Ord 2093 - Fran Northland Cable
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COUNCIL BILL NO. 1424
ORDINANCE NO. 2093
AN ORDINANCE GRANTING A CABLE TELEVISION FRANCHISE TO
NORTHLAND CABLE TELEVISION, INC. AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
WHEREAS, Northland Cable Television, Inc. (" Northland"), or one of Northland's
affiliates, has provided cable television service to residents of the City of Woodburn
(the "City") since July 1982 pursuant to Ordinance No. 1784; and
WHEREAS, in a public proceeding affording full participation to the residents of
the City, the City Council has determined that (i) Northland has substantially complied
with the material terms of its existing franchise and with applicable law, (ii) the quality
of Northland's service, including signal quality, response to consumer complaints, and
billing practices has been reasonable in light of community needs, (iii) Northland has
the financial, legal, and technical ability to continue to provide cable television
services to the residents of the City, and (iv) Northland's proposal to meet future
cable-related community needs and interests, as expressed in this Ordinance, is
reasonable; and
WHEREAS, in consideration of the foregoing, the City desires to issue a cable
television franchise to Northland, NOW, THEREFORE,
THE CITY OF WOODBURN ORDAINS AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The City hereby grants to Northland a cable television franchise !the
"Franchise") pursuant to the authority of and in accordance with the terms and
conditions of Ordinance No. 1766, Council Bill No. 652, passed by the City Council
of the City on September 21,1981 ("Ordinance 1766") and in accordance with and
to be governed by the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984, Pub. l. No. 98-
549, codified at 47 U.S.C. !i 521 et seq., as the same may be amended from time to
time (the "1984 Act," or "Cable Act"). Because Ordinance 1766 provides only the
general framework and sets forth only the general terms and conditions of a cable
television franchise, the City, in this Ordinance, hereby shall modify certain provisions
of Ordinance 1766 as they apply to Northland, and the City hereby sets forth certain
additional terms and conditions that shall apply to Northland. In the event of a
conflict with or a dispute concerning the terms and conditions of the Franchise
granted to Northland by this Ordinance, the 1984 Act and the rules and regulations
of the Federal Communications Commission and the terms and conditions of this
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Ordinance shall prevail over and control the provisions of Ordinance 1766 and the
interpretation and administration of the Franchise. Northland and the City agree that
if the City wishes at any time to combine Ordinance 1766 and the Franchise granted
to Northland, without materially affecting the material requirements of either
document, the parties will cooperate fully to accomplish in a timely manner the
combining of the documents, as well as their appropriate official adoption as
combined by City ordinance.
Section 2. The Franchise granted hereby to Northland shall not be exclusive;
provided, however, no cable television franchise or similar grant of authority shall be
made by the City to any person or entity (i) on terms and conditions that, taken
together and construed in their entirety, are less restrictive or burdensome than those
contained in this Ordinance, or (ii) the material provisions of which are not reasonably
comparable to those contained in this Ordinance.
Section 3. The term of the Franchise granted to Northland shall be ten (10)
years, commencing October 20, 1992 and ending October 19, 2002.
Section 4. As applied to Northland, the provisions of sections 4{c) of
Ordinance 1766 shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:
(C) In the event of termination, the City may purchase or require any
successor to Northland's system to purchase Northland's facilities at a cost not
to exceed its then equitable price, with a reduction for uncompensated
damages incurred by the City in connection with Northland's operation. In
order to determine the equitable price of Northland's system as specified above,
the following procedure will be followed:
(1) Northland and the purchaser each shall select one qualified appraiser
experienced in the evaluation of cable communications systems.
(2) The two selected appraisers shall select a third appraiser. The three
appraisers shall be employed to determine the equitable price of
Northland's system. The equitable price shall be such as is agreed upon
by two of the three appraisers. The appraisers shall be directed to reach
their determination within thirty (30) days. Northland and the purchaser
shall each pay fifty percent (500/0) of the cost of employing such
appraisers.
(3) Upon determination of the equitable price, and upon payment of
such sum by the purchaser, Northland shall transfer all rights, titles, and
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interest in the subject property to the purchaser within thirty (30) days.
Section 5. As applied to Northland, all the language following the words
"compensation and damages," in section 4{e) of Ordinance 1766 shall be deleted and
replaced with the following words: "as if such holding over were a material violation
of the Franchise.
Section 6. As applied to Northland, the provisions of section 5(j) of Ordinance
1766 shall be deleted in their entirety.
Section 7. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in Ordinance
1766, the City hereby approves the encumbrance of the Franchise and the assets of
Northland's cable television system and the mortgaging, hypothecation and
assignment of same for security purposes in connection with the financing and
refinancing, from time to time, of Northland's cable television system and operations
within the City of Woodburn.
Section 8. Notwithstanding any provisions of Ordinance 1766 to the contrary,
Northland shall be required to extend energized cable from any existing terminus of
its cable television system to any area within the city limits of the City in which
electrical power and telephone utility services are available and the facilities of both
such utility companies are located in dedicated public easements to which Northland
can gain access without unreasonable monetary expenditures, (i) for aerial
construction, in which Northland has received bona fide written requests from no
fewer than twelve (12) prospective subscribers along each linear mile of cable to be
constructed, or 4 prospective subscribers along each 1/4 mile of cable to be
constructed,as measured from the nearest point on the existing cable system; and
Oi) for underground construction, in which Northland has received bona fide written
requests from no fewer than twenty-four (24) prospective subscribers along each
linear mile of cable to be constructed, or 8 prospective subscribers along each 1/4
mile of cable to be constructed, as measured from the nearest point on the existing
cable system.
