10/12/1988 - City Council Special
MINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE
EAGAN CITY COUNCIL
October 12, 1988
A special meeting of the Eagan City Council was held on Wednesday,
October 12, 1988 at 7:00 p.m., at the Eagan Municipal Center Building for the
purpose of meeting jointly with the Burnsville City Council to discuss the status
of public access offered by the cable television franchise. Present were Mayor
Ellison and City Councilmembers Egan and Gustafson. City Councilmembers McCrea
and Wachter were absent due to other business commitments. Also present were Mike
Reardon, Burnsville/Eagan Cable Coordinator, Administrative Assistant Hohenstein
and City Administrator Hedges. Members of the Burnsville City Council and their
administrative staff were also present and participants in the joint City Council
meeting.
STATUS OF PUBLIC ACCESS FOR
CABLE TELEVISION PROGRAMMING
City Administrator Hedges addressed the Burnsville and Eagan City
Councils by stating the objective of the meeting was to determine a joint position
of the future of public access as it relates to the cable television franchise and
further outline the provisions for public access according to the original
franchise agreement. Mike Reardon, Cable Coordinator, presented several examples
of community usership of public access as well as video clips from a recent
national conference of award winning examples of public access in communities
throughout the country.
Burnsville City Manager Linda Barton then addressed the purpose of the
meeting asking that the City Councils share their position on whether the joint
cable commission should continue its support of public access and, if so, who
should negotiate with North Central Cable TV to address their demands which
include but are not limited to a reduction in manpower studio equipment, studio
availability and a greater cost sharing by the subscribers or cities through their
franchise allocation. Mayors Dan McElroy and Vic Ellison, representing the cities
of Burnsville and Eagan respectively, and Councilmembers from both communities
discussed the issue in detail and generally concurred with the following points as
an instruction to their administrative staff: 1) the Joint Cable Commission
should retain public access, 2) consideration should be given to the removal of
public access from the direct control of Cable North Central TV by creating a non-
profit operation, 3) administrative staff should negotiate the sale of equipment
by Cable North Central, realizing the condition and depreciation of said
equipment, 4) city administration should negotiate a possible lease of the cable
studio for $1 to allow the continued accessibility of a studio, 5) reduction of
the bond required from North Central TV should be given consideration but not
until negotiations have commenced with Cable TV North Central, 6) Cable TV North
Central should be informed that franchise fees are untouchable for any shortfalls
realized by their company. 7) A request of North Central TV should be made
regarding the resequence of public access channels, 8) North Central TV should be
instructed to continue line extension as agreed upon in the franchise agreement to
existing and new subdivision areas.
Both City Councils concurred in summary that these points and all future
negotiations should be conducted by Linda Barton, City Manager, and Tom Hedges,
City Administrator, with administrative support from Mike Reardon, Cable
Coordinator, regarding the future status of public access with North Central
Cable.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no other business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:30 p.m.
TLH
October 12, 1988 Ok MA Dated City Clerk