NYC LOCAL: Monday 15 May 2006: New York City Council Hearing on Wireless in Parks

[secretary]

<blockquote
  what="official NY City Council Committee on Technology in Government notice">

 Date: Fri, 12 May 2006 10:59:42 -0400
 From: Bruce Lai <bruce.lai@council.nyc.ny.us>
 Subject: E-Update for the Committee on Technology in Government of New York
  City Council (May 12, 2006).

 Hello All,

     I just wanted to remind everyone of our upcoming hearing on wireless 
 Internet access in New York City parks on Monday, May 15 at 1 PM in the 
 Committee Room, City Hall.  Apologies for the lateness of this 
 reminder.  If you have any questions, please contact Jeff Baker 
 (jeffrey.baker@council.nyc.ny.us / 212-788-9193), Counsel to the 
 Committee on Technology in Government, or Colleen Pagter 
 (colleen.pagter@council.nyc.ny.us 
 <mailto:colleen.pagter@council.nyc.ny.us>), Policy Analyst to the 
 Committee on Technology in Government.

     On Monday, May 15, 1:00 to 4:00 PM in the Committee Room, City Hall, 
 the Committee on Technology in Government, chaired by Council Member 
 Gale Brewer, will be holding a joint oversight hearing with the 
 Committee on Parks, chaired by Council Member Helen Foster of the Bronx, 
 on the topic of wireless Internet access in New York City parks.  The 
 Parks Department, the Central Park Conservancy and several private 
 technology providers are expected to testify.

     On Thursday, May 18, 1:00 to 2:00 PM, the Council Chambers, City 
 Hall, the Committee on Land Use and the Committee on Technology in 
 Government will hold the Executive Budget Hearing with the Department of 
 Information Technology and Telecommunications.

     As always, the public is welcome.  No RSVP is necessary.

 *****

     The following are some events that might interest you:

 --   

     Personal Democracy Forum 2006 Conference

     http://www.personaldemocracy.com/conference/2006

     The third annual Personal Democracy Forum will take place Monday, 
 May 15, 2006 and will feature leaders from all segments of the 
 political, business, technology and blogosphere arenas. This is where 
 the latest cutting-edge developments in political technology hits the 
 ground.

     If you want to learn how to optimize the use of technology in your 
 campaigns, how to master the new media system of blogs, podcasting, 
 mobile phones and online video; and how to raise money, move messages 
 and impact voting more effectively, PDF 2006 is the place to be.

     We're excited to announce that Eliot Spitzer, New York's Attorney 
 General, will be keynoting.

     We'll be focusing on four emerging trends this year:

     * The maturing of blogs as powerbrokers and media-makers.
     * Promising new experiments in tuning social networking tools for
       political communities.
     * New tools for political communication, including podcasting,
       videoblogging, mobile phones and word-of-mouth.
     * Why increasing traffic to your own website is not enough; taking
       advantage of the Internet as a platform.

     We'll also feature an intensive set of workshops where you can learn 
 from a cross-spectrum of expert practitioners how to optimize your 
 online list-building and fundraising, how to best spend scarce online 
 advertising dollars, how to make bloggers your allies, and what kinds of 
 tools campaigns need and want. For details on the conference program, go 
 here <http://www.personaldemocracy.com/conference/2006/program>.

 --

     Council Member Gale Brewer will be speaking at the following event.

     The South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (SoBRO) 
 would like to take this opportunity to invite you to a ribbon cutting 
 ceremony Thursday May 25, 2006 at 12:00 pm in the HUB commercial area of 
 the South Bronx. At this time we would ask you to help us inaugurate 
 SoBRO and Urban Communication Transport Corp.'s official launch of its 
 first, of what we plan to be many Wi-Fi "Hot Spots," throughout the 
 Borough of the Bronx.  This initial Hot Spot will broadcast from the 
 roof top of our corporate headquarters located at 555 Bergen Avenue.
    
     Through this initiative, SoBRO and its partner Urban Communications 
 Transport Corp. , a New York City broadband Internet service provider 
 located in the South Bronx and dedicated to serving all communities of 
 color, will make available free internet access for South Bronx 
 residents throughout a four square block area in the heart of the new 
 "Downtown Bronx". This partnership between a non-profit economic 
 development corporation and a for profit ISP corporation affirms that 
 broadband internet access is a critical necessity for all families, 
 particularly low-income households that need the same access to 
 information and leading edge technology as every American family.  
 During the ceremony, we will be broadcasting a live feed of the 
 activities through the internet. 
 --

     Building the Broadband Economy 2006
     June 8-9, 2006 - New York City

     The 2006 edition of the Intelligent Community Forum's Building the 
 Broadband Economy conference will take place on Thursday-Friday, June 
 8-9, 2006 in New York City.

     Keynote speakers will include Jerry MacArthur Hultin, president of 
 Polytechnic University and former undersecretary of the US Navy, and 
 William Eggers, Global Director, Deloitte Research - Public Sector and 
 author of Government 2.0.

     The conference will also feature one-on-one discussions with the Top 
 Seven Intelligent Communities, announced by ICF in January 2006.