Section 9. As applied to Northland, the provisions of the last sentence of
section 13(h) of Ordinance 1766 shall be deleted in their entirety. As applied to
Northland, the provisions of sections 13(k) and (I) of Ordinance 1766 shall be deleted
in their entirety. As applied to Northland, the provisions of section 13(b), (c), (d), and
(e) shall be deleted and replaced with the following:
(a) Comoliance with FCC Rules and Reaulations. Northland shall design,
install, operate and perform tests upon the Cable system in a manner that fully
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complies with the applicable provIsions of the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) Rules and Regulations, Part 76, Subpart K ("FCC Technical
Standards"), as now or hereafter constituted. The City shall have the right to
enforce the FCC rules and regulations under this Franchise. The City and
Northland agree that the City may establish and enforce higher or additional
reasonable technical standards, following consultation with Northland, but only
to the extent that applicable law and the rules and regulations of the FCC
allow.
(1) Residential Network, Forward Sianals. The residential network
shall be capable of carrying a minimum of 60 standard video television
channels and the full FM broadcast band. The combined forward trunk
and distribution system shall deliver signals to each subscriber's
television receiver that meet or exceed applicable FCC specifications on
each and every video channel.
(2) Residential Network Reverse Sianals. The reverse channels of the
residential network shall have the capability of providing return signals
from any subscriber tap to the extreme end of any area of the system
which is intended to receive the return signals. The system will be
sufficient if for all video signals originating within the system, the signal
delivered to the subscriber's television receiver, after being transmitted
down a forward channel, meets the specifications of (1) above.
(b) Svstem Testina. Northland shall perform all system tests required
by the FCC Technical Standards, in the manner prescribed in the rules and
regulations of the FCC. In addition, upon written request of the City, in cases
where the City has legitimate concerns regarding the cable system's signal
quality and performance, Northland shall perform, or cause to be performed, at
Northland's own expense, the various tests stipulated in the FCC Technical
Standards, in the manner prescribed in the rules and regulations of the FCC.
Finally, if the City determines that additional testing of particular areas or
particular equipment or particular technical parameters of the system is
reasonably required to resolve a subscriber complaint to the City regarding the
technical performance of the system at such subscriber's dwelling, then
Northland, upon written request of the City, shall perform, at Northland's own
expense, such particular tests as are reasonably necessary to provide technical
information for resolving the subscriber complaint.
(1) Record Keeoing and Citv Insoection. Written records of all
system test results performed by or for Northland shall be maintained for
a period of no less than 3 years following the date of completion of such
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tests, and shall be available for City inspection upon written request, at
Northland's local office during normal business hours. Upon written
request by the City, written test reports shall be submitted to the City
within 30 days following completion of all tests required in this Section.
(2) City Witnessina of Tests. For all tests specified in this
Section, upon written request of the City to Northland, the City shall be
given the opportunity to review and approve test sites in advance. The
tests may be witnessed by representatives of the City. In scheduling
such tests the parties shall cooperate in developing a mutually agreeable
time.
(3) City Testina. At any time, at its sole expense and risk the
City shall have the right to perform, or cause to be performed, the
various tests stipulated in the FCC Technical Standards, in accordance
with the designated procedures. During such testing and the calculation
of the results thereof, Northland shall be allowed to have representatives
present. In scheduling such tests the parties shall cooperate in
developing a mutually agreeable time. The City shall defend, indemnify,
protect and hold Northland harmless from and against any and all claims,
demands, actions, judgments, costs {including without limitation
reasonable attorneys' and experts' fees!. losses, expenses, and liabilities
of every kind or nature whatsoever which may arise in connection with
or result, directly or indirectly, from the City's exercise of its rights
pursuant to this Section.
(c) Remedies for Failure to Meet Technical Standards. For any test
required under this Section 9, if the test indicates that the system fails to meet
the FCC Technical Standards, then Northland shall be required to indicate what
corrective measures have been taken, and the entire test shall be repeated. If
results of a second test indicate failure of the system to meet the technical
performance requirements of this Franchise, then the City may apply such
remedy or remedies as it deems appropriate, unless the circumstances of the
failure are caused by conditions which are beyond Northland's control, as
determined and verified by the City.
Section 10. As applied to Northland, the provisions of section 16 of Ordinance
1766 shall be deleted in their entirety and replaced with the following:
Northland shall provide a mobile emergency power source to be used in the
cable television system in the event of a disruption in Northland's normal power
source. The mobile emergency power source shall have adequate capacity to
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provide temporary power to Northland's headend facilities, satellite earth
station, and any single field power supply or processing hub.
Section 11. As applied to Northland, the provisions of section 17{b) of
Ordinance 1766 shall be amended by adding the following sentence at the end of the
section:
Northland shall send the notice contained in the foregoing paragraph to each
subscriber already receiving cable service at the time that this Franchise goes
into effect, who has not yet received the notice, at the earliest possible date,
and in no case later than 6 months following the effective date of the
Franchise.
As it applies to Northland, the provisions of section 17(c) of Ordinance 1766
are deleted in their entirety and replaced with the following:
Except as provided below, Northland shall not charge its subscribers for
responses made to outage or service-interruption calls, interference or quality-
of-service related calls, or other calls of a similar nature (collectively, "Trouble
Calls"). Northland shall have the right to charge for Trouble Calls if Northland
has made repeated visits to a subscriber's residence for the same or essentially
identical problems and Northland has established with reasonable certainty that
the subscriber's problem was not caused by the fault of Northland or a defect
in Northland's Cable System.
As applied to Northland, the last sentence of section 17{d) of Ordinance 1766
is deleted in its entirety.
