Preserve Langley’s Character in the Wireless Age!

            [ We did it--the last donation on March 27 took us to our goal! Thank all 80 of you so much for catching the vision and opening your wallets generously! The wireless code upgrade draft described below is already begun by attorney Campanelli. After several steps of collaboration with Langley and appropriate revisions it will hopefully be in our comment and adoption process by end of April. To follow progress on this, many other issues, and breaking news items be sure to subscribe to the CLEAR mailing list by emailing [email redacted]. ]

This is your chance to help make a big difference in the City of Langley’s (and later Island County's) future citizen health, visual beauty, property values, and town character. Surprisingly, all these benefits can flow from carefully controlling a town's cell service connectivity. Same story for those of you elsewhere in the county--Langley's rules for sensibly controlling wireless will be a step and prompt toward upgrading Island County's rules.

Langley's control will come from having a "smart" set of government rules that referee all aspects of wireless radiating devices in the city, especially cell antennas and 5G minicells. This is called a "wireless code," and Langley's is currently only ONE page long and written in 1997! (Island County's old and puny code has only SEVEN pages!) Such pathetic, antiquated codes can even allow a minicell transmitter in front of your house as shown in this picture! Cities and counties with "Smart" wireless codes take 40+ pages to carefully restrict damaging, unhealthy location choices. 

How does Langley get a "smart" code? Your contribution will give Langley’s government an empowering and proven "smart" wireless code from one of the nation's savviest wireless lawyers. The modest pricetag: $8500 + costs of this campaign, $8800 total. Note that this must be done soon as 5G developers are already making local inquiries. The problem has been that Langley's government simply doesn't presently have the funds; the solution is that the mayor, planner and council are ready to roll---with citizen fundraising help.

Here’s more detail about this situation and see more below about how Non-Langley people can halp and benefit too:

As of 2020 you may have noticed that we are headed into a "Wild West" approach to broadband connectivity that also includes 5G. It is pushed by blanket federal funding, FCC legal muscling, and corporate profiteering, using incessant feel-good advertising. The air is full of key phrases like “smart cities,” “internet of things,” and yes, even a Dolly Parton Superbowl song about spreading 5G, sung by Miley Cyrus! You may not know that already cities and counties are sitting ducks waiting to be ordered into offering their valuable public spaces at low fees as operation bases for Big Wireless. No attention is given to potentially high, even illegal, citizen exposures to radiation, or to inviting local planning consultation with citizens. Followup performance supervision by local governments is avoided. 

Langley is considered a “plum” by wireless developers in that its code of wireless regulations is very puny--a total of one page, 294 words, and written in 1997! For comparison, recently empowered cities, looking to safeguard their outdoor feel and character, citizen health, property values, and ability to continually monitor all facilities’ safety, regularly have codes of wireless regulations at least 40 pages long! After some education by the CLEAR organization (Citizen League Encouraging Awareness of Radiation), a 4-1 vote emerged in Langley's City Council 16 months ago to do this update. Unfortunately employee and leadership transitions, along with continuing budgetary challenges, have left this action undone, while wireless developers are beginning to knock on Langley’s door. 

Now a premium solution has presented itself: CLEAR has located and communicated with the most experienced and effective wireless code attorney in the country, Anthony Campanelli of New York. A tireless advocate for city sovereignty, he has offered to interact with Langley and put together a full wireless code of 40+ pages that connects seamlessly with Langley’s full legal code and with Washington State law. He includes three hours of tele-conferencing with city employees in the process. He is available afterwards to confer on any challenges, conflicts, or misunderstandings in the implementation. His pricetag is just $8500, modest as law fees go.  Langley doesn’t have such funds for this at all in its current stretched budget, yet Langley’s administration and city council is open, eager, and ready to act if it receives a gofundme gift of $8500. 

***NOTE: EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIVE IN LANGLEY--There is a major benefit to you from supporting this effort! This highly professional wireless code will become a beacon and model to other Whidbey governments who are also vulnerable. Prime Example:  Island County (which includes Freeland and Clinton) has a puny 7-page wireless code! The County has already been taken advantage of by unaccountable installers; the County has no ability to compel their adherence to FCC standards as they continue to operate. (The FCC never inspects or acts on facilities’ violations without a local government doing the fact-finding.)

Langley can be the “first domino” of an island-wide effort to get smart wireless agreements fro developers at the start of any project. CLEAR will use the Langley example to continue to educate County officials on the importance of such legal supervision. 

By contributing you can proudly play a part in preserving Langley's (and Island County's) future safety and character!

MORE SPECIFICS, EXAMPLES, AND A SHORT VIDEO -- CLICK THIS LINK: Clearwhidbey.org/Further-gofundme-information  

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