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JTRockville
Data Ho
Premium Member
join:2002-01-28
Rockville, MD

JTRockville

Premium Member

My (Draft) Letter Re: Montgomery County MD

This is the letter I'm working on to send to the Doug Breisch (City of Rockville DTS), County Executive Doug Duncan, the entire Montgomery County council, and the Verizon representative in charge of government affairs. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd be delighted to hear them.If anyone else has written, or plans to write a letter, I'd like to see it.
said by JT's Draft letter :
Subject: Verizon's Fiber to the Premise

To All Whom It May Concern:

In Rockville's April 2005 newsletter, the city indicated that they will not issue the permits necessary for Verizon to upgrade their facilities, because they feel an additional franchise is necessary. However in June, a New York State court ruled that Verizon does not need an additional franchise for this type of upgrade. I realize that Maryland is not bound by the New York decision, but the logic from that decision directly applies to the situation in Rockville. I suspect Verizon could win a lawsuit in Maryland if they chose to fight Rockville's decision, but I doubt they want to incur the legal expenses.

Rockville's decision to deny permits affects many people in the county even those who do not reside within the city limits. For example, Randolph Hills is not in the city limits. The Verizon office on Montrose Road, which serves Randolph Hills, is not within the city limits. But since the Montrose Road office also serves areas within city limits, residents of Randolph Hills cannot be upgraded.

Nearly a year has passed since Rockville decided to deny permits for Verizon's upgrade, yet no progress has been made to reach an agreement. As far as I know, the county has not taken any steps to intervene.

At a Long Branch Town Hall meeting, I asked Councilmember George Leventhal about progress with negotiations. He wasn't aware of any. I wrote to my Councilmember, Howard Denis, asking if any progress has been made. He did not reply. I wrote to County Executive Doug Duncan asking who is in charge of negotiations. He did not reply. This issue is too important to be ignored!

This past November, the FCC announced that they are reconsidering the rules governing our communications policy, citing the unreasonableness of some local jurisdictions. Normally, I would be in favor of local control. However, the situation in Rockville provides a perfect argument in favor of removing local control.

The FCC's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is here:
»hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_ ··· 89A1.doc

Rockville's April 2005 newsletter is here:
»www.rockvillemd.gov/resi ··· 0405.htm

The State of New York's decision is here:
»www3.dps.state.ny.us/psc ··· nElement

I sincerely hope that all of you will work together so that Verizon's fiber to the premise project can proceed as quickly as possible. If you don't, we can (and should) expect federal intervention, and/or state control.

Regards,
J* T*
{address + phone}
JohnA4
Premium Member
join:2003-09-16
Pittsburgh, PA

1 edit

1 recommendation

JohnA4

Premium Member


JT, I might squeeze in a sentence to the effect that:

Since Verizon has been able to negotiate franchises, and bring on line video services in many areas recently, it would seem that the "no franchise - no cable upgrades" position that Rockville has staked out is not only untenable, but fairly unique, since Verizon continues to upgrade their cable with little opposition in ? states.

Can't quote the # of states, off hand. Think it's 13 or 14.

Might punch up the Montrose paragraph with:

Maybe I'm wrong but I can't help but feel that this decision by a governmental body for which I have no vote, has delayed and may ultimately block me from receiving a service upgrade which I find desirable.
davl
join:2006-01-28
Furlong, PA

1 recommendation

davl to JTRockville

Member

to JTRockville
J.T.

Now I understand the nature of your comments and questions in the other thread. It would seem that if Verizon just put on their Public Utility hat and installed the fiber "for the purpose of upgrading and improving their telephone service" that your local politicians would be powerless to stop them. Since when can a local government dictate what the Phone Company can and can not do;). I am reminded here of the Lily Tomlin phone Co. comedy sketches of the 60s.

I wonder if Verizon just decided to bypass the communities where there is opposition and concentrate instead on areas where their service is welcomed and anxiously awaited.

