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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrd. 059 - Cable TV c., . , ~ .~ ~7. .-, C_. u,/'1 {_'ll .-(.:.. -.. j$'Cf Final Franchise Andover, Minnesota ... \ " Prepared by: Thomas D. Creighton Dunkley and Bennett 1750 First Bank Place East Pillsbury Center 200 South Sixth Street Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402 (612) 339-1290 .. -, . TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT OF INTENT AND PURPOSE FINDINGS ARTICLE I. SHORT TITLE AND DEFINITIONS Section 1. Short Title Section 2. Definitions ARTICLE II. GRANT OF AUTHORITY AND GENERAL PROVISIONS Section 1. Grant of Franchise and Acceptance Section 2. Authority Granted Section 3. Agreement Section 4. Franchise Term Section 5. Area Section 6. Police Powers Section 7. Use of Grantee Facilities Section 8. Written Notice Section 9. Rights of Individuals Section 10. Certificate of Confirmation ARTICLE III. DESIGN OF SYSTEM Section l. Channel Capacity-Subscriber Network Section 2. Picture Quality and Technical Requirements Section 3. Two-Way Capacity Section 4. Facilities Section 5. Special Channel and Access Requirements (i) Page 1 1 3 3 7 8 8 9 9 9 9 9 10 12 13 13 15 15 15 ~ . Page Section 6. Institutional Network 19 Section 7. Services to Public Buildings and Educational Institutions 20 Section 8 . Interconnection 21 Section 9. Narrowcasting 21 Section 10. Regional Channel 21 ARTICLE IV. SERVICES AND PROGIDU.~ING, SUBSCRIBER CONTRACTS, COMPLAINTS Section 1. Services and Programming 22 Section 2. Interruption of Service and Complaints 22 ARTICLE V. CONSTRUCTION, INITIAL SERVICE AREA, LINE EXTENSION AND CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS Section 1. Initial Service Area Section 2. Line Extension Policy Section 3. Construction Timetable Section 4. Construction Standards Section 5. Conditions on Use 25 25 26 28 31 ARTICLE VI. SYSTEM OPERATIONS Section 1. Information Availability 33 Section 2. Service Contract 34 Section 3. Subscriber Practices 36 Section 4. Franchise Fees, Rates, Charges, Changes in Fees and Procedures 38 A. Rate Change Procedures 38 B. Franchise Fee 38 C. Rates and Other Charges 39 (ii) Page D. Rate Changes 40 E. Periodic Reviews, Renegotiation and Technological Update of System 49 Section 5. Franchise Renewal 52 ARTICLE VII. (Reserved) ARTICLE VIII. INDEMNIFICATION, INSURANCE, LETTER OF CREDIT AND BOND Section 1. Section 2. Section 3. Section 4. Section 5. General 55 Indemnification and Insurance 55 Insurance 57 Letter of Credit 58 Bonds 63 ARTICLE IX. DEFAULT Section 1. Notice and Default 65 Section 2. Cross Default 67 ARTICLE X. FORECLOSURE, RECEIVERSHIP AND ABANDONMENT Section 1. Foreclosure 68 68 Section 2. Receivership Section 3. Abandonment 69 ARTICLE XI. PURCHASE OF SYSTEM Section 1. General 70 Section 2. Procedures 71 (iii) Page ARTICLE XII. MISCELLANEOUS Section 1. Transfer of Ownership or Control 74 Section 2. Removal After Termination or Revocation 77 Section 3. Work Performed by Others 78 Section 4. Interest Rate 79 Section 5. General Provision on Rights and Remedies 79 Section 6. Applicable Laws and Court Decisions: Severability 80 Section 7. Grantee Acknowledgment of Validity of Franchise 81 ARTICLE XIII. ADMINISTRATION AND ADVISORY BODY Section 1. Administrator 82 section 2. Advisory Body 82 Section 3. Delegation of Authority by City 82 ARTICLE XIV. JOINT SYSTEM, ACCEPTANCE, INCORPORATION OF OFFERING, EXHIBITS, PUBLICATION Section 1. Other Franchises 83 Section 2. Time of Acceptance; Guarantee; Incorporation of Offering; Exhibits 83 (iv) ORDINANCE NO. 59 AN ORDINANCE, INCLUDING ADDENDUM WITH EXHIBITS, GRANTING A FRAN- CHISE TO TELEPROHPTER OF QUAD CITIES, INC., A MINNESOTA CORPORA- TION, TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN A CABLE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM IN THE CITY; SETTING FORTH CONDITIONS ACCOMPANYING THE GRANT OF FRAN- CHISE; PROVIDING FOR REGULATION, AND USE OF THE SYSTEM; AND PRE- SCRIBING PENALTIES FOR THE VIOLATION OF ITS PROVISIONS The City Council of the City of Andover ordains: STATEMENT OF INTENT AND PURPOSE The City intends, by the adoption of this Franchise, to bring about the development of a System, and the continued opera- tion of it. Such a development can contribute significantly to the communication needs and desires of many. Further, the City may achieve better utilization and improvement of public services with the development and operation of a Cable Communications System. Past studies, participated in by City, have led the way for organizing a means of procuring and securing a Cable Communica- tions System deemed best suited to the City, in the judgment of the Council. This has resulted in the preparation and adoption of this Franchise. FINDINGS In the review of Grantee's proposal and application and as a result of the public hearings, the City Council makes the follow- ing findings: A. The Grantee's technical ability, financial condition, legal qualifications, and character were considered and approved in a full public proceeding after due notice and reasonable opportunity to be heard; B. Grantee's plans for constructing and operating the System 1 were considered and found adequate and feasible in a full public proceeding after due notice and reasonable opportun- ity to be heard; C. The Franchise granted to Grantee by City complies with the existing applicable Minnesota Statutes and regulations and Franchise standards of Board; and D. The Franchise granted to Grantee is nonexclusive. 2 SECTION 1. ARTICLE I. SHORT TITLE AND DEFINITIONS SHORT TITLE This Ordinance shall be known and cited as the Cable Commun- ications Ordinance. SECTION 2. DEFINITIONS For the purpose of the Franchise, the following terms, phrases, words and their derivations shall have the meaning given herein. When not inconsistent with the context, words used in the present tense include the future, words in the plural number include the singular number, and words in the singular number include the plural number. The words "shall" and "will" are man- datory and "may" is permissive. Words not defined shall be given their common and ordinary meaning. A. "Basic Service" means all subscriber services provided by Grantee including the delivery of broadcast signals, covered by the regular monthly charge paid by all subscribers, ex- cluding optional services for which a separate charge is made. B. "Board" means the Hinnesota Cable Communications Board. C. "City" means City of Andover, a municipal corporation, in the State of Minnesota. D. "Class IV Channel" means a signaling path provided by a Sys- tem to transmit signals of any type from a subscriber ter- minal to another point in System. E. "Converter" means an electronic device, which converts sig- nals to a frequency acceptable to a television receiver of a 3 subscriber, and by an appropriate channel selector permits a subscriber to view all subscriber