HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Legislative Review Committee - 08/26/2014 -City Manager’s Office
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Legislative Review Committee Agenda
Meeting Notes
August 26, 2014, 4:00 p.m.
City Manager’s Conference Room
Present: Wade Troxell, Councilmember; Lisa Poppaw, Councilmember; Ross
Cunniff, Councilmember; Wendy Williams, Assistant City Manager; Carrie
Daggett, Interim City Attorney; Dan Weinheimer, Legislative Policy Manager
Absent: None
Guests: Tom Vosburg, Fort Collins Utilities; Kevin Jones, Chamber of
Commerce; James Thompson, Office of Senator Michael Bennet; Jamie Grim,
Office of Congressman Jared Polis
Councilmember Troxell called the meeting to order at 4:15 pm.
Adoption of the minutes from the August 12, 2014 meeting were moved for
approval by Councilmember Cunniff and seconded by Councilmember Troxell.
Minutes were adopted without amendment.
LRC discussed the federal Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) beginning with
presentations from James Thompson (Bennet) and Jamie Grim (Polis). The TPP is
a trade agreement being negotiated between the United States and with 11 other
countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region (Australia, Brunei Darussalam,
Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and
Vietnam). Councilmember Cunniff expressed concern that the trade deal may
preempt locally-enacted environmental protection laws and that patent language
could block innovation in the United States.
LRC discussed whether to bring a resolution to City Council focused on
expressing the hope that the City’s Congressional Delegation support protection
of general themes that may be negotiated as part of the pact.
Tom Vosburg presented the opportunity to comment on pending action of the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding municipal broadband.
The Electric Power Board of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the City of Wilson,
North Carolina filed separate petitions asking that the FCC act pursuant to
preempt portions of Tennessee and North Carolina state statutes that restrict their
ability to provide broadband services. LRC approved staff submitting comments
on behalf of the City to participate in the ruling.
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LRC reviewed the 2014 Legislative Priority document and provided direction for
the preparation of the 2015 Legislative Priorities. Dan will provide LRC with a
redlined draft for the next LRC meeting.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:18 pm.