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AUG.27.2002 3 :19PM ORANGE CTY MGR <br />S NO.913 P.10i11 <br />.i <br />94 <br />S. APPLICATION FEES. The wireless industry recognizes that there is a <br />trend in North Carolina to increase. application fees for new <br />communications facilities. This is a bad policy, and -an unfair policy. <br />Much of this has been driven by the• private sector engineering <br />companies seeking to .put ordinances In place which they will then be <br />paid to oversee and enforce. To my knowledge, there is no other <br />industry which has such a small footprint on the ground that must pay <br />such an excessive fee. A fair fee is fine, but Ten Thousand and <br />no /100ths (010,000.00) Dollars is excessive. The cost of a fair and <br />unbiased consultant to assist the County is possible without the need <br />of such a large fee. Consultant -fees to review these types of <br />applications may be reasonable, but this Ordinance cannot be written <br />to create a cottage industry for' engineers to review zoning <br />applications. There has to be some level of trust between the <br />applicants and the governing bodies when certain certifications are <br />made. All costs to construct a wireless system are passed onto the <br />consumer. The wireless Industry does not. operate in a monopoly <br />where all carriers are guaranteed a fixed rate of return. These high <br />fees in some cases may deter future deployment of wireless <br />technology, and ultimately result in a lack of state of the art services <br />being made available to the citizens of Orange- County. Orange <br />County should embrace wireless technology, and pass laws which <br />encourage the rapid deployment of the same. Such fees have the <br />opposite impact. Local 'governments pass legislation every clay to <br />encourage economic development In communities. The wireless <br />industry has asked for no such special economic incentives. However, <br />do not underestimate the impact on the local economy by the <br />deployment of wireless technology, the hiring of employees in the <br />wireless industry, and the use of this technology by Orange County <br />citizens. A more reasonable fee in light of the services rendered by <br />the County is requested. <br />MVft ?' N=FWN:G2 COUNW Z0KWGWCL%f4EM8VR4.Vt M M OMNANM M A&MM TO ZOMMG oED(NAZIC% Of ORANCM COUN" <br />Rec�wnara aee . <br />