In regard to the disruption caused by the installation, I can say that in our area (Doylestown PA.) it was barely noticeable. In any growing suburban community there always seems to be a Telco or electric Co. truck and crew set up somewhere.

As far as digging is concerned I was amazed at the technology they employed. In order to run a line under a street all they did was dig a small hole 3' by 4' on each side of the street and use some kind of tunneling device run by an air compressor to drive a 4 inch tunnel under the street from one hole to the other. This was filled by a plastic conduit. This only took about an hour. The holes were back filled immediately and after about a month they regraded and planted grass. I think a surgeon would call this a minimally evasive procedure;)

It has been my experience that local politicians are hard to motivate. If however you do some of the work for them they tend to jump in front of you and lead the charge. So I suggest that you solicit some testimonials from communities like Doylestown and submit them with your letter. Yes, I know that that is what your politicians should be doing, but they are not likely to actively pursue a course that is contrary to their previous position.

Good luck

Davl
cbrain (banned)
join:2000-05-21
Silver Spring, MD

1 recommendation

cbrain (banned) to JTRockville

Member

to JTRockville
said by JTRockville:

... Nearly a year has passed since Rockville decided to deny permits for Verizon's upgrade, yet no progress has been made to reach an agreement. As far as I know, the county has not taken any steps to intervene.

At a Long Branch Town Hall meeting, I asked Councilmember George Leventhal about progress with negotiations. He wasn't aware of any. I wrote to my Councilmember, Howard Denis, asking if any progress has been made. He did not reply. I wrote to County Executive Doug Duncan asking who is in charge of negotiations. He did not reply. This issue is too important to be ignored!

This past November, the FCC announced that they are reconsidering the rules governing our communications policy, citing the unreasonableness of some local jurisdictions. Normally, I would be in favor of local control. However, the situation in Rockville provides a perfect argument in favor of removing local control. ...
Do we pay these clowns or is this a volunteer position in Montgomery County?

JTRockville
Data Ho
Premium Member
join:2002-01-28
Rockville, MD

JTRockville

Premium Member

Last year, the Gazette published the salaries of our county officials. The article isn't online anymore so I can't answer your question with any degree of certainty.

»Salaries of MC Government Officials
JTRockville

JTRockville to davl

Premium Member

to davl
said by davl:

I wonder if Verizon just decided to bypass the communities where there is opposition and concentrate instead on areas where their service is welcomed and anxiously awaited.
Honestly davl See Profile, I can't believe Verizon hasn't abandoned us already.
JohnA4
Premium Member
join:2003-09-16
Pittsburgh, PA

JohnA4 to davl

Premium Member

to davl
said by davl:

It would seem that if Verizon just put on their Public Utility hat and installed the fiber "for the purpose of upgrading and improving their telephone service" that your local politicians would be powerless to stop them. Since when can a local government dictate what the Phone Company can and can not do;).
For clarification, as I remember it, Rockville refused to issue any permits for the required work to upgrade the lines until Verizon stopped and negotiated a TV franchise with the county. Verizon did have their public utility hat on, but there are parts of the upgrade work which can require permits from the local government.

Verizon began initial discussions with the county, but I'm guessing they wanted the county to lean on Rockville to let the work proceed. That didn't happen, Verizon stopped talking and continues to overbuild the rest of the county.

Since the outside plant is built 1 CO at a time, the COs that service Rockville are not being done. That puts JT and all those like him in the position of not being able to be upgraded, even though they don't live in Rockville.

JTRockville
Data Ho
Premium Member
join:2002-01-28
Rockville, MD

JTRockville

Premium Member

That's absolutely correct, JohnA4 See Profile. With one exception:
said by JohnA4:

That puts JT and all those like him her in the position of not being able to be upgraded, even though they don't live in Rockville.
;)
Liz8 (banned)
join:2000-06-24
Potomac, MD

Liz8 (banned) to JohnA4

Member

to JohnA4
said by JohnA4:

For clarification, as I remember it, Rockville refused to issue any permits for the required work to upgrade the lines until Verizon stopped and negotiated a TV franchise with the county. Verizon did have their public utility hat on, but there are parts of the upgrade work which can require permits from the local government. ...
Is that the whole story? How did this benefit Rockville in any way?

