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j,MTC <br />TELECOMMUNICATIONS <br />COMMISSION <br />January 7, 2025 <br />TO: THE CITY OF LINO LAKES <br />RE: RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT FOR MODERNIZING PEG FUNDING <br />Enclosed, please find for the council's review and approval a resolution supporting the Minnesota <br />Association of Community Telecommunications Administrators (MACTA) efforts to modernize public, <br />education, and government (PEG) programming/public access funding. <br />North Metro TV and other PEG TV stations face a challenging future as traditional revenue streams <br />decline. MACTA, along with the League of Minnesota Cities, the League of Women Voters, and other <br />organizations, are pursuing multiple avenues to modernize that funding at the state legislature. Municipal <br />support for these efforts is extremely important and influential. <br />Possible solutions include: <br />- The Equal Access to Broadband Bill: This is the bill that MACTA pursued at the state legislature <br />last year. It would allow cities to franchise wireline broadband providers and to impose a <br />franchise fee on providers for using the public rights -of -way. The franchise would allow for <br />oversight over broadband companies and require build out for an entire franchise area. The <br />requirements would be similar to those in current cable franchises. <br />- A General Fund Request: MACTA is working to draft a bill requesting an amount equal to one <br />dollar for every state resident from the State General Fund. Since not every city in the state is <br />covered by a PEG station, MACTA currently estimates that the PEG stations that do exist would <br />receive somewhere between one and two dollars per resident for a proposed two years of <br />funding. <br />Recommendation: That the City pass the resolution as recommended by the <br />Telecommunications Commission Operations Committee. <br />I want to thank the Commission directors, staff, and the Operations Committee for their efforts in pursuing <br />more modern and fair funding for North Metro TV and other PEG stations. Please reach out to the NMTC <br />Interim Co -Executive Directors if you have any questions about this ordinance or about the franchise in <br />general. <br />Sincerely, <br />Barbara Good boe-Bisschoff <br />Chair, North Metro Telecommunications Commission <br />Enc. <br />12520 Polk St NE, Blaine, MN 55434-3148 Phone: (763) 780-8241 Fax: (763) 780-8242 <br />Blaine • Centerville 9 Circle Pines 9 Ham Lake 9 Lexington • Lino Lakes • Spring Lake Park <br />