4.5. SR 02-04-2019 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Basic Cable Information Cable television is regulated through federal and state law, along with a local franchise agreement through the City of Elk River. A franchise agreement allows a cable company to operate cable television in the city and run on fiber line in city owned right-of-way. The city collects fees as compensation for the cable company's use of operating their systems in our right-of-way. Elk River has a 15 year franchise agreement with Charter Communications (Spectrum) set to expire in February 2020. Elk River is part of the Sherburne Wright Cable Commission, a joint powers organization that oversees the operation of the cities' cable franchise. Ten cities are part of the commission. The commission meets as needed, typically 4 or fewer times per year and acts on behalf of the member cities to enforce and administer their franchises and monitor the overall performance of the cable franchisee with their customers. The administration of the franchise can include handling customer service issues, the company's use of the public right-of-way, and equipment and channel issues. The commission's attorney, Bob Vose, has been working with Charter on renewal of the franchise agreement. Via the franchise agreement, the city receives certain benefits in order to transparently communicate with the community, and includes: ■ Channels to use for programming. ■ Dedicated fiber to help connect government facilities to video and data services. ■ PEG and franchise fees. ■ Complimentary basic cable service to certain public safety facilities. ■ Allowing residents to receive cable TV and other technology services from Charter. The franchise agreement is non-exclusive meaning other cable television providers wanting to offer services in the city are more than welcome to do so. The franchise pertains only to the cable television services. Per federal law, the city doesn't have any role in the regulation of the cable company's internet or telephone services. Internet concerns are addressed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and phone services to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC). The federal government has substantially deregulated the cable industry with the intent of encouraging competition in the cable, telephone, and internet arenas and is continuing to change as technology changes. As a result the city's franchising authority is limited in what it can review. The city can't regulate cable pricing, programming, or equipment to be used by the cable operator. Complaints received by the city consist of fiber lines run over property, typically during winter/spring as the snow melts. The local cable office is contacted to remedy the issues. Common complaints seen online are typically about internet speeds, which the city has no authority to regulate.