signals included in the service. G. "Council" means the governing body of the City. H. "Drop" shall mean the cable that connects the subscriber terminal to the nearest feeder cable of the system. I. "FCC" shall mean the Federal Communications Commission and any legally appointed, designated or elected agent or suc- cessor. J. "Grantee" is Teleprompter of Quad Cities, Inc., a Minnesota Corporation, its agents or employees. K. "Gross Revenues" shall mean all revenue derived directly or indirectly by Grantee, its affiliates, subsidiaries, parent, and any person in which Grantee has financial interest of five percent (5%) or more from or in connection with the operation of the System, including but not limited to, basic subscriber service monthly fees, pay cable fees, installa- tion and reconnection fees, leased channel fees, converter rentals, studio rental, production equipment and personnel fees, and advertising revenues. The term does not include any taxes on services furnished by Grantee and imposed di- rectly upon any subscriber or user by the State, City or other governmental unit and collected by Grantee on behalf of said governmental unit or any revenues derived from a feed originating in or passing through City and destined for a location outside City. L. "Installation" means the connection of the System from 4 feeder cable to the point of connection. M. "Lockout Device" is an optional mechanical or electrical accessory to a subscriber's terminal which .inhibits the viewing of a certain program, certain channel or certain channels provided by way of the cable communications system. N. "Offering of Grantee" or "Offering" shall mean that certain document dated August 19, 1981, entitled "Application for Cable Television Franchise" and signed by Grantee, which o. "Public Property" is any real property owr 1\ ~ ~. \~~\SN \V document is on file with the City Clerk. than a Street. P. "Scrambler/Descrambler" refers respectively installed in the cable communication system >; ueaaena equip- ment and subscriber terminal used to isolate pay cable and other ancillary service channels from basic service which is accomplished l:5y electronically distorting the signal prior to its transmission through the cable communications system and reconstitituting the signal at each authorized location for subsequent display. Q. "Sidewalk" is the portion of a street delineated for pedes- trian travel. R. "Street" shall mean the surface of and the space above and below any public street, road, highway, freeway, lane, path, public way, alley, court, sidewalk, boulevard, parkway, drive or any easement or right-of-way now or hereafter held by City which shall, within its proper use and meaning in the sole opinion of City, entitle Grantee to the use thereof 5 for the purpose of installing or transmitting over poles, wires, cables, conductors, ducts, conduits, vaults, man- holes, amplifiers, appliances, attachments and other prop- erty as may be ordinarily necessary or pertinent to a System. S. "Subscriber" means any person or entity who subscribes to a service provided by Grantee by means of or in connection with the System regardless of whether a fee is paid for such service. T. "System" means a system of antennas, cables, wires, lines, towers, waveguides or other conductors, converters, equip- ment or facilities, designed and constructed for the purpose of producing, receiving, transmitting, amplifying and dis- tributing, audio, video and other forms of electronic or electrical signals, located in City. Said definition shall not include any system wholly internal to one or more mul- tiple unit dwellings under common ownership, control or man- agement, and which does not use City streets or other public property. In any event, system as defined herein shall not be inconsistent with the definition as set out in the rules of the Board. 6 ARTICLE II. GRANT OF AUTHORITY AND GENERAL PROVISIONS SECTION 1. GRANT OF FRANCHISE AND ACCEPTANCE City hereby grants to Grantee, to be effective upon certifi- cation by Board, a nonexclusive franchise subject to all of the terms and conditions as herein provided: A. Grantee shall accept this Franchise in the following manner, and not later than the time set out in Article XIV, Section 2 : (1) This franchise will be properly executed and acknowl- edged by Grantee and delivered to City. (2) At the same time as delivery of the executed Franchise, Grantee shall deposit with City its nonrefundable ac- ceptance fee in the sum of $14,000.00, for the purpose of defraying the costs and expenses of developing this Franchise and for the enforcement and administration costs to be incurred until Franchise fees may be real- ized. After the initial payment of the acceptance fee, should costs in excess of the acceptance fee be in- curred by City prior to the payment of the first Fran- chise fee, City may charge such excess costs ~o Grantee and Grantee sha 11 pay them on demand by City, as an advance on the payment of Franchise fees. (3) All security deposits, Letters of Credit, certificates of insurance, acceptances, bonds, attorneys' opinions, organizational and creation documents and guarantees requirco of Grantee by this Franchise, shall be de- 7 livered with the executed Franchise and in accordance therewith. SECTION 2. AUTHORITY GRANTED A. City grants to Grantee the permission to use streets for erecting, constructing, operating and maintaining the System. Other rights necessary for the System on other pub- lic or private property must be obtained by Grantee, but City shall have no obligation to give or grant or assist in obtaining the same. B. Grantee shall construct and maintain the System so as not to interfere with other uses of streets. Grantee shall make use of existing poles and other facilities available to Grantee. C. Notwi thstanding the above grant to use streets, no street shall be used by Grantee if City in its sole opinion deter- mines that such use is inconsistent with the terms, condi- tions or provisions by which such street was created or ded- icated, or presently used. SECTION 3. AGREEMENT A. Grantee agrees to be bound by all the terms and conditions of this Franchise. B. The Grantee also agrees to provide all services specifically set forth in, and to comply with all provisions of, its Offering to provide a System within the boundaries of City. Further, failure of Grantee to provide a System as described in its Offering, at City's option, shall be a violation of the provisions of this Franchise. In the event of conflicts 8 or discrepancies between the Offering of Grantee and the provisions of this Franchise, the provisions which provide the greatest benefit to City, in the opinion of the Council, shall prevail. SECTION 4. FRANCHISE TE~l This Franchise shall commence upon acceptance by Grantee and shall expire fifteen (15) years from date of acceptance. SECTION 5. AREA This Franchise is granted for City as it exists