As applied to Northland, the provisions of the first sentence of section 17(g)
of Ordinance 1766 shall be amended by replacing the words "human rights" with
.. civil rights." The provisions of the second sentence of section 17(g) of the
Ordinance shall be deleted in their entirety and replaced with the following:
Northland shall not place in any private residence any two-way communications
equipment that can be used for subscriber surveillance purposes, nor shall such
equipment subsequently be used for subscriber surveillance in any manner,
without first obtaining the written consent of the subscriber.
As applied to Northland, the provisions of section 17(h) of Ordinance 1766 shall
be amended by striking the word "written" in the third line of the first sentence.
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As applied to Northland, the provisions of section 17(i) of Ordinance 1766 shall
be deleted in their entirety and replaced with the following:
If Northland rebuilds, upgrades, modifies or otherwise undertakes similar
construction activities, Northland shall use its best efforts to ensure that the
subscribers of the cable system receive continuous, uninterrupted service. If
Northland sells or otherwise disposes of its cable system or if the City revokes
or fails to renew Northland's Franchise, Northland shall use its reasonable
efforts to assist in the transfer of the cable system to a new operator. In the
event of a system purchase by the City, or change of ownership, Northland
shall cooperate with the City to operate the system for a temporary period, and
in maintaining continuity of service to all subscribers.
Section 12. As applied to Northland, the provisions of section 19 of Ordinance
1766 shall be deleted in their entirety and replaced with the following:
To the extent permitted under the 1984 Act and the rules and regulations of
the Federal Communications Commission, as the same may be amended from
time to time, the City shall have the authority to regulate Northland's rates and
charges to cable television subscribers In the event the City desires to
regulate Northland's rates and charges, the City shall develop rules and
procedures in accordance with the 1984 Act and the rules and regulations of
the Federal Communications Commission and, to the extent reasonably
possible, in consultation with Northland.
Section 13. As applied to Northland, the provisions of section 20 of Ordinance
1766 shall be deleted in their entirety and replaced with the following:
Public. Educational and Governmental Access Channels.
(A) Definitions.
(1) As used herein, "Public Use" shall mean noncommercial use by the
public on a first-come, first-served, nondiscriminatory basis.
(2) As used herein, "Educational Use" shall mean noncommercial use
by public schools and school districts and not-for-profit educational
institutions chartered or licensed by the State of Oregon or an agency or
division thereof.
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(3) As used herein, "Governmental Use" shall mean noncommercial use
by a municipal, county and state government or an agency or division
thereof.
(4) As used herein, "PEG" shall mean Public, Educational,
and Governmental.
(B) Desianation of PEG Access Channels. Northland shall designate at least
one full-time activated channel for Educational Use and at least one full-
time activated channel for Public Use and Governmental Use. From and
after January 1, 1994, Northland shall make available and dedicate up
to three additional channels for Public and Governmental Use, each of
which shall be dedicated at such time as each of the Public and
Governmental channels then existing is in use for locally scheduled
original programming any five of seven days per week for any
consecutive five-hour block of time from noon to midnight during eight
consecutive weeks. "Original Programming," for the purposes of this
Section, shall mean any video programming in its initial cable cast on the
system or in its first, second, or third repeat, provided that one half of
such programming shall have been initially produced locally for cablecast
on the Woodburn system. "locally Scheduled," for the purposes of this
Section, means that the scheduling, selection and/or playback of original
programming on a per-program basis is determined by, or in consultation
with, or pursuant to the operating procedures of, the access provider
designated by the City under this Franchise.
It is the intent of the City to allow Northland to place programming of a
non-commercial type on unused portions of channels dedicated to Public
and Government access use. On all such channels, access programming
shall have priority. However, following written request of Northland, the
Access Provider may authorize Northland to place suitable, non-
commercial programming on the Public and Government access
channels.
One channel dedicated to Educational Use and at least one channel
dedicated to Public and Governmental use shall be provided by Northland
throughout the term of this Franchise. If more than one channel for
Public and Governmental use is provided under the requirements of this
Section, then each such channel shall revert back to the control of
Northland at such time as for eight consecutive weeks the channel is not
in use for locally scheduled original programming at least 2 hours per
day, five days per week.
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(C) Administration of PEG Access Channels. The use of PEG access
channels shall be administered as follows:
(1) The Educational Use access channel shall be operated and
administered by the Woodburn School District #103 (the "District").
(2) The Public Use and Governmental Use access channels shall be
operated and administered by an Access Provider ("Access Provider"),
which shall be a committee or commission appointed by the City, or a
non-profit corporation designated by the City.
(D) Access Services Provided bv Northland. Northland shall provide PEG
Access services, under guidelines provided by the Access Provider in
consultation with Northland, and reflected in an agreement between the
Access provider and Northland (see Section 13{K)) following an
ascertainment of community access needs and interests (see Section
13{J)). These services shall include: training in the use of video
production, editing and playback equipment; production assistance;
community outreach; program promotion; program scheduling and
playback; equipment maintenance; equipment check-in and check-out;
program scheduling; business management services; and similar services
consistent with the guidelines developed by the Access Provider.
Northland shall provide a staff person or persons who will be responsible
for such staff support as is necessary to accomplish these access
services at a level required by the development of the use of the access
channels. The staff person or persons shall be made available by
Northland a maximum of fifteen (15) hours per week for providing
access service staff support. Access services provided by Northland
shall be provided under guidelines made by the Access Provider in
consultation with Northland. Northland may discharge its responsibilities
for providing part or all of these access services by means of a contract
for services with the Access Provider or, if the Access Provider prefers,
a person designated by the Access Provider.
