HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-033
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~~HILLS
CITY OF ARDEN HILLS
COUNTY OF RAMSEY
STATE OF MINNESOTA
RESOLUTION NO. 06-33
A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING LOCAL CABLE AND VIDEO PROVIDER
FRANCHISING
WHEREAS, the City of Arden Hills is committed to ensuring that all of its
citizens have access to the most technologically advanced broadband services
available in the marketplace today as a means to ensure the competitiveness of
the City, as well as its corporate and individual citizens; and
WHEREAS, the City, by means of the local cable franchising process,
has obtained commitments to meet the cable-related needs and interests of the
community, including full access to a wide array of video and broadband services
for all citizens of the City; public, educational and government access channels;
financial support for facilities and equipment for the production of programming;
free cable services to schools and governmental facilities, and an Institutional
Network and other services that support important government, educational, and
public interests; and
WHEREAS, in Congress, bills have either been introduced or drafted and
discussed in committee that would hinder or preclude the City from requiring
providers of cable and video services that use City rights-of-way to fully meet
local cornmunity needs; and
WHEREAS, these bills - House of Representatives (HR) 5252 and
Senate (S) 2686 - would effectively nationalize the franchising of video services,
setting a course toward pre-emption of all local authority over the provision of
cable and video services within the community; and
WHEREAS, HR 5252 and S 2686 would reduce the funding support for
public, educational and government access services provided by the North
Suburban Access Corporation/CTV North Suburbs by 80%, lowering its income
from $1 million to $218,000, thereby decreasing the ability of the community to
produce programs about local issues, people, organizations and activities; and
. WHEREAS, HR 5252 and S 2686 would eliminate any build-out
requirements for any video service provider; and
WHEREAS, HR 5252 and S 2686 would permit companies that may not
be financially, legally, or technically qualified to get a license or franchise to build
and operate a cable system in the City's public rights-of-way; and
WHEREAS, HR 5252 and S 2686 would deprive City residents of the
ability to address issues locally by removing to the state and federal government
all customer service issues and transferring local enforcement of franchise issues
to the federal bureaucracies and courts; and
WHEREAS, HR 5252 and S 2686 would threaten the ability of the City to
manage its public rights-of-way by allowing video service providers with a
nationallicen,se or new cable franchise to appeal the City's regulations to the
Federal Communications Commission; and
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WHEREAS, local cable franchising allows for cities and towns around the
country to exercise local authority, decision-making and consumer protection, to
establish and support commercial-free community television, and to receive
franchise fees that private companies pay as compensation for their use of local
public rights-of-way; and
WHEREAS, the City objects to legislation that creates a subsidy to the
telecommunications industry at the expense of the City's taxpayers;
Now Be It Resolved by the Arden Hills City Council:
That the City is opposed to federal legislation that:
1. Pre-empts the local franchising process;
2, Limits the City's ability to negotiate local franchises that enable the
community to obtain commitments to meet the cable-related needs
and interests of the community,
3. Voids existing cable franchises;
4. Limits or pre-empts the City's ability to require any entity that is
issued a video provider franchise to fully build out a franchise area
such that said services are equally available to all residents in the
franchise area; and
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Limits or pre-empts the ability of the City to manage its public
rights-of-way in the best interest of its corporate and individual
residents.
That the City, for the reasons stated above, urges the Minnesota Congressional
Delegation and all other members of Congress to oppose HR 5252 and S 2686
and any other bills promoting national franchising and preferential treatment of
providers of cable and video services entering the market and to support
legislation that encourages fair competition to all areas of the City and that does
not reduce the compensation paid by franchised cable operators, including the
funding of public, educational and governmental access television.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council directs that
this Resolution be forwarded immediately to the members of the Minnesota
Congressional Delegation, State Legislators and other members of Congress
and House of Representatives as deemed appropriate.
ADOPTED by the Council this 15th day of May, 2006.
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ATTcEST: \ ~ '\(\ ~I
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Michelle A. Wolfe, CITY ADMINISTRATOR