2.0.A SWCSR 4-23-2020 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Sherburne Wright Cable Commission Meeting Minutes from 8-15-19 Page 2 of 4 renewal agreement. Seconded by Commissioner Wolbeck, unanimous ayes, motion carried. b. Issues with Spectrum Service to Public Buildings – Bill Bruce recounted this issue that has been ongoing for several years. Charter approached the Commission through Mr. Bruce with a new contract related to service. Mr. Bruce recommended not signing because service is required by the franchise agreement. Mr. Vose sent a reminder email to contact at Charter that complimentary service accounts do not pay for service or the install fee; Charter responded that the contract was sent in error. Mr. Vose reiterated that a contract would still be required for services beyond cable (voice or data). Commissioner Smythe highlighted the conflicting information throughout this entire process. The renewed discussion of contracts for service came from issues with cable boxes. Mr. Bruce noted he’s still having trouble getting access to the now non-public Charter office in Buffalo, but the Commission would prefer the boxes are swapped out with our staff for best results. Mr. Vose summarized the discussion by reminding Commission cities not to sign anything for cable service. In addition, given that the Commission provides cable in HD, we need to switch out the set top boxes and we want to do that with Commission staff rather than Charter staff. c. FCC Order – Added item. Attorney Bob Vose provided an update to the Commission about FCC Order 621 which was adopted on August 1, 2019. He outlined the changes enacted in the rule and recommended that, given the potential impacts, the Commission send a letter to Charter. The draft letter reiterated to Charter that the current franchise agreement does not allow them to make any changes to the franchise fees unilaterally; they must notify the commission to negotiate before they begin to offset any fees. Commissioner Allard noted her support of sending the letter. Bill Bruce stated that future changes to the FCC could result in the rule being reversed. Mr. Vose added that this will certainly be contested in court, but it is unlikely the rule would be suspended during litigation. During the conversation, Commissioner Leonard asked about franchise fees as they relate to wireless television service. Mr. Vose noted that’s not really covered under the franchise agreement, but we have the right to require a franchisee to provide standard cable service. Commissioner Auger made a motion to authorize a letter to Charter with an amendment from Commissioner Allard that it come from the Commission as a whole. Seconded by Commissioner Smythe, unanimous ayes, motion carried. 5. Production & Equipment Report a. Production & Equipment Reports – Bill Bruce provided the August 2019 production report. Bruce noted this is the busiest season of the year with a variety of events like parades, coronations, and Movie in the Park events. Bill Bruce provided an overview of recent changes and upgrades to Commission equipment. He highlighted the preparation of the new office in Buffalo which will offer an editing suite and storage space. He also noted they have built two new systems to improve the quality of productions: a portable TriCaster system and a portable wireless mic rack. Finally, Bruce called attention to the beta testing for Facebook Live capabilities. Elk River has volunteered to be a test site for this and the results of initial trials will be reported at a future meeting. b. Equipment Purchase Requests – Bill Bruce noted the Commission continues to have problems with the current truck. Given its worth, the money already invested in repairs, and upcoming costs to make it functional, it does not make sense to keep it. He requested