Upon request by the District or the City, Northland will assist in
disseminating information concerning programming carried on the PEG
access channels by means of a character generated message transmitted
on Northland's local origination channel. All PEG access channel
programming shall be clearly and conspicuously identified as such.
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(E) No Editorial Control by Northland. Northland shall not exercise any
editorial control over the PEG access channels. Northland shall haye no
obligation, responsibility or liability for or in connection with the content
of any of the programming carried on any portion of the PEG access
channels administered and operated by the District or the Access
Provider. Northland's obligations, responsibilities and liabilities with
respect to the services it provides and/or the operations it undertakes in
connection with the PEG access channels shall be strictly limited to the
extent of Northland's direct involvement therewith.
(F) Eauioment and Fundina for PEG Access Channels. Northland shall within
90 days following the effective date of this Franchise donate to the
District the equipment listed below to be used in connection with the
Educational Use access channel:
Quantity
Model
Mfr. / Tyoe
1
6340
Scientific
Atlanta
Modulator On
place 6/92)
2
Series III
ISS Agile
Modulator (in
place 6/92)
1
Series III
ISS Agile
Demodulator
(in place 6/92)
1
100
Star Character
Generator (in
place 6/92)
1
Video Switch
(in place 6/92)
1
EVS-3000
Sony Hi-8
Playback Deck
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1 RME-700 Sony video Edit
Controller
1 CCD-V801 Sony Hi -8
Camcorder
1 EVS-3000 Sony Hi-8 Edit
Deck
2 CTN1355R Panasonic
Color Monitor
1 3221 Bogen Tripod
w/ Fluid Head
1 3.7 Meter Charerell
Satellite Dish
1 LNB Satellite
Receiver
1 K8TB0068 Panasonic VCR
(G) In addition to the contribution of the equipment listed above, Northland
shall make payments to the City for the sole purpose of securing the
purchase, repair and replacement of equipment to be used in connection
with the use of the channel{s) reserved on Northland's cable system for
Government Use and Public Use. These additional payments shall be
made in accordance with the following schedule:
(1) Within ninety (90) days of the effective date of this ordinance, the
amount of fifty-five thousand dollars ($55,000); and
(2)
Anniversary of effective
date of this ordinance
1
2
3
4
Amount per subscriber
$1
$1
$1
$1
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5
6
7
8
9
$1
$1
$1
$1
$1
As used in this section, the term "subscriber" shall mean the sum of (a)
the number of activated primary cable television hook-ups in each and
every residential home and commercial establishment in the geographical
service area of the system within the City, and (b) the number derived
by dividing (i) the aggregate revenue obtained by Northland from multiple
dwelling units, including, without limitation, hotels, motels, apartments,
schools, dormitories, etc. in the geographical service area of the system
within the City, and commercial establishments, including, without
limitation, bars, restaurants, business offices, etc, in the geographical
service area of the system within the City, by Oi) the standard service
rate charged by Northland to residential cable television subscribers
within the City.
(H) Public Access Facilities. Northland shall, throughout the term of this
Franchise, provide studio facilities for public access use, including
production studio, control room, editing room, capability for playback
and master control, training facilities, office and meeting room, set
storage, equipment check-in and check-out, space for equipment
maintenance, and tape storage. The studio facilities shall be
conveniently located within the city limits of Woodburn. Northland may
meet this obligation in whole or in part by making studio facilities as
described above available for public use at its own local origination
studio in Woodburn. If Northland chooses to make its own local
origination studio available as a means to fulfill its obligation to provide
access studio facilities under this Section, then Northland shall allow
residents of the City to use Northland's studio and Northland's video
equipment to produce programming to be carried on the PEG access
channels.
Northland may charge reasonable deposit or equipment rental fees for
the use of Northland equipment for PEG access purposes, but shall not
make any charge for the use of its studio facilities for PEG access
purposes; provided that such deposits or fees shall be imposed only to
the extent necessary to reasonably ensure equipment safety and return.
Northland shall cooperate with the City and the Access Provider to
accomplish the functional integration of Northland's equipment and
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facilities with equipment purchased by the District, the City or the
Access Provider for PEG access use.
For its local origination program, Northland may share the use of studio
equipment purchased by the Access Provider for PEG access use, under
guidelines provided by the Access Provider in consultation with
Northland, However, Northland shall ensure that any such shared
equipment is regularly maintained in good working order, and replaced
as necessary, throughout the term of this Franchise.
Northland may impose reasonable rules and regulations pertaining to the
use of its studio facilities for access purposes; provided that a) public
access use of the studio shall be given priority over any other use after
5:00 PM each day, and at all other times when the studio is not being
used for Northland's own local origination productions; b) provision is
made for meeting the studio requirements of PEG access as it grows
throughout the Franchise term; c) provision is made by Northland for
ensuring convenient access to the studio for PEG access production after
normal business hours; and c) rules and regulations for studio use for
PEG access shall be formed in consultation with the Access Provider.
If the requirement of this Franchise to provide access studio facilities is
met by Northland through sharing its local origination studio, and if at
any time during the Franchise term the Northland studio availability is
determined by the City to be inadequate to reasonably fulfill Northland's
obligations under this Section 13, then Northland shall provide separate
studio facilities for PEG access use.
(I) Return Sional Paths. At Northland's expense, Northland shall design,
construct and activate (1) a return signal transmission path from the
District's administration office to carry signals of the Educational Use
access channel to Northland's central electronic control center
("headend"); (2) a return signal transmission path from the Woodburn
City Hall to carry signals of the Governmental Use access channel to
Northland's headend; and (3) a return signal transmission path to carry
signals of the Public Use access channel to Northland's headend from
any single location designated by the City of Woodburn that is located
within the city limits and reasonably accessible by Northland. All
construction for such signal return paths shall be completed within six
(6) months of the passage of this Ordinance. Other than as specifically
set forth herein, Northland shall have no financial or other obligation or
responsibility in connection with the PEG access channels.
