HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009/05/07 - ADMIN - Minutes - Community Technology Advisory Commission - Regular 1
OFFICIAL MINUTES
ST. LOUIS PARK TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
MEETING OF May 7, 2009
ST. LOUIS PARK COUNCIL CHAMBERS
MEMBERS PRESENT: Bruce Browning, Rick Dworsky, David Dyer, Dale Hartman, Toby
Keeler, Mike Mulligan, Rolf Peterson
MEMBERS ABSENT: none
STAFF PRESENT: Reg Dunlap, Civic TV Coordinator; John McHugh, Community
TV Coordinator
OTHERS PRESENT: Arlen Mattern, Comcast Government Affairs Professional
1. Call to Order
Chair Keeler called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM.
2. Roll Call
Present at roll call were Commissioners Browning, Dyer, Hartman, Keeler, Mulligan
and Peterson. (Commissioner Dworsky arrived at 7:03 p.m.)
3. Approval of Minutes for February 12, 2009
It was moved by Commissioner Browning, seconded by Commissioner Peterson, to
approve the minutes of February 12, 2009, without changes.
The motion passed 6-0.
4. Adoption of Agenda
It was moved by Commissioner Peterson, seconded by Commissioner Browning, to
approve the agenda as presented.
The motion passed 6-0.
5. Public Comment - None
6. New Business
A. School District #283 request for funding from cable TV franchise fees
B. School District #283 quarterly report
Tom Marble, Director of Information Services for St. Louis Park Schools reviewed his
report to the Commission including: Funds for Channel 14, the Community Access TV
studio, and reviewed accomplishments from the last year discussing how funding from
the Telecommunications Commission was used (Class for video production, video club,
work with the City in the studio and equipment purchases).
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He said that it was the first time there had been a video production class at the High
School since the 2002-2003 school year. He requested renewal of funding and equipment
grants.
Commissioner Browning asked about the servers, and Mr. Marble replied there are many
choices for storage. They are researching scheduling and triggering software.
Mr. Dunlap noted that the City’s server was $5,000 and discussed server options.
Commissioner Peterson asked about editing stations and their locations? Mr. Marble
replied there is production studio workspace. Classroom space is done as stations and
they work in small groups.
Commissioner Keeler asked about student demand for next year? Mr. Marble said there
were 37 International Baccalaureate students in 2 sections this spring, and they expected
more students next year. He said there were 17 students in the Junior High Video Club.
Commissioner Keeler asked how much funding came from the franchise fees? Mr.
Dunlap responded up to $65,000 was budgeted this year, and that last year $52,000 was
granted. The City Manager has told staff that that 2009 budget is in good shape but that
for the 2010 budget, everything is on the table for discussion. The Commission funding
recommendation goes to City Council usually as a routine item on the consent agenda,
but it may be discussed by Council this year.
Commissioner Browning stated the report was well thought out and understood the need
to replace and update computer-based equipment.
Commissioner Peterson said it was exciting to have video classes back at the High
School, and being an International Baccalaureate class, that meant there was rigor to it.
He said even though budgets are tight this year, he’ll support the motion.
It was moved by Commissioner Dworsky, seconded by Commissioner Browning, to
approve a $14,000 equipment grant, $35,000 operating grant and $4,000 for the Junior
High video club, for a total of $53,000.
The motion passed 6-0.
7. Unfinished Business
A. WiFi hot spots subcommittee report
Mr. McHugh reported that draft designs had been done for the notice of availability at the
Rec Center and City Hall, but he was unsure what kind of signage there would be. He
had asked Westwood staff where the radios would be, but that hasn’t been determined
yet. It would probably be a spring/summer project.
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Commissioner Peterson noted the WiFi signal in City Hall was working, since he was
just able to download an email about the School Board budget process.
