HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution Establishing Broadband Policy Standards
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
COUNTY OF KITTITAS
STATE OF WASHINGTON
RESOLUTION
NO.: 2023-
A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING POLICY STANDARDS FOR BROADBAND
INFRASTRUCTURE EXPANSION UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF KITTITAS
COUNTY
WHEREAS: Kittitas County finds and declares that high-speed Internet access, referred
to generically as “broadband” and including both terrestrial and wireless
technologies, is essential 21st Century infrastructure in a digital world and
global economy; and
WHEREAS: Kittitas County acknowledges that more than 6500 county residences
without high-speed internet access at home currently exist in the county,
and 85% of low-income households are not connected to the internet with
broadband.
WHEREAS: Kittitas County recognizes gaps in broadband availability put our county’s
government agencies, businesses, residents, non-profit organizations, and
other stakeholders at a disadvantage in pursuit of economic growth
opportunities, education, healthcare, and other significant areas critical for
a successful quality of life; and
WHEREAS: Closing the Digital Divide is vital to the economic prosperity and quality
of life for residents in Kittitas County and throughout Washington; and
WHEREAS: Kittitas County is committed to helping families and children be healthy,
productive, and self-sufficient and realizes that the use of broadband can
save both time and money for residents while helping them bridge the
economic divide; and
WHEREAS: Kittitas County is committed to helping students obtain the highest quality
education possible incorporating digital literacy and understands that high-
speed internet connectivity and the availability of computing devices, both
at school and at home, are critical teaching and learning tools for academic
achievement; and
WHEREAS: Exploring new technologies in areas of public safety and medicine made
available through existing broadband network expansion represent broader
coverage response for First Responders, new service offerings, and
potential financial benefits for the citizens and serving organizations of
Kittitas County; and
WHEREAS: Kittitas County is committed to Digital Inclusion and increasing citizen
participation in the public process through expanded engagement using
broadband; and
WHEREAS: Both Federal and State of Washington governments have committed to
broadband standards and connectivity goals, and subsequently have
developed funding programs for local government entities to actively
participate in the expansion of broadband networks within their respective
jurisdictions; and
WHEREAS: Kittitas County recognizes that it potentially has the unique opportunity to
impact broadband deployment and adoption in its several local
government roles and responsibilities, including as a policy leader,
planning body, approval agency, purchaser-consumer of communications
equipment and information technology, and a service provider; and
WHEREAS: Kittitas County welcomes the opportunity to partner with the Washington
State Broadband Office along with the other local governments, civic
leaders, community organizations, employers, workforce representatives,
educators, policymakers, and existing telecommunications providers to
encourage adoption of broadband technology.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the Kittitas County Board of
Commissioners hereby adopts the following policy standards necessary for the planning,
development, implementation, and maintenance of broadband infrastructure expansion
conducted under the authority of Kittitas County:
1. PUBLIC BENEFIT
a. Broadband infrastructure expansion shall be pursued with a
foundational intent of maximizing public benefit to the citizen
taxpayers of Kittitas County. This shall include, but is not limited
to the following:
i. Ensuring new infrastructure expansion is developed with an
overarching purpose of benefiting citizens of Kittitas
County and expanding their ability to connect to broadband
networks of the highest speed and quality available.
ii. Ensuring critical public facilities located in areas of new
infrastructure expansion are connected at no cost in
perpetuity to broadband networks of the highest speed and
quality available for the purposes of taxpayer savings,
operational efficiency, and public safety.
iii. Development of programs to promote resident technical
expertise in use of the internet and fully leverage
broadband infrastructure investment.
2. OPEN NETWORK ACCESS
a. Broadband infrastructure expansion will be operated in an
economically non-discriminatory manner, comply with all state
and federal procurement requirements, and remain available for all
qualified internet service providers to ultimately provide county
consumers with a competitive broadband marketplace. Internet
service providers will have the opportunity to win and retain
business on price and service offerings compliant with external
funding award requirements.
3. MAXIMIZE CONNECTIVITY OPPORTUNITY
a. In consideration of external funding requirements and limitations,
new broadband network expansion projects will be developed to
connect as many premises as possible in a single funding award
and reduce any required mid-mile network to only that which is
necessary for additional premise connection.
4. MINIMIZE PUBLIC RISK
a. New broadband network expansion shall be considered and
executed based on minimization of risk to the existing operating
funds and revenue sources of Kittitas County. This shall include
minimization of potential liability and unanticipated costs in the
development of project scope, construction of the physical network
up to and including final premise connection, and ongoing
maintenance of the entire network to industry standards and best
practices. This shall also include development of new revenue
derived from network use by internet service providers for the
purposes of enhancing and expanding new and existing broadband
infrastructure, thereby minimizing additional cost to existing
county funds and revenue sources.
ADOPTED this day of 2023.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
KITTITAS COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Commissioner, Chairman
Commissioner, Vice-Chairman
Commissioner
ATTEST:
CLERK OF THE BOARD
Julie A. Kjorsvik