from time to time during the term of this Franchise. SECTION 6. POLICE POWERS A. Grantee's rights are subject to the police power of City to adopt and enforce ordinances necessary to the health, safety and welfare of the public. B. Any conflict between the provisions of this Franchise and any other present or future lawful exercise of police powers of City shall be resolved in favor of City. SECTION 7. USE OF GRANTEE FACILITIES City shall have the right to install and maintain, free of charge, upon the poles and within the underground pipes and con- duits of Grantee any wires and fixtures desired by City. Grantee waives any claim against City arising from City I S exercise of these rights. SECTION B. WRITTEN NOTICE All notices, reports or demands required to be given in writing under this Franchise shall be deemed to be given when delivered personally to any officer of Grantee or City's 9 Administrator of this Franchise or 48 hours after it is deposited in the United States Mail in a sealed envelope, with registered or certified mail postage prepaid thereon, addressed to the party to which notice is being given, as follows: If to City: C~^ty of Andover 1~85 Crosstown Blvd. N.W. Andover, Minnesota 55303 If to Grantee: Teleprompter of Quad Cities, Inc. 924 F & M Bank Building Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402 Attn: System Manager Hith Copy to: Group W Cable, Inc. 888 Seventh Avenue New York, New York 10106 Attn: Vice-President and General Counsel Such addresses may be changed by either party upon notice to the other party given as provided in this section. SECTION 9. RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS A. No signals, including signals of a Class IV Channel, shall be transmitted from a subscriber terminal except as required to provide a service authorized by this Franchise and the subscriber. Grantee and any other person shall neither ini- tiate nor use any procedure or device for monitoring indi- vidual viewing patterns or practices or otherwise procuring or storing or selling information or data from a subscrib- er's terminals or terminal by any other means, without the prior authorization of the affected subscriber which shall not have been obtained from the subscriber as a condition of service. The request for such authorization shall be con- tained in a separate document which prominently states that the subscriber is authorizing with full knowledge of the 10 .' authorization provisions and which identifies the purpose for which the data or information is being gathered or stored. Such authorization shall be for a limited period of time not to exceed one year. The authorization shall be revocable at any time by the subscriber without penalty of any kind whatsoever. A separate authorization shall be re- quired for each type of classification of data or informa- tion sought from a subscriber terminal. B. Grantee shall not, without the written authorization of the affected subscriber, provide to anyone data identifying or designating any subscriber. Any data authorized shall be made available upon request by and without charge to the authorizing subscriber in understandable fashion, including specification of the purpose for which the information is being gathered and to whom and for what fee the information is to be sold. C. Grantee shall not tap or monitor, arrange for the tapping or moni toring, or permit any other person to tap or monitor, any cable, line, signal input device, or subscriber outlet or receiver for any purpose whatsoever, without the prior written authorization of the affected subscriber as required by paragraph A of this section. D. Nothing herein contained shall prohibit Grantee from verify- ing System operation and the transmission of signals to an affected subscriber or from monitoring for the purpose of billing. The confidentiality of the information obtained in this subsection shall be subject to the provisions of this 11 , section. SECTION 10. CERTIFICATE OF CONFIRMATION Grantee shall abide by the then current rules and regula- tions of Board regarding the application, approval, and renewal of a Certificate of Confirmation. Failure of Grantee to obtain a Certificate of Confirmation or a renewal thereof shall result in automatic termination of this Franchise, and this Franchise shall cease to be of any force or effect. However, Grantee may operate the System while the Board is considering an application for re- newal of the Certificate of Confirmation. 12 .' ARTICLE III. DESIGN OF SYSTEM SECTION 1. CHANNEL CAPACITY - SUBSCRIBER NETWORK A. The 400 mHz System shall be capable of providing 52 down- stream channels, four fully activated upstream channels and a full-video information retrieval channel. The system shall provide access to information data bases with the capacity of such data bases to be 250,000 pages. B. The System shall provide three tiers of subscriber service. Tier I shall be a 25 video channel mini-basic service tier. Tier 2 shall be a 48 video channel basic service tier. Tier 3 shall be a 52 video channel interactive service. SECTION 2. PICTURE QUALITY AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS A. The System shall produce a picture upon each subscriber's television screen in black and white or color, depending upon whether color is being telecast and provided the sub- scriber's television set is capable of producing a color picture, that is not materially distorted and free from ghost images, without material degradation of color fidel- ity. The System shall produce a sound that is not materi- ally distorted on any receiver of a subscriber. Grantee, at its expense, shall install and maintain the System so as not to interfere with any subscriber's ability to receive local broadcast stations. B. The System shall transmit or distribute signals to all tele- vision and radio receivers of all subscribers without caus- ing unreasonable crossmodulation in the cables or 13 ,. unreasonably interfering with other electrical or electronic systems or the reception of other television or radio receivers. C. Grantee shall construct and maintain a System that at least meets minimum technical standards now or hereafter promul- gated by the FCC relating to cable communication systems; provided, however, that in no event shall the technical standards required to be met by Grantee be less stringent than the FCC standards in effect at the time of the adoption of the Ordinance, nor shall Grantee be required to meet min- imum FCC technical standards which apply solely to cable communications systems for which franchises are granted sub- sequent to the acceptance of this Franchise. The FCC tech- nical standards relating to cable communications systems contained in subpart K of part 76 of the FCC rules are hereby incorporated by reference and made a part hereof. D. The System shall be designed for and operated on a 24 hours a day continuous operation