Agenda 04-26-22; 8-a - Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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5 1 Representative Meyer said that the state will spend a lot of money on broadband within 2 the next two to six years. He said it will create a few challenges. He says one challenge is the 3 timeframe; six years is a long time to wait when you need broadband access. He said they are 4 essentially setting up unregulated monopolies with government funding. He said it will create 5 an incentive for broadband companies to set high rates. He said the only way keep things 6 affordable is through market competition, which will probably have to come through multiple 7 modes of internet availability. He said that different approaches each have limitations. He said 8 he wondered if there is a way to promote internet service via cell phone signals in Orange 9 County to compliment developments with other funding sources. 10 Commissioner Hamilton said she felt that creating unregulated monopolies is a problem. 11 She said if the country had approached broadband as a regulated monopoly, then it would be 12 treated as a basic utility service. She said if fiber to the home gets a consumer what they need, 13 then the company can initially set prices to push away competitors. She said then the company 14 can lock in that customer and raise prices. She said there needs to be regulation in order to 15 serve people at a price they can afford. She asked if there was any talk about that at the state 16 level. 17 Representative Meyer said that Commissioner Greene is correct, the laws are being 18 written as much by the industry as well as the legislators. He said everything he has talked 19 about with broadband pilot legislative leaders around regulation has been rejected. He gave an 20 example of when he wanted to offer telecomm companies more money to install infrastructure in 21 a 2-year timeframe rather than 6 years, but was rejected because telecomm companies wanted 22 control, not more money. 23 Chair Price said it is a challenge to get it installed, and then it is a challenge to make it 24 affordable. 25 Representative Meyer said that the companies want the government to provide 26 subsidies to make it affordable. 27 Commissioner Greene said that is not the answer and it is not sustainable. She said 28 that the county broadband committee wants to have competition within the fiber to the home 29 realm. 30 Chair Price said that rural counties across the country are screaming at Congress to 31 provide broadband. She said it is hard for services and business to exist without broadband, 32 such as schools and health facilities, but even farms and ranches. She said that even if 33 Congress does do something for rural counties, it is usually based on income. She said 34 currently Orange County is in a higher tier and does not qualify for as much funding. 35 Chair Price asked if Representative Insko wanted to talk about environmental legislation. 36 Representative Insko said she is more aware of climate change. She said that counties 37 and the state should do more to combat climate change, and hopes that Orange County would 38 do more. 39 Chair Price said that the county has a fund that goes to climate change projects. 40 Commissioner Fowler said she is the liaison to the climate change council. She said 41 that Orange County needs a climate plan, which was requested by Commissioner Bedford a few 42 months prior. She said the new sustainability coordinator will begin developing the plan. She 43 said that electric vehicles and improving the efficiency of school and county buildings will be key 44 projects for the county. She said several states participate in an initiative called Regional 45 Greenhouse Gas Emissions (RGGE). She said wrote a letter to a member of the state 46 environmental council to request that North Carolina join that initiative. 47 Representative Meyer said that he has been communicating with the Governor's office 48 on joining RGGE for a year. He said RGGE is a regional cap and trade system. He said when 49 the General Assembly passed House Bill 951 to commit to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, 50 he and the Governor spoke about how joining RGGE would put some teeth into that 51 commitment. He said the Governor has not been willing to commit the funds to join, and that it