[Adopted 3-7-1994 by Ord. No. 383 (Ch. 11, Art. IV, of the 1990 Code)]
A. 
It is the purpose of this Part 4 to authorize the municipal officers of the City of Augusta to control and administer the franchising and regulation of cable television systems using public ways in the City of Augusta and to enter into agreements on behalf of the City of Augusta in order to assure that the needs and interests of the local citizens are adequately met; and to determine, according to the judgment of the municipal officers, the type and degree of regulations deemed to be in the best interests of the citizens of the City. The authority for this Part 4 is contained in 30-A M.R.S.A. § 3008, as amended. Cable television systems which are located in accordance with this Part 4 and the regulations of the franchise are not considered defects in public ways.
B. 
Further, it is the intent of this Part 4 and subsequent amendments to provide the widest possible diversity of information sources and services to cable subscribers.
C. 
For these purposes, the following goals underlie the regulations contained herein:
(1) 
Where economically reasonable, residential cable television services should be offered to the maximum number of City residents.
(2) 
The cable television system and the cable television operator should be capable of accommodating both the present and reasonably foreseeable cable television needs of cable subscribers.
(3) 
The cable television system should be improved and upgraded during the franchise term when deemed necessary to meet the needs of cable subscribers.
(4) 
The cable television system and the cable television operator authorized by this Part 4 shall be responsive to the needs and interests of the cable television subscribers.
[Amended 5-16-1994 by Ord. No. 493; 3-15-1999 by Ord. No. 47]
As used in this Part 4, the following words and terms have the following meanings:
BASIC SERVICE TIER
Each cable operator of a cable system shall provide its subscribers a separately available basic service tier to which subscription is required for access to any other tier of service. Such basic service tier shall, at a minimum, consist of the following: all signals carried in fulfillment of the requirements of §§ 614 and 615 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended. Each such tier shall also include any community, educational and governmental access programming required by the franchise of the cable system to be provided to subscribers; and any signal of any television broadcast station that is provided by the cable operator to any subscribers, except a signal which is secondarily transmitted by a satellite carrier beyond the local service area of such station.
CABLE SERVICE
A. 
The one-way transmission to subscribers of video programming, or other programming service; and
B. 
Subscriber interaction, if any, which is required for the selection of such video programming or other programming service.
CABLE TELEVISION OPERATOR
Any person, group of persons, firm or corporation:
A. 
Who provides cable service over a cable television system and directly or through one or more affiliates owns a significant interest in such cable system; or
B. 
Who otherwise controls or is responsible for, through any arrangement, the management and operation of such cable system.
CABLE TELEVISION SYSTEM
Any facility, consisting of a set of closed transmission paths and associated signal generation, reception, and equipment that is designed to provide cable service which includes video programming and is provided to multiple subscribers within the City. Such terms shall not include a facility that serves only subscribers in one or more multiple-unit dwellings under common ownership, control or management, unless such facility uses any public right-of-way. The term also shall not include any facilities of any electric utility used solely for operating its electric utility systems.
CITY
The City of Augusta, Maine, organized and existing under the laws of the State of Maine, and the area within its territorial limits.
CITY COUNCIL or COUNCIL
The City Council of the City of Augusta, Maine.
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION or FCC
That federal agency as presently constituted by the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, or any successor agency.
FEDERAL DEFINITION CONTROLLING
The definitions contained in this Part 4 rely on those contained in the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. § 521 et seq.), as it is from time to time amended and interpreted. Any ambiguity shall be resolved by reference to the federal statutes, regulations and the decisions interpreting the same.
FRANCHISE
The nonexclusive rights, whether an initial authorization or a renewal thereof, to construct and operate a cable system along the public ways in the City or within specified areas in the City. It is not intended to include or supersede or otherwise affect any license or permit required for the privilege of transacting and carrying on a business within the City as may be required by other ordinances and/or laws of the City.
GRANTEE
A natural person, partnership, domestic and/or foreign corporation or entity, association, joint venture or organization of any kind granted a franchise by the City Council under this Part 4 and its lawful successor, transferee or assignee.
GROSS REVENUES
A. 
All amounts which are charged and/or received, directly or indirectly, by a grantee from or in connection with the operation of the system, including, without limitation:
(1) 
Any revenue received from subscribers, including but not limited to revenue for basic service, tier service, additional outlets, FM service, commercial service, premium service, pay-per-view service and related per-event services, or for the distribution of any service over the system or the provision of any service-related activity in connection with the operation of the system, including cable modem services from the use of the cable distribution system and non-cable communications services;
(2) 
Revenue received from subscribers for installation, change in service and reconnection charges and similar fees;
(3) 
Revenue received from subscribers for converters, remote controls or other equipment leased or rented to subscribers in connection with the delivery of cable services to such subscribers;
(4) 
Revenue received from subscribers for service charges and late fees attributable to delinquent accounts;
(5) 
Revenue received from third parties, including advertising revenue, home shopping commissions on the sale of products or services advertised or promoted on the system, guide commissions, leased access payments, and studio and other facilities or equipment rentals;
(6) 
Revenue shall include any payment or consideration (including copyright fees, but excluding any franchise fees, utility users tax or new sales tax imposed by the City or the state or federal government) collected for direct payment to a third party. Franchise fees paid to the City are not deemed to be taxes; and
(7) 
Gross revenue shall also include the gross revenue of any other person which is derived directly or indirectly from or in connection with the operation of a system to the extent that said revenue is derived through a means which has the effect of avoiding the payment of franchise fees to the City that would otherwise be paid herein.
B. 
There shall be deducted from gross revenue:
(1) 
Bad debts written off by a grantee in the normal course of its business; provided, however, that bad debt recoveries shall be included in gross revenue.
(2) 
Refunds made to subscribers or other third parties, including but not limited to equipment deposits.
C. 
In computing gross revenue from sources other than a grantee's subscribers, including without limitation revenue derived from the sale of advertising, home shopping services, guide sales, satellite dishes, the lease of channel capacity over its cable system, or any other gross revenues attributable or allocated to a grantee in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles but received by another entity affiliated with the grantee, the aggregate revenue received by the grantee from such other sources during the period in question shall be multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of grantee's subscribers in the City as of the last day of such period and the denominator of which shall be the number of subscribers within all areas served by the grantee as of the last day of such period. If these additional revenue sources can be verified as being totally derived from within the City, the above allocation formula is not to be used.
MUNICIPAL OFFICERS
The Mayor and City Councilors of the City of Augusta, Maine.
STATE-OF-THE-ART
A cable system with production facilities, technical performance, capacity, equipment, components and service equal to that which has been developed and demonstrated to be more modern than generally accepted and used in the cable television industry for comparable markets.
SUBSCRIBER
Any person who contracts to purchase, orally or in writing, the regular subscriber service and/or any one or more other services as may be provided by a grantee's cable system.
TOTAL NUMBER OF SUBSCRIBERS
The number of subscribers determined as follows: In the event a single fee is paid for service to a multiple-dwelling unit, the number of equivalent subscribers shall be determined by dividing such fee by the then-prevailing regular subscriber service rate and rounding the resulting quotient to the nearest whole number. To this number shall be added the number of all other subscribers.
A. 
Franchise required. A nonexclusive franchise to construct, operate and maintain a cable system within all or any portion of the City is required of anyone desiring to provide cable television service in the City. A franchise may be granted by the City Council to any person, firm, corporation, association, joint venture or organization, whether operating under an existing franchise or not, who or which offers to furnish and provide such cable system under and pursuant to the terms and provisions of this Part 4 and a franchise agreement acceptable to the Council. Insofar as it is not inconsistent with or otherwise preempted by federal or state regulations, a franchise shall also grant the right and privilege to the grantee to provide non-cable communications services. The City Council shall retain all authority to regulate non-cable communications services to the extent necessary to protect the public health, safety and welfare and to ensure compliance with all provisions of this Part 4.
B. 
Rights reserved to City. The City hereby expressly reserves the following rights:
(1) 
To exercise its governmental powers, now or hereafter, to the full extent that such powers may be vested in or granted to the City.
(2) 
To adopt and promulgate ordinances as it shall find reasonably necessary in the exercise of its lawful police power. Such power shall include the absolute right of the City to maintain control over its streets and public ways, and to adopt such reasonable regulations relating to streets and public ways as the City and/or its departments shall hereinafter provide.
(3) 
The powers of the City may be exercised through amendment of this Part 4 as well as through enactment of separate ordinances and regulations.
C. 
Unlawful acts; penalties.
(1) 
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to establish, operate or carry on the business of distributing to any persons in the City any television signals or radio signals by means of a cable system unless a franchise therefor has first been obtained pursuant to the provisions of this Part 4 and unless such franchise is in full force and effect.
(2) 
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to make any unauthorized connection, whether physically, electrically, acoustically, inductively, or otherwise, with any part of a franchised cable system within the City for the purpose of enabling himself/herself or others to receive any television signal, radio signal, picture, program or sound, without payment to the owner of the cable system.
(3) 
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation, without the consent of a grantee, to willfully tamper with, remove or injure any cables, wires or equipment used for distribution of television signals, radio signals, pictures, programs or sound.
(4) 
Any person, firm or corporation violating any subsection of this section shall be punished by a fine or by imprisonment or by both fine and imprisonment in accordance with federal, state or local law.
(5) 
The City shall be entitled to injunctive relief in addition to any other remedies available by law to protect any rights conferred by this Part 4 or state law (30-A M.R.S.A. § 3008, as amended).
D. 