Rockville sure showed Verizon.

JTRockville
Data Ho
Premium Member
join:2002-01-28
Rockville, MD

1 edit

JTRockville

Premium Member

Ok. Here's my 2nd draft. I added a sentence to the 1st and 2nd paragraph, and added the phrase "television franchise" to the 1st sentence of the 4th paragraph. Anything else I should include?

I think I'll include the FCC as a "cc".
said by JT's 2nd draft :
Subject: Verizon's Fiber to the Premise

To All Whom It May Concern:

In Rockville's April 2005 newsletter, the city indicated that they will not issue the permits necessary for Verizon to upgrade their facilities, because they feel an additional franchise is necessary. However in June, a New York State court ruled that Verizon does not need an additional franchise for this type of upgrade. I realize that Maryland is not bound by the New York decision, but the logic from that decision directly applies to the situation in Rockville. I suspect Verizon could win a lawsuit in Maryland if they chose to fight Rockville's decision, but I doubt they want to incur the legal expenses. As far as I know, no other jurisdiction in the county, the state, or the country, has taken the same stance as the City of Rockville regarding Verizon's upgrade.

Rockville's decision to deny permits affects many people in the county even those who do not reside within the city limits. For example, Randolph Hills is not in the city limits. The Verizon office on Montrose Road, which serves Randolph Hills, is not within the city limits. But since the Montrose Road office also serves areas within city limits, residents of Randolph Hills cannot be upgraded. I do not vote for the officials in the City of Rockville, yet their decision on this matter is preventing me from an upgrade that would reduce my costs several hundred dollars per month.

Nearly a year has passed since Rockville decided to deny permits for Verizon's upgrade, yet no progress has been made to reach an agreement. As far as I know, the county has not taken any steps to intervene.

At a Long Branch Town Hall meeting, I asked Councilmember George Leventhal about progress with television franchise negotiations. He wasn't aware of any. I wrote to my Councilmember, Howard Denis, asking if any progress has been made. He did not reply. I wrote to County Executive Doug Duncan asking who is in charge of negotiations. He did not reply. This issue is too important to be ignored!

This past November, the FCC announced that they are reconsidering the rules governing our communications policy, citing the unreasonableness of some local jurisdictions. Normally, I would be in favor of local control. However, the situation in Rockville provides a perfect argument in favor of removing local control.

The FCC's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is here:
»hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_ ··· 89A1.doc

Rockville's April 2005 newsletter is here:
»www.rockvillemd.gov/resi ··· 0405.htm

The State of New York's decision is here:
»www3.dps.state.ny.us/psc ··· nElement

I sincerely hope that all of you will work together so that Verizon's fiber to the premise project can proceed as quickly as possible. If you don't, we can (and should) expect federal intervention, and/or state control.

Regards,
J* T*
{address + phone}
JTRockville

JTRockville to Liz8

Premium Member

to Liz8
said by Liz8:

Is that the whole story? How did this benefit Rockville in any way?
You can read the "whole story" in Rockville's April 2005 newsletter. A link to the newsletter is in my draft. The article is on page 5. But yes, that's pretty much it.

I have no idea how Rockville (or anyone other than Comcast) benefits.
JohnA4
Premium Member
join:2003-09-16
Pittsburgh, PA

JohnA4 to JTRockville

Premium Member

to JTRockville
said by JTRockville:

That's absolutely correct, JohnA4 See Profile. With one exception:
said by JohnA4:

That puts JT and all those like him her in the position of not being able to be upgraded, even though they don't live in Rockville.
;)
My apologies, JT. I've come to ignore avatars as clues, since they're often misleading. Sorry.

