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WHEREAS, the Member Cities have affirmed, by resolution, the Commission's preexisting authority under the Joint Powers Agreement to take any and all steps required or desired to comply with the Franchise renewal and related requirements of the Cable Act, Minnesota la�v and the Franchises; and W�REAS, the Joint Powers Agreement empowers the Commission and/or its designee(s) to conduct the Section 626 formal franchise renewal process on the Member Cities' behalf and to take such other steps and actions as are needed or required to carry out the formal franchise renewal process; and WHEREAS, the Commission adopted Resolution No. 2011-02 commencing formal franchise renewal proceedings under Section 626(a} of the Cable Act, 47 U.S.C. § 546(a), and authorizing the Commission or its designee(s} to take certain actions to conduct those Section 626(a) proceedings; and WHEREAS, the Commission performed a detailed needs assessment of the Member Cities' and their communities' present and future cable�related needs and interests and has evaluated and continues to evaluate Comcast's past performance under the Franchises and applicable laws and regulations, all as required by Section 626(a) of the Cable Act, 47 U.S.C. § 546(a); and WHEREAS, the Commission's needs ascertainment and past performance review produced the following reports: The Buske Group's "Community Needs Ascertainment — North Suburban Cornmunications Commission (Arden Hills, Falcon Heights, Lauderdale, Little Canada, Mounds View, New Brighton, North Oalcs, Roseville, St. Anthony and Shorevie�v, Minnesota)" (July 15, 2013) (the "Needs Assessment Report "); Group W Communications, LLC's, telephone survey and report titled "North Suburban Communications Commission Cable Subscriber Survey (September 2011)" (the "Telephone SuYVey RepoYt'); CBG Communications, Inc.'s, "Fina1 Report - Evaluation of Comcast's Subscriber System, Evaluation of the Existing Institutional Network and Evaluation of PEG Access Signal Transport and Distribution for the North Suburban Coirununications Cominission" (July 2013) (the "Technicc�l Revzew RepoYt"); Front Range Consulting, Inc.'s, "Financial Analysis of Comcast Corporation 2012 SEC Form 10K" (May 2013) (the "Comcczst Financial RepoYt'); and Commission staff's "Report on Cable- Related Needs and Interests and the Past Performance of Comcast of Minnesota, Inc." (Ju1y 22, 2013) (the "Stc�ffRepoYt"); and WHEREAS, based on its needs ascertainment, past performance revietiv, best industry practices, national trends in franchising and technology, and its own experience, Cornmission staff prepared a"Request for Renewal Proposal for Cable Television Franchise" ("RFRP") that summarizes the Member Cities' and their communities' �resent and future cable-related needs and interests, establishes requirements for facilities, equipment and channel capacity on Comcast's cable system and includes model provisions for satisfying those requirements and cable-related needs and interests; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution No. 2013-04, the Commission authorized its Executive Committee, Franchise Renewal Committee, Commission staff andlor Commission designee(s) to take a11 steps and actions necessary to implement, conduct and engage in the entire 2