NACo President-elect Randy Johnson of Hennepin County, Minn.; NACo Telecommunications Subcommittee Chair Commissioner Darryl Owens of Jefferson County, Ky.; and Council President Marilyn Praisner of Montgomery County, Md. have all been appointed to a 13-member Local and State Advisory Committee at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Their designation, along with several mayors, city council members, state legislators and representatives from governors' offices, was announced on Feb. 28 by FCC Chairman Reed Hundt. "We are delighted that the FCC has formed this committee and expect that the commissioners and staff will take our advice seriously," stated NACo President-elect Johnson.
The committee will facilitate intergovernmental communications between local and state government and the commission. The committee will also provide advice and information to the commission on key issues that concern local and state governments, and communicate state and local government policy concerns regarding proposed commission actions pursuant to the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
Since the passage of the act, NACo has become quite active in working with the commission on various issues of importance to county officials, such as public rights-of-way compensation issues and the siting of cellular towers.
Part of NACo's task has been to educate the commission that local governments, not just the telecommunications industry, have a real interest in the issues before them that needs to be heard.