ROCKNET MEETING MINUTES
July 10, 2003
The meeting was called to order at 7:35 pm in the City Manager's Conference
Room in Rockville City Hall.
Present were: Bob Ekman, Betsy Robbins, Stan Klein, Roald Schrack,
Carlos Santiso, Jim Beller, Keshava Prasad, Arthur Casanova, Brian Pierce,
Ben Pauwels. Mike Cannon arrived about 8:00 pm.
1. The minutes of the previous meeting were accepted without revision.
2. Betsy reported on the City Web site. June visits averaged 2664 per day,
slightly down from the previous month. Rocknet had 442 average visits per
day, slightly up from May. The city is offering more bilingual material,
especially in the elections area where it is now a federal mandate. A tour
of the golf course is now available. GIS utilization is not high because it
is not publicized and the identification is not clear. The content
management system is being implemented.
3. Bob reported on Rocknet. A new account for the Disabled American
Veterans has been set up. An attempt to obtain Lyris 7 is going slowly.
Betsy will look for documentation of sales agreement.
4. Bob placed information and several links on Wireless Internet Access on
Rocknet. Bob then distributed some prints of the web pages.
5. Mike Cannon reported on a conference on broadband internet access that
he had attended earlier that day. He distributed a copy of a write-up on
the Allconet system being developed in Allegany county, Maryland. There
was an extensive and far reaching discussion of various systems being used
and their possible application to Rockville.
At the conclusion of the technical discussion there was a discussion of the
possibility of a wireless broadband internet system in the Town Center.
A brainstorming session was directed toward benefits that would be gained.
The following points were brought up.
* A system would give Rockville the image of a leading edge city
* It would increase activity in the Town Center
* It would aid economic development.
* It would encourage home based high tech business in the residences
in the Town Center
* It would be used by the library and its patrons.
* Cost savings to business and residential users.
* Improved communications facilitating telecommuting.
* Enable innovation.
* Use by small business
* Used by new mobile systems - PDA, Laptops, tablets, cell phones
It was agreed to continue the discussion at the next meeting with input
from other staff and the Greater Rockville Partnership.
The meeting adjourned at 9:30 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Roald A. Schrack
13 Farsta Ct.
Rockville, MD 20850
voice: 301-279-7017
fax: 301-279-8889