basis. E. Grantee shall initially and subsequently test the technical capacity of the System according to the procedures delineat- ed in the Offering. Additionally, Grantee agrees to allow City to select a consultant if City deems it is necessary to review and perform such testing procedure. The results of any tests required by the FCC shall be filed within ten days of the conduct of such tests with the City and the Board. Other representatives of City may be present during testing. Tests may be done annually at such times as is determined by 14 " City, with notice to Grantee. The expenses of any tests required by the FCC shall be paid by Grantee. The expenses of tests required by City in addition to FCC required tests shall be paid by City from the Franchise fee. Should the tests show System to be not in compliance with this Fran- chise, Grantee shall pay upon demand of City all expenses associated with City required tests. SECTION 3. TWO-WAY CAPACITY Grantee shall initially activate and thereafter maintain a two-way capable System (audio, video and data impulse). Grantee shall fully activate four upstream channels at the time of System activation. This will include fully interactive service capability supported by addressable, state-of-the-art equipment. SECTION 4. FACILITIES The Grantee shall construct, maintain and continue to pro- vide all facilities and equipment set forth in the Offering in- cluding, but not limited to, the headend, hubs, distribution sys- tem, studios, equipment and other facilities. Grantee's plan, as set forth in the Offering, for implementing the construction, utilization, System performance, and maintenance of these facili- ties, including its plans for accomodating future growth and changing needs and desires, shall be fully and timely performed. SECTION 5. SPECIAL CHANNEL AND ACCESS REQUIREMENTS A. Grantee will carry broadcast stations in accordance with FCC rules as from time to time revised. B. Channel 10 (the Government access channel) shall be dedicat- ed as an emergency override channel operated by City. 15 " C. Grantee will provide an audio/video emergency alert override system that will permit the interruption by designated City officials of all audio (including FM) and video programming, instructing citizens to switch to Channel 10 for emergency announcements. D. Grantee shall provide at least eight (8) channels for access use (including one for each of the following uses: public, educational, government, leased, regional, religious chan- nel, senior citizens access, and library access). All resi- dential subscribers who receive all or any part of the total services offered on the System shall also receive all of said eight (8) access channels at no additional charge. These channels shall be activated upon System activation and thereafter maintained. Grantee shall establish rules and regulations prior to Systen activation for the use of access channels which shall be approved by City before implementa- tion and thereafter shall not be altered or amended without approval of City. In preparing such rules: (1) Grantee shall provide an equal opportunity for use of access services. (2) Grantee will consider needs assessments prepared by City. (3) Grantee will comply, at a minimum, with the require- ments of City and the Board now or hereafter adopted or determined by City or the Board regarding access chan- nels. Such requirements of the Board are hereby made a part of this ordinance and include the following: 16 " .' " (a) Grantee shall, to the extent of the System's available channel capacity, provide to each of its subscribers who receive all or any part of the total services offered on the System, reception on at least one specially designated noncommercial public access channel available for use by the general public on a first come, nondiscriminatory basis; at least one specially designated access channel for use by local educational authorities; at least one specially designated access channel for local government use; and at least one spe- cially designated access channel available for lease on a first come, nondiscriminatory basis by commercial and noncommercial users (the preceding hereinafter referred to as the "access channels"). Subscribers receiving only alarm system services or only data transmission services for computer operated functions shall be exempt from this re- quirement. The VHF spectrum shall be used for at least one of the specially designated noncommer- cial public access channels required. No charges shall be made for channel time or playback of pre- recorded programming on at least one of the spe- cially designated noncommercial public access channels. Any fees for use of public access chan- nels shall be consistent with the goal of afford- ing the public a low cost means of television 17 " access. Access facilities, equipment and/or chan- nel time will be made available to the general public, any group or individual resident in City for the production and/or cablecasting of noncommercial programming free of charge on a first corne, nondiscriminatory basis. (b) Whenever any of the access channels is in use during 80 percent of the weekdays (Monday-Friday), for 80 percent of the time during any consecutive three hour period for six weeks running, and there is demand for use of an additional channel for the same purpose, Grantee shall then have six months in which to provide a new specially designated access channel for the same purpose at no addi- tional cost to subscribers, provided that provi- sion of such additional channel(s) shall not require the cable system to install converters. (c) The rules and regulations established by the Grantee and approved by City governing the access channels shall be filed with the Board within 90 days after any such channels are put into use. (d) Subscribers receiving programs on one or more spe- cial service channels without also receiving the regular subscriber services may receive only one specially designated composite access channel composed of the programming on access channels. This composite channel shall not include program- 18 ming from the leased access channel. Subscribers receiving only alarm system services or only data transmission services for computer operated func- tions shall not be included in this requirement. (4) The Grantee shall comply, at a minimum, with the re- quirements of City and Board, now or hereafter adopted by City or Board regarding public use of its equipment, including but not limited to the following: (a) Grantee shall make readily available for public use at least minimal equipment necessary for the production of programming and playback of prere- corded programs for the specially designated non- commercial public access channel. The Grantee shall also make readily available upon need being shown, the minimum equipment necessary to make it possible to record programs at remote locations with battery