From catherine at digitalaccess.org Tue Feb 14 08:58:45 2006 From: catherine at digitalaccess.org (Catherine Settanni) Date: Tue Feb 14 08:58:50 2006 Subject: [Ccan-announce] Important City Council Action on WiFi Network Next Tuesday Message-ID: Many of you will be receiving a packet of information this week from C-CAN about the Minneapolis Broadband/WiFi project, and what it means to your programs and constituents. Please take a moment to read these materials, then contact your council member ASAP to voice your support for the City?s approach, as long as a community benefits agreement is part of the final contract. The City?s Ways and Means committee will meet on Tuesday, Feb. 21st (NEXT TUESDAY) to decide whether to continue progress towards final contract negotiations, or effectively stop it from moving ahead. This committee is hearing from opponents of the City?s plan every day, and may be inclined to vote against the public-private strategy we feel holds the most promise for low income, new immigrant, small business and non-profit organizations. The Council and public are only hearing one side of the story (against the project), and it does not include our story, which is about the opportunity for significant community technology funding we have before us. For details about the work we are doing to ensure this, see http://www.digitalaccess.org. Here are the Ways and Means committee members to contact: Besty Hodges, Ward 13 Sandy Colvin Roy, Ward 12 Gary Schiff, Ward 9 Elizabeth Glidden, Ward 8 Diane Hofstede, Ward 3 Paul Ostrow, Ward 1 Their email addresses are at http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/ You should also contact your own Council Members to weigh in on the issue, as the entire council will vote on this issue in March. You are also invited to attend our upcoming community roundtable: Weds. Feb 15th 5:30-7:30pm PPL Service Center 1035 E. Franklin Ave. _______ Catherine Settanni The Community Computer Access Network (sponsor of) The Digital Access+ Equity Campaign http://www.digitalaccess.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mapnp.Geeks.ORG/pipermail/ccan-announce/attachments/20060214/44506e25/attachment.html From catherine at digitalaccess.org Thu Feb 16 12:31:16 2006 From: catherine at digitalaccess.org (Catherine Settanni) Date: Thu Feb 16 12:31:19 2006 Subject: [Ccan-announce] Welcome to the Listserv-Important City Council Committee Vote Next Week! Message-ID: Welcome to those of you that have attended the Digital Access + Equity roundtables, I have added you to this listserv as per our discussion last night. Other listserv members are C-CAN partners, including community technology programs and centers. Minutes from last night will be posted by Mahi shortly; in the meantime, here is a recap of that meeting. We had an update from Lindsay Freer, CTEP member at PPL, about the WiFi survey they have created and distributed. It is now available in 4 languages, at http://www.digitalaccess.org. Another more comprehensive survey is also online at this site, with questions about what form a ?Digital Inclusion Fund? should take, and a list of proposed community benefits we have discussed. Please take a moment to complete this survey, it will help us articulate what to ask for in the final agreement. Here is that link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=493551785474 There was a brief discussion about process; how to proceed with drafting the CBA and what organizational form we might take going forward. One idea put forth regarding organization: An advisory board (made up of roundtable participants and nominees from participants) should be identified immediately, and begin drafting the CBA with help from the Alliance for Metropolitan Stability. This board will act as the advisory board to C-CAN director and volunteers from now through contract negotiations. Following a successful campaign to secure funding, a fiscal agent will be identified and approached by this board to help manage the fund for year one. During that year, we will formalize a new non-profit, or partner with an existing 501c3 or community foundation that has technology literacy and access in their mission, and a community input process we can endorse. Either a strong, existing 501c3 non-profit or a Community Foundation acting as our fiscal agent would be best. If you have thoughts or opinions about this, use the survey linked above to add your comments to the discussion, or start a conversation on this listserv. One other very important item: The Minneapolis City Council Ways and Means committee will vote on whether to move ahead with the initiative, including adding Community Benefits Agreement language to the contract, next Tuesday Feb. 21st at 1:30 PM at City Hall. If you want to show your support for this initiative, please come. Please send a letter to your council members encouraging their support for the City?s plan and the inclusion of a strong community benefits agreement, see the sample letters at http://www.c-can.org/resources.html. -- Catherine Settanni Director, The Community Computer Access Network (C-CAN) catherine@digitalaccess.org http://www.c-can.org http://www.digitalaccess.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mapnp.Geeks.ORG/pipermail/ccan-announce/attachments/20060216/209ccce2/attachment.html From catherine at digitalaccess.org Thu Feb 16 16:40:24 2006 From: catherine at digitalaccess.org (Catherine Settanni) Date: Thu Feb 16 16:40:27 2006 Subject: [Ccan-announce] Updated Survey Link Message-ID: Looks like the survey link in the first post is not working: here is the real link to the community benefits agreement survey (located on the http://www.digitalaccess.org website as well). http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=11421774986 -- Catherine Settanni catherine@digitalaccess.org http://www.digitalaccess.