Failure of City to enforce compliance. A grantee shall not be excused from complying with any of the terms and conditions of this Part 4 or a franchise by any failure of the City, upon any one or more occasions, to insist upon the grantee's performance or to seek the grantee's compliance with any one or more of such terms or conditions.
[Amended 5-16-1994 by Ord. No. 493; 3-15-1999 by Ord. No. 47]
A. 
Application; nonrefundable fee. An application for an initial cable television franchise shall be submitted to the Council, or its designee, on a written application form furnished by the City, and in accordance with the procedures and schedule to be established and published by the Council. The application will request facts and information the Council deems appropriate. Applications shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable application fee of $1,000 to the order of the "City of Augusta," which amount shall be used by the City to offset direct expenses incurred in the franchising and evaluation procedures, including, but not limited to, staff time and consulting assistance.
B. 
Grantee to pay costs of granting franchise. An applicant to whom the Council grants an initial nonexclusive franchise, in addition to the nonrefundable fee specified herein above, shall pay to the City, within 30 days of receipt of notice of the amount, an amount set by the Council, or its designee, which shall represent the remaining out-of-pocket costs incurred by the City in granting the franchise and not defrayed by fees forthcoming from the provisions of Subsection A of this section.
C. 
Initial application requirements. Ten copies of the application shall be filed with the City Clerk and shall contain such information as the City may require, including, but not limited to:
(1) 
A general description of the applicant's proposed operation;
(2) 
A statement detailing its business or corporate organization; including but not limited to the identification of any person, persons, or entity holding an interest of 10% or greater in the applicant's business and a statement disclosing interests of 10% or greater that the applicant has in any other business, corporation or partnership and a statement describing all intracompany relationships of the applicant, including parent, subsidiary or affiliated companies;
(3) 
A written commitment to timely service and restoration of property;
(4) 
A schedule of proposed charges;
(5) 
A statement setting forth the channels to be allocated for community, municipal, education, and leased access; a description of the production facilities and equipment to be made available by the applicant for access; and a statement establishing any additional revenues to be designated for programming or programming assistance for the access channels;
(6) 
If applicant is a corporation, audited financial statements for the five previous fiscal years. If applicant is a partnership, copies of the U.S. Partnership Return of Income (IRS Form 1065) for the five previous fiscal years. If applicant is a sole proprietorship, copies of personal financial statements for the five previous fiscal years;
(7) 
An estimated five-year operations pro forma which shall include the initial and continuing plant investment, annual profit and loss statements detailing income and expenses, annual balance sheets, and annual levels of subscriber penetration. The pro forma shall also state the average return on investment anticipated by the applicant for the five-year operations period and shall state the method of computation thereof. Costs anticipated for voluntary services or contributions shall, if presented, be incorporated in the pro forma as required in this Part 4, but shall be separately identified in the pro forma;
(8) 
A listing of existing franchises held by the applicant, indicating when the franchises were issued and when the networks were constructed in each respective governmental unit, together with the name and address and phone number of a responsible governmental official knowledgeable of the applicant;
(9) 
A statement detailing the applicant's prior operational experience in cable television systems and/or microwave service, including that of its officers, management and any staff to be associated with the proposed operation;
(10) 
A general statement of the applicant's ability and intent to incorporate technological improvements and advancements in the cable television system as such improvements or advancements are generally available in the industry; and
(11) 
Any other reasonable and applicable information which the City Council may request.
D. 
Request for proposals; public comment periods; evaluating applications; public hearing.
(1) 
Upon filing, any initial franchise application and related documents are public records open to inspection by the public during reasonable hours, including specifically the regular business hours of the City Clerk.
(2) 
Before issuance of a request for proposals, the City shall maintain the proposed request for proposals on the agenda of at least two City Council meetings for the purpose of determining any special local needs or interest. Any citizen of the City shall have the right to comment in writing, filed in advance, or orally at any meeting at which the proposed request for proposals is to be considered.
(3) 
Following reasonable notice to the public, any initial franchise application shall be available for inspection for a period of at least 20 days prior to the municipal officers taking action on the same. Any citizen of the City shall have the right to comment in writing, filed in advance, or orally at any meeting at which the franchise applications are to be considered.
(4) 
Before authorizing the issuance of any such initial franchise contract, the municipal officers shall review the applicant's legal, character, financial and technical qualifications and the adequacy and feasibility of the applicant's qualifications to operate a cable television system within the City based upon information provided to the municipal officers by the applicant and by other sources in writing or at any public hearing or meeting of the municipal officers, and shall conduct a public hearing thereon with at least seven days' advertised notice prior to said public hearing.
E. 
Awarding an initial franchise.
(1) 
After examining all applications submitted pursuant to procedures to be established by the City Council designed to assure the legal, financial, technical and character qualifications of an applicant to provide cable service, the Council is authorized, after a full hearing affording due process, to grant a nonexclusive franchise conveying the right to construct and operate a cable system within the public ways of the City. A franchise may be awarded to the applicant which in the Council's judgment will best serve the public interest and whose construction and financial plans and arrangements are both feasible and adequate to fulfill the conditions set forth in this Part 4 and incorporated into any franchise granted.
(2) 
No provisions in this Part 4 shall be deemed or construed to require the Council to grant a franchise following receipt of any franchise application.
F. 
Franchise term. The term of a franchise shall be not more than 15 years from the date the franchise is accepted by the grantee by written agreement with the City, unless terminated earlier in accordance with this Part 4.
G. 
State-of-the-art modifications. The Council shall have the authority to order a public hearing on the provision of additional channel capacity by a grantee or on the inclusion in a grantee's cable system of "state-of-the-art" technology or upgraded facilities. Notice of such hearing shall be provided to the grantee and the public not later than 30 days prior to such hearing. If, after such hearing, the Council determines that (1) there exists a reasonable need and demand for additional channel capacity and/or "state-of-the-art" technology or upgraded facilities, and (2) provisions have been made or will be made for adequate rates which will not preclude a grantee from achieving a positive net present value on its investment in the City over the term of the franchise and will allow a grantee a fair rate of return on its total investment (including the investment required to provide the additional channels and/or the "state-of-the-art" technology or upgraded facilities), and (3) the additional channel capacity and/or "state-of-the-art" technology or upgraded facilities will not result in economic waste for the grantee, the Council may order the grantee to provide a specified number of additional channels and/or specified "state-of-the-art" technology or upgraded facilities. In considering the economic feasibility of required cable system improvements, the City may consider whether to extend the term of the franchise to permit the recovery of the costs of the improvements as set forth in (2) above. Any proposed extension of franchise shall be treated procedurally in accordance with the procedure for franchise renewal.
H. 
Franchise fees.
(1) 
Grantee to pay City 5% of gross revenue as a franchise fee. For the reason that the streets and other public rights-of-way which are used by the grantee in the operation of its cable system within the boundaries of the City are valuable public properties acquired and maintained by the City at great expense to its taxpayers, and that the grant to the grantee to the use of said streets is a valuable property right without which the grantee would be required to invest substantial capital in right-of-way costs and acquisitions, and because the City will incur costs in regulating and administering the franchise, the grantee shall pay to the City an amount equal to 5% of the grantee's gross revenue (as defined in definition § 190-41).
(2) 
Franchise fee to be paid annually with statement verifying all collected gross revenues. The franchise fee assessed shall be payable annually to the City. The grantee shall file a complete, accurate, and verified statement of all collected gross revenue within the City during the period for which said annual payment is made, and said payment shall be made to the City Treasurer not later than 60 days after the expiration of the date for which payment is due.
(3) 
The City may examine all grantee records to determine accuracy of amounts payable to City. The City shall have right to audit and to recompute any amounts determined to be payable under this Part 4; provided, however, that such audit shall take place within 36 months following the close of each of the grantee's fiscal years. Any additional amount due to the City as a result of the audit shall be paid within 30 days following written notice to the grantee by the City; said notice shall include a copy of the audit report.
(4) 
Late payment of franchise fee to be charged interest at prime rate plus 2%. In the event that any franchise payment or recomputed amount is not made on or before the applicable dates heretofore specified, and following notice by the City to a grantee, interest shall be charged daily from such date at the annual rate equivalent to the then-existing prime rate of Augusta banking institutions plus 2%.
A. 
Upon award of a franchise pursuant to this Part 4, a grantee shall agree to be bound by all the terms and conditions contained herein. A grantee shall also agree to provide the cable system and all of the cable services specifically set forth in a franchise agreement.
B. 
In the event of a conflict between the franchise agreement and the provisions of this Part 4, the provisions of this Part 4 shall prevail. Failure to provide services as promised in the grantee's franchise may be deemed a breach of this Part 4 to which the provisions of §§ 190-69 and 190-70 of this Part 4 shall apply.
A. 
"Transfer of a franchise" means any transaction in which an ownership or other interest in a grantee or its cable system is transferred from one person or group of persons to another person or group of persons so that control of the grantee is transferred, or the rights and/or obligations held by the grantee under a franchise agreement are transferred or assigned to another person or group of persons.
(1) 
A rebuttable presumption that transfer of control has occurred shall arise upon the acquisition or accumulation by any person, or group of persons, of 35% of the voting interest of the grantee or of the person exercising management authority over the grantee. Any purchases or acquisitions of the grantee's stock made by a person other than an officer or director of the grantee over a stock exchange or in the over-the-counter market of which the grantee or any affiliate of the grantee has no control, shall not be subject to the requirements of Subsection C below.
(2) 
A transfer is pro forma when it involves no substantial change in the ultimate ownership or control of the franchise.
