Title
Authorizing consideration of applications for a competitive cable franchise.
Body
WHEREAS, CenturyLink submitted a letter to the City Clerk on January 9, 2015 requesting to apply for a competitive cable franchise agreement; and
WHEREAS, the City is required to follow the franchise application procedure set forth in Minn. Stat. section 238.081 if it wishes to consider applications for competitive cable franchise agreements; and
WHEREAS, as part of that procedure, the City is required to publish a notice requesting cable franchise applications, and to include in that notice an application fee, to be determined by the City; and
WHEREAS, under Minn. Stat. section 238.081, subd. 8, the City may appropriately recover from applicants the entire reasonable and necessary cost of the franchise process; and
WHEREAS, the Office of Financial Services has determined that these costs will likely total no less than $40,000;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of Saint Paul, that the cable franchise application process required by Minn. Stat. section 238.081 be commenced as soon as practical; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council and Mayor hereby establish the following Franchise Application committee to perform the necessary functions required by law and incidental to this proceeding:
Todd Hurley, Director of the Office of Financial Services, and Co-chair of committee
Trudy Moloney, Director of Council Operations and Co-chair of committee
Tarek Tomes, Director of the Office of Technology and Communications
Geoffrey Karls, Assistant City Attorney
Alexandra Iverson, Chief Budget Analyst for the City Council
Mike Reardon, Cable Officer
Brian Grogan, Attorney with Moss and Barnett serving as outside counsel
and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, the City Council and Mayor hereby authorize this committee and appropriate city staff to undertake all studies and take all actions necessary to conduct the proceeding contemplated by Minn. Stat. section 238.081; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, the City Council hereby directs that an application fee of $40,000 be required of any applicant wishing to establish a competitive cable franchise, to defray costs of the franchise process, as allowed under Minn. Stat. section 238.081, subd. 8.