Don't Forget Politics in Your Muni Broadband Marketing Plan.

Developing relationships with elected officials and city government staff is critical to any muni network marketing plan, both locally and at the state level. For many communities, public networks are bipartisan efforts. At the state level, however, getting both sides of the aisle to come together behind these networks produces mixed results.

The city of Sandy Oregon has a very stellar relationship between City staff, elected officials and constituents. City IT Director Joe Knapp and Sandy Council President Jeremy Peitzold tell us what works for them while offering other communities some perspectives to consider.

• how do city staff and city council form consensus defining the goals, getting funding and planning marketing;
• everybody wants the network built in their area first, and but political tensions can build because somebody has to be last;
• what do you do when one or two opponents of the network are one city council;
• is public networks’ role in economic development the key to legislative good will.