Minutes Cable TV Teleprogramming 10 9 07MINUTES OF CABLE COMMUNITY TELEPROGRAMMING COMMISSION MEETING
October 9, 2007
HISTORIC FEDERAL BUILDING - 2"d FLOOR COUNCIL CHAMBERS
MEMBERS PRESENT: Sr. Carol Hoverman, George Herrig, Pauline Maloney, Jennifer
Tigges, Burton Everist arrived at 4:35 p.m.
MEMBERS ABSENT: Two seats remain vacant on the Commission.
OTHERS PRESENT: Craig Nowack, City of Dubuque Cable TV Coordinator
Ms. Tigges called the meeting to order at 4:14 p.m.
1. Acceptance of the Agenda.
Upon a motion by Ms. Maloney, seconded by Mr. Herrig, the agenda was accepted
unanimously as published.
2. Approval of the Minutes of the September 4, 2007, Meeting
Upon a motion of Sr. Hoverman, seconded by Ms. Maloney, the Minutes of the
September 4, 2007, Commission meeting were approved unanimously.
3. Public Comment
None.
4. Access Equipment Expenditures
Mr. Nowack reported that $144,362 remains to be awarded in the Capital Grant for
Access Equipment and Facilities fund. He stated that his figures were updated in a
rush because he received Mediacom's quarterly adjustment check earlier in the
day. He also informed the Commission of an accounting snafu on Mediacom's part
which came to light in the past month. Two of Mediacom's previous quarterly
adjustments were base on estimates of gross revenues rather than on actual gross
revenues and affects both franchise fees and the PEG fund. Mr. Nowack noted
that in the case of the PEG fund, Mediacom underpaid based on estimated gross
revenues. The correction received today adds another approximately $1400 to the
fund.
Ms. Tigges asked if the installation of cameras at the County courthouse was
completed. Mr. Nowack informed her that it was not. The fourth camera has been
purchased, but the three existing cameras have not been removed from the Library
auditorium and installed in the Supervisors chambers at the County courthouse.
He intends to schedule this project once ECS is finished with al the work at the
Federal Building.
5. Access Programming and Promotion
Ms. Tigges informed the Commission that she received the Tri-State Business
Times yesterday which contained a picture of Jim Barefoot and awrite-up about
the Chamber ribbon-cuttings that he videotapes and airs.
6. Mediacom Cable Report
No one from Mediacom was present.
7. Cable TV Division Report
Mr. Nowack welcomed the Commissioners to the newly renovated Council
Chambers at the Historic Federal Building.
He reported that he recently attended aChamber-sponsored ribbon-cutting for the
Mediacom downtown wi-fi project. It occurred on a rainy afternoon at the Town
Clock Plaza.
He informed the Commission that it is now City budget time. He said he is not
asking for any Capital Improvement Project money for FY09 because none is
needed. Between the PEG fund, the Federal Building project, and recent CIP
money, the Cable TV Division has undergone almost a complete capital
transformation.
As for the operating budget, he plans to ask for an additional person and a web
streaming/archiving solution that will allow for Internet access to CityChannel 8
programming.
Mr. Nowack mentioned the two main concerns at the NATOA conference he
attended last week: the need for a national broadband policy and the digital
television transition. He hopes to obtain a copy of the recording of one outstanding
seminar on the national broadband crisis. The major concern of the digital
television transition is educating the public as to what the reality will be on February
18, 2009. Because of the low number of over-the-air television viewers in
Dubuque, he does not think this will be a major crisis locally, but Dubuque-area
residents will still need to know what is going on.
At this point Mr. Everist arrived.
Otherwise, the Federal Building project has been occupying most of Mr. Nowack's
time since mid August. The audio-visual work is mostly done, but a few things
remain.
Mr. Nowack reported that two companies responded to the City's RFP for I-Net
management. The responses have been examined and the next step is to
interview the respondents. Ms. Tigges asked when a management plan might be
in place, because that is when the Commission might begin to expect funding
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requests related to the I-Net. Mr. Nowack guessed that it might be six to eight
months away.
8. Video On Demand
Mr. Barefoot was not present to discuss any changes in the VOD process on
Mediacom's end. Mr. Nowack said that the City still supplies DVDs of meetings for
VOD, but he knows of no progress in activating a direct fiber link between Dubuque
and Des Moines which would eliminate the need to physically ship the DVDs there.
9. Future Agenda Items
No new items were discussed.
10. Adjournment
Upon a motion by Ms. Maloney, seconded by Mr. Everist, the meeting was
adjourned at 4:45 p.m.