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21 <br /> In Fiscal Year 2018 funds were budgeted to create a scalable broadband solution to foster <br /> innovation, drive job creation, stimulate economic growth, and serve new areas of <br /> development in the community and also to provide a flexible menu of retail services that <br /> offers new or enhanced service to rural Orange County residents. <br /> In Fiscal Year 2019 Open Broadband, LLC and Orange County entered into a public-private <br /> partnership to provide broadband Internet services to residents in the rural areas of Orange <br /> County. The attached agreement works toward those purposes by continuing to partner <br /> with Open Broadband by allowing them to place communications equipment on a vertical <br /> assets owned by Orange County, i.e., the communications tower at 510 Meadowlands. <br /> This agreement will have a 36-month duration in an effort to co-term it with the larger Open <br /> Broadband three-year pilot project currently underway. Prior to renewal, and similar to the <br /> pilot project, it will be re-evaluated for economic viability with no obligation for continued <br /> County support beyond what is stated in the attached agreement. <br /> A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Bedford <br /> for the Board to approve and authorize the Manager to sign the agreement thereby allowing <br /> Open Broadband, LLC no cost access to County facilities for the purpose of appropriately <br /> attaching equipment in order to provide broadband services to rural Orange County <br /> residents. <br /> VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> b. Proposed Formation of a Climate Committee <br /> BACKGROUND: At the January 29, 2019 Assembly of Governments meeting, <br /> Commissioner Mark Marcoplos presented an update from the Climate Change Ad Hoc <br /> Committee. The Ad Hoc Committee is a group of elected officials who came together in the <br /> fall of 2018 in the wake of hurricane season to explore opportunities to accelerate <br /> collaborative action on climate change. The members of the ad hoc committee are: Council <br /> Member Rachel Schaevitz (Chapel Hill), Aldermen Sammie Slade (Carrboro), <br /> Commissioner Jenn Weaver (Hillsborough), and Commissioner Mark Marcoplos (Orange <br /> County). The Ad Hoc Committee presented a report outlining relevant climate change <br /> commitments and highlighted climate change mitigation actions from each of their <br /> jurisdictions. <br /> During the discussion of the report, Ad Hoc Committee members confirmed that climate <br /> change was a top priority for all of their respective Boards and expressed a desire to <br /> establish a more formal and inclusive committee as soon as possible. The members <br /> suggested that that a newly-formed committee should be supported by staff and include <br /> representatives from both school systems, the University of North Carolina, and include <br /> input from County residents. It was acknowledged that the composition and charge for the <br /> new committee would need to be discussed and approved by the boards of the constituent <br /> jurisdictions. <br /> Commissioner Marcoplos presented this item. He said a potential addition to the list <br /> is UNC Hospitals. He said the BOCC will approve this, and then it will go to other <br /> governments for them to approve and amend. <br /> Commissioner Marcoplos said Brennan Bouma, Sustainability Coordinator, will be <br /> the head staff person. <br />