B. 
No transfer of a franchise shall occur without prior approval of the City, and such approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. The City Council shall act upon a transfer request no later than 120 days after receiving the information required herein in accordance with the Federal Cable Act of 1992.
C. 
Grantee shall promptly notify the City Clerk in writing of a proposed transfer and shall file with the City Clerk an application for transfer of a franchise. The transfer application shall provide complete information on the proposed transaction, including a copy of the bona fide offer, details on the legal, financial, technical and other qualifications of the proposed transferee, and on the potential impact of the transfer on subscriber rates and service.
D. 
An application for approval of a pro-forma transfer of a franchise shall be considered granted on the 31st calendar day following the filing of such application with the City Clerk unless, prior to that date, the City notifies the grantee to the contrary. An application for approval of a pro-forma transfer of a franchise shall clearly identify the application as such.
E. 
In making a determination on whether to grant an application for transfer of a franchise, the City Council shall consider the legal, financial, technical and other qualifications of the proposed transferee to operate the system; whether the incumbent cable operator is in compliance with its franchise agreement and this Part 4 and, if not, the proposed transferee's commitment and plan to cure such noncompliance; and whether operation by the proposed transferee would adversely affect cable services to subscribers, or otherwise be contrary to the public interest.
F. 
No application for a transfer of a franchise shall be granted unless the transferee agrees in writing that it will abide by and accept all terms of this Part 4 and the franchise agreement, and that it will assume the obligations and liabilities of the previous grantee under this Part 4 and the franchise agreement, and with other conditions as may be prescribed by the City Council.
G. 
Approval by the City of a transfer of a franchise does not constitute a waiver or release of any of the rights of the City under this Part 4 or the franchise agreement, whether arising before or after the date of the transfer.
H. 
In the absence of extraordinary circumstances, the City Council will not approve any transfer or assignment of a franchise within 36 months after initial construction or acquisition of the system.
I. 
The City may impose a processing fee to cover its costs of considering and evaluating an application for transfer of a franchise.
A. 
Indemnification of City in franchise operation. It shall be expressly understood and agreed by and between the City and any cable television operator hereafter that the cable television operator shall save the City and its agents and employees harmless from and against all claims, damages, losses, and expenses, including attorney's fees sustained by the City on account of any suit, judgment, execution, claim or demand whatsoever arising out of but not limited to copyright infringements and all other damages arising out of the installation, operation, maintenance, or reconstruction of the cable television system authorized herein.
B. 
Reimbursement of costs. The cable television operator shall pay and by its acceptance of any franchise agrees that it will pay all expenses incurred by the City defending itself with regard to all damages and penalties mentioned in Subsection A above.
C. 
Public liability insurance. The cable television operator shall maintain and by its acceptance of any franchise agrees that it will maintain throughout the term of the franchise or any renewal or extension thereof a general comprehensive liability insurance policy naming as the additional insured the City, its officers, boards, commissions, agents and employees, in a form satisfactory to the Corporation Counsel, protecting the City and all persons against liability for loss or damage for personal injury, death or property damage occasioned by the operations of the cable television operator under any franchise granted hereinafter, in the amounts of:
(1) 
For bodily injury or death to any one person, within the limit, however, of $1,000,000 for bodily injury or death resulting from any one accident: $500,000;
(2) 
For property damage resulting from any one accident: $250,000; and
(3) 
Workers compensation insurance in compliance with all workers compensation insurance and safety laws of the State of Maine, and amendments thereto.
D. 
Notice of cancellation or reduction of coverage. The insurance policies mentioned above shall state that the policies are extended to cover the liability assumed by the cable television operator under the terms of any franchise agreement and shall contain the following endorsement:
"It is hereby understood and agreed that this policy may not be cancelled nor the amount of coverage thereof reduced until 30 days after receipt by the City Clerk, by registered mail, of written notice of such intent to cancel or reduce the coverage."
E. 
Evidence of insurance filed with the City. All policies of insurance or certified copies thereof and written evidence of payment of required premiums shall be filed and maintained with the City Clerk during the term of this franchise or any renewal thereof.
F. 
No waiver of performance bond or letter of credit. Neither the provisions of this Part 4 nor any insurance accepted by the City pursuant hereto, nor any damages recovered by the City thereafter, shall be construed to excuse faithful performance by the cable television operator or limit the liability of the cable television operator under this Part 4 or any franchise granted pursuant hereto, or for damages, either to the full amount of the bond, letter of credit, or otherwise.
G. 
Performance bond.
(1) 
Grantee may be required to obtain a performance bond in an amount established in the franchise agreement.
(a) 
Within 30 days after the award or renewal of a franchise, a grantee may be required to obtain and maintain throughout the period of system construction or reconstruction, at its cost and expense, and file with the City Clerk, a corporate surety bond in a company authorized to do business in the State of Maine and found acceptable by the Corporation Counsel an amount established in a franchise agreement to guarantee the timely construction and/or reconstruction and full activation of the cable system and the safeguarding of damage to private property and restoration of damages incurred with utilities.
(b) 
The bond shall provide, but not be limited to, the following condition: There shall be recoverable by the City, jointly and severally from the principal and surety, any and all damages, loss or costs suffered by the City resulting from the failure of a grantee to satisfactorily complete and fully activate and the cable system throughout the franchise area pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Part 4 and the franchise agreement.
(2) 
Extension of construction time limit must receive authorization of City Council. Any extension to the prescribed construction or reconstruction time limit must be authorized by the City Council. Such extension shall be authorized only when the City finds that such extension is necessary and appropriate due to causes beyond the control of a grantee. The performance bond shall be available throughout any such extension period.
(3) 
Bond to be terminated only after City Council finds grantee has satisfactorily completed all work. The performance bond shall be terminated only after the City Council finds that a grantee has satisfactorily completed initial construction and activation or reconstruction of the cable system pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Part 4 and the franchise agreement.
(4) 
Rights with respect to performance bond in addition to all other rights of City. The rights reserved to the City with respect to the performance bond are in addition to all other rights of the City, whether reserved by this Part 4 or authorized by law, and no action, proceeding or exercise of a right with respect to such performance bond shall affect any other rights the City may have.
(5) 
Endorsement required. The performance bond shall contain the following endorsement:
"It is hereby understood and agreed that this bond may not be cancelled by the surety nor the intention not to renew be stated by the surety until 60 days after receipt by the City, by registered mail, of written notice of such intent to cancel or not to renew."
A. 
Map and detailed plan to be provided. A grantee shall submit a construction or reconstruction plan not less than 90 days prior to the date the grantee intends to commence construction or reconstruction, and that plan shall be incorporated by reference and made a part of a franchise agreement. The plan shall include cable system design details, equipment specifications, and design performance criteria. The plan shall also include a map of the entire franchise area and shall clearly delineate the following:
(1) 
Areas within the franchise area where the cable system will be available to subscribers, including a time schedule of construction or reconstruction for each year that construction or reconstruction is proposed; and
(2) 
Areas within the franchise area where extension of the cable system cannot reasonably be done due to lack of present or planned development or other similar reasons, with the areas and the reasons for not serving them clearly identified on the map.
B. 
Delay in system construction or reconstruction requires consent by City Council. Any delay in the cable system construction or reconstruction beyond the times specified in the plan timetable shall require application to and consent by the City Council. Any delay beyond the terms of the construction timetable, unless approved by the City Council, will be considered a violation of the franchise for which the provisions of §§ 190-61G and 190-70 shall apply. However, nothing in this section shall prevent a grantee from constructing or reconstructing the cable system earlier than planned.
C. 
Failure to proceed with construction and/or reconstruction expeditiously is grounds for revocation and/or liquidated damages. Construction or reconstruction in accordance with the plan submitted by a grantee shall occur according to the time schedule and shall commence as soon after the effective date of the franchise as is reasonably possible. Failure to proceed expeditiously shall be grounds for liquidated damages and/or revocation of the franchise.
D. 
Line extension policy. Extension of a cable system into any area not specifically treated in the plan shall nonetheless be required to be accomplished within 90 days if the terms of any of the following conditions are met and unless circumstances beyond the grantee's control require extension of the City Council of the ninety-day provision:
(1) 
Mandatory extension rule. The grantee shall be required to extend energized cable from any existing activated lines of the cable system to any area immediately adjacent thereto within the grantee's service area, including residential, commercial, and industrial property having a density of at least 15 potential subscriber units per mile as measured in linear trench or aerial strand footage from the nearest technically feasible point on the system. The extension shall be paid for by the grantee and not charged to subscribers.
(2) 
Early extension. In areas not meeting the requirements for mandatory extension of cable service, a grantee shall provide, upon the request of one or more potential subscribers desiring cable service, an estimate of the costs for time and materials required to extend cable service to said subscribers. A grantee shall then extend cable service upon request of said potential subscribes upon payment of cost for time and materials. A grantee may require advance payment or assurance of payment satisfactory to the grantee. The amount paid by subscribers for early extension shall be nonrefundable, and in the event the area subsequently reaches the density required for mandatory extension, such payment shall be treated as consideration for early extension.
(3) 
Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent a grantee from serving areas not covered under this section upon agreement with developers, property owners or residents.
E. 
Service drops.
(1) 
Grantee shall make service available to any subscriber within the City upon a request and at the standard connection charge if the connection requires no more than a three-hundred-foot aerial or underground drop measured from the nearest point of a subscriber's home or place of business to the nearest active tap on the cable system, whether or not street cutting or boring is required and shall include one outlet, and standard materials, and shall not involve a wall fish installation.