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(Jl Access Provider and Communitv Ascertainment. Within 45 days
following the effective date of this Franchise, the City shall establish an
Access Provider, whose purpose shall be to provide policy and
management oversight of the operation of PEG access in connection
with the use of the PEG access channels. Within 4 months following its
formation, the Access Provider shall conduct an ascertainment of
community access needs and interests in Woodburn (Ascertainment).
The purpose of the Ascertainment shall be to educate community
members in the possible uses of community access television, and to
obtain guidance for the formation of access policy and guidelines
concerning such matters as: ongoing access needs in the area of
services, channels, equipment and facilities; operational and management
guidelines; the budgeting of funds for access; and guidelines for an
agreement with Northland (see Section 13(J) for ensuring the provision
of access equipment, facilities, channels and services.
{Kl AQreement between Northland and the Access Provider. Following the
Ascertainment, Northland shall, within 30 days following completion of
the Ascertainment and a written request by the City, enter into an
agreement with the Access Provider ("Agreement"), which Agreement
shall establish the manner in which Northland and the Access Provider
shall cooperate to ensure the provision of access facilities, equipment,
channels and services to meet community needs and interests over the
life of the Franchise. Failure by Northland to enter in good faith into
such Agreement in a manner fully reflecting its requirements under this
Franchise, or to abide by the material terms of such Agreement, shall
constitute a substantial and material violation of the Franchise. If at any
time during the term of the Franchise Northland elects to fulfill its
obligations for providing access services by a contract for services with
the Access Provider or a person designated by the Access Provider, as
allowed for in Section 13, then the Agreement with the Access Provider
shall contain, or be amended to contain, the requirement and general
conditions for such contract for services.
(Ll Annual Review Process The Access Provider shall annually review the
development of all aspects of PEG access, and report its findings and
recommendations to the City. The Access Provider's report may contain
recommendations as necessary regarding amounts and sources of
funding needed for PEG operations, facilities, equipment, and equipment
repair and replacement, in addition to resources specifically provided for
in this Franchise.
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(M) Access Suooort Not Part of Franchise Fees. The City and Northland
agree that Northland's support of access as provided for in this
Franchise, whether for channels, equipment, services or facilities, shall
not be regarded as franchise fees, nor as payment in lieu of franchise
fees.
Section 14. As applied to Northland, the provIsions of section 23(e) of
Ordinance 1766 shall be amended by adding the following:
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Northland shall not be required to secure the
prior written approval of the City Director of Public Works for any (il subscriber
connections or hook-ups, or modifications thereto, or (ii) bona fide emergency
repairs or replacements, of (iii) any construction on private property, provided
that such written approval is not required by any other applicable law or
regulation.
As applied to Northland, the provisions of section 23(i) and section 26(d) of
Ordinance 1766 shall be amended by adding the following:
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, except in the event of a bona
fide emergency, the City shall not undertake any such activities without first
providing Northland (i) written notice detailing with specificity the nature of the
alleged breach, default or failure to perform, and (ii) a reasonable time period,
which in no event shall be less than ten (10) days, in which to effect a cure or
to commence such activities as are reasonably designed to effect a cure of
such breach, default or failure to perform if the same cannot be cured within
such time period.
Section 15. As applied to Northland, the provIsions of section 24(a) of
Ordinance 1766 shall be amended to require a surety bond in the amount of Sixty
Thousand Dollars ($60,000).
As applied to Northland, the provisions of section 24{b) of Ordinance 1766 shall
be deleted in their entirety.
Section 16. During the term of the Franchise granted by this Ordinance,
Northland shall pay to the City five percent (5%) of its Gross Revenues. The
franchise fee shall be paid quarterly, in arrears, within 20 days following the last day
of each fiscal quarter.
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Section 17. As applied to Northland, the provisions of section 26(e) of
Ordinance 1766 shall be deleted in their entirety.
Section 18. As applied to Northland, the provisions of section 27{j) of
Ordinance 1766 shall be deleted in their entirety, and the following substituted:
Should a court of competent jurisdiction, the State of Oregon or any agency
thereof, the FCC, or any other agency of the federal government require
Northland to act in any manner which is inconsistent with any provisions of this
Franchise agreement, then the City and Northland shall make a good faith effort
to mutually agree upon such reasonable amendments to this Franchise
agreement as may be necessary to carry out the full intent and purpose of the
Franchise. If no such agreement is possible, and if the Franchise is
substantially and materially affected, then either party may terminate the
Franchise on the grounds that substantial and material compliance with the
original terms of the Franchises has been frustrated by such judicial, state or
federal requirement.
Section 19. As applied to Northland, the provisions of section 23(f) and section
27(1) of Ordinance 1766 shall be amended by adding the following:
The City shall defend, indemnify, protect and save harmless Northland from and
against any and all losses and physical damage to property and bodily injury or
death to persons which may arise out of or be caused by the City's use of such
poles or other facilities of Northland.
Section 20. As applied to Northland, the provisions of section 28(e) of
Ordinance 1766 shall be deleted in their entirety.
Section 21. If any section, sentence, clause or phrase of this Ordinance is for
any reason determined to be illegal, invalid, unconstitutional or incapable of being
enforced by any rule of law or public policy, all other terms, conditions and provisions
of this Ordinance shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect.