operated portable equipment. (b) Need within the meaning of this paragraph shall be determined by subscriber petition. Said petitions must contain the signatures of at least 10 percent of the subscribers of System, but in no case more than 500 nor fewer than 100 signatures. SECTION 6. INSTITUTIONAL NETVI0RK The System shall include a separate institutional cable com- munications network, interconnected with the subscriber network, which will permit 38 separate television channels to be sent to each institution and 16 channels to be returned from each insti- 19 ~ , " tution to the head-end for redistribution. Said institutional network shall be offered, activated, expanded, marketed, and developed at a minimum in full compliance with the Offering. determined in the sole discretion of City. Need for the provision of institutional service shall be SECTION 7. INSTITUTIONS SERVICE TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND EDUCATIONAL Grantee shall provide, at a minimum, institutional network service to: Anoka Senior High Anoka State Hospital Anoka Vo-Tech Institute Anoka Fred Moore Junior High Anoka Sandberg Middle School Anoka Franklin Elementary School Anoka Lincoln Elementary School Anoka Wilson Elementary School Anoka Washington Elementary School Anoka St. Stephen's Anoka City Hall Anoka Court House Anoka Fire Station Anoka City Library Landscape Career Center (Anoka Vo-Tech) Anoka Ice Arena Anoka Senior Citizens Drop In Anoka Senior Citizens Highrise Anoka Public Works Department Anoka Liquor Store Anoka Liquor Store Anoka Liquor Store Champlin Municipal Center Champlin Elementary School Champlin Public Library Champlin Municipal Liquor Store Jackson Junior High School Crooked Lake Community/ Elementary School Meadowcreek Christian School Andover City Hall Andover Fire Hall Ramsey City Hall Ramsey Elementary School 20 3939 7th Avenue 3300 4th Avenue West Highway 10 1523 Hash 1902 2nd Avenue 215 West Main 540 South Street 1025 Sunnylane 6 Avenue and School 506 Jackson 2015 1st Avenue North 325 East Main 2301 3rd Avenue 2135 3rd Avenue 2929 7th Avenue 41st Avenue North & 7th Avenue North Wash & 6th Avenue 2 Bridge Square 2301 3rd Avenue 848 East River Road 709 38th Avenue 809 West Hain 12001 Highway 52 III Dean Avenue West 230 Curtis Road 123 Miller Road 109th Street 2939 Bunker Lake Road 2941 Bunker Lake Road 1685 N.W. Crosstown Blvd. 1785 N.W. Crosstown Blvd. 15153 Nowthen Blvd. 15000 Nowthen Blvd. ,. SECTION 8. INTERCONNECTION The System serving the Cities of Andover, Anoka, Champlin, and Ramsey shall be completely interconnected. Grantee will com- ply with all present and future rules, regulations and orders of the Board regarding interconnection of systems, and will cooperate with any agencies or utili ties involved with interconnection. At such times as interconnection is required, Grantee shall accomplish this without additional charge to subscribers. System shall be initially constructed so that other systems now or hereafter constructed in any area adjacent to System or within the metropolitan area (if technologically feasible) may be interconnected with System upon request of City and agreement with other System's Grantor and Cable Company. SECTION 9. NARROWCASTING System shall be capable of "narrowcasting" of programs to each community separately so that the residents of one community may view a given program while, at the same time, residents of another community may watch different programming at the same time on the same channel. SECTION 10. REGIONAL CHANNEL The standard VHF Channel 6 is hereby designated for uniform regional channel usage. However, until the regional channel be- comes operational, Grantee may utilize the standard VHF Channel 6 as it deems appropriate. Use of time on the regional channel shall be made available without charge. 21 ARTICLE IV. SERVICES AND PROGRAMMING, SUBSCRIBER CONTRACTS, COMPLAINTS SECTION 1. SERVICES AND PROGRAMMING A. Grantee shall provide those services and programming as specified in its Offering. B. City recognizes that services and programming in cable com- munications is rapidly changing. ) Therefore, to insure the providing of services and programming in the best interest of the citizens of City, Grantee may add or delete services and programming from the System only with the express writ- ten permission of City as authorized by the Council of City. While such addition or deletion of programming or services will not require the amendment of this Franchise, any addi- tion or deletion of programming will be subject to all terms and conditions of this Franchise. C. Ci ty authorization of Grantee deletion of programming or services shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. The withholding of authorization of Grantee's addition of pro- gramming or services shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed and shall be viewed as an administrative decision of City requiring findings of fact demonstrating reasonable cause for withholding authorization. SECTION 2. INTERRUPTION OF SERVICE AND COHPLAINTS A. Whenever it is necessary to shut off or interrupt service, Grantee shall do so during periods of minimum use of the System. Unless such interruption is unforeseen and immedia- tely necessary, Grantee shall give reasonable notice thereof 22 to subscribers. All costs incurred in repairing System and handling complaints shall be paid by Grantee, and if service is interrupted or di scontinued for more than 4.8 hours, sub- scribers shall be credited pro rata for such interruption. The cause of any such interruption shall be removed and ser- vice restored as promptly as reasonably possible. B. Grantee shall maintain an office in the Quad City area which shall be open during all usual business hours, have a listed local telephone, and be so operated that complaints and re- quests for repairs or adjustments may be received at any time, 7 days per week. (1) Notice of this information shall be provided to all new subscribers at time of subscription and to existing subscribers annually. (2) Grantee shall not engage in the sale of television sets or provide other television repair service, but in the event such service is required, shall promptly notify subscriber of that need for service. (3) All complaints by City, subscribers, or other persons regarding the quality of service, equipment malfunc- tion, billing disputes, and any other matters relative to the System, shall be investigated and responded to by a service representative at the location of the com- plaint by Grantee within 24 hours. If reasonably pos- sible, Grantee shall rectify the cause of all valid complaints. If a complaint is not rectified within seven days, the complainant may then file the complaint 23 .' with City. (4) City and Grantee shall prepare and maintain a record of all complaints made to them. If at any time after the filing of a complaint with City, City determines, in its sole discretion, that the complaint represents a violation of this Franchise, any law, ordinance or re- gulation, or represents a failure in the performance of Grantee pursuant to this Franchise, City may, in addi- tion to any other remedy available to it, issue written notice specifying the nature of the complaint and or- dering Grantee to appear at the next regularly sched- uled Council meeting or at a special meeting of the Council called for this purpose. At said Council meet- ing, Grantee shall explain its failure to rectify the complaint and show cause why the Council should not insti tute default proceedings. Failure by Grantee to appear may result, at the sole discretion of City, in the termination of this Franchise. 