FY2009-31 Kodiak Kenai Fiber Optic Cable1
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Introduced by: Mayor Selby
Requested by: OId Harbor Native Corporation
Drafted by: OId Harbor Native Corporation
Introduced on: 05/21/2009
Adopted on: 05/21/2009
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6 KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH
7 RESOLUTION NO. FY2009 -31
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9 A RESOLUTION OF THE ASSEMBLY OF THE KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH
10 SUPPORTING KODIAK KENAI CABLE COMPANY'S PROPOSAL TO BUILD ANOTHER
11 LARGE -SCALE FIBER OPTIC CABLE SYSTEM ORIGINATING ON KODIAK ISLAND,
12 TRAVELING THROUGH A PORTION OF THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS AND UP THE WEST
13 COAST TO AN EVENTUAL TERMINATION POINT ON THE NORTH SLOPE OF ALASKA
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15 WHEREAS, this Resolution is entered into by the Borough Assembly for the Kodiak Island
16 Borough, a rural regional political subdivision including six communities in and around Kodiak
17 Island in the Central Gulf of Alaska, as of the date set forth herein below.
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19 WHEREAS, the Borough includes five remote and isolated communities, all of which are
20 accessible only by air and water, in the Kodiak Island Borough, an area covering 7,130 square
21 miles; and
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23 WHEREAS, the Borough's telephone and Internet needs were, up until recently, served only by
24 then - existing satellite operations; and
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26 WHEREAS, the Borough and the communities within the Borough were not satisfied with the
27 then - existing service from said satellite operations, including frequent and long periods of down
28 time, slow access speeds, the inability to carry on commerce in a 21 Century fashion, lack of
29 access for tele- medicine and tele- education, and the limitations imposed in general by satellite
30 operations; and
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32 WHEREAS, the Borough was looking for ways to bring hi -tech jobs and site - specific employment
33 to its communities that require access to robust high -speed broadband connections; and
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35 WHEREAS, the Borough examined its needs for connectivity to the Internet and
36 telecommunications services; and
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38 WHEREAS, the Borough desired to see a fiber optic cable landing on Kodiak Island with
39 significant options for direct microwave link to the surrounding communities; and
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41 WHEREAS, the Borough desired said fiber optic cable to be built, owned, and operated by a
42 neutral "Carrier's Carrier" to spur competition and innovation and to reduce rates for users; and
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44 WHEREAS, the community was concerned about project proposals that would have been owned
45 and operated by existing commercial and retail carriers, thereby extending their monopoly or
46 near - monopoly pricing power, and
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48 WHEREAS, the Kodiak Kenai Cable Company (KKCC) successfully designed, financed,
49 installed and lit such a fiber optic cable in 2007 that has remained in operation since such time;
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Kodiak Island Borough Resolution No. FY2009 -31
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52 WHEREAS, the quality of service for cable television, wireless telephone, and high -speed
53 broadband Internet access has increased dramatically since the installation of the existing KKCC
54 fiber optic cable; and
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56 WHEREAS, KKCC is proposing to build another large -scale fiber optic cable system originating
57 on Kodiak Island, traveling through a portion of the Aleutian Islands and up the West Coast to an
58 eventual termination point on the North Slope of Alaska; and
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60 WHEREAS, a part of said plan includes additional wireless infrastructure build -out by KKCC for
61 other rural communities in the Kodiak Island Borough; and
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63 WHEREAS, the new proposed KKCC fiber project will bring additional levels of redundancy for
64 the existing KKCC fiber optic system and the institutions, businesses and residents in the
65 borough who rely on such services; and
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67 WHEREARE. KKCC is proposing to build the new fiber optic system as a neutral, "carrier's
68 carrier"; thereby, furthering innovation, competition and favored pricing options for potential end
69 users;
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71 WHEREAS, the KKCC proposal contains a proper mix of neutrality and public access features
72 for the state and federal governments, non - profits organizations and the University of Alaska;
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75 WHEREAS, KKCC has demonstrated its ability to design, build and operate large fiber optic
76 cable projects on a neutral basis, as evidenced by their success with the Kodiak Kenai Cable
77 Link project; and
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79 WHEREAS, the Assembly trusts KKCC's ability and team to deliver on the promises of the
80 proposed Northern Fiber Optic Link project; and
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82 WHEREAS, the Assembly wishes to extend its thanks, appreciation and support to the Kodiak
83 Kenai Cable Company for offering to provide, for the first time ever, ultra high speed broadband
84 and communications connectivity to communities in the Borough through its proposed Northern
85 Fiber Optic Link project;
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87 NOWTHEREFORE, be it resolved that the Borough Assembly approves the following
88 actions:
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90 1) The Mayor is authorized and instructed to sign a letter of support to the Kodiak Kenai
91 Cable Company pledging our support for the fiber project and any reasonable
92 assistance we can provide as a community;
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94 2) The Borough Manager is instructed to provide a copy of this Resolution and the
95 aforementioned support letter to our Congressional Delegation in Washington, DC, to
96 our State House and Senate Members in Juneau and to the Governor informing them
97 of our support for the proposed KKCC project;
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99 3) The Borough Manager is instructed to negotiate terms favorable to both the Borough
100 and KKCC for the limited use of Borough owned lands, if necessary, to house the
101 landing facilities needed to bring the fiber optic cable ashore at or near appropriate
102 sites owned by the Borough and any other communities to be served by the project;
Kodiak Island Borough Resolution No. FY2009 -31
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ATTEST:
4) The Borough Manager is instructed to discuss and coordinate with existing
independent telephone, Internet and wireless providers in the Borough to insure the
maximum and best use of the bandwidth to be provided by the project under the most
reasonable rates for consumers possible; and
5) The Borough Manager is instructed to work with any and all local entities, including
city councils, neighboring boroughs, schools, health clinics, non - profit organizations,
telephone utilities, electric utilities, chambers of commerce, fishing companies and
others in the region to support this project.
ADOPTED BY THE ASSEMBLY OF THE KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH
THIS TWENTY FIRST DAY OF MAY 2009
Nova M. Javier, MMC, Boroi. gh Clerk
KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH
Je me M. Selby, Mayor
Kodiak Island Borough Resolution No. FY2009 -31
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