Union City Council agenda includes broadband-ready resolution, public meeting set before session

The Union City Borough Council is scheduled to consider a resolution authorizing application for a "Broadband Ready" designation and appointing Erie Area COG as the borough’s municipal broadband champion at its July 23, 2024 meeting. A public meeting specifically on broadband is set to begin at 5:45 p.m., 15 minutes before the council’s regular 6:00 p.m. session at First Global Methodist Church, 42 East High Street.

The resolution and appointment are listed on the publicly posted agenda; the document does not provide text of the proposed resolution, a funding plan, or which council member will move the motion. The agenda identifies Erie Area COG by name but does not expand the acronym or describe any role beyond naming it the proposed municipal broadband champion. The scheduled 5:45 p.m. public meeting suggests the council intends to gather public comment and information on broadband before voting on the resolution.

If adopted, a "Broadband Ready" designation typically signals a community has taken steps to lower barriers for broadband deployment, which can affect planning, permitting, and eligibility for certain grants. The agenda does not state whether a vote will occur the same evening or whether staff will be directed to prepare application materials. The agenda also does not list a mover, second, or any expected vote tally.

The council meeting packet in the agenda identifies the time and place of the public meeting and the resolution item but provides no further detail; outcomes and any supporting documents were not specified on the posted agenda.