24 : ARTICLE V. CONSTRUCTION, INITIAL SERVICE AREA LINE EXTENSION AND CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS SECTION 1. INITIAL SERVICE AREA Grantee shall construct as the initial service area all areas containing dwelling units wi thin the cities of Anoka and Champlin, as well as all areas within Andover and Ramsey where current dwelling unit density exceeds 40 homes per mile. All trunk cables in all four communities shall be considered part of the initial service area. Grantee shall extend service to any area contiguous to the initial service area which exceeds a dens- ity of 40 homes per street mile or greater. SECTION 2. LINE EXTENSION POLICY Grantee's extension of service to those areas not included in the initial service area shall be done pursuant to the follow- ing requirements: A. In the portions of the line extension area which do not reach 40 homes per mile, Grantee shall provide cable televi- sion on a cost-sharing arrangement. If any potential sub- scriber requests that the line be extended, Grantee shall calculate the cost on a time and material basis. Grantee shall assume $400 per home passed by the line extension. Any subscriber will assume the remainder of all costs in- cur red on a pro-rata basis. If additional subscribers receive service from the line extension, they will assume their pro-rated share of the line extension cost~ and, appropriate rebates will be made to subscribers having pre- viously assumed those costs or if said subscriber cannot be 25 .' located by Grantee, appropriate rebates will be made to the current subscriber of affected dwelling unit. If additional dwelling units are constructed in the line extension and the line extension density remains under 40 dwelling units per street mile contiguous to the initial service area, Grantee shall rebate to subscribers on the line extension on a pro- rated basis $400 for each additional dwelling unit built. In no event will a subscriber who partially assumed con- struction costs be rebated more than the amount initially assumed by that subscriber. B. If the line extension has been built and reaches a density of 30 homes per street mile contiguous to the initial serv- ice area, Grantee shall rebate all monies paid by those subscribers who have assumed line extension costs. In no event will a subscriber who partially assumed construction costs be rebated more than the amount initially assumed by that subscriber. C. For installation of service drops longer than 200 feet, the resident shall be charged an additional amount for the installation equal to the incremental increase of the cost of time and materials for everything longer than 200 feet. SECTION 3. CONSTRUCTION TIMETABLE A. \Vi thin 90 days after the granting of Franchise, Grantee shall apply for all necessary permits, licenses, certifi- cates and authorizations which are required in the conduct of its business, including, but not limited to, any joint use attachment agreements, microwave carrier licenses, or 26 " any other permits, licenses and authorizations to be granted by duly constituted regulatory agencies having jurisdiction over the operation of cable communication systems, or their associated microwave transmission facilities. If after one year from the commencement of Franchise term, Grantee has not received the permits, licenses, certificates and author- izations described in this paragraph, City may terminate this Franchise without regard to fault for delay in obtain- ing such permits, licenses, certificates and authorizations. B. Within 90 days after obtaining all necessary permits, li- censes, certificates and authorizations, Grantee shall give written notice thereof to City and commence construction and installation of System. Grantee shall construct substan- tially all areas of the initial service area which contain dwelling units within one year of the granting of the state certificate of confirmation so that persons along the route of the energized cable will have individual "drops" as de- sired during the same period of time. C. Any delays in the construction timetable or commencement of construction shall result in penalties as provided in this Franchise, and continued delays may result in the termina- tion of this Franchise and all rights and privileges of Grantee hereunder. (1) Grantee shall promptly notify City of all delays known or anticipated in the construction of System. (2) City may extend the time for beginning construction or may extend the construction timetable in the event 27 Grantee, acting in good faith, experiences delays by reason of circumstances beyond its control. SECTION 4. CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS A. Grantee shall not open or disturb the surface of any streets or public property without first obtaining a permit from City for which permit City may impose a reasonable fee to be paid by Grantee. The lines, conduits, cable s and other property placed in the streets and public property pursuant to such permit shall be located in such part of the street or public property as shall be determined by City. Grantee shall, upon completion of any work requiring the opening of any streets or public property, restore the same, including the pavement and its grounds to as good a condition as form- erly and in a manner and quality approved by City, and shall exercise reasonable care to maintain the same thereafter in good condition. Such work shall be performed with diligence and due care, and if Grantee shall fail to perform the work promptly, to remove all dirt and rubbish and to put the street or public property back into the condition required hereby, City shall have the right to put the streets or pub- lic property back into good condi ti,on at the expense of Grantee. Grantee shall, upon demand, pay to City the reas- onable cost of such work done or performed. B. All wires, conduits, cable and other property and facilities of Grantee shall be so located, constructed, installed and maintained as not to endanger or unnecessarily interfere with the usual and customary trade, traffic and travel upon, 28 " or other use of, the streets and public property of City. Grantee shall keep and maintain all of its