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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/07/2022 @me 0*so 00*0 *,Do� Meeting Location: Municipal Center City of Apple 7100 147th Street West Valley Apple Valley, Minnesota 55124 TELECOMMUNICATIONS ADVISORY COMMITTEE REGULAR MEETING TENTATIVE AGENDA MARCH 7, 2022 - 7:00 P.M. 1. Call to Order 2. Introduction of Members 3. Approval of Agenda 4. Audience - 10 Minutes Total Time Limit - For Items NOT on this Agenda 5. Approval of Minutes of September 13, 2021 Regular Meeting 6. Regular Agenda Items: A. 2022 Officers B. Activities Update C. Fiber Network Activity in the Area D. Approve 2021 Accomplishments 7. Informational Items A. FCC Rulemaking and Other Franchise Issues B. E-Commerce and Business Development Issues C. Other Staff and Committee Updates 8. Adj ourn NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING: To Be Determined 7:00 p.m. (Regular) Telecommunications Advisory Committee City of Apple Valley September 13, 2021 7:00 P.M. Virtual Meeting Minutes 1. Call to Order Chair Brown called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Members Present: Barry Berg, Jerry Brown, Jamison Kortas, Laura Ziegler Members Absent: Carson Turnquist Others Present: Charles Grawe 2. Introduction of Members Members introduced themselves. 3. Approval of A eg nda MOTION: Mr. Berg moved, second by Ms. Ziegler, to approve the agenda as presented. Motion passed 3 —0. Mr. Kortas was not present. 4. Audience Items There were no audience items. 5. Approval of Minutes of September 14, 2020 Regular Meeting MOTION: Mr. Berg moved, second by Mr. Brown, to approve the minutes of September 14, 2020 as presented. Motion passed 2—0. (Ms. Ziegler abstained) Mr. Kortas arrived at 7:03 p.m. 6A. 2021 Officers MOTION: Mr. Berg moved, second by Mr. Brown, to elect Mr. Kortas as Secretary. Motion passed 3 —0. (Mr. Kortas abstained) MOTION: Mr. Kortas moved, second by Mr. Berg, to elect Mr. Brown as Chair. Motion passed 3 —0. (Mr. Brown abstained) 6B. Activities Update Mr. Grawe provided a brief update on activities. 6C. Fiber Network Activity in the Area Mr. Grawe provided a brief update on fiber providers entering nearby markets and on City fiber network projects. 7A. FCC Rulemaking and Other Franchise Issues Mr. Grawe reported no new updates. 7B. E-Commerce and Business Development Issues Mr. Grawe reported no new updates. 7C. Other Staff and Committee Updates Mr. Brown said he has experienced frequent pixelization and screen freeze-ups. Ms. Ziegler reported similar problems. Mr. Berg reported poor TV and Internet service during and immediately following rain. Mr. Brown requested staff research the amount of the network broadcast fees for the Cities of Farmington and Rosemount. 8. Adjourn MOTION: Ms. Ziegler moved, second by Mr. Kortas, to adjourn the meeting. Motion passed 4 - 0. The meeting was adjourned at 7:47 p.m. to'Flu 00"" �HIV�V HIV HIV RIIW � flub A� City of Apple MEMO Administration TO: Mayor, City Council, and City Administrator FROM: Telecommunications Advisory Committee DATE: March 7, 2022 SUBJECT: 2021 ACCOMPLISHMENTS The Telecommunications Advisory Committee held one meeting in 2021. The members of the Committee in 2021 were Barry Berg, Jerry Brown, Jamison Kortas, Carson Turnquist, and Laura Ziegler. Jerry Brown served as Chair and Jamison Kortas served as Secretary. Major accomplishments and/or undertakings by the Telecommunications Advisory Committee during 2021 include: • Participation in Joint Powers Cable Commission: The City of Apple Valley participated in a joint powers agreement with the Cities of Farmington and Rosemount to provide for certain cable television services. The group approved an operating budget for 2021. • Review of Cable-related Complaints. The Committee reviewed cable complaints received by Commission staff. The number of complaints in recent years has been historically low. • Franchise Fee and PEG Fee Review: Pursuant to both franchise agreements, the cable company is obligated to pay the City an annual franchise fee equivalent to 5% of their annual gross revenues. Under both agreements, the Cable Company is required to make quarterly franchise fee payments, rather than annual payments. The total quarterly payments were as follows: Quarter Franchise Fees PEG Fees First Quarter 2021 $138,223.33 $19,869.75 Second Quarter 2021 $143,667.74 $19,560.00 Third Quarter 2021 $149,952.54 $19,036.50 Fourth Quarter 2021 $147,431.70 $18,581.25 Total $579,275.31 $77,047.50 Pursuant to the franchise agreements, the Cable Company is obligated to collect a PEG fee for the City. The City's PEG fee is $.75 per subscriber, but can be adjusted to meet the City's identified need target in the franchise document. The PEG fee revenues are used to finance the City's capital needs and can't be used for non-capital operational expenses under the new franchise. • Cablecast of Public Meetings: Cablecasting of City Council and Planning Commission meetings continued in 2021. In addition, City of Farmington and Rosemount City Council and Planning Commission meetings and Dakota County Board meetings were also televised. • Government Access Programming: The Commission now operates three separate Government Access Channels and continues to provide government access for the joint powers commission established by the Cities of Apple Valley, Farmington, and Rosemount. Programming and bulletin board materials can be unique or shared by the member cities. The City also used City and Commission staff to produce a video of the State of the City address. The City continued to cablecast live Planning Commission and City Council meetings. These meetings were recable-cast periodically. • Public Access Television: Under the franchise agreement, Charter Communications is not required to provide public access television opportunities. The cities provide video bulletin board messages on the channel, but not program playback. • Joint Powers Commission Summary: Since its inception, the Commission has provided staffing and support services to the Cities of Apple Valley, Farmington, and Rosemount. During 2021, the three cities used three full-time and one seasonal staff members to accomplish these duties. The Telecommunications Advisory Committee welcomes direction from the City Council as well as any recommendations, questions, or concerns.