HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2002.09.05 - 27021MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTION #02210
BY: Chuck Moss, District #15
IN RE: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS - OPPOSITION TO THE TARIFF TO BE
IMPOSED ON PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWERING POINTS BY WIRELINE CARRIERS
To the Oakland County Board of Commissioners
Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen:
WHEREAS the federal government passed the Telecommunications Act of 1996
requiring that the telephone carriers (both wireless and wireline) provide services to capture and
transmit to public safety answering points (PSAPs) caller telephone number and location
information; and
WHEREAS the federal government provided no funding for this new mandate now
required for local governmental units or the telephone companies; and
WHEREAS the State of Michigan imposed a $.55 monthly fee (wireless surcharge) on
cellular telephones two years ago to cover the costs of the wireless carriers; and
WHEREAS, at the time, the wireline carriers were believed to have minimal costs to
assist in providing this federal mandate, but subsequently discovered that it is a costly endeavor;
and
WHEREAS the Federal Communications Commission has recently affirmed an earlier
informal position that the wireline costs should be borne by the PSAPs and not the telephone
companies; and
WHEREAS the PSAPs in Michigan were generally not moving ahead to enable the
compliance with federal requirements; and
WHEREAS Ameritech has taken the lead to secure a funding source on behalf of the
PSAPs to enable this unfunded federal mandate by providing a transactional tariff on 9-1-1 calls
to be borne by billings to the PSAPs; and
WHEREAS several public safety entities (law enforcement, fire and emergency medical
services) in Oakland County have experienced personnel reductions caused by the economy in
general, fiscal 2000 census reductions, State revenue sharing reductions, limitations on property
tax revenues, the inability to secure recent property tax millages for public safety, and other
fiscal pressures; and
WHEREAS the transactional tariff being proposed by Ameritech will tend to exacerbate
the fiscal pressures facing public safety within Oakland County.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of
Commissioners calls upon the Michigan Public Services Commission to reject the transactional
tariff to be imposed on PSAPs in favor of a public, well-debated legislative solution to this
matter.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that should a fee be ultimately determined to be justified,
the following bases and / or components of that fee should be used:
• That the fee be based on a per call basis only; avoiding fees associated with transfers
and other calls for data (telephone numbers, location, etc.).
• That the capital and operating costs be developed and billed by region (potentially
associated with the selective router by region) to ensure that impacted users fund only
the costs directly associated with the services in their region.
• That a legislative solution be immediately sought, in lieu of the tariff, with such
legislative solution to include consideration of covering the anticipated costs through
the wireless surcharge for the wireline costs.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners calls
upon the Michigan Public Services Commission to require public input, prior to approving the
impending tariff request, through public hearings from throughout the State; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution be forwarded to the Governor,
Oakland County's legislative delegation, the Michigan Public Services Commission, the
Michigan Municipal League, the Michigan Association of Counties, and all local legislative
bodies within Oakland County.
Chairperson, I move adoption of the foregoing resolution.
GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE
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Resolution #02210 September 5, 2002
The Chairperson referred the resolution to the General Government Committee. There were no
objections.