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mapnp.Geeks.ORG/pipermail/ccan-announce/attachments/20060216/a9708b55/attachment.html From kkimber at ieee.org Sun Feb 19 20:08:12 2006 From: kkimber at ieee.org (Kurt Kimber) Date: Mon Feb 20 09:00:00 2006 Subject: [Ccan-announce] Digital Access CBA policy synopsis for Mpls City Council Message-ID: <43F9248C.4040701@ieee.org> The Digital Access Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) group met last Wed, Feb 15 at the PPL Service Center (1035 E. Franklin Ave). We decided that we needed to create a statement of our past and proposed Community Benefits work to be presented by Catherine Settanni at the Mpls City Council Ways and Means meeting this coming Tues afternoon Feb 21 (see email at bottom for meeting specifics). Below is what I captured from our discussions regarding this CBA policy synopsis. Several people are currently working on this statement (it needs to be finished by Tuesday). Please reply to the list serv with corrections, comments and opinions on how we might improve this statement. 1) The statement should contain approximately four main points -- keep it crisp for the Council Members. 2) First point should be something like a mission statement; the following were cited as examples we might draw from: 2a) Digital Access's (www.digitalaccess.org) mission statement: Digital Access introduces and expands information technology resources within communities that have limited access to technology tools and training. This is accomplished through programming that is creative, collaborative, and community-based. 2b) C-CAN's (www.technologypower.org) mission statement: C-CAN's mission is to "bridge the digital divide" in Minnesota by providing advocacy, services and resources to community technology centers and technology literacy programs statewide. 3) Second point should make the case for our credibility as an entity to oversee implementation of the CBA and lay out a vision of how we propose realizing this mission. 4) Third point is to define the digital divide, that which we are attempting to conquer. Ken was very articulate and eloquent in his definition of the digital divide. 5) Fourth point is that we will attack the digital divide with these four tools: hardware, access, training and content. 6) Also at this meeting, we had a preliminary discussion of various candidate structures for the governing entity that will oversee the CBA. Catherine was emphatic that this structure must be responsive to the constituent communities' voices and wishes and not act with disregard for these voices. -------- Original Message -------- Date: Thu, 16 Feb 2006 16:03:39 -0600 To: "wireless" Subject: Update on Wireless Minneapolis The Minneapolis City Council's Ways and Means Committee will receive a presentation from City staff on the business case for Wireless Minneapolis during its regular meeting, which is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2006. The Committee will also take public testimony on the business model being presented. The public testimony has a time certain schedule of 2:45 p.m. (which means public testimony will not begin any earlier than that time). The business case report will be posted on the City's Web site on Friday, Feb. 17 (after noon). To see it, click on the link below and select the "Ways and Means" agenda from the drop-down menu (the agenda will not be posted until after noon on Friday). http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/2006-meetings/home/20060224.asp The Minneapolis City Council's Ways and Means Committee meetings are held in Council Chambers (Room 317 City Hall, 350 S. 5th St., Minneapolis) We hope you can attend the meeting in person or watch it live on City Cable 14. From kkimber at ieee.org Sun Feb 19 20:31:00 2006 From: kkimber at ieee.org (Kurt Kimber) Date: Mon Feb 20 09:00:02 2006 Subject: [Ccan-announce] BIS WiFi Committe Report excerpt <=> CBA Message-ID: <43F929E4.8080402@ieee.org> I found the following section from the City of Minneapolis Business Information Services (BIS) Department's Committee Report (regarding the proposed Mpls WiFi network) for Tuesday's City Council Ways and Means Meeting to be quite relevant to the Digital Access Community Benefits Agreement work we are undertaking -- there are several comments that point squarely at our work. Probably wouldn't be a bad idea to review this section with an eye towards our CBA policy synopsis that Catherine will present at this meeting. (To see this entire document, and others, go to www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/2006-meetings/20060224/WMagenda20060221.asp and then scroll down to item #26 and click on the "Wireless Minneapolis Broadband CR" link.) ********** Excerpt from the BIS Committee Report: Community Impact Our society and economy is increasingly reliant on information technology. Many low-income communities are isolated from recent technological advances and do not have access to personal computers, the Internet and the interactions and opportunities these technologies provide. This experience defines the "digital divide" – the separation between those who do and those who do not have access to information technology. Access for individuals, capacity building for non-profit organizations, content and applications development, taken together, constitutes