A RESOLUTION
No. __________


WHEREAS, the General Assembly of the State of Georgia through the passage of House Bill 1422 signed by the Governor and placed in effect on March 20, 1990 authorized local governments to modify 9-1-1 charges up to a maximum of $1.50 per billable telephone per month, upon each telephone service subscribed to by telephone subscribers whose exchange access lines are in the areas served or which would be served by the 9-1-1 service as stipulated by O.C.G.A. §46-5-133;

WHEREAS, a general vote or public hearing is not required for a modification of the charge. All governments operating a 9-1-1 system prior to March 7, 1988 are exempt from these requirements;

WHEREAS, Part 4 of Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 46 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, as amended by Act No. 881, Georgia Laws 1998, authorizes local governments to impose a wireless enhanced 9-1-1 charge upon each wireless telecommunications connection subscribed to by subscribers whose billing address is within the jurisdiction of the local government;

WHEREAS, the Council of Columbus, Georgia adopted Resolution No. 402-98, effective November 12, 1998, imposing a monthly wireless enhanced 9-1-1 charge of $1.00 upon each wireless telecommunications connection subscribed to by telephone subscribers whose billing address is within the jurisdiction of the Columbus Consolidated Government;

WHEREAS, the Council of Columbus, Georgia is required to pass a resolution on an annual basis determining and authorizing a monthly 9-1-1 and wireless enhanced 9-1-1 charge;

WHEREAS, O.C.G.A. §46-5-134 requires that charges collected be deposited in a restricted revenue fund known as the Emergency Telephone Fund;

WHEREAS, the 9-1-1 funds may be expended for the lease, purchase or maintenance of telephone equipment, cost associated with the 9-1-1 service supplier to include recurring charges, salaries for 9-1-1 personnel, office supplies for public safety answering points, and the cost of leasing or purchasing a building used as a public safety answering point;

WHEREAS, the enhanced wireless 9-1-1 funds may be used to pay the nonrecurring and recurring installation, maintenance, service, and network charges of a wireless service supplier which are associated with providing automatic number identification of a wireless telecommunications connection and the location of the base station or cell site which receives a “9-1-1” call from a wireless telecommunications connection. Thirty cents of the enhanced wireless 9-1-1 charge shall be deposited in a restricted reserve account of the Emergency Telephone phone designated as the Wireless Phase II Reserve Account to pay the nonrecurring and recurring installation, maintenance, service, and network charges of a wireless service supplier which are associated with providing automatic number identification and automatic location identification of a wireless telecommunications connection;

WHEREAS, each service supplier collecting 9-1-1 charges on behalf of the local government is entitled to retain an administrative fee equal to 3% of the gross 9-1-1 charge receipts. The remaining funds will be due quarterly to the local government;

WHEREAS, the 9-1-1 charge may be reduced at any time by resolution and must be reduced if accumulated revenue exceed by one and one-half the unexpended funds in the preceding fiscal year. This reduction must be in an amount that will avert the accumulation of funds that exceed one and one-half of the unexpended funds in the preceding fiscal year;

WHEREAS, the General Assembly of the State of Georgia has enacted legislation authorizing each county and municipality operating a public safety answering point to impose a prepaid wireless 9-1-1 charge;

WHEREAS, the General Assembly of the State of Georgia has each such county and municipality to impose a prepaid wireless fee at a rate not to exceed 75 cents per retail transaction;

WHEREAS, imposition of the prepaid wireless fee authorized by O.C.G.A. §46-5-134.2 is contingent upon the enactment of the prepaid wireless charge by ordinance or resolution by the county or municipality;

WHEREAS, the Council of Columbus, Georgia adopted Resolution No. 216-11 on July 21, 2011, effective January 1, 2012, imposing a monthly wireless enhanced 9-1-1 charge of $1.00 upon each wireless telecommunications connection subscribed to by telephone subscribers whose billing address is within the jurisdiction of the Columbus Consolidated Government.

NOW, THEREFORE, THE COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA HEREBY RESOLVES:

Under the authority of O.C.G.A. §46-5-134 and 46-5-134.2, the 9-1-1 charge for Columbus, Georgia will remain at $1.50 per month per billable telephone and VoIP connection for another year, the enhanced wireless 9-1-1 charge for Columbus, Georgia will remain at $1.00 per month per billable wireless communication, and the prepaid wireless 9-1-1 charge will remain at $0.75 per retail transaction for Muscogee County, and Chattahoochee County, Georgia. An Emergency Telephone Fund has been established for 9-1-1 charges.
____________________________

Introduced at a regular meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia, held on the 9th day of June, 2015, and adopted at said meeting by the affirmative vote of _______ members of said Council.


Councilor Allen voting ____
Councilor Baker voting_______
Councilor Barnes voting____
Councilor Buck voting ____
Councilor Davis voting ____
Councilor Henderson voting____
Councilor Huff voting ____
Councilor Thomas voting_______
Councilor Pugh voting_________
Councilor Woodson voting____



______________________________ __________________________________
Tiny B. Washington, Clerk of Council Teresa Pike Tomlinson, Mayor