Columbus, Georgia

Agenda Item#__________



Columbus Consolidated Government

Council Meeting



August 31, 2004



Agenda Report#_______



TO: Mayor and Councilors



SUBJECT: 911 Wireless Surcharge for Cingular Communications



INITIATED BY: Finance Department





Recommendation: Approve a payment in the amount of $61,814 and a budget

amendment in the amount of $40,317 to adjust the fund total in the E911 Fund to

$2,838,221 for recurring maintenance charges to be paid to Cingular Wireless.

Authorize City Manager to execute payments for monthly wireless charges.



Background: In November 1998, the Columbus Consolidated Government

implemented a monthly wireless communication charge of $1.00 to be collected by

the cellular service providers. O.C.G.A. ?46-5-134 requires that 60 cents of

the monthly wireless enhanced 911 charges imposed be deposited in a separate

restricted reserve accounts of the Emergency Telephone Fund, which will be

designated the Wireless Phase I and Wireless Phase II Reserve Accounts and used

to pay to cellular service providers the nonrecurring and recurring

installation, maintenance, service and network charge which are associated with

automatic number identification (ANI) and automatic location identification

(ALI) of a wireless telecommunication connection.



Analysis: Cingular Wireless has been negotiating with the E911 Center to

begin Phase II implementation. E911 has sent official notification to the

company that it is ready to accept Phase II data and the company has six months

to comply. This will be the first company to become Phase II compliant in our

area.



Financial Considerations: Monies have been set aside in a restricted account

for maintenance and nonrecurring charges. A budget amendment is needed to

appropriate these monies and adjust revenues and expenditures in the amount of

$40,317 in the 911 Fund. An amount of $ 61,814 has been calculated for

retroactive balances to bring the account current as of June 30, 2004. Future

payments will be in the amount of $.30 per month/subscriber.



Legal Considerations: O.C.G.A. ?46-5-134 states that monies in the Wireless

Reserve Account shall be used to pay nonrecurring and recurring installation,

maintenance, service and network charges to the cellular service providers who

originally collected the monies from their subscribers and deposited the monies

with Columbus. Retroactive payments to cellular service providers are

authorized by this statute.



Recommendations/Actions: Approve a payment in the amount of $ 61,814 and a

budget amendment in the amount of $ 40,317 to adjust the fund total in the E911

Fund to $2,838,221 for recurring maintenance charges for Cingular Wireless.

Authorize City Manager to execute payments for monthly wireless recurring

charges.





AN ORDINANCE



NO. _______________



Amending and increasing FY05 E911 Budget by $40,317 to $2,838,221 and

authorizing payment for retroactive balance of $61,814 to Cingular Wireless

pursuant to O.C.G.A. ?46-5-134; and authorizing the City Manager and Finance

Director to make future payments for recurring maintenance charges pursuant to

O.C.G.A. ? 46-5-134; and for other purposes.

___________________



THE COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA HEREBY ORDAINS:



Section 1.



The Emergency Telephone Fund in the amount of $2,797,904 for the Consolidated

Government of Columbus, Georgia, covering the fiscal year beginning July 1,

2004 and ending June 30, 2005, is hereby amended by increasing the budget by

$40,317 for a total of $2,838,221.



Section 2.



The City Manager is hereby authorized to make a payment for retroactive balance

of $61,814 from the Emergency Telephone Fund to Cingular Wireless pursuant to

O.C.G.A. ?46-5-134. The City Manager and Finance Director are authorized to

make retroactive payments in the FY05 budget year for monthly wireless

recurring charges to the cellular service providers in accordance with O.C.G.A.

?46-5-134 from the Emergency Telephone Fund. The total of such retroactive

payments shall not exceed the FY05 budgeted amount for the Phase I account in

the Emergency

Telephone Fund.



Section 3.



All ordinances and parts of ordinances which are in conflict with this

ordinance are hereby repealed.



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Introduced at a regular meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia, held on

the ___ __day ________________, 2004; introduced a second time at a regular

meeting held on the day of ________________, 2004 and adopted at

said meeting by the affirmative vote of members of said Council.



Councilor Allen voting

Councilor Anthony voting

Councilor Davis voting

Councilor Henderson voting

Councilor Hunter voting

Councilor McDaniel voting

Councilor Rodgers voting

Councilor Suber voting

Councilor Pugh voting

Councilor Woodson voting







TINY WASHINGTON, CLERK ROBERT S.

POYDASHEFF, MAYOR