B. Comcast audit update
Mr. Dunlap stated that Comcast had recently provided the information requested by Scott
Lewis for trend reports with St. Louis Park revenue broken out from the Minnesota and
national systems. Mr. Lewis gets a list of addresses to make sure revenue is attributed to
the correct City. Twenty-seven addresses were not listed as St. Louis Park addresses, and
those would be corrected in the future. That’s an additional $100 or so per month that
will come to the City from now on, since most customers pay a franchise fee of about $4
or $5 per month, based on the cost of their cable service. Mr. Lewis hasn’t yet received
the information from when Time Warner ran the system, and Mr. Dunlap will follow up
on that.
C. Digital TV transition update
Mr. McHugh stated he was going to make a presentation recently, but no residents
showed up.
D. Fiber optic ordinance update
Mr. Dunlap reviewed the memo he distributed and noted that Monticello had 100% fiber
optic to the home financed with revenue bonds, which was approved overwhelmingly by
voters. They have a population of 11,500. They plan to do alpha and beta testing
through July and will connect drops to fiber optic network when it is warmer.
Utopia is a project where 16 cities with a population of 500,000 near Salt Lake City,
Utah, are building fiber to the home. The public utility owns the fiber to the homes and
leases to various providers. They offer both business and residential services, and the
first customers are connected at 100 megabits per second. Comcast has a similar service,
but is not quite as fast.
Loma Linda, California is an ISP through a fiber network to the home. It’s unclear how
many subscribers are connected. More than 30 commercial buildings could get service at
up to15 megabits/second.
Commissioner Dworsky asked where they should go next? Should the City contact those
City’s for recommendations? Mr. Dunlap replied they had budgeted $50,000 in 2009 for
a fiber study. Staff was researching it further before they hired a consultant. Because of
budget pressures, he was not sure if they could go forward with the fiber study.
Chair Keeler asked if anyone on the Commission could follow up and contact any of the
Minnesota cities, and Commissioner Browning volunteered to contact Monticello and
invite them to a meeting.
E. Park TV & Community TV update
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Mr. Dunlap stated staff continued to use the van and equipment. The van upgrade was on
hold due to the cost, up to $300,000. The van equipment was still working and staff is
out covering lacrosse tonight. The Southwest Rail Task Force will be holding a meeting,
which will also be covered.
Mr. McHugh added they had recently replaced the brakes and had gotten permission to
get an interim generator. In the last 60 days Community TV has held five classes for
residents and shown 2 special video projects in the community in addition to on the
channel, a Caring Youth feature and a feature on the Meadowbrook Collaborative 15 year
Anniversary.
8. Reports
A. Complaints
Commissioner Browning wanted to find out if they answered the phone within a certain
amount of time. He said there are complaints about long wait periods, and he had the
same issue. Is there an FCC regulation about that and where are they with that? Mr.
Dunlap stated he would follow up with Comcast.
Commissioner Browning asked about the customer privacy notice that was sent out and
suggested they break out changes that had occurred. Mr. Dunlap responded that
document is required by Federal law and they send it regardless of changes, but that it
was a good idea to point out the changes.
Commissioner Mulligan noted the number of complaints around billing errors had gone
up and they should watch that.
Commissioner Keeler asked if complaint #13 where the installer had left a mess had been
resolved? Mr. Dunlap assumed the customer cleaned it up.
9. Communication from the Chair
Chair Keeler thanked Commissioner Browning for the City Council update. He called a
contact and Qwest and was cautiously optimistic that he would get a DSL coverage map.
Chair Keeler asked staff when and where NATOA’s annual conference would occur and
who could attend? Mr. Dunlap replied that one commissioner could attend along with
Mr. McHugh, and that he believed it was in late September.
10. Communications from City Staff
Mr. Dunlap stated that a community open house would be held on June 9th at Wolf Park
from 5:30 to 8:30 PM. He asked Commissioners to contact him if they wanted to staff a
booth with information about the Commission.
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11. Adjournment
Commissioner Browning made a motion, Commissioner Dworsky seconded to adjourn at
7:57. The motion passed.
Respectfully submitted by:
Amy L. Stegora-Peterson
Recording Secretary