Dates for WWCIC meetings for 2005   Meetings will be held on the 2^nd Tuesday like always, with no meeting in August and June joint meeting with our Canadian counterparts subject to change.  The current location is the Washington State Patrol Office in Bellevue.

Financial Report  

No new report.  Pending Transactions –  Transfer of Secretary/Treasurer duties and records.

Business Reports

Chairman’s opening comments: Chairman George Bisso called the meeting to order at 09:50 AM, at the WSP in Bellevue.  Introductions were made around the tables.  Members in attendance today: 8. George noted that several members had notified him that they would not be in attendance today due to weather conditions.

Adoption of draft minutes of last meeting: Meeting minutes for December’s meeting were unavailable due to the vacant Secretary/Treasurer position. The draft minutes will be available for review prior to the February meeting.

Secretary-Treasurer Finance and Correspondence Reports: None

Committee Reports

Constitution and Bylaws Committee Report:  No further action.  (OPEN)

Technical Committee Report:  None(OPEN)

Web Site Report: None (OPEN)

FCC Report:  Steve reported with Dennis’s retirement their office is down to four people. Kris and Steve are sharing the EOC duties until replacement is selected. Supplemental order released Dec 22 on Nextel realignment (67 pages) generated 2200 responses and a large number of comments.  Spencer had read it and reported that it was mostly transition administration oriented and not much that would impact users. The next supplement is due in mid January.  A $220K forfeiture was proposed for a Wichita broadcast station related to programming. The forfeiture for an educational station that violated non-commercial rules was upheld.  Auctions for Advanced Wireless spectrum at 1710-1755, 2110-2155Mhz (3^rd Gen) will be held in June.  There were several comments filed on the proposed use of wireless phones on airplanes.  Commercial telemarketers are now required to update their databases every 31 days with the National Do Not Call List.  The rules for unlicensed wideband operations in the 6,17,24Ghz spectrum were amended.  Anticipated uses include automobile RADAR, patient tracking and inventory control. (OPEN)

  Old Business

800 MHz IX and Nextel issues: The FCC named Baring Point as the  Nextel transition administrator. Washington State is anticipated to be one of the last areas to be transitioned due to border issues.  (OPEN)

700 MHz Planning & Meetings:  King County Metro Transit has a Request for Proposals out for a countywide 10-20 channel trunked system to replace their existing 450 Mhz system.    The 700 MHz web sites are www.region43.org for Washington State, and www.region35.org, for Oregon.    (OPEN)

Grass Mt. 48.48 MHz IX Report: Pat reported that the DNR did not get back to the site before weather conditions put further work on hold. (OPEN)

450 MHz IX: Nothing new to report. (OPEN)

FRS Issues: Nothing new to report.  (OPEN)

BPL Issues: (OPEN)

Technical Seminars at WWCIC Meetings: (OPEN)

XM and Sirius Satellite Radio News: Nothing to report. (OPEN)

APCO business or reports and general frequency coordination news:  Pat introduced Jay Morrison as the new local APCO coordinator. (OPEN)

License-free or Spread-Spectrum technology issues: No reports. (OPEN)

Amateur radio events and activities: Nothing new to report. (OPEN)

New Business

Spencer gave a summary of what the state is doing toward centralized management of their communications systems. There is a lot  of administrative discussion and political challenges. They want to be ready to integrate 700Mhz and meet future needs. A report on the state of interoperability at the state level is due later this year.

Items of Information

Miscellaneous: Pat gave a summary of a difficult EMI problem that he had been involved with. Interference generated by an electric fence is getting into a neighbors phone line and degrading service. The power company replaced the grounding system on their poles (some of it was apparently stolen). All the standard engineering practices were followed by the utilities to no avail. The problem seems to arise because of poor ground (soil) conductivity; the electric fence modulates the grounding grid.

Moved and seconded to adjourn at 10:42 AM.

Thanks to Loren Postma for his contribution of notes.

Respectfully submitted,