a comprehensive strategy for bridging the digital divide. The Wireless Minneapolis initiative serves the important function of building the infrastructure upon which we can develop strategies for greater social and economic inclusion. Parallel to this universal access strategy, we need efforts that promote the development of relevant content for residents, businesses and visitors and innovative applications that can support the work of community based organizations focused on promoting equity and, economic, social and cultural benefit for the residents, businesses, visitors and employees of City of Minneapolis. From kkimber at ieee.org Tue Feb 21 21:01:40 2006 From: kkimber at ieee.org (Kurt Kimber) Date: Thu Feb 23 18:26:30 2006 Subject: [Ccan-announce] Strib article re: WiFi network In-Reply-To: <43F929E4.8080402@ieee.org> References: <43F929E4.8080402@ieee.org> Message-ID: <43FBD414.7000104@ieee.org> Here's a StarTribune article on Tuesday afternoon's City Council Ways and Means meeting regarding the Mpls WiFi network: http://www.startribune.com/535/story/261929.html Also: not covered in the article was the strong public and City Council support and gains for the Community Benefits Agreement. From catherine at digitalaccess.org Thu Feb 23 20:12:26 2006 From: catherine at digitalaccess.org (Catherine Settanni) Date: Thu Feb 23 20:12:29 2006 Subject: [Ccan-announce] City of Mpls to vote on WiFi initiative FRIDAY 2/24 Message-ID: This from Russ Adams, at Alliance for Metropolitan Stability: *FYI: The **Minneapolis** City Council will meet (starting at **9:30 AM**) Friday, February 24^th to vote on the wireless broadband initiative. No telling when they?ll get to the issue on their agenda, but it?s part of the standing committee reports (it?s number 10 on the Ways & Means Committee list).* * * *The second piece to this - item d) ?staff directives? ? relates to a Councilwoman Glidden?s request that staff incorporate a Community Benefit Agreement into the final contract between Vendor and city. I?m not sure that would have happened without the participation of many of you folks at the Digital Inclusion Coalition roundtable meetings!* * * *Here?s how it?s written up:* 10. Minneapolis Wireless Broadband Initiative: *Sent forward without recommendation *the following: a) Approve amended Business Case, prior to pursuing a private-public partnership to procure /Broadband Data Access Services/ to support the City's internal data communications requirements and provide affordable broadband internet services to City residents and businesses; b) Authorize proper City officers to implement the pilot phase of the /Broadband IP Data Access Services/ program with the two RFP finalists, Earthlink and U.S. Internet; and c) Authorize proper City officers to negotiate a contract for /Broadband IP Data Access Services/ with one or both of the RFP finalists and to return to Council for final approval. d) Approve staff directives; incorporate in any contract for /Broadband IP Data Access Services/ a "Community Benefits Agreement"; and develop a community engagement plan to be received and filed by the Committee. *It may be possible to follow this on the council?s web site (via a web cast?), but I?m not entirely sure.* --- it also should be on a local cable access channel. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mapnp.Geeks.ORG/pipermail/ccan-announce/attachments/20060223/aa1ff5a8/attachment.html From catherine at digitalaccess.org Fri Feb 24 15:07:32 2006 From: catherine at digitalaccess.org (Catherine Settanni) Date: Fri Feb 24 15:13:34 2006 Subject: [Ccan-announce] A Great Day for Community Technology! Message-ID: The Minneapolis City Council voted 11-1 this morning to approve the proposed public-private partnership model, move ahead with contract negotiations, and proceed with pilot projects related to the Wireless Minneapolis project. The best news of all is that now a Community Benefits Agreement is formally required as part of the final contract, guaranteeing community input and support for community technology programming into the future. The City Council took a visionary position in adding this language to the contract?and should be applauded for their interest in, and action toward bridging the digital divide. The rest of the country will notice this and hopefully follow our lead. Council Member Ostrow-- among others-- commented that he was moved by the testimony of those of you who came to City Hall on Tuesday to educate the Council about your programs and the needs of your constituents. Thank you for your support at this critical juncture, it really helped frame today?s discussion. If any of you have ever felt that civic engagement was not worth the effort, this should make it clear that community engagement and organizing can and does result in policy change. Your community roundtable participation helped insure that Community Benefits language was made a requirement of the contract. If you feel so moved, let your Council member know you appreciate their support for community technology. Now we can move forward on the actual community benefits agreement language and begin organizing around the pilot projects. For updates from the City, bookmark: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/wirelessminneapolis/ Cheers! We hope to see you next Wed. for the next roundtable meeting (details at www.digitalaccess.org). -- Catherine Settanni C-CAN Director http://www.digitalaccess.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mapnp.Geeks.ORG/pipermail/ccan-announce/attachments/20060224/c4b0c987/attachment.html