The purpose and intent of this chapter is to:
(A) Establish a local policy concerning telecommunications carriers and services and establish clear local guidelines, standards and time frames for the exercise of local authority with respect to the regulation of telecommunications carriers and services;
(B) Promote competition in telecommunications;
(C) Minimize unnecessary local regulation of telecommunications carriers and services;
(D) Encourage the provision of advanced and competitive telecommunications services on the widest possible basis to the businesses, institutions and residents of the Town;
(E) Permit and manage reasonable access to the streets of the Town for telecommunications purposes on a competitively neutral basis;
(F) Conserve the limited physical capacity of the streets held in public trust by the Town;
(G) Ensure that the Town’s current and ongoing costs of granting and regulating private access to and use of the streets are fully paid by the persons seeking such access and causing such costs;
(H) Secure fair and reasonable compensation to the Town and the residents of the Town for permitting private use of the streets;
(I) Ensure that telecommunications carriers providing or leasing facilities or services within the Town comply with the ordinances, rules and regulations of the Town; ensure that the Town can continue to fairly and responsibly protect the public health, safety and welfare; and
(J) Enable the Town to discharge its public trust consistent with rapidly evolving federal and state regulatory policies, industry competition and technological development.
(`83 Code, § 13-701) (Ord. 00-20, passed 9-11-00)