Section 22. As applied to Northland, new sections 35 - 38 shall be added to
Ordinance 1766, as follows:
35. Material Franchise Provisions.
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(A) The events referred to in the following subsections are regarded by the
City to be substantial considerations, material to inducing the City to enter into
this Franchise. Upon the occurrence of any of these events, or upon the
occurrence of such other event as may be determined by the City under Section
35(8) to violate a material franchise provision, the City may, without limitation,
exercise its rights under Section 36 or as set forth elsewhere in this franchise,
or such other rights as it may possess;
(1) Unless otherwise specified by the City, any failure by Northland or
its parent corporations to fully execute and return to the City within 45
days of written request therefor form the City, any undisputed order,
contracts, agreement or documents required under this Franchise and
requiring Northland's signature or acceptance;
(2) The failure to pay compensation to the City for use of the streets
under this Franchise;
(3) The failure to provide financial support and services for PEG access
under Section 13 of this ordinance, or any requirement that such
financial support must be credited against compensation payable to the
City under Section 17 of this ordinance.
(B) The enumeration of particular material franchise provisions in Section
35(A) shall not preclude the City from later identifying other material provisions
of this Franchise.
36. Remedies for Franchise Violations.
(A) In addition to any rights set out elsewhere in this Franchise, or such
other rights as it may possess, and to the extent authorized by law, the City
reserves the right at its discretion to apply any of the following remedies, alone
or in combination, in the event Northland violates any material provision of the
Franchise. In determining which remedy or remedies are appropriate, the City
shall consider the nature of the violation, the persons burdened by the violation,
the nature of the remedy required in order to prevent further violations, and any
other matters the City deems appropriate:
(1) Impose monetary penalties not to exceed one thousand dollars
($1,000) per day or per incident, as may be appropriate under the
circumstances;
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(2) Require Northland to reduce its rates and charges by such amount
or amounts as is reasonable in light of the violation;
(3) Require Northland to make payments or refunds to its subscribers or
subscriber classes in such amount and on such bases as are reasonable.
For purposes of this subsection, subscriber class means any group of
actual or potential subscribers identified by Northland on the basis of
specified characteristics for the purpose of providing, marketing or
establishing any combination or package of cable services, rates or
charges, or for the purpose of providing or directing customer services
or marketing in any form; or
(4) Require Northland to correct or cure the violation prior to any rate
increase becoming effective, or otherwise delay consideration of any rate
increase request until the violation is corrected or cured.
(B) Assessment of Penalties. It is the intent of the City to determine
monetary penalties as a reasonable estimate of the damages suffered by the
City, whether actual or potential. In any event where Northland fails, neglects
or refuses to comply with this Franchise, or any of its terms or provisions, the
damages suffered by the City as a result may include, without limitation,
increased costs of administration and other damages difficult to measure.
Therefore, monetary penalties assessed under Section 36(AH 1) shall be
considered liquidated damages. The penalties provided for in this Franchise
may be imposed if Northland fails to comply with any material provision of this
Franchise.
(C) Termination. In addition to other rights and remedies set forth elsewhere
in this Franchise, the City may a terminate this Franchise, and all of Northland's
rights and privileges pertaining thereto and arising thereunder, in the event that:
(1) Northland violates any material provision of this Franchise;
(2) A court of competent jurisdiction determines that Northland has
practiced any fraud or deceit upon the City;
(3) Northland fails to obtain and maintain any permit required by any
federal or state regulatory body in order to own and operate the cable
system; or
(4) Northland fails to maintain the full amount of its performance bond
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as required under the terms of this Franchise.
(D) Hearina. Upon the occurrence of one of the events set out above,
following 10 days written notice to Northland of the occurrence and the
proposed termination and an opportunity for Northland to be heard, the City
may by ordinance, resolution or other appropriate document, declare
termination. In a hearing of Northland, Northland shall be afforded due process
rights as if the hearing were a contested case hearing subject to Oregon law,
including the right to cross-examine witnesses and to require that all testimony
be on the record. Findings from the hearing shall be written, and shall stipulate
the reasons for the City's decision. If a termination is lawfully declared, all
rights of Northland shall immediately be divested without a further act upon the
part of the City
(E) Aooeal. The City's declaration of a termination on written findings shall
be subject to Writ of Review filed in the Marion County Circuit Court in
accordance with ORS Chapter 34.
37. Notice and Oooortunitv to Cure
(A) The City shall give Northland thirty (30) days prior written notice of its
intent to exercise any of its right under Section 36, identifying the reasons for
such action.
(B) If Northland removes or otherwise cures the asserted violation
constituting the stated reason within the thirty (30) day notice period, or if cure
is not reasonably possible within the thirty (30) day period, Northland initiates
good faith efforts satisfactory to the City within the thirty (30) day period to
cure the asserted violation constituting the stated reason and the efforts
continue in good faith, the City shall not exercise its rights under Section 36.
(C) If Northland fails to remove or otherwise cure the asserted violation
constituting the stated reason within the thirty (30) day notice period, or if
Northland does not undertake and continue efforts satisfactory to the City to
remedy the stated reason, then the City may exercise any or all of the remedies
available under Section 36 or such other rights as the City may possess.
38. Receivershio. The City shall have the right to revoke and terminate this
Franchise one hundred and twenty (120) days after the appointment of a receiver, or
trustee, to take over and conduct the business of Northland, whether in receivership,
reorganization, bankruptcy, or other action or proceeding, unless such receivership or
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trusteeship shall have vacated prior to the expiration of said one hundred and twenty
(120) days, or unless:
(A) Within one hundred and twenty (120) days after his election or
appointment, such receiver or trustee shall have been approved by City and
shall fully have complied with all the provisions of the Franchise and remedied
all defaults thereunder; and
(8) Such receiver or trustee, within said one hundred and twenty (120) days,
shall have executed an agreement, duly approved by City, as well as the court
having jurisdiction in the premises, whereby such receiver or trustee assumes
and agrees to be bound by each and every provision of the Franchise.
