sunnyvale.ca.gov: the first step

[David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1993 19:39:13 -0800
From: chongo () ncd com (Landon Curt Noll)


Quick Summary:
--------------


    Sunnyvale has taken a first step towards determining what it will
    do in the area of Telecommunications.  This area could naturally
    include Internet access.  Your Email on making Sunnyvale accessible
    via the Internet played an important part in this initial step.


Thank you!


    Landon Curt Noll
    Sunnyvale City Council


Details:
--------


Today, I am happy to report that the first stage towards a Sunnyvale
telecommunications sub-element has been passed.  Your Email regarding
Internet access played an important part in this initial success.


You might be asking, "What is a telecommunications sub-element?
Why should I care?".  The city of Sunnyvale general plan is divided into
sections called sub-elements.  Items such as "Police/Fire", "Library",
"Arts and Culture", "Environment" and "Economic Development" are
examples of Sunnyvale sub-elements.


The City Council uses a sub-element to establish the City Policy, Goals
and Action statements.  Staff in turn implements this policy.  The City
Council, along the way will 'pass laws' to give staff the legal authority
to do its job.


The adoption of a telecommunications sub-element would mean that Sunnyvale
considers issues related to telecommunications to be significant enough
to stand on their own at the highest level.


    [[Without a telecommunications sub-element, telecommunications
      issues would be addressed under some other sub-element such as
      "Economic Development" or "Library".  This would result in
      certain aspects of telecommunications being ignored because
      they fell outside of the scope of parent sub-element; and
      other aspects slanted in some way to fit in the parent
      sub-element.]]


A telecommunications sub-element could address areas such as:


    * Email
    * Access to City documents and records via the Internet
    * Interacting with City service provides via the Internet
    * The Library and the Internet
    * Public Internet access via the Library
    * Attending City meetings/hearings via the Internet
    * Cable TV
    * Interactive Cable
    * "The Information Super-highway"
    * PacBell's plans for 'networking the South Bay'
    * Voicemail
    * Telecommuting
    * Economic development and the telecommunications industry
    * Opinion surveys
    * ...


Today the City Council voted 7-0 to make the study of a
telecommunications sub-element, telecommunications policy and a
telecommunications committee the #1 priority of the IMS department.
Given the #1 ranking, it is very likely that the study will make it
above the priority cut-off level, and thus will go forward in 1994.


In mid January (barring any unforeseen parliamentary roadblocks),
staff will give the Council an estimate of when the study will be
completed.  This study will make recommendations to Council and
will likely contain an initial draft of the sub-element.


Council next will modify and hopefully adopt the new sub-element.


Once the sub-element is in place, council will then use it to
establish specific policy (in the form of ordinances, regulations
and resolutions) and staff will begin to implement them.


What does all that mumbo-jumbo mean?  Lets take an example:
Assume that a telecommunications sub-element says:


   "The City Staff shall read and respond to electronic correspondence
    in a timely way."


Then the council could, using the above goal as as basis, direct
staff to:


    * buy the needed equipment
    * register a domain
    * train personnel to process Email
    * allocate staff time to admin and process Email


=-=


The Staff and the Council was impressed by the fact that the Internet
generated 40+ messages on a topic in only 12 hours.  More people communicated
to the Council via Email and sopke in person at the Nov 23 hearing!


Many of your letters contained thoughtful suggestions on a variety of
telecommunications topics beyond just Email.  These helped convince the
City Manager that the wider view on the topic and to suggest that it be
raised to the highest policy level.


I plan to keep you informed on the progress.  I may call on you from time
to time to send in your opinions when that 'extra push' is needed.


In the mean time, PLEASE CONTINUE TO SEND IN YOUR COMMENTS AND
SUGGESTIONS ON -->ANY<-- SUNNYVALE ISSUE OR CONCERN.  Until Email is setup,
I will be printing off your Email and hand carrying it down to City Hall.


We have a lot of ground to cover before you see person () sunnyvale ca gov.
Barring any unforeseen problems, we should have Internet access.  Someday
your historic Email will take a special place in City archives as being
the messages that opened Sunnyvale up to the Internet and changed the
way Government responds to its citizens.


Thank you again!


        Landon Curt Noll
        Sunnyvale City Council
        Thu Dec 16 19:38:15 PST 1993