Location: Jitsi
Date and Time: Wednesday, February 22, 2023, 5:30-8:00 p.m.
Scribe: You
Roll Call: RussellSenior,TomasKuchta,JasonBergstrom,TedBrunner,ThomasSuckow

Agenda

• House Committee on Economic Development and Small Business hearing
  • Russell didn't testify in person, wants to submit written testimony;
  • There is going to be a followup hearing, March 9 or earlier
  • Predictable split:
    • Incumbents favored by "first refusal" clause think eliminating it is horrible (for them);
    • Everyone else thinks it was unfair and anti-competitive to begin with;
    • The chair of the committee is a chief sponsor of keeping the uncompetitive language.
• News from ARPA grant partner

Notes

• Hearing at State Legislature on bill 3201 to align state broadband policy with federal to receive funding
  • Incumbents are aghast that the bill removes guardrails from statutes (that protect them)
  • Blue Mountain Telecommunications (Eastern Oregon fiber) rep was for new language and is on board
  • Janell Bynum is chief sponsor of 3249 (written by telcos) - Oregon can't fund infrastructure if exiting non-symmetric infrastructure already services area
  • Russell has until tomorrow at 1pm to submit written coments
• DIN Meeting

  • FreeGeek will be digital equity coordinator, taking over role from city, some amount of grant dollars associated. Juan Munroe is executive director of FreeGeek

• ARPA Grant - deadline still March 12th
  • APANO - have contacted pdxhardwired and another contractor that quoted $40K to wire all units
  • Ole asked about picking up wiring for project - need to ask if his demographic would qualify for grant

[CategoryMeetingNotes]