MILTON BROADBAND MONITORING COMMITTEE

Broadband Committee Members

Jonathan Brown, Chairman
Bernard J. Lynch, III
Paul J. Yovino, Secretary, Pro Tem
Peter Epstein, Esq. Counsel

A posted meeting of the Broadband Monitoring Committee took place in the basement Conference Room at Milton Town Hall Thursday, March 22, 2007 at 9 O’clock A.M.

In attendance were the following: Jonathan Brown, Chairman, BMC. Bernard J. Lynch, III, Paul J. Yovino, Secretary, Pro Tem, Peter J. Epstein, Esq. Counsel to the Broadband Monitoring Committee and the Town of Milton and Gerry Buckley, Manager of Government and Community Relations - Southeastern MA Region for Comcast Cable. Kevin Mearn, Milton Town Administrator would join the meeting prior to adjournment.

The purpose of the meeting with Gerry Buckley was to continue the negotiation of a renewal license with the Town of Milton and Comcast Cable.

Various issues and funding concerns and unanswered questions regarding Comcast’s FRC [Franchise Related Costs] were the topics discussed in this meeting:
Old MCTV Equipment and Storage

The BMC asked Gerry Buckley about the condition and the storage of the video equipment used by MCTV. That equipment has been in storage since the studio in the old high school was shut down during the demolition of that part of the building. 

Both Jonathan Brown and Bernie Lynch said they have tried without success to assess the equipment but various Comcast individuals have been less than cooperative in allowing anyone to view the equipment. Gerry Buckley would not comment on that but said the equipment is stored in a climate controlled building in Everett.

FRC Discussion - Part Two

Gerry Buckley came to this meeting with some answers to the FRC which had been prepared by “Norm” the accountant at Comcast. Nonetheless, when the Board and Peter Epstein questioned Buckley on specific line-by-line items and the specific meaning of “prior capital”, “prior operating costs” and “prior I-Net Maintenance costs” Buckley could not give specific or understandable answers. It appears that Comcast is attempting to recapture expenses “costs” that were incurred by previous cable companies for the past twenty years and under previous contractual agreements with the town.

The State of MCTV Discussion

Comcast asked the Board about MCTV, the inactive local access organization. Comcast noted that $175,00 had been given to MCTV and asked what equipment MCTV purchased with that money.

The BMC agreed to look into the state of MCTV equipment.

Signet Discussion

Signet is the company that wired the new high school’s communication center. It appears that there is a conflict between the Signet system and the I-Net drop installed by Comcast in the school. The result is an inability to cablecast clear audio and video to Comcast subscribers who wish to watch Milton School Committee meetings and other live originating events
Comcast indicated that the problem was between Signet and the Milton School Department.

Kevin Mearn Town Administrator

At that point, Kevin Mearn joined the meeting and received a briefing on the FRC from Comcast. 

Negotiation Meeting Adjournment

The meeting w adjourned shortly before 12 Noon and a post meeting discussion took place in the same room immediately following Buckley’s departure. The next meeting was confirmed for Monday, April 9, 2007 at 9 O’clock AM in the same conference room at Town Hall.

Post Meeting Discussion

Peter Epstein suggested to the BMC and to Kevin Mearn who remained for the discussion that MPEG Access begin to hire a staff since the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously in February to approve MPEG Access, Inc. as the legitimate successor to MCTV.

 Peter said that the approximate $100,000 given to the town by Comcast for local access be used in part for that start-up
He also added that the “cost pass through” of $1.46 equals $132,580.00 collected annually by Comcast from its Milton subscribers which does not include the $18,000 it recently gave to MCTV.

As legal counsel to the BMC, Peter Epstein recommended that the Town Administrator write to Andrea Nixon at the Cable Division of the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Energy to investigate Comcast’s FRC. Specifically, to investigate the appropriateness of line items in the FRC that appear to have been incurred during previous license terms - prior to the start of this current contract in 1997 - and why those items appear on the current 2007 FRC sheet.  Two letters were faxed to that Department by Kevin Mearn; one letter was faxed on March 22 and another on March 26, 2007.

This meeting adjourned at 1:00 PM.

Respectfully submitted,
Paul J. Yovino
Secretary Pro tem