(2) 
If making service available requires more than a standard drop (such as a wall fish installation), a grantee may charge the subscriber:
(a) 
The standard connection charge; and
(b) 
An amount equal to the reasonable actual labor and material costs incurred by the grantee for the additional facilities and work.
(3) 
Absent a showing by the grantee to the City Manager of unusual circumstances (such as but not limited to street crossings), any standard drop shall be accomplished within seven working days of subscriber's request; a nonstandard drop shall be accomplished within 15 working days of a subscriber's request.
F. 
Aerial and underground drops in excess of 300 feet are not to exceed actual installation costs. With respect to requests for connection requiring an aerial or underground drop line in excess of 300 feet, a grantee must extend and make available cable service to such subscribers at a connection fee not to exceed the actual installation costs incurred by the grantee for the distance exceeding 300 feet.
G. 
System construction and operation to be consistent with City requirements; City to observe annual proof-of-performance tests; City may conduct independent tests at cost of the grantee. A grantee shall construct, install, operate and maintain its system in a manner such that it operates at all times consistent with all laws, ordinances, and construction standards of the City; NCTA Recommended Practices for Measurements on Cable Television Systems, Second Edition, November 1989, as amended from time to time; the rules and regulations of the Federal Communications Commission; and detailed standards submitted by the grantee as part of its application, which standards shall be incorporated by reference in the franchise agreement. In addition, a grantee shall provide the City, upon request, with the opportunity to observe the conduct of, and receive a written report of the results of, the grantee's annual proof-of-performance tests. The City may at any time conduct independent measurements of the system. A grantee shall pay the costs incurred by the City for any technical assistance deemed reasonably necessary by the City for obtaining independent verification of technical compliance with all standards, when independent test results indicate noncompliance with any technical standards.
H. 
Additional specifications for standby power, national, state and local code requirements. A grantee shall construct, install and maintain the cable system in an orderly and professional manner, using due diligence and materials of good and durable quality. All cables and wires shall be installed, where possible, parallel with and in the same manner as electric and telephone lines. Multiple cable configurations shall be arranged in parallel and bundled with due respect for engineering considerations. Underground installations shall be in conformance with all applicable codes.
(1) 
A grantee shall maintain equipment capable of providing standby power to be engaged automatically in the event of a power failure for 24 hours at all headend, tower, and HVAC systems and for a minimum of two hours at all trunk and distribution amplifiers, or fiber optic node.
(2) 
A grantee shall at all times comply with applicable sections of the following, all as from time to time amended and revised, and all other applicable rules and regulations now in effect or hereinafter adopted by the City:
(a) 
National Electrical Safety Code (ANSI), most recently adopted;
(b) 
National Electrical Code (National Bureau of Fire Underwriters);
(c) 
NCTA Recommended Practices for Measurements on Cable Television Systems, Second Edition, November 1989, as amended; and
(d) 
The rules and regulations of the Federal Communications Commission.
(3) 
In any event, the grantee shall not endanger or interfere with the safety of persons or property in the franchise area or other areas where a grantee may have equipment located.
I. 
Access to grantee's trenches by other utilities. During cable system construction or rebuilding, the grantee shall allow other entities, as determined by the municipal officers, to put other compatible facilities in their trenches while they are open.
J. 
If the City determines any part of the facilities are harmful to the health and safety of any person, the grantee shall promptly correct all such conditions. If, at any time, it is determined by the City or any other agency or authority of competent jurisdiction that any part of the system facilities is endangering the public, including without limitation missing vault or pedestal covers, temporary drop cables that cross walkways, driveways or other areas, and low cables, riser problems and other violations of local or state codes and laws that are harmful to the health or safety of any person, then a grantee shall correct all such conditions, at its own costs and expense, immediately within 24 hours of receipt of notice from the City or any other agency or authority of competent jurisdiction. Until such conditions are corrected, the grantee shall post suitable warnings to ensure that the health and safety of persons possibly affected is ensured.
K. 
Grantee to maintain system in conformance with FCC radiation rules. A grantee shall construct, operate and maintain the system in conformance with FCC signal leakage requirements, 47 CFR 76, Subpart K, to prevent interference with the transmission or reception of over-the-air broadcast signals by television receivers. A grantee shall not interfere with the ability of any subscriber to utilize his/her television receiver for any lawful purpose. The connection of any cable input selector device or any converter to a subscriber's terminal shall not be considered as interference with the subscriber's ability to utilize his/her television receiver.
L. 
Grantee to take all necessary steps to prevent accidents. A grantee shall, at its own cost and expense, take all necessary efforts to prevent accidents at its work sites, including the placing and maintenance of proper guards, fences, barricades, and security personnel and, at night, suitable and sufficient lighting.
M. 
Notice of cable construction/repair to subscribers. A grantee shall notify residents on affected streets of pending construction or major repairs, including any which require street or sidewalk trenching, at least 48 hours prior to commencement of such work. Notification shall be by leaving an appropriate notice at the residence (i.e., door hanger notice) and by mail. In the event of a system extension or rebuild, possibly affecting general system reception, a grantee shall notify all of its subscribers by mail, stating the scope and duration of the proposed extension or rebuild and its impacts at least 14 days prior to commencement of such work, with a follow-up door hanger notice also being placed at subscribers' residences no later than 48 hours prior to commencement of the extension or rebuild work.
A. 
All grantee's facilities to be installed only at locations approved by the Director of City Services. Any poles, wires, cable lines, conduits or other properties of a grantee to be constructed or installed in streets shall be so constructed or installed only at such locations and in such manner as shall be approved in writing by the City of Augusta Director of City Services in the exercise of his/her reasonable discretion.
B. 
During construction, reconstruction or maintenance of the system, a grantee shall not obstruct public ways without prior consent of authorities. In connection with the construction, reconstruction, operation, maintenance, repair, or removal of the system, a grantee shall give due regard to the aesthetics of the franchise areas and shall not obstruct the public ways, streets, railways, passenger travel, or other traffic to, from or within the City, without prior consent of the appropriate authorities. In addition:
(1) 
All transmission and distribution structures, lines, and equipment erected by a grantee within the City shall be so located as to cause minimum interference with the rights and reasonable convenience of property owners who adjoin any streets or public ways.
(2) 
In case of any disturbance to any public way, street, easement, paved area or other property, a grantee, at its own cost and expense and in a manner and time period approved by the City, shall replace and restore such public way, street, easement, paved area or other property in as good a condition as before the work involving such disturbance was done.
C. 
Permits required to be obtained prior to any physical work being performed in City's streets. A grantee or its authorized contractors must obtain permits from the Director of City Services, or designee, prior to any physical work being performed in the City's streets or on City-owned property. Permits will be issued to a grantee or its contractors only on approved plans by approved contractors, which plans must be submitted on or before the request for the construction permit. All work will be done in accordance with the City's specifications and must comply with all applicable City construction codes and procedures.
D. 
Grantee to prepare detailed maps of entire system prior to issuance of permit for construction or reconstruction; maps to be filed with affected utility companies. A grantee shall cause detailed maps of the entire cable system, showing materials of construction, amplifier, and power supply locations, to be filed in the office of the Director of City Services prior to the issuance of a permit for construction or reconstruction. Prior to requesting the issuance of a permit for the installation of any facility or apparatus in accordance with the provisions of this section, a grantee shall file such maps with all utility companies and public agencies whose facilities are affected by such installation.
E. 
Upon undergrounding of utility lines, a grantee shall concurrently place lines underground in conduits at depth approved by Director of City Services. All facilities of a grantee in any public street or in any public or private easement, and cable service lines to subscribers off the main lines, shall be located underground at such depths and locations as shall be approved by the Director of City Services, except, with respect to such cable service lines, where the grantee uses existing poles with permission from their owner, and where and so long as electric and telephone lines to the subscribers are overhead. Upon the undergrounding of the utility lines of the owner using said poles, a grantee shall concurrently (or earlier) place its facilities underground at depths and locations approved by the Director of City Services. A grantee shall comply with City ordinances regarding street openings and shall comply with Underground Protection of Facilities Act (23 M.R.S.A. § 3360-A).
F. 
Grantee may be required to move its facilities to accommodate changes in public improvements. A grantee shall from time to time protect, support, temporarily dislocate, or temporarily or permanently, as may be required, remove or relocate, without expense to the City or any other governmental entity, any facilities installed, used, or maintained under a franchise, if and when made necessary by any lawful change of grade, alignment, or width of any public street by the City or any other governmental entity, or made necessary by any other public improvement or alteration in, under, on, upon or about any public street or other public property, whether such public improvement or alteration is at the instance of the City or another governmental entity, and whether such improvement or alteration is for a governmental or proprietary function, or made necessary by traffic conditions, public safety, street vacation or any other public project or purpose of the City or any other governmental entity. The decision of the Director of City Services under this section, absent review by the City Council, shall be final and binding on a grantee.
G. 
Grantee shall obtain prior approval before altering any municipal facility; alterations to be at cost of the grantee. In connection with the construction, operation, maintenance, repair, or removal of the system, a grantee shall, at its own cost and expense, protect any and all existing structures belonging to the City. A grantee shall obtain the prior approval of the City, the Augusta Water District and the Augusta Sanitary District before altering any water main, sewage or drainage system, or any other municipal structure in any public way or street, because of the presence of the system in the public ways or streets. Any such alteration shall be made by a grantee, at its sole cost and expense, and in a manner reasonably prescribed by the City, the Augusta Water District and the Augusta Sanitary District. A grantee shall also be liable, at its own cost and expense, to replace or repair and restore to as close to its prior condition as is reasonably possible and in a manner reasonably specified by the City, any public way, street or any municipal structure involved in the construction of the system that may become disturbed or damaged as a result of any work thereon by or on behalf of the grantee pursuant to a franchise agreement.
