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<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">Brief synopsis of
the 5/25 BATF Meeting. </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">TLDR – the BATF
has taken the RFP in whole, created a subcommittee to review it
for
possible changes, and tweak it so it is branded from the City of
Davis. They will then possibly approve it, and hopefully recommend
the City publish it on its web site, and fund the FSR, hooray! but
everything is delayed.<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">This was the 3<sup>rd</sup>
meeting of the BATF, and the DavisGIG RFP for a Feasibility Study
was
the primary item that was discussed. I think it went well. Steve
McMahon brought up a couple of minutes changes pertaining to the
comments provided by the City Attorney at the 2<sup>nd</sup> BATF
meeting. </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">Rob N gave a quick
5
minute background about why community owned fiber will directly
address council goals and needs, and referenced the “DavisGIG
backgrounder” email sent to BATF members after the 2<sup>nd</sup>
meeting. This was presented as an opportunity for our City. I drew
inspiration too from seeing the clearly articulated 2014-2016
council
goals, and how easily many of the aspects of DavisGIG directly
address those goals. Then gave a little “provenance” on the RFP
document, how it was edited from its example, and how it was
thoroughly “vetted and edited” by a variety of DavisGIG
volunteers, including the Chair and some other committee members.
People grappled with the idea of how the City could co-sponsor the
RFP with DavisGIG or DCN. People discussed starting all over and
creating their own RFP, and having two. People thought it would be
awkward to have the BATF just use a document created by another
organization, which might show that BATF is not carrying out its
duties. </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">So in the spirit of
getting things done as quickly as possible, and in light of the
amount of money we have so far raised to fund this study,
approximately $7000, we have authorized the BATF to take this
document and run with it, ensuring that the current respondents to
this RFP remain involved in the process. The BATF formed a
subcommittee of 5 including 2 people that had originally looked at
and worked with the document, that will take “comments” from all
BATF members, submitted by 6/8, to City Staff reps, and
“incorporate
them or not” into the document. A lot of time was spent discussing
how “comments” could be incorporated, and how the document “could
be worked on” in a joint way without violating Brown Act rules.
The
solution above is what was decided on. One of the reasons we
decided
to front load this was time. In these situations, where innovation
is
spreading, its easy to get, “behind the curve,” and lose the
opportunity. For instance, some other entirely for profit
enterprise
could come build this out, own it all privately, and just be
another
monopoly. Then the City completely loses out on this possible
revenue
center, our citizens miss out on the innovation, and better
pricing
delivered by competition. There is no way this RFP request will go
before City Council until August or later. This puts the
deliverables, the study, out into sometime mid 2017.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">The Mayor Pro Tem
sat in and gave some important advice, that I've heard him discuss
before. Specifically he referenced the successful process that the
Community Choice Energy commission followed, which resulted in
city
council being advised and prepared by a combination of “local
experts” and community leaders, to deliver policy recommendations
for City Council to debate and act on. Apparently, that style
seemed
to work, and he sees us following that type of process and is
encouraged by it. </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">Then there was some
discussion around sharing documents, and what the protocol should
be
around that. Apparently they have to go to the staff then it gets
distributed. Also people discussed etiquette and reason be
associated
with the request to read a particular document. </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%">Anyone at the
meeting please chime in if I mischaracterized anything or left
anything out. </p>
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