Loading...
CC Resolution No. 7930 RESOIIJTION NO. 7930 A RESOIIJI'ION OF THE CIT1{ CXJONCIL OF '!HE CIT1{ OF ClJ~.tOt<J.'INO URGING '!HE (X)NGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES TO REVISE '!HE CABLE CXJMMIJNICATION roLICY AŒ! OF 1984, AND EXPRESSING GENERAL OONCERN ABOOl' '!HE NEED FOR GREATER I.DCAL GOVERNMENT REX;UIATORY AI1lliORITY WHEREAS, the Cable Communications Act of 1984 restricted states' an::1 local goverrnnents' abilities to regulate the cable television Wustry directlYI an::1 WHEREAS, since the passage of the Cable Camm.mications Act of 1984, concentrations of ownership am::JUIItin;J to mnopolies have increased am:>ng cable operators, even though that Act was :inten::led to "prcnrote competition :in cable conum.mications aro. minimize unnecessazy regulations that inix>se \JIXÌUe economic burden on cable systems;" an::1 WHEREAS, municipalities throughout the nation, including the City of OJpertino, have been subjected to substantial rate increases, service reductions, aro. progranuning changes that do not reflect consumers I needs or the original intentions of their franchise agreements; aro. WHEREAS, m:>re than half of the nation's households, aro. m:>re than 7,300 of the residents of this city subscribe to cable, aro. cable television is increasin;Jly becam.ing the ma:in means of access to information an::1 entertainmentl aro. WHEREAS, cable subscribers in the City of OJpertino have been subjected to substantial rates increases since 1986, as well as increases in the costs of additional outlets, premitnn services, :installation, etc.; aro. WHEREAS, cable television is rapidly bein;J priced beyon:l the reach of lower-incane people, including families with children aro. the elderly, who are particularly :in need of information aro. other services that are available solely through cable television; an::1 WHEREAS, the diversity of information services promised by the 1984 Cable Camm.mications Act has failed to materialize I aro. WHEREAS, the promise of universal service, similarly, has not been fulfilled; an::1 -1- RESOIIJI'ION NO. 7930 WHEREAS, existin;J law provides the City of OJpertino aro. other franchisin;J authorities no authority to control or question the ÍlI1?OSition by cable franchises of exomitant rates upon citizens whose rights-of-way have been placed at the c::anpmies I disposal by virtue of the grant of franchises; aro. WHEREAS, the National I.eague of cities has adopted policies :in favor of :increasin;J local goven¡ments' cable regulatory authority aro. :in favor of m:>re cc:IIIq?etition :in the provision of cable television service to constmIerS; aro. WHEREAS, legislation that is ru::M pen::lin;J :in the Con;¡ress seeks canprehensive chan;Je :in the Cable Canmnmications Act of 1984. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT: 1. The City Council of the City of CUpertino declares its support for the restoration of local regulatory authority over cable television systems . 2. The Congress of the united states should rewrite the Cable Canmnmications Policy Act of 1984, with particular focus on reregulation of lSI.1bs=iber rates, allowance of telephone c:::œtpany provision of cable service unier circumstances that respect local government authority, system ownership transfers, the ilrpact of vertical :integration :in the cable in:iustry, aro. other aspects of the Act that directly ilrpact local regulation aro. constmIerS. 3. The city Council of the city of OJpertino urges CC)1)gressional action for awropriate federal legislation to restore local authority over cable systems, to elim:inate the barriers to c......1~tition, aro. to rectify other aspects of the 1984 Act that work to disfavor cable constmIerS. -2- RESOIlJI'ION NO. 7930 PASSED AND AIJOPI'ED at a regular meetin;J of the City Council of the city of OJpertino this 16th day of October , 1989 by the followin;J vote: Vote Members of the city Council AYES: Gatto, Johnson, Koppel, Rogers, P1ungy NOFS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None ATI'EST: APPROVED: Isl Dorothy Cornelius city Clerk Isl John J. P1ungy, Jr. Mayor, City of OJpertino -3-