Columbus, Georgia

Agenda Item#_____5_____



Columbus Consolidated Government

Council Meeting



June 3, 2003



Agenda Report#__68_____





TO: Mayor and Councilors



SUBJECT: Monthly 911 charge



INITIATED BY: Finance Department

________________________________________________________________________________

________



Recommendation: Approve a resolution reaffirming the necessity of the $1.50

charge for 911 and the $1.00 charge for enhanced wireless 911 to continue per

billable telephone for another year.



Background: O.C.G.A. ?46-5-134 states that the local government operating or

contracting for the operation of a 911 and enhanced wireless 911 system is to

reaffirm ?by resolution? on an annual basis the amount of the surcharge.



The ?911? and the enhanced wireless ?911? charges collected by the service

supplier shall be deposited and accounted for in a separate restricted revenue

fund known as the Emergency Telephone System Fund.



Analysis: The attached resolution addresses compliance with Georgia law in that

it reaffirms the 911 and enhanced wireless 911charges for another year and

authorizes use of a separate fund known as the Emergency System Telephone Fund.



Financial Considerations: The 911 funds may be expended for the lease, purchase

or maintenance of telephone equipment, costs associated with the 911 service

supplier including recurring charges, salaries for 911 personnel, office

supplies for public safety answering points, and the cost of leasing or

purchasing a building used as a public safety answering point. The surcharge is

expected to provide $1,472,760 of revenue in FY 2004.



The enhanced wireless 911 funds may be used to pay the nonrecurring and

recurring installation, maintenance, service, and network charges of a wireless

service supplier which are associated with providing automatic number

identification of a wireless telecommunications connection and the location of

the base station or cell site which receives a ?911? call from a wireless

telecommunications connection. Thirty cents of the enhanced wireless 911charge

shall be deposited in a restricted reserve account of the Emergency Telephone

phone designated as the Wireless Phase II Reserve Account to pay the

nonrecurring and recurring installation, maintenance, service, and network

charges of a wireless service supplier which are associated with providing

automatic number identification and automatic location identification of a

wireless telecommunications connection. The enhanced wireless 911 surcharge is

expected to provide $893,998 of revenue in FY 2004.



Legal Considerations: O.C.G.A. ?46-5-134 states that the local government

operating or contracting for the operation of a 911 system and enhanced

wireless 911 system is to reaffirm ?by resolution? on an annual basis the

surcharge.



Recommendations/Actions: Approve a resolution reaffirming the necessity of the

$1.50 charge for 911 and the $1.00 charge for enhanced wireless 911 to continue

per billable telephone for another year.





A RESOLUTION

No. _____________



WHEREAS, the General Assembly of the State of Georgia through the passage of

House Bill 1422 signed by the Governor and placed in effect on March 20, 1990

authorized local governments to modify 911 charges up to a maximum of $1.50 per

billable telephone per month; and



WHEREAS, a general vote or public hearing is not required for a modification of

the charge. All governments operating a 911 system prior to March 7, 1988 are

exempt from these requirements; and



WHEREAS, Part 4 of Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 46 of the Official Code of

Georgia Annotated, as amended by Act No. 881, Georgia Laws 1998, authorizes

local governments to impose a wireless enhanced 911 charge upon each wireless

telecommunications connection subscribed to by subscribers whose billing

address is within the jurisdiction of the local government; and



WHEREAS, the Council of Columbus, Georgia adopted Resolution No. 402-98,

effective November 12, 1998, imposing a monthly wireless enhanced 911 charge of

$1.00 upon each wireless telecommunications connection subscribed to by

telephone subscribers whose billing address is within the jurisdiction of the

Columbus Consolidated Government; and



WHEREAS, the Council of Columbus, Georgia is required to pass a resolution on

an annual basis determining and authorizing a monthly 911 and wireless enhanced

911 charge; and



WHEREAS, O.C.G.A. ?46-5-134 requires that charges collected be deposited in a

restricted revenue fund known as the Emergency Telephone Fund; and



WHEREAS, the 911 funds may be expended for the lease, purchase or maintenance

of telephone equipment, cost associated with the 911 service supplier to

include recurring charges, salaries for 911 personnel, office supplies for

public safety answering points, and the cost of leasing or purchasing a

building used as a public safety answering point; and



WHEREAS, the enhanced wireless 911 funds may be used to pay the nonrecurring

and recurring installation, maintenance, service, and network charges of a

wireless service supplier which are associated with providing automatic number

identification of a wireless telecommunications connection and the location of

the base station or cell site which receives a ?911? call from a wireless

telecommunications connection. Thirty cents of the enhanced wireless 911charge

shall be deposited in a restricted reserve account of the Emergency Telephone

phone designated as the Wireless Phase II Reserve Account to pay the

nonrecurring and recurring installation, maintenance, service, and network

charges of a wireless service supplier which are associated with providing

automatic number identification and automatic location identification of a

wireless telecommunications connection; and



WHEREAS, each service supplier collecting 911 charges on behalf of the local

government is entitled to retain an administrative fee equal to 3% of the gross

911 charge receipts. The remaining funds will be due quarterly to the local

government; and





WHEREAS, the 911 charge may be reduced at any time by resolution and must be

reduced if accumulated revenue exceed by one and one-half the unexpended funds

in the preceding fiscal year. This reduction must be in an amount that will

avert the accumulation of funds which exceed one and one-half of the unexpended

funds in the preceding fiscal year.









NOW, THEREFORE, THE COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA HEREBY RESOLVES:



Under the authority of O.C.G.A. ?46-5-134 the 911 charge for Columbus, Georgia

will remain at $1.50 per billable telephone for another year and the enhanced

wireless 911 charge for Columbus, Georgia will remain at $1.00 per billable

wireless communication. An Emergency Telephone Fund has been established for

911 charges.



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

the _____ day of June, 2003, 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 Turner Pugh voting

Councilor Woodson voting