JTRockville
Data Ho
Premium Member
join:2002-01-28
Rockville, MD

JTRockville

Premium Member

Ah, if only I looked like my avatar....
JohnA4
Premium Member
join:2003-09-16
Pittsburgh, PA

JohnA4 to Liz8

Premium Member

to Liz8
said by Liz8:

Is that the whole story? How did this benefit Rockville in any way?
As I remember it, Liz, Rockville felt that their position would be weakened, and their leverage lessened if they allowed the fiber to go up before getting a franchise. They felt that they could get more from Verizon by taking this position. Unfortunately, they seem to have forgotten that they don't negotiate the franchise. They may have expected other communities to follow their lead. They haven't figured out yet, that it's them that is going to have to blink.

.

JT,
Looks good. Seems you've gotten all your pertinent information included. Hope it does some good, and that many others in the same position will join you in trying to push the issue forward.

JTRockville
Data Ho
Premium Member
join:2002-01-28
Rockville, MD

JTRockville

Premium Member

Thanks for the help, JohnA4 See Profile. I hope I'm not the only one who writes a letter. The issue will surely be easy to dismiss if I am.

Incidentally, Rockville could negotiate separately from the county (ugh!).There isn't any law saying that a township/city has to cede their authority to the county. The City of Gaithersburg has a separate agreement with Comcast than the rest of the county. I'd guess COG didn't see any benefit to this, because they ceded authority to the county to negotiate their agreement with RCN.
BarneyBadAss
Badasses Fight For Freedom
Premium Member
join:2004-05-07
00001

1 edit

BarneyBadAss

Premium Member

JT,

Start a petition in the town of Rockville.

Get Vz to install a CO for those outside of Rockville city limits (like that will happen but it might.. y'never know)

Initiate a law to offshore all of Montgomery County's Political process to India

Oh.. and if I lived in Rockville.. I'd write a letter.. but I'm not convinced anyone that matters can read and understand.

JTRockville
Data Ho
Premium Member
join:2002-01-28
Rockville, MD

JTRockville

Premium Member

Do you want FiOS TV BarneyBadAss See Profile? If so, why not write and ask what's up with the television franchise negotiations.
BarneyBadAss
Badasses Fight For Freedom
Premium Member
join:2004-05-07
00001

BarneyBadAss

Premium Member

JT,

Done deal.. I'll scribble on a piece of paper... put it in an envelope; stick a stamp on it... and not expect any kind of response.

JTRockville
Data Ho
Premium Member
join:2002-01-28
Rockville, MD

1 edit

JTRockville

Premium Member

As long as you can read "What's up with Verizon's television franchise?" in the scribble, that will be fine. Thanks BarneyBadAss See Profile. Remember, even if you don't get a response, your letter may influence their actions.



The Montgomery County Council


The postal mailing address for the council is:
The Montgomery County Council
100 Maryland Avenue, 6th Floor
Rockville, MD 20850

240-777-7900 (voice)

Or, if you scribble on a tablet PC and want to drag it to an email, you can use this email address for the entire council:
county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov


The Montgomery County Executive


Be sure to also send a copy to Doug Duncan, the County Executive, either by email:
doug@dougduncan.com
douglas.duncan@montgomerycountymd.gov


or by postal mail:
Douglas M. Duncan
County Executive
Executive Office Building
101 Monroe Street
Rockville, MD 20850

240-777-2500 (voice)
240-777-2517 (fax)



edit: added phone numbers

Eat your cake to JTRockville

Anon

to JTRockville
You County is your own worst enemy. Verizon has looked at the problems that your government has given the cable company. They are one of the only places in the country that has laws passed on how well the internet must work. They can even levy fines if certain perameters aren't met.

Now you want Verizon to enter this hornets nest and be regulated like the cable company is.

You may say no we don't want that we just want fiber. Verizon knows better. As soon as they spend millions on building it you and your fellow citizens will want to change the rules just like you did with the cable company.

You complain if they bill you $2.57 too much.