H. 
Grantee shall temporarily move its wires to permit moving of buildings. A grantee shall, at the request of any person holding a moving permit issued by the City, temporarily raise or lower its wires to permit the moving of buildings. The expense of such temporary removal or raising or lowering of wires shall be paid to the grantee by the person requesting the same, and the grantee shall have the authority to require such payment in advance. A grantee shall be given not less than 48 hours' notice to arrange for such temporary wire changes.
I. 
Grantee shall repair and restore damage to City facilities and shall maintain restoration. In the event that a grantee, during construction, installation, inspection or repair of its facilities, causes damage to pavement, sidewalks, driveways, landscaping or other property, the grantee or the authorized agent shall, at its own expense and in a manner approved by the City, replace and restore such places to the same condition which existed before said work was commenced. The grantee shall further continue to maintain all such restoration in the condition approved by the City.
J. 
Failure by grantee to complete required work in any street can result in City causing work to be done at expense of grantee. Upon failure of the grantee to complete any work required by law, or by the provisions of a franchise, to be done in any street or other public place, within 10 days following due notice and to the satisfaction of the Director of City Services, the City may, at its option, cause such work to be done, and a grantee shall pay to the City the cost thereof in the itemized amounts reported by the Director of City Services to the grantee within 10 days after receipt of such itemized report; or, at the City's option, the City may demand of the grantee the estimated cost of such work as estimated by the Director of City Services, and such shall be paid by the grantee to the City within 10 days of such demand; upon award of any contract or contracts for such work, the grantee shall pay to the City, within 10 days of demand, any additional amount necessary to provide for the cost of such work. Upon completion of such work, the grantee shall pay to the City or the City shall refund to the grantee such sums so that the total received and retained by City shall equal the cost of such work. "Cost," as used herein, shall include 15% of other costs for the City's overhead.
K. 
City may remove grantee's facilities as may be required during emergencies. The City reserves the right to remove any portion of a grantee's equipment and facilities as may be required in any emergency as determined by the City without liability for interruption of cable service, and the City shall not be obligated to restore cable service or to pay the costs of expenses of restoring cable service.
L. 
Grantee shall remove system from any public street following termination or expiration of franchise. In the event that the use of a part of the cable system is discontinued for any reason for a continuous period of 12 months, or in the event such cable system or property has been installed in any street or public place without complying with the requirements of the franchise, or the franchise has been terminated, canceled or has expired without renewal, a grantee shall promptly, at its own expense, and upon being given 10 days' notice from the Director of City Services, remove from the streets or public places all such property and poles of such cable system other than any which the Director of City Services may permit to be abandoned in place. In the event of such removal, a grantee shall promptly restore the street or other area from which such property has been removed to a condition satisfactory to the Director of City Services.
M. 
Grantee's property may be considered abandoned 30 days after termination or expiration of franchise. Any property of a grantee remaining in place 30 days after the termination or expiration of a franchise shall be, at the option of the City Council, considered permanently abandoned. The Director of City Services may extend such time not to exceed an additional 30 days.
N. 
Abandonment in place shall be done at the direction of the Director of City Services; ownership of property shall be transferred to City. Any property of a grantee permitted to be abandoned in place shall be abandoned in such a manner as the Director of City Services shall prescribe. Upon permanent abandonment of the property of a grantee in place, the grantee shall submit to the City an instrument in writing, to be approved by the Corporation Counsel, transferring to the City the ownership of such property. If such an instrument is not received within 30 days of the abandonment, the property shall automatically become that of the City.
A. 
Type and scope of system. A grantee shall install and maintain the system as proposed and agreed upon in the franchise agreement.
B. 
Access channels.
(1) 
A grantee shall provide and maintain the number and type of access channels as are set forth in the franchise agreement.
(2) 
Formula that triggers additional access channels. If any access channel is being utilized more than 10 hours per day, five days a week, between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. for 12 consecutive weeks, a grantee shall, upon receipt of written notice from City, make an additional new channel available for the same purpose(s) within 120 days; provided, however, that nothing in this subsection shall require a grantee to construct additional channel capacity to the cable system for the sole purpose of providing additional access channel capacity, nor shall the grantee be required to make such new channel available if such utilization of an existing government, education or community channel consists of more than 10% character-generated programming during any such consecutive twelve-week period. Such requirement(s) may be met by making available, on a part-time basis, one or more other underutilized channels, or on a full- or part-time basis one or more other unused access channels until such time as such underutilized or unused access channels are needed for the uses to which they have been dedicated.
(3) 
Underutilized access channels to be used by others under rules established by City. Whenever any access channel is utilized fewer than four hours per day for six days per week for a continuous period of not less than 12 consecutive weeks, the City may permit different or additional "interim" uses for said channel. The grantee, among others, may be permitted to utilize unused access channel capacity under rules and procedures established by the City; however, no access capacity shall be utilized by the grantee until all other channel capacity on the cable system has been programmed.
(4) 
Restoration of access channels if demand increases. Access channels permitted by the City for "interim" use by a grantee are to be restored to government, education or community use whenever the criteria in Subsection B(2) of this section are exceeded for any one of the existing access channel uses or whenever there is significant, unsatisfied and documented demand for use of access channel capacity.
C. 
Supervision and regulation of franchises. The City Manager may do all things necessary and proper to supervise, inspect, and regulate the construction and operation of cable television systems franchised under this Part 4 and implement complaint procedures.
D. 
Grantee to maintain an office or service center in City limits. A grantee shall maintain a business office or service center within the City limits, which shall be open during the business hours stated in a franchise agreement, and shall maintain a publicly listed telephone number with a toll-free number and sufficient lines which shall be so operated and staffed to respond to customers in at least the following ways: to accept payments and resolve billing difficulties; to give out and exchange or accept return converters; to schedule and conduct service or technician calls; to answer subscriber inquiries; and to resolve complaints. Subscribers shall be promptly notified of any change of address of such office or of telephone number(s). The grantee shall also prepare a promotional notice to familiarize residents with the location of said office, the services available, and complaint procedures. This notice is to be given to each new subscriber upon installation of service and is to be distributed at least once per year to all subscribers.
E. 
Repair and maintenance crew to be maintained that is capable of responding to subscriber complaints. The grantee shall maintain sufficient repair and maintenance crews capable of responding to subscriber complaints or requests for service in accordance with subscriber service standards described in § 190-65.
F. 
Outage log to be maintained showing details of service failures.
(1) 
A grantee shall maintain an outage log showing the date, approximate time, location, duration, number of subscribers affected, type and probable cause of all headend, trunk, or distribution line service failures due to causes other than routine testing or maintenance at reasonable times. A copy of such log showing the "availability criteria" (below) shall be filed with the City Manager on a quarterly basis and shall be retained by a grantee for a period of three years.
(2) 
The grantee will design, procure, install and maintain its equipment with the objective of meeting a monthly system availability criteria of 99.5% measured as follows, excluding outages resulting from circumstances outside the grantee's control such as severe weather, earthquakes, fires, or downed lines resulting from an accident, etc.:
100-0.5
Power On - Outage Time
100
Power On
G. 
Planned service interruption. The need for periodic system service interruption by the grantee to perform preventive maintenance, system expansion, and system design upgrading is hereby acknowledged. All such interruptions shall be planned during station break or minimum viewing hours. The grantee shall be sensitive to newsworthy events of general public interest and modify such outage plans to allow maximum customer reception of the news of these events. In the event of lengthy service interruption, the grantee shall provide 10 days' prior notice broadcast over the system and by mail.
H. 
City can require testing of system and report on system performance. When there have been repeated complaints made or when there exists other evidence which, in the judgment of the City Manager, casts doubt on the reliability or quality of cable service, the City Council shall have the right and authority to compel a grantee to test, analyze, and report on the performance of the cable system. Such report shall be delivered to the City Manager no later than 14 days after the City Manager formally notifies the grantee and shall include the following information:
(1) 
The nature of the complaints which precipitated the special test(s).
(2) 
Which cable system component(s) was (were) tested, the equipment used, and procedure(s) employed in said testing.
(3) 
The results of such test(s); and the method(s) in which said complaints were resolved.
I. 
Required tests may be done by independent professional engineer at cost of grantee. The City Council may require that tests and analyses shall be supervised by a qualified engineer selected by the City who is not on the permanent staff of a grantee. If the tests indicate nonconformance with any technical standards, said tests shall be paid for by the grantee within 20 days after the City submits the engineer's invoice. The aforesaid engineer shall sign all records of the special tests and forward to the City Manager such records with a report interpreting the results of the tests and recommending actions to be taken by the grantee and the City.
J. 
Performance evaluation sessions to be held every three years. The City and each grantee shall hold scheduled performance evaluation sessions every three years from the effective date of a franchise and as may be required by federal and state law.
K. 
