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ILI k <br />Lea2ue of Minnesota Cities <br />February 22, 1995 <br />Dear Colleague: <br />;J� <br />MINNESOTA MSOC ATIOIJ OF' • • <br />CABLE' TELEVISION,ADMINISTRATORS • <br />_ Cities in Minnesota are facing a crisis. Like municipalities across the ccnintry,the pse. <br />threatened with loss of their authority to manage the public rights -of -way on behalf of their <br />citizens as giant communications companies prepare for the 1990's version of the Land Rush. <br />In an effort to retain that authority, the League of Minnesota Cities (LMC) and the Minnesota <br />Association of Community Telecommunications Administrators (MACTA) are promoting <br />legislation that would: <br />1. require any new telecommunications service to be subject to permitting requirements <br />for the use of public property and rights -of -way to deliver new communications services for <br />profit; <br />2. require any new telecommunications service to compensate municipalities for the right <br />to use public rights -of -way to deliver new services for profit; <br />3. require any new telecommunications service to reserve capacity on its network for <br />public and governmental use; and <br />4. prohibit redlining of service territories. <br />We believe that passage of this legislation is critically important for cities, and we urge you to <br />immediately contact your state senators and representatives to support S.F. 620. Companion <br />legislation soon will be introduced in the House. We have enclosed an overview of the bill. We <br />have also included a draft resolution of support for approval by your city council as a follow -up <br />to your contacts. The telephone industry in particular is lobbying hard against this legislation, <br />and timing is critical, so please call your state legislators as soon as possible. <br />MACTA has led efforts on this important issue. While well worth the time and effort, this <br />project has been expensive. Therefore MACTA is asking for financial contributions from cities <br />and cable commissions to help fund both the research and the campaign for this legislation. The <br />total cost of the project is expected to be close to $90,000. This includes everything from the <br />initial legal research of both state and federal rules and regulations pertaining to <br />telecommunications to the re- drafting that is necessary to respond to suggestions from interested <br />-over- <br />Page 40 <br />