion are connected at no cost in <br />perpetuity to broadband networks of the highest speed and <br />quality available for the purposes of taxpayer savings, <br />operational efficiency, and public safety.