Written report required of grantee; details outlined. Ninety days prior to each performance evaluation session, the grantee shall submit to the City Council, or such other entity as may be formed by the City, a written report, in reasonable detail, covering the significant events related to the grantee's performance or nonperformance of the terms and conditions of its franchise agreement during the period from the submission of the last such report. Such reports shall, if applicable, cover significant events, including but not limited to those events related to the following topics:
(1) 
Compliance with, and any modification necessary with respect to, the financial commitments required under the franchise agreement;
(2) 
Compliance with requirements regarding system characteristics and technical performance and testing requirements;
(3) 
Compliance with construction terms, standards, and schedules;
(4) 
A description of the changes made or contemplated to the mix, level and quality of programming in the Board categories of video programming or other services on the system; nothing in this subsection, however, shall imply any City regulatory authority or power of censorship over the content of programming on the grantee's channels, the community and educational access channels or the leased channels;
(5) 
The status of the state-of-the-art communications facility technology;
(6) 
Compliance with and any modification necessary with respect to the grantee's privacy protection policies;
(7) 
A summary of all significant service interruptions;
(8) 
A summary of all significant and representative subscriber and user complaints and the action taken by the grantee in response thereto;
(9) 
A summary of relevant developments in the law and regulatory constraints; and
(10) 
Other events which the grantor or grantee may find significant.
L. 
City may request additional information and clarification to determine franchise compliance. Within 60 days after receipt of the grantee's report, the City may request additional reasonable and appropriate information on specified topics, which the grantee shall supply within 60 days of such request. The City may review the grantee's performance to determine whether the grantee has complied with the terms and conditions of the franchise agreement and shall, following completion of any such review, keep the grantee's report on file. Nothing in this section shall affect the City's remedies provided elsewhere in this Part 4.
M. 
Special evaluation session possible at any time. Special evaluation sessions may be held at any time during the term of a franchise at the request of the City or the grantee for specific issues.
N. 
Public notification of sessions. All evaluation sessions shall be open to the public and announced in a newspaper of general circulation in accordance with legal notice at least 10 days preceding each session. A grantee shall notify its subscribers of all evaluation sessions by:
(1) 
A mailing directly to all subscriber households and units at least 10 days preceding each session; and
(2) 
By announcement on at least two channels (within channels 2 through 12) of its system between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., for five consecutive days preceding each session.
O. 
Discussion topics listed. Topics which may be discussed at any scheduled or special evaluation session may include, but not be limited to, service rate structures; franchise fees; liquidated damages; free or discounted services; application of new technologies; system performance; services provided; access; programming offered; subscriber complaints; privacy; judicial and FCC rulings; line extension policies; and grantee or City rules.
P. 
City may issue report on adequacy of system performance and require improvements where necessary. Within 60 days after the conclusion of any evaluation session (including the clarification period described), the City may prepare a report with respect to the adequacy of system performance and quality of service. If inadequacies are found which result in a violation of any of the material provisions of this Part 4 or a franchise agreement, the grantee shall have a minimum of 30 days to respond and propose a plan for implementing any improvement or correction.
Customer service standards shall be detailed in the franchise agreement and shall conform to the standards established by the Federal Communications Commission that resulted from the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992 adopted by Congress.
A. 
Annual financial reports required.
(1) 
At the request of the municipal officers or their designee, the cable television operator shall file annually with the City the following, not later than three months after the end of its fiscal year during which a franchise was accepted and within three months after the end of each subsequent fiscal year; two copies of such reports shall be kept confidential to the extent they contain proprietary information:
(a) 
An audited financial statement applicable to the cable system serving the City, including a detailed income and expense statement applicable to its operation during the preceding twelve-month period, a balance sheet and a statement of its properties devoted to the cable system operation, by categories, giving its investment in such properties on the basis of original cost, less applicable depreciation; and
(b) 
An operational report including the following information, specific to the City: number of homes passed, number of cable plant miles, number of subscribers for each type of cable service offered, penetration rates, and the gross revenue from each revenue source attributable to the operations of the grantee from within the City.
(2) 
These reports shall be certified as being correct by a responsible officer of the company, and there shall be submitted along with them such other reasonable information as the City shall request.
B. 
Quarterly reports on system performance required. At the request of the municipal officers or their designee, a grantee shall submit to the City, on a quarterly basis, within 30 days following March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31 of each year, throughout the term of an agreement, a reasonable, statistical summary of the operations of the system. Such information shall include, but not be limited to: the number of dwelling units passed; the number of basic service subscribers; penetration rates for basic and enhanced service; the number of cable plant miles in construction or completed; a summary of subscriber complaints by type of complaint, showing compliance data, a summary of system outages and "down time," telephone call response time, and delayed and abandoned calls; and a service call summary in compliance with service standards.
C. 
Grantee shall annually file, prior to March 31, current maps showing location of equipment installed. The grantee shall file with the Director of City Services, on or before the last day in March of each year, updated as-built current maps or sets of maps drawn to scale, showing all cable system equipment installed and in place in streets, public rights-of-way and other public places of the City.
D. 
Reports required of compliance and enforcement of customer service standards. A grantee shall report to the City on a quarterly basis regarding its compliance with customer service standards. A report form shall be developed in consultation between the City Manager and a grantee that will provide the detail necessary to monitor grantee's compliance with these standards. Upon breach of a grantee's service standards and failure of a grantee to remedy such breach upon 10 days' prior written notice from the City, the City may invoke the liquidated damages provision of the franchise agreement without prejudice to any other remedy otherwise available to the City. A grantee shall comply with all procedures established by the City and the grantee regarding the handling of all complaints received directly by the City from City residents regarding cable television services.
E. 
Ownership reports required. The cable television operator shall file with the City, not later than three months after the end of each subsequent fiscal year during which a franchise was accepted and within three months after the end of each subsequent fiscal year, two copies of the following supplemental information:
(1) 
If a nonprofit corporation, a list of all current directors or trustees of record. If a public corporation, a list of all shareholders who individually or as a concerted group hold 10% or more of the voting stock of the corporation;
(2) 
A current list of all the cable television operator's officers and directors, including addresses;
(3) 
Copies of all pertinent agreement or contracts, including pole-use agreements, entered into by the cable television operator during the fiscal year in the conduct of its business under a franchise granted;
(4) 
The names and both business and residential addresses and phone numbers of the cable television system resident manager and engineer; and
(5) 
If the cable television operator is a subsidiary, a copy of the annual report of the parent firm.
F. 
Public availability of reports. Such reports as required under this Part 4 must be available to the public in the office of the City Clerk during normal business hours.
G. 
Correspondence. The cable television operator shall simultaneously file with the City Clerk a copy of each petition, application, report and communication transmitted by the cable television operator to, or received by the cable television operator from, any federal, state or other regulatory commissions, agencies or courts having competent jurisdiction to regulate and pertaining to the operations of any cable television system authorized hereafter.
H. 
City's access to records. The City shall have access during all normal business hours, and upon the giving of reasonable notice, to all records required to maintained according to the franchise. Records of subscriber lists and statistical data shall be made available to the City, if not prohibited by federal law, but only upon a showing to the cable television operator by the City that such records are material to the City's regulatory program.
[Amended 5-16-1994 by Ord. No. 493]
A. 
City reserves right to regulate rates. To the extent provided by federal, state and court-adopted law, the City reserves the right to regulate and may regulate a grantee's rates for cable service to the fullest extent permitted by law.
B. 
Current rate schedule to be filed with City; 30 days' notice required prior to rate change. A grantee, for information purposes, and for the City to ensure nondiscrimination, shall provide the City with a complete schedule of all current basic service and enhanced service rates and charges, including pay TV and pay-per-view rates and charges, and shall give 30 days' prior notice from the date of mailing to the City and to all affected subscribers of any pricing changes or additional charges, excluding temporary marketing and sales discounts or offers. Forty-five days before any price changes or additional charges are to take effect, a grantee shall provide the City with a copy of the proposed notification for subscribers so that the City may review the notice's text for accuracy.
C. 
No charges to be made to subscriber for repair of equipment or service disconnection. A grantee shall not, except to the extent expressly permitted by law, impose any fee or charge on any subscriber for:
(1) 
Any service call to said subscriber's premises to perform any repair or maintenance work related to grantee-owned equipment necessary to receive service, except any such work which was necessitated by a negligent or wrongful act of said subscriber; or
(2) 
The disconnection of any services to a subscriber, provided that a grantee may impose appropriate charges if, at the time of disconnection, some or all of the grantee's equipment is not returned to the grantee or the subscriber has not paid all outstanding fees and charges due to the grantee.
D. 
Grantee to furnish service to each person in franchise area making request for service. A grantee shall furnish and maintain services to each person within the franchise area who makes a bona fide request to receive any service that is based upon the requirements of this Part 4. Nothing in a franchise agreement shall limit the right of the grantee to deny service to any household or individual which has a negative credit or service history with the grantee, which may include nonpayment of bills or theft or damage to the grantee's equipment, or who has threatened or assaulted employees of the grantee in the course of their employment. When service is denied, the grantee will give written notice to the subscriber of his/her right to appeal to the City the grantee's decision to deny service, and of the City's right to reverse the grantee's decision in instances where the grantee has acted unreasonably.
E. 
Basic service charges must be applied on nondiscriminatory basis. All charges for basic service must be applied on a nondiscriminatory basis. A grantee may, however, conduct promotional campaigns in which rates are discounted or waived, and may offer bulk rate discounts for multiple-unit dwellings, hotels, motels, and similar institutions.
The franchise renewal process of the City of Augusta shall be in accordance with § 626 (47 U.S.C. § 546) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and with all other applicable state and federal laws.
A. 
