<div class="gmail_quote"><div><div style="text-align:center"><b>Public hearing on contract awarding nyc to Neustar</b></div><div style="text-align:center"><b>Friday, March 23, 2012</b></div><div style="text-align:center">commencing at 2:00 P.M.</div>
<div style="text-align:center">DoITT, 2 MetroTech Center</div><div style="text-align:center">4th Floor, Brooklyn NY 11209</div><div><br></div><div>Friends</div><div><br></div><div>I just became aware of a public hearing tomorrow - announced two days ago in the New York City Record (attached) - at DoITT, MetroTech Center on awarding nyc to Neustar so that an application could be submitted in time for the April 12 ICANN deadline</div>
<div><br></div><div>The lack of any prior public consultation, and the virtually hidden, late notice of Friday's hearing is the antithesis of an Open NYC.</div><div><br></div><div>Btw, other than the less-than informative notice in the City Recrd, you can only find more information by going to the DoITT's office - 75 Park Place, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10007, tel <a href="tel:1.212.788.6600" value="+12127886600" target="_blank">1.212.788.6600</a> - and even then, according to Tom Lowenhaupt who was there this morning, you may encounter resistance to looking at - let alone copying - any additional information about the contract</div>
<div><br></div><div>If anyone can make it to tomorrow's hearing an/or publicize it, that would be great.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, I posted the following on Google+. Please re-share it, +1 it, tweet it, etc</div>
<div><br></div><div>In peace</div><div><br></div><div>Robert</div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/106632164238171300064/posts/YeKFhujdbMz" target="_blank">https://plus.google.com/u/0/106632164238171300064/posts/YeKFhujdbMz</a>
</div><div><br></div><div><b>March 23: Last-minute hidden "Public Hearing" on .nyc top-level domain</b> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/s/%23dotnyc" target="_blank">#dotnyc</a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/s/%23opengov" target="_blank">#opengov</a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/s/%23AskMike" target="_blank">#AskMike</a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/s/%23nyc" target="_blank">#nyc</a> </div>
<div><br></div><div><b>Broad-based consultation essential for .nyc</b></div><div>Mike Bloomberg: The ''.nyc'' top-level domain is far too important to be relegated to a virtually hidden "Public Hearing" at 2pm this Friday, held with no access to any of the details of the contract or of the governance of .nyc and with no prior broad-based consultation - e.g. such as was held for PlaNYC, supplemented by well-designed and well-publicized online consultation & participation opportunities. If .nyc is to serve the needs of the New York city community, it is essential that the contract not be awarded to Neustar, and that the application for .nyc be postponed until the necessary public consultation takes place and not submitted until the next round of tld applications.</div>
<div><br></div><div><b>Barely visible late notice</b></div><div>However, with ICANN's April 12 deadline for applications for new tlds rapidly approaching, buried at the bottom of page 676 of the March 20 NYC City Record is a ''Late Notice'' on "Agency Public Hearings on Contract Awards'' on March 23 for a Public Hearing on granting <b>Neustar</b> the "right to apply for and, and if obtained, operate, administer, manage and market nyc"</div>
<div><br></div><div><b>Non-disclosure of the significance of the contract</b></div><div>The late notice doesn't even mention what ''nyc'' refers to - namely the .nyc top-level domain - potentially immensely valuable virtual "real estate" - that could serve as a catalyst - in conjunction with initiatives such as the Road Map for a Digital City and PlaNYC - in New York City becoming a pioneer in development of a 21st century smart city that supports promotes the remarkable opportunities that Web 2.0 offers for strengthening civic engagement, community organizations, schools, small businesses and more.</div>
<div><br></div><div><b>Smarter, Greener, Climate-Friendly NYC</b></div><div>.nyc could also play a key role in supporting NYC's laudable Climate Change activities by promoting the city's transition to to a smarter, greener, climate-friendly, virtually carbon-free, digital knowledge-based platform that in conjunction with a commitment to universal broadband access, can provide invaluable economic development and educational opportunities while helping New Yorkers find was to save time, money and energy while reducing our - and the city's - carbon footprints as well as helping to reduce traffic congestion.</div>
<div><br></div><div><b>Neighborhood domains</b></div><div>Thomas Lowenhaupt has been for years advocating the establishment of .nyc along with reserving domains for NYC communities - i.e. Corona.nyc would be reserved to the Corona neighborhood in Queens and not available as an advertising platform for a beer of the same name. Provisions would need to be established to ensure that community domains would be governed by guidelines for openness and inclusion for community organizations, businesses, schools and residents.</div>
<div><br></div><div><b>No participation if you are Deaf</b></div><div>Btw, if anyone needs Sign Language interpretation for the "Public Hearing", it seems you are out of luck; you have to request this no later than seven days before the hearing, but the notice was not posted until three days before Friday's hearing.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, here is the full text of the notice for the Public Hearing (with CAPS replaced by <b>bold</b>):</div><div><br></div><div>--</div><div><br></div><div><b>Late Notice</b></div><div><b><br></b></div>
<div><b>Agency Public Hearings on Contract Awards</b></div><div><br></div><div><b>Note</b>: Individuals requesting Sign Language Interpreters should contact the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services, Public Hearings Unit, 253, Broadway, 9th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10007, <a href="tel:%28212%29%20788-7490" value="+12127887490" target="_blank">(212) 788-7490</a>, no later than <b>Seven (7) business days prior to the Public Hearing</b>. TDD users should call Verizon relay services.</div>
<div>__</div><div><br></div><div><b>Information Technology and Telecommunications Public Hearing</b></div><div><br></div><div>Notice is hereby given that a Contract Public Hearing will be held on Friday, March 23, 2012 at DoITT, 2 MetroTech Center, 4th Floor, Brooklyn NY 11209, commencing at 2:00 P.M. on the following:</div>
<div><br></div><div>In the matter of a proposed contract between the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications and Neustar located at 21575 Ridgetop Circle, Sterling, VA 20166, to apply for, and if obtained, operate, administer, manage and market nyc. The term of the contract shall be for five (5) years with two (2) five (5) year renewal options at the City’s discretion. The contract is a Revenue contract, PIN: 85812P0001.</div>
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