Open Meetings Compliance Board

c/o Attorney Generals Office

200 St. Paul Place
Baltimore M! 2"202
#o t$e Mem%ers of t$e Open Meetings Compliance Board&
Prince George's County Code Section (A)"(* esta%lis$es a #elecommunications #ransmission +acility
Coordinating Committee ,##+CC-.
Sec. 5A-153. Telecommunications Transmission Facility Coordinating Committee.
,a- #$e #elecommunications #ransmission +acility Coordinating Committee s$all consist
of&
,"- #$e !irector of t$e !epartment of Permitting .nspections and /nforcement or
t$e !irectors designee0
,2- #$e !irector of t$e !epartment of Pu%lic 1or2s and #ransportation or t$e
!irectors designee0
,*- #$e Planning !irector or t$e !irectors designee0
,3- #$e Superintendent of Sc$ools or t$e Superintendents designee0
,(- #$e !irector of t$e Office of .nformation #ec$nology or t$e !irectors designee0
and
,4- #$e County Council Administrator or t$e Administrator's designee.
,%- #$e County /5ecuti6e and County Council s$all designate a #elecommunications
#ransmission +acility Coordinator as an e5)officio non 6oting mem%er of t$e ##+CC.
,c- #$e ##+CC C$air and 7ice)C$air s$all %e elected from among and %y t$e ##+CC
mem%ers$ip.
,d- #$e !irector s$all ma2e a6aila%le to t$e #elecommunications #ransmission +acility
Coordinating Committee suc$ ser6ices and facilities as are necessary for t$e proper
performance of its duties.
,e- #$e #elecommunications #ransmission +acility Coordinating Committee s$all0
,"- Ser6e as a central source of information and pro6ide tec$nical ad6ice on t$e
siting of telecommunications transmission facilities for t$e County t$e Maryland 8ational
Capital Par2 and Planning Commission t$e Board of /ducation and ot$er pu%lic lando9ners
pri6ate lando9ners licensed telecommunication carriers and t$e general pu%lic0
,2- Promote t$e appropriate and efficient location and co)location of
telecommunications transmission facilities to minimi:e ad6erse impacts on ot$er land uses in
t$e County0
,*- /6aluate t$e est$etic effects of locating multiple telecommunications
transmission facilities in a single location or on a single structure0
,3- ;ecommend alternati6e sites and tec$ni<ues 9$ere appropriate to mitigate t$e 6isual
impact of t$e proposed and alternati6e site and pro6ide a copy of t$e recommendation to t$e
Council mem%er in 9$ose district t$e telecommunications transmission facility is to %e located0
Septem%er "= 20"3
Page 2
,(- ;ecommend pro6isions go6erning remo6al of t$e proposed telecommunications
transmission facility at t$e end of its useful life including t$e posting of a %ond or ot$er
financial guarantee0
,4- +acilitate pu%lic participation in t$e telecommunications transmission facility
siting process0 and
,>- ;eport annually to t$e County /5ecuti6e as re<uested on siting policy issues.
,f- #$e #elecommunications #ransmission +acility Coordinator s$all&
,"- Prepare a master plan of e5isting and planned #elecommunications #ransmission
+acilities in t$e County0
,2- Maintain a data%ase of all applications re6ie9ed %y t$e ##+CC and t$ose
facilities proposed to %e located in t$e County0
,*- Ad6ise t$e County on telecommunications matters as re<uested0
,3- ;e6ie9 t$e siting of eac$ proposed #elecommunications #ransmission +acility0
,(- /6aluate t$e tec$nical rationale of t$e proposed locations0 and
,4- /6aluate alternati6e sites and tec$ni<ues 9$ere appropriate to mitigate t$e 6isual
impact of t$e proposed and alternati6e sites and report t$e findings to t$e ##+CC.
,CB)?=)"??=0 CB)22)200"0 CB)2)20040 CB)*3)200>0 CB)4>)200=0 CB)>")20"20 CB)2>)20"3-
#$e Prince George's County go6ernment pro6ides a 9e%page for information a%out t$e ##+CC.
$ttp&//999.princegeorgescountymd.go6/sites//5ecuti6eBranc$/A%out/BoardsCommissions/Pages/##+
CC.asp5
#$e 9e%page does not appear to $a6e %een updated since early in 20"*.
#$e ##+CC does not appear to %e in compliance 9it$ t$e Maryland Open Meetings Act in any 9ay
s$ape or form.
#$ere is no notice of upcoming meetings.
#$ere is no access to meetings for t$e pu%lic.
#$ere are no meeting minutes a6aila%le to t$e pu%lic.
+urt$er during t$e summer of 20"3 t$e only pu%lic p$one num%er for t$e ##+CC 9as %eing ans9ered
%y a consultant for t$e ##+CC 9$ose contract $ad e5pired. Callers to t$e ##+CC num%er 9ere told
t$at no information could %e o%tained concerning t$e operations of t$e ##+CC until t$e contract 9as
rene9ed.
Septem%er "= 20"3
Page *
#$e contract 9it$ t$e ##+CC consultant $as no9 %een rene9ed. #$is 9ee2 in a call to t$e ##+CC
p$one num%er . learned t$at at some time in @uly of 20"3 t$e ##+CC met and too2 action on an
application for a telecommunications transmission facility at +lo9ers Aig$ Sc$ool. #$e pu%lic $ad
a%solutely no notice of t$at meeting a%solutely no a%ility to attend t$e meeting and $as %een depri6ed
of any minutes of t$e meeting.
.t appears t$at t$e ##+CC is not in compliance 9it$ any part of t$e Maryland Open Meetings Act and
t$us t$e pu%lic is %eing depri6ed of t$e rig$t to 2no9 t$e pu%lic %usiness of t$is committee. #$e
##+CC's 6iolation of t$e Maryland Open Meetings Act appears to %e a continuing and long standing
6iolation.
#$an2 you to t$e Open Meetings Compliance Board for your re6ie9 of t$is complaint.
Sincerely
@anis Bin2 Sartucci