Grantee required to file an irrevocable letter of credit. Within 30 days after the effective date of a franchise, a grantee shall deposit with the City an irrevocable letter of credit in the amount set forth in the franchise agreement and issued by a local federally insured commercial lending institution that has been approved by the City. The form and substance of said letter of credit shall be subject to the approval of the Corporation Counsel. The letter of credit shall be used to assure: the faithful performance by the grantee of all provisions of the franchise agreement and the cable ordinance; compliance with all orders, permits and directions of any agency, commission, board, department, division or office of the City having jurisdiction over the grantee's acts or defaults under a cable television franchise and the cable ordinance; and the payment by the grantee of any penalties, liquidated damages, claims, liens, franchise fees, taxes or other fees due to the City which arise by reason of the construction, operation or maintenance of the cable system, including cost of removal or abandonment of any property of the grantee.
B. 
Letter of credit may be drawn upon by City Manager after following specified procedure that assures due process to grantee. The letter of credit may be drawn upon by the City by presentation of a draft to the lending institution, accompanied by a written certificate signed by the City Manager certifying that the grantee has failed to comply with the franchise agreement and/or this cable ordinance, stating the nature of the noncompliance, and stating the amount being drawn.
(1) 
Examples of the nature of the noncompliance for drawing upon the letter of credit include, but are not limited to, the following:
(a) 
Failure of the grantee to pay to the City any franchise fees, taxes, liens or other fees after 10 days' written notice of delinquency.
(b) 
Failure of the grantee to pay to the City, after 10 days' written notice, any amounts due and owing the City by reason of the indemnity provisions of § 190-61.
(c) 
Failure of the grantee to pay to the City any liquidated damages due and owing to the City pursuant to a franchise agreement.
(d) 
Failure to make any payment required by an agreement within the time fixed therein.
(e) 
Failure to pay to the City, within 10 working days after receipt of written notice from the City, any damages, claims, costs or expenses which the City has been compelled to pay or incur by the reason of any material act or default by the grantee.
(f) 
Failure to comply, within 10 working days after receipt of written notice from the City, with any material provisions of an agreement or cable ordinance which the City reasonably determines can be remedied by an expenditure of an amount from the letter or other instrument.
(2) 
In the event of such noncompliance, the City may order the withdrawal of the amount thereof from the letter or other instrument for payment to the City, provided that, prior to each such withdrawal:
(a) 
The grantee shall be afforded an opportunity to cure any of said failures within 30 days after written notice from the City that the withdrawal is to be made; or
(b) 
If such cure cannot be reasonably accomplished within such 30 days, then the grantee shall have a reasonable time to cure, provided that the grantee commences such cure within such 30 days and diligently pursues such cure to completion.
C. 
Letter of credit shall be replenished to original amount following any drawdown. A grantee shall structure the letter of credit in such a manner that if the City at any time draws upon the letter of credit, the amount of available credit shall automatically increase to the extent necessary to replenish that portion of the available credit exhausted by the honoring of the City's draft. The intent of this subsection is to make available to the City at all times a letter of credit in the amount specified in the franchise agreement.
D. 
City's rights with respect to letter of credit are in addition to other rights. The rights reserved to the City with respect to the letter of credit are in addition to all other rights of the City, whether reserved by a franchise agreement or authorized by law, and no action or proceeding against a letter of credit shall affect any other right the City may have.
A. 
Parties shall agree to specific liquidated damages to be paid by grantee for certain delays or nonperformance. Upon preparation and acceptance of a franchise agreement, a grantee shall indicate it understands and agrees with the City that failure to comply with any time and performance requirements as stipulated in the agreement will result in damage to the City, and that it is and will be impracticable to determine the actual amount of such damage in the event of delay or nonperformance; therefore, the parties shall negotiate the type and amount of liquidated damages to be specified in a franchise, but without prejudice to any other remedies available to the parties thereto.
B. 
Procedures established to assure grantee of due process and opportunity to cure problem before damages assessed. If the City Manager, following prior reasonable notice to a grantee to cure any problem that might result in liquidated damages, concludes that a grantee is in fact liable for liquidated damages pursuant to this section, he/she shall issue to the grantee by registered mail a notice of intention to assess liquidated damages. The notice shall set forth the basis of the assessment, and shall inform the grantee that liquidated damages will be assessed from the date of the notice unless the assessment notice is appealed for hearing before the City Council and the City Council rules: (a) that the violation has been corrected, or (b) that an extension of the time or other relief should be granted. If the grantee desires a hearing before the City Council, it shall send a written notice of appeal by certified mail to the City Manager within 10 days of the date on which the City sent the notice of intention to assess liquidated damages. After the hearing, if the City Council sustains in whole or in part the City Manager's assessment of liquidated damages, the City Manager may at any time thereafter draw upon the letter of credit required by § 190-69. Unless the City Council indicates to the contrary, said liquidated damages shall be assessed beginning with the date on which the City sent the notice of intention to assess liquidated damages and continuing thereafter until such time as the violation ceases, as determined by the City Manager.
A. 
Franchise may be terminated for material breach of terms and conditions; examples given. In addition to all other rights and powers retained by the City, the City reserves the right to terminate a franchise and all rights and privileges of the grantee in the event of a material breach of its terms and conditions. Material provisions shall include all labeled as such and all others which, under all the facts and circumstances indicated, are a significant provision of the franchise agreement or this cable ordinance. A material breach by a grantee shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following:
(1) 
Violation of any material provision of the cable ordinance or franchise agreement or any material rule, order, regulation or determination of the City made pursuant to a franchise.
(2) 
Attempt to evade any material provision of the cable ordinance or a franchise or practice any fraud or deceit upon the City or its subscriber or subscribers.
(3) 
Failure to begin or complete cable system construction, reconstruction or cable system extension as provided under a franchise agreement.
(4) 
Failure to provide the broad categories of programming and cable services enumerated in the franchise agreement.
(5) 
Failure to maintain insurance, bonds and letters of credit required by City.
(6) 
Failure to restore cable service after 48 consecutive hours of interrupted cable service, except when there is just cause and when approval of such interruption is obtained from the City.
(7) 
Material misrepresentation of any fact in the application for or negotiation of a franchise.
(8) 
Substantial failure to provide the financial information required by the cable ordinance and/or agreement.
(9) 
Substantial failure to satisfy the requirements regarding system characteristics or repeated failure to meet the technical performance standards specified in an agreement.
(10) 
Abandonment of the system, in whole or in material part, without the prior written consent of the City.
(11) 
Substantial and repeated failure to comply with the leased access requirements of § 612 (47 U.S.C. § 532), Title VI, of the Communications Act of 1934.
(12) 
Substantial failure to supply the access channels and other support and any related services, equipment and facilities as required in an agreement.
(13) 
Repeated imposition of any fee, charge, deposit, or associated term or condition for any service which is not consistent with the provisions of an agreement, or of which there has repeatedly and unjustifiably been no notification to the City.
(14) 
Substantial and repeated failure to comply with the consumer service standards and requirements set forth in the cable ordinance and agreement.
(15) 
The taking of any material action which requires the approval or consent of the City without having first obtained said approval or consent, as provided in the agreement.
(16) 
Any material written misrepresentation, intentionally made by or on behalf of a grantee in its proposal to obtain a franchise, or in connection with the negotiation or renegotiation of, or any amendment or other modification to, a franchise agreement, to the extent that any such misrepresentation was relied upon by the City.
(17) 
The grantee's becoming insolvent, unable or unwilling to pay its debts, or upon listing of an order for relief in favor of the grantee in a bankruptcy proceeding.
B. 
Violations that occur which are not the fault of grantee shall not constitute a material breach. The foregoing shall not constitute a material breach if the violation occurs but is without fault of a grantee or occurs as result of circumstance beyond its control. A grantee shall not be excused by mere economic hardship nor any misfeasance or malfeasance of its shareholders, partners, directors, officers, or employees.
C. 
Procedures outlined leading to possible termination of franchise. The City may make a written demand that a grantee comply with any provision, rule, order or determination under or pursuant to the cable ordinance or a franchise agreement. If the violation, breach, failure, refusal or neglect by a grantee continues for a period of 30 days following such written demand without written proof that the corrective action has been taken or is being actively and expeditiously pursued, the City may place the issue of termination of a franchise before the City Council. The City shall cause to be serviced upon the grantee, at least 20 days prior to the day of such City Council meeting, a written notice of intent to request such termination and the time and place of the meeting. Public notice shall be given of the meeting and the issue which the City Council is to consider.
D. 
City Council shall hear and consider issues and determine if a violation has occurred. The City Council shall hear and consider the issue and shall hear any person interested therein, and shall determine, at its discretion, whether or not any violation by a grantee has occurred.
E. 
City Council may declare franchise terminated if compliance does not occur within specified period. If the City Council shall determine the violation by a grantee was the fault of the grantee and within its control, the City Council may, by resolution, declare that the franchise of the grantee be terminated, unless there is compliance within such period as the City Council may fix.
A. 
Any franchise granted shall, at the option of City, cease and terminate 120 days after the appointment of a receiver or receivers or trustee or trustees to take over and conduct the business of the grantee whether in a receivership, reorganization, bankruptcy, or other action or proceeding unless such receivership or trusteeship shall have been vacated prior to the expiration of said 120 days, or unless:
(1) 
Such receivers or trustees shall have, within 120 days after their election or appointment, fully complied with all the terms and provisions of this Part 4 and a franchise granted pursuant hereto, and the receivers or trustees, within said 120 days, shall have remedied all defaults under the franchise; and
(2) 
Such receivers or trustees shall have, within 120 days, executed an agreement duly approved by the court having jurisdiction on the premises, whereby such receivers or trustees assume and agree to be bound by each and every term, provision, and limitation of the franchise agreement.
