A RESOLUTION
No. _____________
WHEREAS, the General Assembly of the State of Georgia through the passage of
House Bill 394 signed by the Governor and placed in effect in 2007authorizes
local governments to impose a E911 charge upon each wireless Voice Over
Internet Protocol (VoIP) connection subscribed by subscribers whose billing
address is within the jurisdiction of the local government; and
WHEREAS, a general vote or public hearing is not required for the
implementation of the E911 Voice Over Internet protocol (VoIP). All
governments operating a E911 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, authorizes local governments to impose a E911 charge upon
each wireless VoIP connection subscribed to by subscribers whose billing
address is within the jurisdiction of the local government; and
WHEREAS, the Council of Columbus, Georgia is required to pass a resolution on
an annual basis determining and authorizing a monthly E911 Voice Over Internet
Protocol (VoIP); 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, under the provision of such law a charge for VoIP Service may be
imposed at a rate of up to $1.50 per month per wireless interconnection; and
WHEREAS, each internet service supplier collecting E911 charges on behalf of
the local government is entitled to retain an administrative fee equal to 3% of
the gross E911 charge receipts. The remaining funds will be due quarterly to
the local government; and
NOW, THEREFORE, THE COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA HEREBY RESOLVES:
That the resolution be adopted to impose the E911 charge upon each Voice Over
Internet protocol telecommunications connection subscribed to by subscribers
whose billing address is within the jurisdiction of the Columbus Consolidated
Government/Muscogee County, Georgia at the rate of $1.50 per month per VoIP
connection provided to each telephone subscriber.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that said VoIP charge shall be imposed beginning July 1,
2008.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution shall be forwarded to
each VoIP service supplier providing services within the jurisdiction of the
Columbus Consolidated Government/Muscogee County, Georgia.
Introduced at a regular meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia, held on
the 12th day of February 2008, and adopted at said meeting by the affirmative
vote of _________ members of said council.
Councilor Allen voting_______________.
Councilor Anthony voting____________.
Councilor Baker voting______________.
Councilor Barnes voting_____________.
Councilor Davis voting______________.
Councilor Henderson voting__________.
Councilor Hunter voting_____________.
Councilor McDaniel voting___________.
Councilor Turner-Pugh voting________.
Councilor Woodson voting__________.
_______________________________ _____________________________
Tiny Washington, Clerk of Council Jim Wetherington, Mayor
Columbus Consolidated Government
Council Meeting
February 12, 2008
Agenda Report#_______
TO: Mayor and Councilors
SUBJECT: Proposed E911 Fee Approval for
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Connections
INITIATED BY: Finance Department
Recommendation: Approve a resolution affirming the collection of the $1.50 fee
for E911 Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Connections as set out in House
Bill HB394/AP and passed by the House and Senate in 2007.
Background: VoIP technology allows customers to make voice calls using a
broadband Internet connection instead of a regular landline telephone line.
The Columbus Consolidated Government/Muscogee County, Georgia E911 Center can
determine the location from which a VoIP call was made using enhanced or E911
equipment as long as the subscriber has not relocated or has updated subscriber
information with the vendor after the relocation. The task of updating
subscriber information is the exclusive responsibility of the individual
subscriber.
With the passage of Georgia?s House bill 394 in 2007, local governments are
permitted to charge a monthly $1.50 E911 fee per VoIP customer with a billing
address within the local government?s jurisdiction. The effective collection
date is 120 days after enactment of enabling local legislation.
State law requires that up to $0.45 of the $1.50 per month E911 fee from each
subscriber be remitted to VoIP service providers each month to cover provider
costs.
VoIP fees as other E911 charges can be used as ?9-1-1 charge? which is defined
as a contribution to the local government for the E911 service start-up
equipment costs, subscriber notification costs, addressing costs, billing
costs, nonrecurring and recurring installation, maintenance, service, and
network charges of a service supplier providing E911 service pursuant to this
part, and costs associated with the hiring, training, and compensating of
dispatchers employed by the local government to operate said E911 system at the
public safety answering points.
Analysis: The attached resolution addresses compliance with Georgia law in that
it confirms the collection of E911 Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) fees and
authorizes use of a separate fund known as the Emergency System Telephone Fund.
Financial Considerations: The E911 funds may be expended for the lease,
purchase or maintenance of telephone equipment, costs associated with the E911
service supplier including recurring charges, salaries for E911 personnel,
office supplies for public safety answering points, and the cost of leasing or
purchasing a building used as a public safety answering point. No estimate of
the number of subscribers is currently available to project total annual
revenue.
The VoIP E911 funds may be used to pay the nonrecurring and recurring
installation, maintenance, service, and network charges of an Voice Over
Internet Protocol service supplier which are associated with providing
automatic number identification of a internet telecommunications connection and
the location of the base station or cell site which receives a ?E911? call from
an internet telecommunications connection. Forty Five cents ($0.45) of the
internet E911charge shall be deposited in a restricted reserve account of the
Emergency Telephone phone designated to pay the nonrecurring and recurring
installation, maintenance, service, and network charges of a internet service
supplier which are associated with providing automatic number identification
and automatic location identification of a internet telecommunications
connection.
Legal Considerations: House Bill 394 states that the local government operating
or contracting for the operation of a E911 system and Voice Over Internet
Protocol (VoIP) E911 system is to be affirmed ?by resolution? on an annual
basis the surcharge.
Recommendations/Actions: Approve a resolution affirming the necessity for the
collection of an E911 fee of $1.50 per month on each Voice Over Internet
Protocol (VoIP) connection subscribed to by persons whose billing address is
within the Columbus Consolidated Government/Muscogee County, Georgia, and
Authorize the Mayor and appropriate staff to execute all appropriate documents
with VoIP providers to collect and distribute the fees as authorized by Georgia
law.
Attachments
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