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Item No: 07A MOT �T Meeting Date: July 22, 2013 VIVDS VIEW Type of Business: CB City of Mounds View Staff Report To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: James Ericson, City Administrator Item Title/Subject: Resolution 8121 Extending the Term of the Cable Television Franchise Ordinance and Agreement Held by Comcast of Minnesota, Inc. Introduction: At a special meeting on July 11, 2013, the North Suburban Communications Commission, which represents Mounds View and nine other area communities, accepted a recommendation of the Franchise Renewal Committee to recommend a one-year extension of the cable franchises to our member cities. Because of the complexity of the franchise renewal process and negotiations, such franchise extensions are not uncommon. Discussion: The cities' cable franchises currently expire in October and November 2013, but because preparation of the Request for Renewal Proposal (RFRP) and associated documents has taken longer than anticipated, the renewal proposal will likely not be sent to Comcast until later in July or early August. Initially, a six-month extension was considered by the Commission; however, when a timeline was developed for the formal renewal process that included --at Comcast's request --up to four months for the company to respond to the RFRP and, according to the federal renewal regulations, up to four months for us to review and make a recommendation on the proposal, it became clear that six months would be insufficient to complete the formal renewal process if it were followed all the way through. In addition, each of the ten cities has to adopt a resolution or ordinance to extend its franchise, which could be done once rather than twice by a one year extension. Comcast agreed with the Commission's assessment and with its recommendation for a twelve month extension of the franchises. T h e Commission remains hopeful that it will be able to conclude franchise renewal negotiations using the informal process well before the end of this requested extension. Recommendation: The North Suburban Cable Commission recommends City Council approval of Resolution 8121, a resolution which approves a one-year extension the term of the Cable Television Franchise Ordinance and Agreement held by Comcast of Minnesota, Inc. Respectfully submitted, James Ericson City Administrator