B. 
In the case of a foreclosure or other involuntary sale of the plant, property, and equipment of a grantee, or any part thereof, the City may serve notice of termination upon the grantee and to the purchaser at such sale, in which event the franchise and rights and privileges of the grantee shall cease and terminate 30 days after service of such notice unless:
(1) 
The City has approved the transfer of the franchise, as and in the manner provided in this Part 4; and
(2) 
Such successful purchaser shall have covenanted and agreed with the City to assume and be bound by all the terms and conditions of the franchise agreement.
A. 
Any provision of this Part 4 may be waived, at the sole discretion of the City, by resolution of the City Council.
B. 
A grantee may submit a written request for a waiver to the City Council at any time during the franchise term. Such request for waiver, at the sole discretion of the City Council, may be set for a public hearing, and a decision shall be made within 120 days following the submission. Procedures for the modification of franchise obligations shall be in compliance with § 625 (47 U.S.C. § 545), Title VI, of the Communication Act of 1934.
C. 
The City Council may authorize the economic, technical, or legal evaluation of such waiver request, and the grantee shall be required to reimburse the City for any expenditure incurred by the City in connection with such evaluation.
D. 
This section is enacted solely for the convenience and benefit of the grantor and shall not be construed in such a manner as to create any right or entitlement for the grantee.
Whenever a franchise or contract shall set forth any time for an act to be performed by or on behalf of the grantee, such time shall be deemed to be of the essence, and any failure of the grantee to perform within the time allotted shall always be sufficient grounds for the City to invoke liquidated damages or initiate procedures leading toward the revocation of a franchise.
A. 
Every direction, notice or order by the City to be served upon a grantee shall be delivered or sent by registered mail to the office responsible for the local cable system. Every notice served upon the City shall be delivered or sent by registered mail to the City Clerk, City of Augusta, Maine.
B. 
All provisions of this Part 4 shall apply to a grantee, its successors, and assignees, as may be approved by City Council in accordance with this Part 4.
C. 
The rights granted by this Part 4 are subject to all franchises and permits heretofore or hereafter granted by the Council to use the streets of the City by other public utility or public service corporations. It is not intended by the grant of a franchise to abridge the exercise of the police power heretofore or hereafter granted to the City by the state. The grant of a franchise is subject to all ordinances and resolutions of, or agreements adopted by, the City Council as the same now exist or may be hereafter amended, revised or codified, in the lawful exercise of any other power granted to the City.
D. 
Specific mention of the materiality of any of the provisions herein is not intended to be exclusive of any others for the purpose of determining whether any failure of compliance hereunder is material and substantial.
E. 
If any particular section of this Part 4, or the particular application thereof, shall be held invalid, the remaining provisions, and their application, shall not be affected thereby.
F. 
A grantee, upon its acceptance of a franchise, shall be bound by the provisions of this Part 4, all responses, statements, and all matters agreed upon in a franchise agreement.
G. 
A grantee shall assume the cost of any publications required by law and such is payable upon a grantee's filing of acceptance of a franchise.
H. 
In the event that any provision of the Cable Act of 1984 or 1992 or other statute, law or regulation, which is relied on herein or in any agreement for any definition or requirement, is repealed, then the language of such provision at the time of such repeal shall nevertheless continue to apply for purposes of this Part 4 or any agreement, regardless of such repeal, except as otherwise provided herein or in any agreement or as prohibited by such subsequent repeal or amendment.
I. 
The rights and remedies of the parties pursuant to an agreement are cumulative, except as otherwise provided in an agreement, and shall be in addition to and not in derogation of any other rights or remedies which the parties may have with respect to the subject matter of an agreement. A waiver of any right or remedy by a party at one time shall not affect the exercise of said right or remedy or any other right or other remedy by such party at any other time. The failure of the City to take any action in the event of a material breach by the grantee shall not be construed or otherwise be deemed to constitute a waiver of the right of the City to take such action at any other time in the event that said material breach has not been cured, or with respect to any other material breach by the grantee.
J. 
In the event that, after the effective date of any agreement, any court, agency, commission, legislative body, or other authority of competent jurisdiction: (i) declares an agreement invalid, in whole or in part, or (ii) requires the grantee either to: (a) perform any act which is inconsistent with any provision of an agreement or (b) cease performing any act required by any provision of an agreement, the City shall reasonably determine whether said declaration or requirement has a material and adverse effect on the agreement. When the grantee intends to exercise its rights pursuant to such declaration, the grantee shall so notify the City of said declaration or requirement. If the City determines that said declaration or requirement does have a material and adverse effect on an agreement, the grantee shall then enter into good-faith negotiations with the City to amend the agreement to eliminate any inconsistency or conflict between said declaration or requirement and the provisions of the agreement and to meet the original intent of the parties as the circumstances warrant and unless prohibited by law.
K. 
The headings contained in this Part 4 and any agreement are to facilitate reference only, do not form a part of this Part 4 or an agreement, and shall not in any way affect the construction or interpretation hereof.
This Part 4 shall become effective 30 days from and after its passage (March 7, 1994).
[Added 2-5-1996 by Ord. No. 342; amended 2-20-2007 by Ord. No. 031; 3-19-2007 by Ord. No. 051; 11-15-2012 by Ord. No. 12-172]
A. 
Established. There is hereby established a Strategic Communications Committee, which shall be responsible to the Mayor and Council for overseeing the performance of the City's cable television franchise under the franchise currently in effect, and for the establishment and operation of the education and government channels provided for under that franchise. The Committee shall also advise the Mayor and Council with respect to such other telecommunications issues as wireless and broadband internet access, cable, traditional and cellular telephones, satellite communications, and the various social media such as Facebook and Twitter, as requested of it by the City Council.
B. 
Number and qualifications. The Committee shall consist of seven members, who shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Council, and one of whom shall be a member of the Augusta School Board and one a member of the Council. All members of the Committee shall be residents of the City of Augusta. The Director of Community Services, or designee, and the Augusta Public Schools Business Manager, or designee, shall be ex officio members, without vote. All Committee members shall serve without compensation.
C. 
Terms. Members shall be appointed for three-year terms, with two members appointed each year; and during one year three members shall be appointed to retain the seven-person Committee. Members may serve multiple terms.
D. 
Officers and their terms. The Mayor shall appoint a member to serve as the Committee Chair, with the advice and consent of the Council. The Chair shall preside at all Committee meetings. The term of the Chair shall be coterminous with the term of the Chair as a member. The Chair may resign as Chair without resigning as a member, in which case the Mayor shall promptly nominate another member to serve as Chair. The Committee may establish other offices, prescribe the duties and establish the terms of those offices, and choose from among its members those who shall serve as those other officers. Officers need not be sworn as such. In the absence of any officer, a member may be chosen to serve pro tempore.
E. 
Meetings. The Committee shall meet not fewer than four times in any twelve-month period and may at any meeting establish the date of its next meeting. The Chair, at the Chair's discretion, may call a meeting of the Committee, and not less than 1/3 of the members, acting together, may call special meetings; in either case, notice by mail or telephone shall be given to all Committee members. At any meeting, a quorum of the Committee shall consist of a minimum of four members.
F. 
Bylaws. The Committee may by majority vote of those present at any meeting adopt and amend bylaws governing the conduct of its meetings and establishing additional offices. The Committee may provide by bylaw for forfeiture of membership and of any office held, for cause defined in those bylaws, and may establish such subcommittees and advisory committees as it may desire.
G. 
Policies and procedures. The Committee shall, after notice and public hearing, and after an opportunity for the public to submit written comments, adopt policies and procedures governing the education and government channels authorized under the current cable TV franchise agreement. The policies and procedures shall become effective upon approval by the Council.
H. 
Duties and powers. The Committee shall have all powers necessary to the implementation of its duties.
I. 
Franchisee's funding of education and government channels. Franchise funds paid to the City of Augusta by its cable television franchisee to further the development and operation of the education and government channels, to the extent appropriated by the City Council, shall be disbursed in accordance with established municipal procedures.
J. 
Reports required. The Committee, through its Chair, shall submit to the Mayor and Council, with a copy to the City Manager, a written report of its activity, together with any recommendations it believes appropriate, not less than once in every six months after its establishment. Minority reports may be submitted together with the Committee's reports.
K. 
Separate fund established. The Committee shall have the authority to receive monies from the operation of the City's education and government channels and from grants and contributions. The Committee shall determine a schedule for any fees to be charged in the use of these channels. The revenues from all sources of income related to operation of these channels shall be deposited with the City Treasurer in a separate fund, to be designated the "Cable TV Fund."
L. 
Budget; expenditures. The Committee shall prepare annually a budget to meet the financial needs for operation of the City's cable TV channels, to be submitted to the Council for approval. Revenues, to include funds from the Cable TV Fund as recommended by the Committee, will be expended for general operation, improvement and maintenance of equipment and facilities, and the development and delivery of cable TV programming on the City's education and government channels. Unexpended funds in the Cable TV Fund shall not lapse at fiscal year end, but shall be carried forward from year to year.
M. 
Cooperation. All municipal departments and agencies shall cooperate and assist the Committee, subject to operational and other priorities and the availability of funds, in the performance of its duties. The City Manager or the Manager's designee may coordinate any cooperative overtures or efforts. Specifically, the Director of Community Services, or designee, shall assist the Committee in the preparation of the Committee's budget, the reporting of its financial and other activity to the City Council, the general oversight of the receipt and expenditure of Committee funds, and the discharge of the Committee's responsibilities.