REGARDING “911” AND WIRELESS ENHANCED “911” CHARGES

By Annie Piekarczyk / Beacon Media

In 2006, Georgia adopted a resolution imposing “911” charges on landline and wireless telecommunications with billing addresses within the City of Milton.

The “911” system implemented in Milton, through an intergovernmental agreement with Alpharetta, has been capable of providing automatic number and location identification of a wireless connection. This particular service has authorized Milton to assess a $1.50 charge per month per telephone service subscriber.

“The purpose of collecting that fee,” said Assistant to the City Manager Matt Marietta, “is so we can support our 911 system.”

Then in 2007, the state made revisions to that resolution. The revision authorized charges for additional telecommunication services which include Voice over Internet Protocol service and any other type of communication messages that are capable of initiating a 911 emergency call.

Milton City Council recently voted on a resolution to continue collecting that $1.50 fee the City has been collecting all along. The change? This resolution continues that fee, but also clarifies the current charge through explicit language addressing Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), a service where information, according to Marietta, “…runs through internet service rather than a landline or a cell phone.”

This fee will allow the City of Milton to support the provision of emergency 911 services, by providing funding which is currently provided by an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Alpharetta.

REGARDING SOLID WASTE PLAN

Each year, every year, Milton City Council votes on whether to continue its Solid Waste Collection Services. The ordinance has been renewed each successive year since its original enactment in 2006, and this year is no different.

The ordinance approves and establishes the regulation of solid waste collection services in Milton. It contains the requirement for an infrastructure maintenance fee to be paid to the city. The impact to residential constituents has generally been less than one dollar per month. That revenue is dedicated to the maintenance of infrastructure and, in particular, resurfacing of roadways.

“By approving this tonight,” Matt Marietta said on November 16, “[We are] maintaining what we had tomorrow with what we have today. Let us keep working with our citizens, our staff and our code enforcement to come up with a (more comprehensive and substantial process) to unveil to you.”