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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: January 20, 2011 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. g' Q <br />SUBJECT: Progress Report on Telecommunication Issues within Orange County and <br />Review of Request to Place Telecommunication Plan Tower Site Map on <br />February 28, 2011 Quarterly Public Hearing <br />DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />Manager's Office <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />1. Telecommunication Plan Tower Site <br />Map <br />2. Timetable for Approval of Tower Sites <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Glenn Bowles, Planner II, 245-2577 <br />Craig Benedict, Director, 245-2592 <br />PURPOSE: To receive an update on staff activities concerning the County's communication(s) <br />needs and review a request to place the Telecommunications Plan Tower Site Map <br />(ATTACHMENT ONE) on the February 28, 2011 Quarterly Public Hearing agenda. <br />BACKGROUND: This report serves two purposes: <br />Update the BOCC on recent multi-department staff activities regarding <br />telecommunications including: <br />o How broadband service could be provided to underserved portions of Orange <br />County; and <br />o How public safety provision could be augmented, <br />To request that the BOCC place the attached Telecommunication Plan Tower Site Map <br />on the February 2011 Quarterly Public Hearing agenda. <br />I. PROGRESS REPORT: Staff is continuing to work with two (2) private companies (American <br />Tower Company [ATC] and Grain Communications, Inc.) who have expressed interest in <br />assisting Orange County to address its public safety and other communication needs. At the <br />same time, each company has expressed an interest in assisting with the marketing of County- <br />owned tower sites to other providers in an effort to extend broadband and wireless <br />communications services to the underserved rural portions of Orange County as well as <br />augment existing service elsewhere. <br />Another private company, Motorola, has volunteered to meet with County staff to determine the <br />best available technologies that address County public safety and other communications needs, <br />where such solutions could be located, and generally how much each solution would cost. <br />As a result of this continued interest from the private sector seeking partnerships with Orange <br />County, staff has identified the basic telecommunication needs for the County that, in no order <br />of priority, are as follows: <br />