Rutland Cable Advisory Committee
Meeting Minutes – December 12, 2017
Members present: Chairman Paul Mattson, Jim Kelley, Addison Redfield, Peter Craine, Christian Santillo.
Members absent: None
Guests present: None
Meeting was called to order by chair at 6:03 PM.
Meeting Minutes
Amended meeting minutes accepted at 6:06 PM. Jim moved; Christian 2nd; vote was unanimous.
Bills and Accounts
Paul presented a Treasurer’s report. Total expenses were $556.08, including salaries, since the October meeting.
We have received Charter’s PEG payment of $80,877.36. Addison asked if this included the “signing bonus”? No it does not. The final signing bonus was paid on July 24, 2017.
Does the payment include cost of Internet and Phone services, or just cable? PEG payment should include all income into Charter from Rutland.
Reviewed Charter’s 2016 revenue report.
The gift to the Library may be adjusted based on increases or decreases in PEG payment. This year’s increase (from 2016) was only about $3,500 more than the previous payment. Not worth changing our payment based on the monthly break-down.
Financial report was accepted as presented at 6:22 PM. Peter moved; Jim 2nd; vote was unanimous.
Old Business
IT Services
The committee will, in time, want to create the following web-based services:
Web Site
Streaming previously recorded content
Streaming live content
We recently received the YouTube password.
The ports for Internet connection to the library are OK with IT. They do not see a risk from our connections (even through events like lightning strikes coming through the cable system).
Christian will talk to Town Clerk next week about Virtual Town Hall use.
Server space and bandwidth will be constraints when we begin streaming, especially live content.
Our current Charter connection keeps everything digital until it leaves the NEXUS; at that point the signal travels through a decimator and gets converted to Analog. It costs large dollars for Charter to accept digital signals.
Holden TV recently changed from a NEXUS to a Tightrope system. They do many of the same things we want to do.
Would we need to increase Town Internet bandwidth to accomplish these things?
How do we digitally route from the NEXUS to any server?
Andrew Shanley will help use with any Nexus issues. (he’s our rep).
Cable Advisory Committee’s Internet Connection
Should we turn off our dedicated Internet connection? What about our phone line? These are paid for by CAC. This costs about $104/month.
Should we use the Town’s Internet connection instead? Can we get on the Town’s VOIP system? Need to be investigated. Jim thinks our plan should be to move onto the Town’s services. It’s (likely) much less expensive and, in the case of Internet, much faster than our connection.
Replacement Microphones:
Paul got a quote of (approximately) $575 for each of 2 hand-held microphone kits (plus $12.50 shipping).
Committee voted for Paul to purchase two kits [Motion: Peter; 2nd: Christian; vote was unanimous]
Electric Bill:
Margaret, Kerry, Dan (Town Accountant), and Paul will be meeting soon to really iron out this issue and take care of it.
State Bid List:
No action. Still waiting for information.
New Business
Public Address System for Blair Room
People are looking for a standalone PA system for the Blair Room. But, apparently, the Committee needs to provide and support it.
There have been issues with people not being able to hear an unamplified speaker in that room.
The current system was designed for feeding the studio, then route audio back to Blair Room and amplify.
Unique Media Systems are consulting with use. They want us to buy a 12 channel mixer. This feels like overkill.
Paul will continue working on this.
From the Floor
None.
Next Meeting
The committee’s next meeting will be at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, January 23, 2018.
Adjournment
Meeting adjourned, unanimously [Motion: Christian; 2nd Jim) at 7:20 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Peter Craine
| 
