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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: September 3, 2002 <br />SUBJECT: Master Telecommunications Plan (MTP) - (Wireless Facilities) <br />DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />1. Summary of Telecommunications: <br />Planning for the Future. <br />2. Excerpt from Telco Ordinance. <br />3. Criteria for Master Telecommunications Plan <br />Inclusion and Examples <br />4. Resolution of the BOCC to Create a Master <br />Telecommunication Plan <br />5. Example of a Telecommunication Plan <br />6. Excerpts from Strategic Plan for Wireless <br />Telecommunication Facilities — Appendixes A & 4 <br />7. Map and Table of Parcels <br />Action <br />Agenda �� <br />Item No. <br />PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) FN7o <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Craig N. Benedict, ext. 2592 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 732 -8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968 -4501 <br />Durham 688 -7331 <br />Mebane (336) 337 -2031 <br />PURPOSE: <br />To hear a report and discuss the creation of a Master Telecommunications Plan (MTP) <br />(Wireless Element). <br />BACKGROUND: <br />The Federal 1996 Telecommunications Act set forth a new regulatory framework for the <br />deployment of telecommunication facilities. In essence, the Federal Government wanted to <br />limit the authority of local government regulation that created a "barrier to entry" of new "telco" <br />facilities <br />that would create the public interest "information highway ". <br />Since then, all local governments have grappled with the limits of their authority in this field to <br />protect their local interests through zoning. As a result, local regulations have been pushed to <br />a somewhat uncharted limit of authority that has led to hundreds of lawsuits that sought to <br />resolve <br />the balance intended in the 1996 Telco Act. <br />Accordingly, Orange County has recommended changes to their telecommunication tower <br />ordinance to stay up to date with the law, technology and consultant technical expertise <br />opportunities. As an overreaching plan to address many telecommunication issues and <br />programs, <br />an MTP is often used to organize and create a game plan for implementation. <br />A MTP can have various elements related to the different application of telecommunication <br />