WHEREAS, in 2018, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted regulations limiting the abilities of cities and states to regulate small cell sites (e.g., pole attachments) needed for the deployment of 5G, substantially curtailing local governments’ ability to regulate telecommunications infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, the FCC regulations limit the type and amount of fees cities and states may charge, set “shot clocks” as low as 60 days for cities and states to authorize proposals, and limit non-fee requirements cities and states may institute, thus preventing cities and counties from fulfilling their obligation to the public to ensure safe, equitable deployment, and fiscally prudent broadband investment to their communities; and 

WHEREAS, 126 local government leaders, including mayors, city councils, town councils, county executives, and boards of supervisors, statewide associations in California, Florida, Virginia, and Nebraska, national groups including the National League of Cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Association of Counties, and the American Public Power Association, as well as 132 public power utilities across 47 states have endorsed Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo’s (D-CA) Accelerating Wireless Broadband Development by Empowering Local Communities Act of 2019.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Sonoma County Democratic Party urges our city councils, county supervisors, and their respective planning departments to begin updating their telecommunication ordinances in preparation for restoring our local governments’ ability to balance competing interests for the use of the public rights-of-way, and to call on Congress to support H.R. 530 (Eshoo-D-CA-18) and S. 2012 (Feinstein-D-CA) both of which restore local control over the deployment of wireless communications facilities by overturning the FCC regulations.

Resolution adopted by the Sonoma County Democratic Party on March 10, 2020