Agenda - Council - 07/23/2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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RESOLUTION #13-07-121 A RESOLUTION CONCERNING THE COMMENCEMENT OF RENEWAL PROCEEDINGS UNDER THE FEDERAL CABLE ACT WHEREAS, the City of Ramsey, Minnesota ("City") enacted an ordinance granting a cable television franchise (collectively, the "Franchise") effective on or about March 6, 2001, authorizing the provision of cable television service within the territorial limits of the City; and WHEREAS, as a result of several transfers of the Franchise, Comcast of Minnesota, Inc. ("Comcast") currently holds the Franchise; and WHEREAS, the City is a member of the Quad Cities Cable Communications Commission ("Commission"), a municipal joint powers entity organized under Minnesota Statutes § 471.59, as amended, pursuant to an agreement among the member cities (the "Joint Powers Agreement); and; WHEREAS, the Commission administers and enforces the cable franchises issued by Andover, Anoka, Champlin and Ramsey, and provides community programming and certain other services on behalf of these member cities, and; WHEREAS, the Commission is responsible for processing initial cable franchising requests and franchise renewal requests on behalf of the member cities, and for making recommendations to the member cities; and WHEREAS, the Commission's member cities, including the City, retain final authority to approve and enact any initial or renewal franchise(s), and; WHEREAS, the Franchise is scheduled to expire on or about March 6, 2016, unless sooner terminated or extended, and; WHEREAS, by letter dated March 28, 2013 from Comcast to the City, Comcast invoked the franchise renewal procedures set forth in applicable federal law, and; WHEREAS, Section 626(a)(1) of the Cable Commissions Policy Act of 1984, as amended (the "Cable Act"), 47 U.S.C. § 546(A)(1), provides that if a written renewal request is submitted by a cable operator during the 6-month period from 36 to 30 months before franchise expiration, the franchising authority shall, within six months of such request, commence a proceeding to identify the future cable -related community needs and interests, and to review the performance of the cable operator during the franchise term; and WHEREAS, the City wishes to comply with the Cable Act and commence the required renewal proceedings while permitting the Commission to pursue the informal renewal process contemplated by Section 656(h) of the Cable Act, 47 U.S.C. § 546(H), and; 423311 RJV QU210-4