property in good condition, order and repair so that the same shall not men- ace or endanger the life or property of any person. City shall have the right to inspect and examine at all reason- able times and upon reasonable notice the property owned or used, in part or in whole, by Grantee. Grantee shall keep accurate maps and records of all of its wires, conduits, cables and other property and facilities located, construct- ed and maintained in the City. Further, Grantee shall, without charge, furnish copies of such maps and records from time to time as requested by City. C. All wires, conduits, cables and other property and facili- ties of Grantee, shall be constructed and installed in an orderly and workmanlike manner. All wires, conduits and cables shall be installed, where possible, parallel with electric and telephone lines. Multiple cable configurations shall be arranged in parallel and bundled with due respect for engineering considerations. D. Grantee shall at all times comply with all applicable laws, ordinances, rules, regulations and codes, federal, state and local. In any event, the installation, operation or main- tenance of System shall not endanger or interfere with the safety of persons or property in the City. E. Whenever City shall undertake any public improvement which affects Grantee's equipment or facilities, City shall, with due regard to reasonable working conditions and with reason- 29 able notice, direct Grantee to remove its wires, conduits, cables and other property located in streets or public property. Grantee shall relocate or protect its wires, con- duits, cables and other property at its own expense. F. Grantee's plans for constructing its System, and the con- struction of the System, shall be in accordance with its Offering. However, Grantee shall comply with the following minimum requirements: (1) Grantee shall construct underground in any area where all other utility lines are underground. (2) Grantee shall change from aerial to underground, at its own expense, in any area where (i) all other lines are are hereafter changed from aerial to underground or (ii) any aerial line is changed to underground by the open trench method and City requests Grantee to share the trench. (3) To enable Grantee reasonable opportunity to change its wiring from aerial to underground, and also to allow it to prewire all new multiple dwelling units, subdivi- sions or new development areas, City shall provide Grantee with written notice of the following, but in no event shall City have any liability for failure to pro- vide notice of the following: (a) Any changes of which City has knowledge, or which City may order, regarding a change from aerial to underground of any line (telephone or electrical) within its boundaries. 30 " (b) Any underground trenching that may be pending. (c) All subdividers or developers of new subdivisions and developments shall be notified .of the Fran- chise and the System. (d) All Franchise changes affecting the wiring of the System. SECTION 5. CONDITIONS ON USE A. Grantee shall not place poles or other fixtures where the same will interfere with any gas, electric or telephone fix- ture, water hydrant or main, and sewer line. B. Grantee, at the request of any person holding a building moving permit and with not less than five days advance notice, shall temporarily remove, raise or lower its wires, conduits and cables. The expense of such temporary removal, raising or lowering of wires, conduits and cables shall be paid by person requesting the same, and Grantee shall have the authority to require such payment in advance. C. Grantee shall have the authority, to the extent the City has authority to grant the same, to trim trees upon or overhang- ing any street or public property so as to prevent the branches of such trees from coming in contact with the wires, conduits and cables of Grantee. All trimming for the benefit of Grantee shall be done under the supervision and direction of City and at the expense of Grantee. D. Nothing contained in this Franchise shall relieve any person from liability arising out of the failure to exercise reas- onable care to avoid injuring the Grantee's facilities while 31 performing any work connected with grading, regrading or changing the line of any street or public place or with the construction or reconstruction of any sewer or water system. 32 ARTICLE VI. SYSTEM OPERATIONS SECTION 1. INFORMATION AVAILABILITY A. Throughout the term of this Franchise, Grantee shall main- tain books and records in accordance with normal and ac- cepted bookkeeping and accounting practices for the cable communications industry, and allow for inspection and copy- ing of them by City at reasonable times at its designated office. The books and records to be maintained by Grantee shall include the following: (1) A record of all requests for service except those re- quests subsequently withdrawn (retained for two years); (2) A record of all subscriber or other complaints, and the action taken (retained for two years); (3) A file of all subscriber contracts; (4) Grantee policies, procedures and company rules; and (5) Financial records. B. City shall give Grantee at least 24 hours notice before mak- ing inspections of any books or records of Grantee. C. Grantee shall file with City, at the time of its annual pay- ment of the franchise fee, as described in this Franchise, the following (although City may make written waiver of receipt of any of the following): (1) A financial statement certified by an officer of Grant- ee showing,. in such reasonable detail as acceptable to City, the gross revenues of Grantee for the preceding fiscal year. 33 " (2) Current list of names and addresses of each officer and director and other management personnel, and if a cor- poration, each shareholder having stock. ownership of three (3%) percent or more, and if a partnership, all general partners, and if a general partner is a corpor- ation, the foregoing information shall be given as to the corporate general partner. (3) A copy of each document filed with all federal, state and local agencies not previously filed with City with respect to the ownership and operation of System (each of these filings shall be provided at the time the fil- ing is made) . (4) A statement of its current billing practices. (5) A current copy of its rules and policies. (6) A current copy of its subscriber service contract, if any. D. City, its agents and representatives shall have authority to arrange for and conduct an audit of and copy the books and records of Grantee. The City and Grantee shall establish reasonable procedures to protect the confidentiality of information. Grantee shall first be given five days notice of the audit request, the description of and purpose for the audit, and description, to the best of City's ability, of the books, records and documents it wants to review. SECTION 2. SERVICE CONTRACT A. Grantee