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WHEREAS, by letters dated October 11, 2010, and November 23, 2010, from Comcast to
<br />each of the Member Cities, including this City, Comcast invoked the formal renewal procedures
<br />set forth in Section 626 of the Cable Act, 47 U.S.C. § 546; and
<br />WHEREAS, the City and the other Member Cities informed the Commission, by resolution,
<br />that they want the Commission and/or its designee(s) to commence, manage and conduct the
<br />formal renewal process specified in Section 626(a) -(g) of the Cable Act, 47 U.S.C. § 546(a) -(g),
<br />on their behalf; and
<br />WHEREAS, the City has affirmed, by resolution, the Commission's preexisting authority
<br />under the Joint Powers Agreement to take any and all steps required or desired to comply with
<br />the Franchise renewal and related requirements of the Cable Act, Minnesota law and the
<br />Franchises; and
<br />WHEREAS, the Joint Powers Agreement empowers the Commission and/or its designee(s)
<br />to conduct the Section 626 formal franchise renewal process on behalf of the city and to take
<br />such other steps and actions as are needed or required to carry out the formal franchise renewal
<br />process; and
<br />WHEREAS, the Commission adopted Resolution No. 2011-02 commencing formal
<br />franchise renewal proceedings under Section 626(a) of the Cable Act, 47 U.S.C. § 546(a), and
<br />authorizing the Commission or its designee(s) to take certain actions to conduct those Section
<br />626(a) proceedings; and
<br />WHEREAS, the Commission performed a detailed needs assessment of the Member Cities'
<br />and their communities' present and future cable -related needs and interests and has evaluated
<br />and continues to evaluate Comcast's past performance under the Franchises and applicable laws
<br />and regulations, all as required by Section 626(a) of the Cable Act, 47 U.S.C. § 546(a); and
<br />WHEREAS, the Commission's needs ascertainment and past performance review produced
<br />the following reports: The Buske Group's "Community Needs Ascertainment — North Suburban
<br />Communications Commission (Arden Hills, Falcon Heights, Lauderdale, Little Canada, Mounds
<br />View, New Brighton, North Oaks, Roseville, St. Anthony and Shoreview, Minnesota)" (July 15,
<br />2013) (the "Needs Assessment Report'); Group W Communications, LLC's, telephone survey
<br />and report titled "North Suburban Communications Commission Cable Subscriber Survey
<br />(September 2011)" (the "Telephone Survey Report'); CBG Communications, Inc.'s, "Final
<br />Report - Evaluation of Comcast's Subscriber System, Evaluation of the Existing Institutional
<br />Network -and Evaluation of PEG Access Signal Transport and Distribution for the North
<br />Suburban Communications Commission" (July 2013) (the "Technical Review Report'); Front
<br />Range Consulting, Inc.'s, "Financial Analysis of Comcast Corporation 2012 SEC Form I OK"
<br />(May 2013) (the "Comcast Financial Report'); and Commission staff s "Report on Cable -
<br />Related Needs and Interests and the Past Performance of Comcast of Minnesota, Inc.," (July 22,
<br />2013) (the "Staff Report' ); and
<br />WHEREAS, based on its needs ascertainment, past performance review, best industry
<br />practices, national trends in franchising and technology, and its own experience, Commission
<br />staff prepared a "Request for Renewal Proposal for Cable Television Franchise" ("RFRP") that
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