February 27, 2019

The Honorable Anna Eshoo 241 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515

Dear Congresswoman Eshoo:

As elected officials, we are committed to serving the residents of our cities by ensuring the digital infrastructure of tomorrow is safe, reliable, and is accessible for everyone. Cities and counties are not only leaders in innovation, but also have an obligation to the public to ensure safe, equitable deployment, and fiscally prudent broadband investment to their communities. It is essential that communities maintain control of the small cell application and review process to ensure safe deployment of this technology and that everyone benefits. The Federal Communications Commission preempted this process in a rushed and overreaching manner. For these reasons, we applaud your effort in restoring authority to the rightful position of local jurisdictions and support the Accelerating Wireless Broadband Development by Empowering Local Communities Act (H.R. 530).

H.R. 530 would return local governments’ ability to balance competing interests for the use of the public rights-of-way by overturning actions of the Federal Communications Commission in August and September of 2018. While we support the Commission’s goal of ensuring affordable broadband access for every American, the Commission’s actions do nothing to achieve that goal. It puts the interests of national corporations over the needs of our communities by making it impossible for local governments to manage the public rights-of-way effectively and equitably. It cedes control of local property to national corporations without fair compensation in return, and without taking into account considerations for closing the digital divide, public safety, public utility services such as water, sewer, and electricity, the travelling public, environmental concerns, economic development, and maintenance costs.

Your leadership in passing H.R. 530 is critical to ensuring local governments have the necessary tools to manage local public assets in a manner that balances competing interests while encouraging responsible deployment of wireless broadband facilities. Without this action, communities will face financial strain and potentially delayed progress in adopting to the FCC’s overreaching actions. It is necessary for both industry and our residents to reverse the FCC’s rules on small cells and restore local control.

Sincerely,

Mayor Jenny Durkan Mayor Sam Liccardo City of Seattle, WA City of San Jose, CA Mayor Ted Wheeler Mayor Marsha McLean Portland, OR Santa Clarita, CA

Mayor Gleam Davis Mayor Rahm Emanuel Santa Monica, CA Chicago, IL

Mayor Cassie Franklin Mayor Jason Snider Everett, WA Tigard, OR

Mayor James Cahill Mayor Jim Brainard New Brunswick City, NJ Carmel, IN

Mayor Lee Brand Mayor Paul Soglin City of Fresno, CA City of Madison, WI

Mayor Alan Nagy Mayor Jackie Biskupski City of Newark, CA Salt Lake City, UT

Mayor Pauline Cutter Mayor Victoria Woodards City of San Leandro, CA City of Tacoma, WA

Mayor Carolyn Goodman Mayor Denis Law Las Vegas, NV Renton, WA

Mayor Matt Watkins Mayor Jim Ferrell Pasco, WA City of Federal Way, WA

Mayor Eric Filseth Mayor Rebecca Erickson City of Palo Alto, CA City of Poulsbo, WA

Mayor Madeline Rogero Mayor Jonathan Chicquette Knoxville, TN City of Normandy Park, WA

Mayor Ethan Berkowitz Mayor Bob Severns Anchorage, AK Oak Harbor, WA

Mayor Lyda Krewson Mayor Nancy Backus St. Louis, MO Auburn, WA

Mayor Dana Ralph Mayor Robert McGarvey Kent, WA Rancho Cordova, CA Mayor Miguel Pulido Mayor David Briley Santa Ana, CA Davidson and Nashville County, TN

Mayor Lucy Vinis Mayor Jim Kenney Eugene, OR Philadelphia, PA

Mayor Richard Cahill Mayor Greg Wheeler Yarrow Point, WA Bremerton, WA

Mayor John Marchione County Executive Dave Somers Redmond, WA Snohomish County, WA

Mayor Ethan Strimling Mayor Susan Sample Portland, ME West University Place, TX

Mayor Michael Rawlings Mayor Don Britain Dallas, TX Kennewick, WA

Mayor Steve Callaway Mayor Andrew Ginther Hillsboro, OR Columbus, OH

Mayor Michael Hancock Mayor Gene Winstead Denver, CO Bloomington, MN

Mayor Donna Colson Mayor Cheryl Maki Burlingame, CA Auburn, CA

Mayor Randall Putz Mayor Rich Constantine Big Bear Lake, CA Morgan Hill, CA

Mayor Paula Perotte Mayor John Allard Goleta, CA Roseville, CA

Mayor Lisa Matichak Mayor Rochelle Nason Mountainview, CA Albany, CA

Mayor Shawn Christianson Mayor John A. Dell’Osso Hillsborough, CA Cotati, CA

Mayor Martine Watkins Mayor Teresa Barrett Santa Cruz, CA Petaluma, CA Mayor Elizabeth Patterson Mayor Carol Herrera Benicia, CA Diamond Bar, CA

Mayor Lakhvir Ghag Mayor Barbara Coler Live Oak, CA Fairfax, CA

Mayor Maria Belen Bernal Mayor Randall Stone South Gate, CA Chico, CA

Mayor Dennis Michael Mayor Eric Garcetti Rancho Cucamongo, CA Los Angeles, CA

Mayor Donald Hahn Mayor Jim Darling State College, Pennsylvania McAllen, TX

Mayor Martin J. Walsh Mayor Libby Schaaf Boston, MA Oakland, CA

Mayor Robert McBain Mayor Eric Lucan Piedmont, CA Novato, CA

Mayor Lisa Gillmor Mayor Benjamin Cantu Santa Clara, CA Manteca, CA

Mayor Melanie Bagby Mayor Ed Waage Cloverdale, CA Pismo Beach, CA

Mayor Bob Link Mayor Gary Phillips Visalia, CA San Rafael, CA

Mayor Janice Parvin Mayor Kelly Seyarto Moorpark, CA Murrieta, CA

Mayor Paul Leon Mayor Linda Evans Ontario, CA La Quinta, CA

Mayor Bill Peake Mayor Todd Rigby Pacific Grove, CA Eastvale, CA

Mayor Robin Grundmeyer Mayor Frank Navarro Norco, CA Colton, CA Mayor Claire Alaura Mayor Amy Harrington Oakley, CA Sonoma, CA

Mayor Robert Storer Mayor Bill de Blasio Danville, CA New York City, NY

County Executive Marc Elrich Chairperson Cynthia Reid Ward Montgomery County, MD Griffin, Georgia