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M E M O R A N D U M • DATE: March 8, 1990 TO: City Councilmembers FROM: Thomas D. Burt, City Manager ITEM: CABLE TELEVISION As part of the 1989 strategic planning goals there are references to marketing, visibility of the Council , civic pride and community identity. There is an endless way to accomplish any one of these and a very simple way may be by the use of cable television. The idea of marketing the City and promoting community identity is something that may need to be defined. To market St. Anthony in Andover or Mendota Heights isn't going to have the level of impact that promoting the City to its residents will. The use of cable television to keep residents informed and promote community events is an easy way to promote civic pride. The pride of residents is the best marketing device of all . • The number of households that presently subscribe to cable television is 1 , 163 or 36% as of February 1 , 1990. The number of subscribers who turn on Channel 16, the City's station, is estimated to be 5% of the 1,163 or 58 households. This number may even be lower due to the limited use of Channel 16. As part of the franchise agreement with the cable company, the City receives approximately $10,000 annually. The franchise money is not a budgeted revenue so this money has been accounted for in miscellaneous revenues and ultimately ends in the General Fund balance. Many surrounding communities use their franchise fees to purchase additional cable equipment, modify Council Chambers, and pay the part time wages of an individual to coordinate volunteers to tape events, broadcast Council meetings, and play back information on the City's channel . The first step many cities take in cable television is broadcasting City Council meetings. On February 13 , 1990, we video taped the meeting to show the quality the City Council could expect from the existing configuration of the Council Chambers. With a minimal initial investment, the City could improve the Council Chambers. In Mounds View, their lighting problems were resolved by simply installing track lighting above the Council's table. To improve the sound and picture quality, we would need to patch into the existing audio system and purchase an additional camera and switching device.