There are many places Verizon that can spend there money without having to jump through all these hoops.

Good luck with your letter. But Montgomery County made there bed now they have to sleep in it.

JTRockville
Data Ho
Premium Member
join:2002-01-28
Rockville, MD

JTRockville

Premium Member

said by Eat your cake :

They are one of the only places in the country that has laws passed on how well the internet must work.
Montgomery County MD has done no such thing, though I wish they had.
cbrain (banned)
join:2000-05-21
Silver Spring, MD

cbrain (banned) to Eat your cake

Member

to Eat your cake
said by Eat your cake :

You County is your own worst enemy. ...
You got us there.

I am coming to the conclusion that our county leaders, based on their own performance, simply don't understand how bad Comcast customer service is. There is one problem with your logic. Verizon has already installed FiOS in much of our county. Some say as much as 50%. »libes.com/don/blog/2006/ ··· ews.html

The messages I'm sending are questioning our leaders as to why our county is in this position and what they are doing to fix the situation. Had they done their job right, we wouldn't have needed this additional inet regulation. In any event, I don't see anything getting better unless we let these leaders know how important this is to us.
cbrain

cbrain (banned) to JTRockville

Member

to JTRockville
Has Doug Duncan taken a position on what level of responsiveness he will bring to the governors office if elected?

JTRockville
Data Ho
Premium Member
join:2002-01-28
Rockville, MD

1 recommendation

JTRockville

Premium Member

Yes, I believe he has. However, he is unwilling to disclosed it.
JTRockville

JTRockville

Premium Member

I submitted my 2nd draft yesterday morning, but haven't received a reply yet.

Maybe it's because they're overwhelmed... flooded even... with emails from people demanding to know why there hasn't been any progress negotiating with Verizon.

(Well, I can hope!)
cbrain (banned)
join:2000-05-21
Silver Spring, MD

cbrain (banned)

Member

I re-submitted my questions to Duncan on 2-3-2006. No reply yet. I'm no longer hopeful.

I don't think we will see action until enough people show an interest. How many have sent messages to Duncan? Can we help anyone?

tschmidt
MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
·Consolidated Com..
·Republic Wireless
·Hollis Hosting

1 edit

tschmidt to JTRockville

MVM

to JTRockville
JT is the issue just issuing permits to install FIOS or are they haggling over the TV franchise agreement?

If it is the former I'm surprised. I give Verizon credit being at the lead to undertake FTTP rollout. I have concerns over potential problem with vertical integration but I can't see why your town does not want to let Verizon upgrade.

As far as TV franchise agreement I wonder if it is not time to scrap that idea. With enough bandwidth TV program can originate anywhere not just the local aggregator - the MSO. I think it is time to rethink franchise agreements. Charge first-mile network providers fees based on rights-of-way and other business taxes but decouple the service carried by the network from the distribution network itself.

/Tom

JTRockville
Data Ho
Premium Member
join:2002-01-28
Rockville, MD

1 edit

JTRockville

Premium Member

Rockville refuses to issue construction permits, and someone at Verizon told me that negotiations with Rockville for permits are separate from television franchise negotiations. So I'd say it's the former.

No one seems to know much about the television franchise negotiations, other than they're not happening. But construction is proceeding in other parts of the county.
JTRockville

JTRockville

Premium Member

I just got a reply from Rockville. They will not even accept VZ's request for a permit until VZ is granted a franchise to upgrade the plant (it's similar to, but in addition to the television franchise).

Isn't the state in charge of issuing permits for upgrades?

Does Rockville have authority to block VZ from upgrading?
cbrain (banned)
join:2000-05-21
Silver Spring, MD

cbrain (banned)

Member

said by JTRockville:

...
Isn't the state in charge of issuing permits for upgrades?

Does Rockville have authority to block VZ from upgrading?
It would appear.

What does Rockville know that Howard, Fairfax and all these other jurisdictions don't? Are the citizens of Rockville and Montgomery better served than these others?