Section 23. As applied to Northland, the words "or 'System' or 'Cable
System'" shall be added following the term "CATV System" in the first line of section
2{C) of Ordinance 1766; and the following sentence shall be added to the end of
section 2(C) of Ordinance 1766:
Unless otherwise specified, the terms "System" or "Cable System" in this
Franchise shall refer to the cable system operated by Northland in the City of
Woodburn .
Section 24. As applied to Northland, the provISions of section 2(P) of
Ordinance 1766 shall be deleted in their entirety, and replaced with the following:
{PI As used herein, the term "Gross Revenues" means any and all
compensation in whatever form, from any source, directly or indirectly earned
by Northland or any affiliate of Northland or any other person who would
constitute a cable operator of the cable system under the Cable Act, derived
from the operation of the cable system insofar as such operation in any manner
requires use of the public streets and rights of way in the city limits of the City
of Woodburn. Amounts identified by the City as franchise, copyright, or other
license fees, shall not be excluded from Gross Revenues. Gross Revenues shall
include but not be limited to basic and pay service revenues, revenues from
installation and equipment rental and sale, and any leased access revenues.
Gross Revenues shall also include a pro-rata percentage of local and regional
advertising revenues based on subscriber count, except during any period in
which Northland is actively producing and cable casting on the cable system in
Woodburn a local news program of Woodburn area news.
Gross Revenues shall not include any taxes on services furnished by Northland,
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which taxes are imposed directly on a subscriber or user by a City, County,
State or other governmental unit, and collected by Northland for such entity.
Gross Revenues shall not include amounts which cannot be collected by
Northland and are identified as bad debt; provided that if amounts previously
representing bad debt are collected, then those amounts shall be included in
Gross Revenues for the period in which they are collected.
Amounts included in Gross Revenues shall not be counted more than once;
therefore, revenues of both Northland and an affiliated entity that represent a
transfer of funds between Northland and the affiliated entity, and that would
otherwise constitute Gross Revenues of both Northland and the affiliated entity,
shall be counted only once for purposes of determining Gross Revenues.
Section 25. Ooen Records and Reoorts.
(A) Northland shall maintain a business office within the City for managing
Northland's cable system. Northland shall manage all of its operations in
accordance with a policy of keeping its records open and accessible to the City.
The City shall have the right to inspect all records of Northland and affiliated
entities relating to Northland's operations under this Franchise, including, but
not limited to, income tax returns, financial statements, service complaints,
logs, performance test results and other materials, at any time during normal
business hours and upon reasonable notice. Northland shall not deny the City
access to Northland's records on the basis that:
(1) Northland's records contain trade secrets or are otherwise
commercially confidential; or
(2) Northland's records are under the control of an affiliated entity,
rather than Northland.
Northland shall, within ten (10) days of receipt or mailing by Northland, provide
copies to the City of any communications to and from any regulatory agency
having jurisdiction over Northland pertaining to any alleged, apparent or
acknowledged violation by Northland of any applicable rule or law of the
agency regarding Northland's provision of cable services under this franchise.
(B) Annual Reoorts. Northland shall annually present a written report to the
City (the" Annual Report"). Northland shall submit the Annual Report no later
than April 15th of each year, following the end of Northland's calendar fiscal
year. Except as otherwise provided by City Council by ordinance, the Annual
Report shall include information for Northland's operations within the City for
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the immediately previous year, including but not limited to:
(1) System structural and operating information:
(a) System ownership, including all levels of parent corporations
and related ownership percentages;
(b) An organization chart for Northland, listing officers and
members of the board of directors, department heads, and
supervisors for major activity centers by category;
(c) Total cable system mileage and overall homes passes;
(d) The number of standard cable subscribers, pay subscribers (by
service) and pay-to-basic percentages, along with numbers of
other categories of subscribers, such as by tiers, as the City may
reasonably require.
(e) Cable services provided on the cable system, including
services begun or dropped during the previous year; and
(f) A schedule of all of Northland's rates and charges.
(2) A summary of previous year's activities:
(a) Northland's local origination programming activities during the
year and activity on Northland's channel designated for local
origination programming.
(b) Audits and investigations conducted to detect illegal
connections and other attempts at unauthorized access to
Northland's cable system;
(c) Northland's development or incorporation of new technology
on the cable system, such as addressability, interactivity, pay-per-
event programming, teletext, data communications or other
entertainment and non-entertainment services;
(d) Marketing and development of leased access channels and
usage patterns for such channels, if any;
(e) A list of all material petitions, applications, communications,
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and reports submitted by Northland and its parent corporation to
the FCC, the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other
federal or state regulatory agency having jurisdiction in respect to
any matters affecting Northland's cable services within the City.
Northland shall make copies of any such documents and their
replies from respective agencies available to the City upon
request.
