Action 1.
Special Board of Supervisors Meeting
Board of Supervisors
- Meeting Date:
- 05/10/2016
- Title:
- AZPM/Cochise County MOU
- Submitted By:
- Arlethe Rios, Board of Supervisors
- Department:
- Board of Supervisors
Presentation:
No A/V Presentation
Recommendation:
Document Signatures:
# of ORIGINALS
Submitted for Signature:
Submitted for Signature:
NAME
of PRESENTER:
of PRESENTER:
David Raber
TITLE
of PRESENTER:
of PRESENTER:
Information Technology Director
Mandated Function?:
Source of Mandate
or Basis for Support?:
or Basis for Support?:
Information
Agenda Item Text:
Approve Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Arizona to allow Cochise County to establish a fixed service path within the 6,875-7,125 MHz band in the County and allow the Arizona Public Media to locate an FM antenna on the County's tower.
Background:
Cochise County is finalizing a major microwave communications project which will greatly enhance public safety communications. In completing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licensing processes, the County learned that two of our proposed paths in the northwest corner of Cochise County could potentially interfere with Arizona Public Media’s (APM) broadcast service areas. APM is an afficliate of the University of Arizona. The FCC denied our requests until such time that we obtain a letter of support from APM.
In exploring this possibility with APM, Cochise County learned that APM has been working for over a decade on establishing an FM Repeater on Mule Mountain in an effort to provide National Public Radio broadcasting capability to all of Cochise County. Currently, only isolated areas in western Cochise County receive a broadcast signal originating from the Tucson area.
The purpose of this MOU is to establish a cooperative relationship whereby APM will support Cochise County’s FCC license applications and Cochise County will support APM’s application to the Mule Mountain Users Association for an FM Repeater on the Juniper Flats Tower located on Mule Mountain. The MOU further provides that, should the Mule Mountain Users Association ultimately approve the APM request, APM will be responsible for all costs of construction, installation, and operation of the repeater as well as guarantee/pay the costs of mitigation of any interference with the County’s microwave transmissions.
In exploring this possibility with APM, Cochise County learned that APM has been working for over a decade on establishing an FM Repeater on Mule Mountain in an effort to provide National Public Radio broadcasting capability to all of Cochise County. Currently, only isolated areas in western Cochise County receive a broadcast signal originating from the Tucson area.
The purpose of this MOU is to establish a cooperative relationship whereby APM will support Cochise County’s FCC license applications and Cochise County will support APM’s application to the Mule Mountain Users Association for an FM Repeater on the Juniper Flats Tower located on Mule Mountain. The MOU further provides that, should the Mule Mountain Users Association ultimately approve the APM request, APM will be responsible for all costs of construction, installation, and operation of the repeater as well as guarantee/pay the costs of mitigation of any interference with the County’s microwave transmissions.
Department's Next Steps (if approved):
Send fully executed copy to the Arizona Public Media.
Impact of NOT Approving/Alternatives:
The County will not have access to APM's frequency.
To BOS Staff: Document Disposition/Follow-Up:
Send copy of fully executed MOU to David Raber.