     Produced in association with Polytechnic University, Building the 
 Broadband Economy is a meeting place and "idea exchange" for government 
 officials from around the world and their private-sector partners in 
 telecom, IT, consulting, finance and real estate.  All are drawn to the 
 conference by the shared challenge facing communities today: to "adapt 
 or die" in the broadband economy of the 21st Century.

     The ICF conference provides attendees with an international 
 perspective, fosters innovation and helps break down the barriers to 
 cooperation between the public and private sectors.  It also attracts 
 sponsorship from leading technology and communications providers 
 including Intel, Microsoft, Deloitte, Alcatel, Verizon and Intelsat.

     Contributing organizations in 2006 include The Innovation Groups, 
 National Association of Workforce Boards, Pacific Telecommunications 
 Council and World Teleport Association.

     To learn more, visit http://www.intelligentcommunity.org/. 

 *****

     The following is a resource that might interest you:

     Tech News: Enhancing Human Services Through Technology, a free 
 online newsletter designed specifically for the nonprofit community, 
 offers valuable and up-to-date information on technology issues facing 
 the nonprofit sector (http://www.uwnyc.org/technews). Published by 
 United Way of New York City every month and supported by IBM, Tech News 
 conveys how technology can best enhance the management and delivery of 
 client focused services, assists organizations with technology 
 questions, and provides agencies with concrete answers to connect and 
 exchange information about technology needs and interests. Tech News 
 provides subscribers the opportunity to learn more about upcoming 
 technology events, search the Link Library, view an online compilation 
 of direct links to technology resources for nonprofits, and conduct 
 additional research by browsing past articles of Tech News. Visit Tech 
 News at http://www.uwnyc.org/technews.

 *****

     Below is a link to a policy article that the Council Member and I 
 wrote re: the role of municipal government in promoting universal 
 affordable access to broadband in New York City.  Some of the 
 recommendations are obsolete at this point (such as the passage of Int. 
 No 625 as this was passed and signed in December 2005), but the basic 
 argument remains the same.  If you want the PDF version, please e-mail 
 me, and I will send it to you.

     * 
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=GatewayURL&_method=citationSearch&_uoikey=B6V80-4HYMW49-1&_origin=SDEMFRHTML&_version=1&md5=c29f5c05ecb25f874ac04d1ae7bc8289
       
<http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=GatewayURL&_method=citationSearch&_uoikey=B6V80-4HYMW49-1&_origin=SDEMFRHTML&_version=1&md5=c29f5c05ecb25f874ac04d1ae7bc8289>

 *****

     Here is an article that might interest you re: our office's new one 
 laptop, one student initiative on the West Side of Manhattan.  Contact 
 Tyler Smith (tyler.smith@council.nyc.ny.us 
 <mailto:tyler.smith@council.nyc.ny.us> / 212.788.6975) for more information.

     * http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/62561.htm

 *****

 About the New York City Council's Committee on Technology in Government

      The primary goals of the Committee on Technology in Government are 
 (1) to expand digital equality by increasing access to broadband in 
 underserved communities of New York City (2) to increase the strategic 
 use of technology in government, thereby, increasing efficiency in 
 government and enhancing the quality of public services, and (3) to 
 promote the openness and transparency of government by making sure that 
 public information is accessible to every New York City resident.  
 Through its ability to hold oversight hearings over City agencies and 
 introduce and hear legislation, the Committee on Technology in 
 Government works to achieve its goals in partnership with the private, 
 public and nonprofit sectors.
   
      More information about the Committee and the Chair of the 
 Committee, Council Member Gale A. Brewer, can be found at the following 
 link:

     * 
http://nyccouncil.info/issues/committee.cfm?committee_id=106&ltsbdkey=5121
       
<http://nyccouncil.info/issues/committee.cfm?committee_id=106&ltsbdkey=5121>>http://nyccouncil.info/issues/committee.cfm?committee_id=106&ltsbdkey=5121.
       
<http://nyccouncil.info/issues/committee.cfm?committee_id=106&ltsbdkey=5121>

     All Committee briefing papers from the current session (beginning in 
 January 2004) are also available at this link.

      If you know of people who would be interested in the Committee on 
 Technology in Government's activities, please feel free to forward this 
 e-mail to them.  If you know of anyone who would like to receive these 
 e-mails, just have them e-mail me.  I will be put them on the list.  
 Finally, feel free to post this information on any listserve you may 
 belong to or on any website you are affiliated with.

      If you do not want to receive these e-mails anymore, please e-mail 
 me, and I will take you off the list immediately.

      Thank you.  I look forward to seeing you at one of Committee's 
 hearings.

 Regards,
 Bruce Lai

 -- 
 Bruce Lai
 Chief of Staff
 Office of Council Member Gale A. Brewer
 New York City Council 
 250 Broadway, 17th Floor
 New York, NY 10007
 E-mail: bruce.lai@council.nyc.ny.us
 --
 PLEASE NOTE THE NEW PHONE NUMBERS
 --
 City Hall: 212.788.6975
 Cell: 347.563.1295
 Secondary Cell: 917.407.1600
 Blackberry: bruce.lai@council.nyc.gov
 --
 District Office: 212.873.0282
 Fax: 212.513.7717
  
</blockquote>


Distributed poC TINC:

Jay Sulzberger <secretary@lxny.org>
Corresponding Secretary LXNY
LXNY is New York's Free Computing Organization.
http://www.lxny.org