LACAC Meeting Minutes for June 5, 2012
This was a joint meeting with the Cable License Advisory Committee (CLAC). The Meeting was called to order at 7:35pm
Members present: Gary Bernklow, Chris Funkhouser, Bob Glorioso. Lisa Lavina arrived at 8:10 pm.
Also present: Anne Van Tine, Stow TV Coordinator and CLAC members Arny Buckman and Bob Mong. Attorney Bill August called in on speaker-phone from 7:55-8:10 pm.
Bernklow moved and Funkhouser seconded to accept the minutes of the April 19 meeting.
VanTine told the group that member Chris Funkhouser plans to leave the committee at the conclusion of his current appointment term (end of June). She thanked him for his service and many contributions, and other members expressed similar sentiments. VanTine reminded the other members to respond to Selectmen office about remaining on the committee.
VanTine described phone discussions that had taken place with herself, Attorney Bill August, and Comcast Representative Tim Kelly. She referred to and handed out these documents:
- “Issues for Committees” dated June 5
- “May 16 with Tim – Stow Percents PEG”
VanTine told the group that Tim Kelly and his manager had verbally agreed to the PEG Support percentages as shown in Table 7 in the documents. This set of percentages moves to front-load higher amounts in early years as compared with the request initially submitted. The first five years would have levels at 3.5%, 3.75%, 4.25%, 4.5% and 4.5%. For the last five years of the contract, the percentages would be at 4.75, just below the maximum 5%.
Comcast agreed to this Support level contingent on reducing the Equipment payment from $83,000 to $75,000, but paying it all at once at the beginning of the contract term.
Bernklow moved and Funkhouser seconded to accept this offer, with the level of Support and Equipment payments as described. The motion was unanimously accepted. The Cable License Advisory Committee also made and unanimously accepted a similar motion.
At this point, Attorney Bill August joined the meeting by speakerphone.
VanTine conveyed that Comcast now proposes to support two channels for Stow programming. In addition, Stow subscribers will continue to receive the Bolton channel.
The current draft from Comcast specifies uses of the two programmable channels. It passes on any new costs associated with continued carriage of Bolton, and specifies that it may discontinue it at any time. Members agreed that Bill August should negotiate to leave the uses of the programmable channels unspecified, and to ask Comcast to remove reference to costs, and to discontinuing the Bolton channel.
Members conveyed to Attorney August that they were satisfied with the Support and Equipment funding negotiated. However, in the course of discussion, they asked Attorney August to try to negotiate the Equipment fund back up to $83,333. In return the group was willing to have Equipment payments made over a four-year time period.
Attorney August explained why he felt the requirement for “Liquidated Damages” provides little benefit to the Town, and might risk payment of larger amounts in Bond. Members agreed to potential removal of the “Liquidated Damages” section and to use its removal as an additional incentive for increasing the Equipment fund.
VanTine reviewed the remaining topics in the “Issues for Committees” document. The sections on “I-Net or “Passive Coax Cable” and “Video Drops” will be reviewed by the Cable License Advisory Committee. Members had no issues with the remaining topics.
Attorney August left the meeting.
VanTine asked for the sense of the meeting regarding Stow TV policy on lending equipment for private projects in return for the person doing videotaping for the town. The members agreed that in general they would not support this approach. VanTine agreed that in most circumstances this should not be done.
VanTine reported that she had reimbursed two video producers up to $100 for the cost of video production courses. Additionally, she had purchased several hundred dollars of wireless microphone equipment at a special show discount to replace items that had broken or been lost or were needed to complete existing equipment functions. The committee agreed these items were within the areas where she had discretion to spend.
Bob Glorioso again emphasized how much he and the committee appreciate the contributions that Chris Funkhouser has made.
Lavina moved and Funkhouser seconded that the meeting adjourn at 8:40 pm.
The motion passed unanimously.
Prepared by: _________________________________
Anne VanTine
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