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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/05/2001 . � � Telecommunications Advisory Committee City of Apple Valley March 5, 2001 7:00 P.M. City Hall Minutes l. Call to Order The meeting was called to arder at 7:00 p.m. by Chairperson Bible. Members Present: Rollin Bible, Jerry Brown, Scott Hugstad-Vaa, John Magnusson, Dale Rodell, David Westbrook Members Absent: Others Present: Charles Grawe, Mark Moore, Ellen Martin, Pat Kankovsky, Denis LaComb, Chris Gerlach 2. Approval of Agenda Mr. Bible asked for changes to the agenda. No changes were requested. 3. A�proval Minutes of December 4, 2000 Mr. Rodell asked that the minutes be amended to read Mr. Moore said there had been calls about the forced migration from the analog converter box to the digital box. Ms. Martin said Charter will be migrating from analog boxes to digital boxes in February 1. The migration will free up bandwidth and provide for a new navigator. She said the digital box with pay- per-view capability would be available for $6.95 and an analo� box without pay- per-view capability would be available for $2.00. Ms. Martin said the cost increase seen by the customer would vary depending on the specific cable programming package. Ms. Martin said the analog boxes will be retired. Mr. Westbrook moved, second by Mr. Rodell, to approve the minutes of December 4, 2000 as amended. Motion passed unanimous. 4. Competitive Franchising Update Mr. Grawe said a company wishing to remain anonymous is still interested in applying for a competitive cable franchise. However, the company is still in the process of obtaining internal corporate approval for the project. Once corporate approval is granted, the company plans to approach the Committee to obtain a competitive franchise. � � 5. Telecommunications Legislation Update Representative Gerlach said electric generation appears to be the main focus this year, not telecommunications reform. He said the Governor is very concerned about providing Outstate Minnesota with telecommunications infrastructure. His plan would shift resources from the Metro area to the rural areas. However, legislative testimony from rural officials opposing the bill has likely stopped the bill for this session. 6. Public Access Policies and Structures Mr. Moore said additional information is necessary before policies and procedures can be fully developed. He recommended the Committee establish a task force to solicit information from stakeholders. Mr. Magnusson and Mr. Brown volunteered to serve on the task force. Mr. Moore said the task force should be able to present its findings in June, but cautioned that the process could raise additional questions for Committee review. Mr. Moore said he estimates he receives three inquires each month about public access. 7. Discuss Proposed Rate Adjustment Ms. Martin said the Expanded Basic rate increased by 10 percent. The combined Basic and Expanded Basic rate increased by 7 percent. The Basic rate did not change. Ms. Martin noted adjustments to other accessory rates. Mr. Bible asked if digital boxes are available for purchase. Ms. Martin said they are not. Ms. Martin noted that Charter ran ads in the newspapers with the updated channel line-up. 8. 1 st uarter Complaint Log Mr. Moore reported a large number of complaints in the past few days not reflected in the log. The complaints were about the latest rate increase and changes to the channel line-up. Mr. Moore estimated he received 10 to 15 calls per day. Ms. Martin said that the problem was compounded by phone problems. There was brief discussion about the confusion resulting from the bill format and altered billing cycle. 9. 2000 Annual Telecommunications Report Mr. Grawe presented the 2000 Annual Telecommunications Report. He noted that at the current rate of collection, Charter should collect the remaining PEG Fee funds to reimburse the "capital granY' to the City. Once the "grant" is paid off, the City has the option to assume collection of the Charter portion of the PEG Fee. Mr. Westbrook moved, second by Mr. Brown, to recommend to the City Council that the City assume collection of the $.25 per subscriber per month PEG Fee currently collected • • by Charter Communications for the payment of the capital grant at the time that the entire grant money has been recovered. Motion passed unanimous. Mr. Hugstad-Vaa moved, second by Mr. Westbrook, to approve the Annual Telecommunications Report and forward it to the City Council. Motion passed unanimous. 10. Programmin ag nd Equipment Issues Mr. Moore said new playback VCR's are on-line. Mr. LaComb said he is now producing his programming on digital camera. He said he believes the problems with the Public Works series were an anomaly and will not be present in the City Government series. Mr. Westbrook said he appreciated viewing the programs before they were telecast. 11. Other Ms. Martin said Charter has a program linking school children in Apple Valley with school children in Australia over the Internet. Ms. Martin said Charter is in the process of remodeling its facility in Lakeville. 12. Ad, j ourn Mr. Rodell moved, second by Mr. Westbrook, to adjourn the meeting. Motion passed unanimous. The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m.