Title
Approving the findings of fact with respect to the proposal of Qwest Broadband Services, Inc., d/b/a Centurylink, Inc. for a cable communications franchise.
Body
Whereas, Qwest Broadband Services, Inc., d/b/a CenturyLink, Inc. ("CenturyLink") requested that the City of St. Paul, Minnesota ("City") commence proceedings to consider the award of a cable communications franchise to CenturyLink; and
Whereas, Minnesota Statutes Section 238.08(a) mandates that a city require a franchise for any cable communication system providing service within the city; and
Whereas, Federal law at 47 U.S.C. Section 541(a) provides that a city "may not unreasonably refuse to award an additional competitive franchise;" and
Whereas, the City retained the law firm of Moss & Barnett, a Professional Association, to assist the City in conducting the procedure required under Minnesota Statutes Section 238.081 and reviewing any applications submitted to the City; and
Whereas, the City followed the franchise procedure required by Minnesota Statutes Section 238.081 by publishing once each week (March 30, 2015 and April 6, 2015) for two successive weeks in the St. Paul Legal Ledger a Notice of Intent to Franchise a Cable Communications System; and
Whereas, the Notice stated all eight (8) criteria outlined in Minnesota Statutes Section 238.081, Subd. 2; and
Whereas, in addition to the published Notice, the City provided copies of the Notice of Intent and the Official Application Form to CenturyLink and to the City's existing cable operator, Comcast of St. Paul, Inc. ("Comcast"); and
Whereas, the City's Official Application Form required that proposals for a cable communications franchise contain responses to each of the items identified in Minnesota Statute Section 238.081, Subd. 4; and
Whereas, the City's closing date for submission of applications was set for April 24, 2015 which complied with the statutory minimum of twenty (20) days from the date of first publication; a...
Click here for full text