HomeMy Public PortalAboutCable Television Advisory -- 2006-04-05 Minutes
Minutes of the meeting of the Brewster Cable TV Advisory Committee scheduled for 7:00 pm on
Wednesday 5 April 2006.
The meeting is called to order at 7:05 pm on Wednesday 5 April 2006 by Larry Greeley.
Members present at this time are:
Larry Greeley
Norman Adams
Walter Powers
In the audience area there is just one person: Steve Duerksen.
Norman Adams distributes copies of the meeting of Thursday 2 February 2006. These minutes have not
yet been presented for amendment or approval. (Note that the meeting scheduled for Wednesday 1 March
2006 was cancelled shortly before its scheduled occurrence due to a personal emergency.)
Walter makes and Larry seconds a motion to accept the minutes of the meeting of Thursday 2 February
2006 as presented. The vote to accept is unanimous.
Art Stringer arrives at 7:10 pm. Members present now are:
Larry Greeley
Norman Adams
Walter Powers
Art Stringer
Walter Powers remarks with some asperity on the continuing presentation of defective or obsolete
equipment for use at the Community Access studio in Orleans.
Larry Greeley makes and Norman Adams seconds the following motion:
"That Walter Powers go to the Community Access studio in Orleans and prepare a list of obviously
unsatisfactory equipment there and report back at the next meeting of this committee."
Larry notes that he and Rika Welsh jointly visited this facility recently and were able to view not only the
studio but also the "back room" where studio-related equipment that is not being used is stored. Some of
this stored equipment is not being used because it is not functional. Some items are thought to be
functional and are being stored as replacement equipment but these items are typically of an age, design,
and condition comparable to that of the old equipment in current use.
Larry notes that the contracts of all of the 6 towns which are served by this studio specify that Comcast
must "maintain" the equipment but none of these contracts specify that such maintenance must be "to
current industry standards" or to some similar standard. He remarks that several of these contracts were
negotiated by a particular attorney and in part at least because of these contract aspects which do not help
the towns Brewster is now working with someone else, to wit, Rika Welsh.
Rika has had some success in dealing directly with Nick Lucci (his approximate title: Comcast vice
president in charge of New England operations) to whom the local govermental relations people such as
Mary O'Keeffe and her supervisor ultimately report. Rika's advice to us in general terms is to concentrate
on the major matters important to the future. In this vein she has advised against putting much effort into
fighting about the current unsatisfactory equipment. However it is desirable to maintain proper written
records of unsatisfactory conditions, to have such material available, and to use it when and as appropriate.
On a different topic Larry notes that he is working on a report concerning the activities of this committee
to appear in the annual Brewster Town Report along with similar reports by analogous authors concerning
other groups and committees. He now has a draft of this report.
Art Stringer inquires about the present status of the action set out in the motion recorded in paragraph 3 of
the meeting of Thursday 2 February 2006, to wit:
"That a letter be produced from the Brewster Cable TV Advisory Committee to Mary O'Keeffe requesting
details of what the restoration [of the deleted uplink] would be."
Larry replies that this letter was not produced or sent due to the advice of Rika Welsh that the essential
action at this time was that the selectmen send a letter with appropriate language concerning the start of the
1.5% payment, which letter was produced and sent.
Carol Chichetto arrives at about 7:35 pm and apologizes for her late arrival which arose from lateness in
getting home from work. Members present now are:
Larry Greeley
Norman Adams
Carol Chichetto
Walter Powers
Art Stringer
Art Stringer inquires about the present status of the action set out in the motion recorded in paragraph 8 of
the meeting of Thursday 2 February 2006, to wit:
"That this board ask the Town Administrator to appoint the 'contact person' described by Comcast."
Larrry replies that this has not yet been done, on the basis that the advice of Rika Welsh was that there is
no real need for designation of a "contact person". Art points out that such an appointment would be a
mere designation and would not cost anything in time or money. However such an appointment would
remove a potentially distracting side issue from any negotiations with Comcast.
This issue is not pursued further at this time.
Larry notes that the most recent motion made tonight, to wit:
"That Walter Powers go to the Community Access studio in Orleans and prepare a list of obviously
unsatisfactory equipment there and report back at the next meeting of this committee."
has not yet been voted on and calls for such a vote.
The motion is approved unanimously.
The meeting seeming to be out of other business to be taken up tonight, Art Stringer makes a motion to
adjourn. It is seconded by Walter Powers and is passed unanimously at 7:55 pm.
Submitted by Norman Adams, Clerk, Brewster CTVAC
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