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should be a report or a discussion item. <br /> VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> A motion was made by Commissioner Gordon, seconded by Commissioner Hemminger <br /> to receive the 2010 SAPFOTAC Annual Report and authorize the Chair to sign the transmittal <br /> letter to SAPFO partners contained in Attachment 1. <br /> VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> USDA Rural Utilities Service Broadband Initiatives Program for Rural <br /> Broadband Service Extension <br /> The Board considered authorizing the County to apply for federal American Recovery & <br /> Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus funds through the USDA Rural Utilities Services (RUS) <br /> Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) to fund the extension of broadband service into the un- <br /> served, rural portions of Orange County and authorizing the Chair to sign the MOU following <br /> completion of the staff's work to finalize the document. <br /> Commissioner Jacobs said that he pulled this because he has questions. He said that <br /> there is a shifting definition about what constitutes broadband. He does not see a real definition <br /> of broadband service. He would like to see this definition included. Also, regarding the <br /> Memorandum of Understanding, he said that only one of these sites is owned by Orange County <br /> (Cedar Grove Park). When there is an application made, he wants to make sure that the MOU <br /> says that the County will follow the same development standards that any private developer will <br /> follow. <br /> Commissioner Gordon made reference to the language in the abstract and asked what <br /> "southernmost part of the County" meant. She said that there are parts in the non-rural area of <br /> the County that do not have broadband. <br /> Planning Director Craig Benedict said that the definition of rural, un-served, and <br /> broadband has been shifting. There are some loose definitions and there have been requests to <br /> extend the grant application process since it is a moving target. He said that the southernmost <br /> part of the County is the section southeast of Chapel Hill. This area is not defined as rural. <br /> Commissioner Jacobs asked if Chatham County has a tower in its northern portion that <br /> could serve that area and Craig Benedict said that staff is taking a look at all borders. <br /> Commissioner Gordon said that she got an email from a citizen that said there may be <br /> some property in Heritage Hills. She will try and retrieve this email. <br /> Frank Clifton said that they are trying to look at public property and not ones with a cost. <br /> He also said that they can attempt to define what they think is rural, but the County has to go by <br /> the guidelines from the federal government. <br /> A motion was made by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Hemminger to <br /> approve the Manager's recommendation with the addition of a definition for broadband. <br /> - Authorize staff to apply for federal ARRA stimulus funds through the USDA Rural <br /> Utilities Service (RUS) Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) to fund the extension of <br /> broadband service into the un-served, rural portions of Orange County; <br /> - Approve the map of tower sites for inclusion into the Master Telecommunications Plan <br /> and as the basis for the BIP grant application; <br /> - Direct staff to finalize the Memorandum of Understanding with American Tower, Inc. <br /> regarding future County completion of a grant/loan application to fund new broadband <br /> service within the rural underserved and un-served portions of the County; and <br />