(3) Financial Information:
(a) Financial statements for Northland Cable Television, Inc.
prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles and audited by an independent certified public
accountant. Financial statements for Northland's Woodburn area
cable system and, separately, for its cable system within the City,
prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles. For purposes of this Section, Woodburn area cable
system means the regional cable system served by the same
headend as the cable system serving the franchise area. A
responsible corporate officer shall certify that the financial
statements for Northland's cable system within the City are an
accurate reflection of the operations of Northland or its affiliated
entities, consistent with any attached notes and disclosures. The
City reserves the right to require, if good cause exists as
reasonably determined by the City, that the financial statements
for Northland cable system within the City be reviewed or audited
by an independent certified public accountant; the cost of such
review or audit shall be borne by Northland if the review or audit
reveals underpayment of more than 1 % of the franchise fees
required by Section 17, and otherwise by the City. Financial
statements for the Woodburn area cable system and for the City
shall include a statement of operations and a description of the
allocation methodologies a other information as needed to allow
proper interpretation of the statements. If Northland makes a
significant change in its accounting methods in any year,
Northland shall disclose such change and include a restatement of
the financial statements submitted in prior years to the extent that
such restatement may be required by generally accepted
accounting principles. The financial information shall be in
sufficient detail to include:
(i) Gross Revenues by category, such as basic, pay, pay-
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per-view, advertising, installation, and other miscellaneous
revenues;
(ii) Operating expenses by category, such as purchased
programming services, local origination programming,
technical support and maintenance, marketing,
management fees, and other general and administrative
expenses. Deferred or non-cash expenses shall be
separately identified;
(iii) Other expenses, such as depreciation and amortization,
interest expenses, and income taxes paid and accrued, as
applicable;
(iv) Capital expenditures by category, such as headend
equipment, distribution plant, converters, programming
equipment, test equipment, and, buildings and
improvement, vehicles or other facilities;
(v) Any incurrences or repayment of debt, and remaining
outstanding debt by lender or type, including interest rates
and future payment terms;
(vi) Any contributions from distributions to or other
transactions with affiliated entities, in any form; and
(vii) Detailed information regarding the amounts paid, and
the Grantee's method of accounting for, City franchise fees
and utility taxes, including a description of the computation
of such fees and taxes, and a reconciliation of Gross
Revenues to the computational bases used.
(b) A statement of Gross Revenues for Northland's cable system
within the City, consistent with the financial statements provided
under Subsection 25(B)(3)(a);
(c) Forecasts of subscriber numbers and Gross Revenues by
category through June 30th of the next year;
(d) Planned construction, upgrade or rebuild activity of
Northland's cable system within the City for the current year and
the projected costs of such activity; and
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(e) Northland's annual corporate report, if any, including its
audited financial statements.
(4) General Reoorts. Northland shall prepare and furnish to the City,
at the times and in the form reasonably prescribed by the City, such
other reports with respect to its operation, affairs, transaction or
property as the City may deem reasonably necessary or appropriate to
the performance of the City's rights, functions or duties under this
Franchise.
(5) Format/Public Hearina. The City, after consultation with Northland,
may reasonably specify the form and details of all Northland's reports
required under this Franchise. If directed by the City, Northland's annual
report, if any, shall be presented at a public hearing at which Northland
shall summarize the contents of the annual report and members of the
general public may comment thereon.
(C) As applied to Northland, the provisions of sections 23(a), 25(d), 25(e)
and 27(n) of Ordinance 1766 shall be deleted in their entirety.
Section 26. Public Records. Northland acknowledges that information
submitted to the City is subject to the Oregon Public Records law, and is open to
public inspection. Northland is responsible for becoming familiar with and
understanding the provisions of the Oregon Public Records law.
Section 27. No Recourse Aaainst Citv. Northland shall have no recourse
whatsoever against the City or its officials, boards, commissions, agents or employees
for any loss, costs, expense or damage arising out of any provision or requirement of
this Franchise or because of the enforcement of this Franchise or in the event this
Franchise or any part thereof is determined to be invalid.
Section 28. Forum. Any litigation between the City and Northland anslng
under or regarding this Franchise shall occur, if in the state courts, in the Marion
County Court having jurisdiction thereof, and if in the federal courts, in the United
States District Court for the District of Oregon.
Section 29. Written Acceotance.
(A) On or before thirty days after this ordinance becomes effective, Northland
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shall file with the City Recorder's office a written acceptance and guaranty of
this Franchise, duly executed by Northland, in the form attached hereto as
Exhibit" A".
(B) Failure to File Acceotance. Any failure on the part of Northland to file such
written acceptance and guaranty within such time shall be deemed an
abandonment and rejection of the right and privileges conferred by this
Franchise, and this ordinance shall thereupon be null and void.
Section 30. Emeraencv Clause/Effective Date. This ordinance being necessary
for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, an emergency
is declared to exist and this ordinance shall take effect on October 20, 1992 after
passage and approv~~r.
Approved as to for~: V I. r ~ /0
City Attorney
Dat
Passed by the Council
APPROVED FREr~. ~ ~
October 12, 1992
October 13, 1992
October 13, 1992
Submitted to the Mayor
Approved by the Mayor
Filed in the Office of the RecC'rd€'r
October 13, 1992
ATTEST f1.~ ~
Mary Ten nt, Recorder
City of Woodburn, Oregon
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EXHIBIT "A"
ACCEPTANCE AND GUARANTY
City Recorder
City of Woodburn
270 Montgomery Street
Woodburn,Oreg.on 97071
This is to advise the City of Woodburn, Oregon (the "City") that Northland Cable
Television, Inc. ("Northland") hereby accepts the terms and provisions of Ordinance
No. 2093 ,passed by the City Council on October 12 , 1992 (the "Franchise")
granting a franchise for ten years to Northland Cable Television, Inc. Northland agrees
to abide by each and every term of the Franchise. In consideration for the benefits
to be received by Northland under the Franchise and as an inducement to the City to
enter into the Franchise, Northland hereby agrees to guarantee performance by its
affiliates to whom the Franchise is voluntarily transferred, if so ordered by the City
Council, of all of Northland's obligations under the Franchise.
ISION, INC.
BY:
TITLE: \ ~
DATE: ~19lt \'\ ( \'1'17.
flr
BY:
DATE:
BY:
DATE:
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