PUBLIC SERVICE & TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

MAY 3, 2004

COUNCIL CHAMBER

Convened: 5:30 p.m.

Adjourned: 7:15 p.m.

 

Present were:       Chairperson Councillor Joseph M. Petty

                             Councillor Michael C. Perotto

                             Councillor Juan A. Gomez

 

Also:                     Deputy City Solicitor Michael Traynor

                             City Clerk David J. Rushford, clerk

 

And from Charter Communications:

          Robert Spain, Director Governmental Operations

          Dennis Jerome, Director of Marketing

Georgia Griffiths, General Manager, Massachusetts

Steve Shuff, Director Massachusetts Call Center

 

Speakers:

1.                 Ray Bilodeau, 5 Newton Avenue, Worcester

2.                 Scott Babbitt, 244 Belmont Street, Worcester

3.                 Mauro DePasquale, 146 Morningside Road, Worcester

 

Chairman’s Order request the Administration review with Charter Communications the process for City of Worcester Emergency Services to be able to access Charter cable channel 12 for public information dissemination during emergency conditions.

 

Chairman’s Order request the Administration provide the City Council with information that has been discussed in the U. S. House Committee on Telecommunications and the Internet regarding “a-la-carte” cable television pricing.

 

1.       Communication of the City Manager relative to government channel policies.

#16A CM May 28, 2002

In Committee January 13, 2003 - Held

Recommend Hold

 

          2.      Communication of the City Manager relative to live cable casting of Council Committee Meetings held outside of City Council Chambers.

#16I CM October 15, 2002

                    In Committee January 13, 2003 – Held

Recommend File

 

3.           Communication of the City Manager relative to Charter Communications announcing its rate change that will be effective in February.

#16C CM January 14, 2003

Recommend File

 

4.          Communication of the City Manager relative to Digital Cable Rates.

           #15C CM February 10, 2004

Recommend File

 

5.       Communication of the City Manager relative to percent increases in Cable Rates.

          #15B CM February 24, 2004

Recommend File

 

6.       Communication of Roberta Schaefer, Executive Director of Worcester Regional Research Bureau transmitting Are Worcester Cable TV Rates Competitive?

#59 CC February 24, 2004

Recommend File

 

7.       Communication of the City Manager relative to concerns relating to cable television increases and services, and Federal and State Authorities/Agencies to whom complaints/inquiries are to be made.

#16B CM February 11, 2003

Recommend File

 

8.       Communication of James DelSignore, City Auditor transmitting report relative to City receiving proper compensation under the franchise agreement between the City and Charter Communications.

           #150 CC August 12, 2003

Recommend Hold

 

9.       Communication of the City Manager relative to Charter Communications/2004 Initiatives.

          #15C CM January 6, 2004

Recommend File

 

10.     Communication of the City Manager relative to upcoming contract negotiations with Charter Communications.

#15D CM February 24, 2004

Recommend File

 

11.     Communication of the City Manager relative to Charter Communications telephone statistics through the month of December.

#16A CM January 28, 2003

Recommend File

 

12.     Communication of the City Manager relative to Charter Communications’ summary performance regarding telephone statistics.

#16B CM February 25, 2003

Recommend File

 

13.     Communication of the City Manager relative to Charter Communications  Telephone Statistics.

          #16C CM March 18, 2003

Recommend File

 

Chairman’s Order request the Administration provide the City Council with the last four quarter telephone statistics from Charter Communications.

 

14.     Communication of the City Manager relative to Do Shopping Channels       Produce Revenue for Charter Communications?

#16D CM February 25, 2003

Recommend File

 

15.     Communication of the City Manager relative to copies of Massachusetts Cable Division Form 500B – Annual Summary of Complaints and Form 500C – Annual Service Interruption Data.

              #16C CM February 25, 2003

Recommend File

               

16.     Communication of the City Manager relative to Massachusetts Cable Division Form 500B – Annual Summary of Complaints, and Form 500C – Annual Service Interruption Data, filed by Charter Communications.

#15C CM February 24, 2004

Recommend File

 

17.     Communication of the City Manager relative to issues regarding Charter      Communications.

          #15B CM May 20, 2003

Recommend Hold

 

18.     Communication of the City Manager relative to Charter Communications Consumer Billing and the collection of State Regulatory Fees.

          #15A CM   June 3, 2003

Recommend File

 

19.     Communication of the City Manager relative to outstanding Charter    Communications items.

          #15B CM July 1, 2003

Recommend Hold

 

20.     Communication of the City Manager relative to a supplemental list of items  concerning cable television.

          #15D CM August 12, 2003

Recommend Hold

 

21.     Communication of the City Manager relative to local news coverage     provided by Charter Communications.

          #15A CM September 30, 2003

Recommend File

 

22.             Communication of the City Manager relative to Charter Communication’s compliance with the requirement under the Cable License to provide locally originated news programming, in particular, regular updates of news and sports at the 10:00 p.m. hour.

          #15C CM   October 14, 2003

Recommend File

 

23.             Communication of the City Manager relative to First Place Honors received by the City of Worcester Government Access Channel at the Alliance for Community Media-Northeast regional competition for the Access Channel’s video presentation, “Worcester Tornado”, which chronicles the 1953 tornado.

                                #15F CM November 18, 2003

Recommend File