shall receive approval from City of the form and content of the service contract to be used by Grantee prior 34 " to entering into any such service contracts with subscrib- ers, and the Grantee shall make no changes in the approved service contract without prior written approval of City, which permission shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. The service contract shall include, at a minimum, a schedule of all applicable rates and charges, description of services, instructions on the use of the system, billing and collection practices. B. The service contract shall further contain a statement as follows: Grantee shall not, as to rates, charges, service facil- ities, rules, regulations or in any other respect, make or grant any preference or advantage to any person, nor subject any person to any prejudice or disadvantage, provided, however, that nothing in this Franchise shall be deemed to prohibit the establishment of special contracts or reduced rates for senior citizens or hand- icapped heads of households or for installation rate reductions for 90 days after cable service is first offered in an area or for such other purposes offered to all individuals similarly situated or to meet com- petition from other providers of telecommunications services. C. Grantee shall have authority to promulgate such rules, re- gulations, terms and conditions governing the conduct of its business as shall be reasonably necessary to enable Grantee to exercise its rights and perform its obligations under 35 " this Franchise and to assure an uninterrupted service to each and all of its subscribers ~ provided, however, that such rules, regulations, terms and conditions shall not be in conflict with the provisions of the Franchise, ordinances of City, and laws of the State of Minnesota or the United States. D. Each subscriber shall be provided with instructions on fil- ing complaints or otherwise obtaining information or assist- ance from Grantee. E. All items described in this section shall be provided to each new subscriber at the time a contract is entered into or service begun, and to all existing subscribers not less than once each year. F. The term of a subscriber contract shall not be for more than 12 months duration unless after 12 months the contract may be terminated by the subscriber at his option at any time, with no penalty to subscriber. SECTION 3. SUBSCRIBER PRACTICES A. There shall be no charge for disconnection of any installa- tion or outlet. If any subscriber fails to pay a properly due monthly subscriber fee, or any other properly due fee or charge, Grantee may disconnect the subscriber's service out- let, provided, however, that such disconnection shall not be effected until after the later of (i) 45 days after the due date of said delinquent fee or charge or (ii) ten days after delivery to subscriber of written notice of the intent to disconnect. If a subscriber pays before expiration of the 36 " later of (i) or (ii), Grantee shall not disconnect. After disconnection, upon payment in full of the delinquent fee or charge and the payment of a reconnection charge, Grantee shall promptly reinstate the subscriber's cable service. B. Refunds to subscribers shall be made or determined in the following manner: (1) If Grantee fails, upon request by a subscriber, to pro- vide any service then being offered, Grantee shall wi thin 60 days of subscriber request refund all de- posits or advance charges paid for the service in ques- tion by said subscriber. This provision does not alter Grantee's responsibility to subscribers under any sepa- rate contractual agreement or relieve Grantee of any other liability. (2) If any subscriber terminates any monthly service be- cause of failure of Grantee to render the service in accordance with Franchise, Grantee shall refund to such subscriber the proportionate share of the charges paid by the subscriber for the services not received. This provision does not relieve Grantee of liability estab- lished in other provisions of this Franchise. C. If any subscriber terminates any monthly service prior to the end of a prepaid period, a proportionate amount of any prepaid subscriber service fee, using the number of days as a basis, shall be refunded to the subscriber by Grantee. D. Continued failure by Grantee to provide services required by this Franchise may, in the discretion of City, be cause for 37 -' imposition of a penalty or termination of this Franchise. SECTION 4. FRANCHISE FEE, RATES, CHARGES, CHANGES IN FEES AND PROCEDURES A. Rate Change Procedure. (1) To the extent permitted by law, all increases in sub- scriber rates and charges shall be charged by Grantee, in a manner provided for herein. Grantee, as a condi- tion precedent to its acceptance of this Franchise hereby knowingly and voluntarily consents to these procedures for the term of this Franchise of all rates and charges. (2) City hereby reserves the right to approve or adopt reg- ulations governing Grantee's collection of advance charges and deposits, installation and reconnect ion charges, policies and procedures, disconnection charg- es, policies and procedures, and the availability of refunds. Approval of City shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. (3) Cost for installing any part of the System will be a factor in the rate only if such cost was incurred with- in City. (4) The territory for rates applicable to System shall be City and all Cities then parties to a joint powers agreement relating to the System. B. Franchise Fee. (1) Throughout the term of this Franchise, Grantee shall pay to City, within 60 days after the end of each fis- 38 cal year of Grantee, an annual fee of five percent (5%) of all gross revenues.' No payment will be allowed of any fee that is different from five percent, other than the filing fee and payment required of the successful applicant as established by City to recover the costs of franchising. Grantee agrees to support any waiver required by the FCC for the established franchise fee. The annual fee may be subject to renegotiation at such time as federal or state authorities no longer regulate the amount of the fee. If Grantee and City do not agree in renegotiations, the Franchise fee shall remain unchanged. (2) Payment will be made to City with an itemization of the gross revenues derived from the services in City. C. Rates and Other Charges. (1) Rates and charges charged by Grantee for monthly ser- vice and installation and other charges hereunder shall be uniform, fair and reasonable and designed to meet all necessary costs of service, including a fair rate of return on the original cost, less depreciation, of the properties devoted to such service (without regard to any subsequent sale or transfer price or cost of such properties) . (2) For three years after commencement of cable service to residential subscribers, the maximum rates shall be the specific rates of Grantee as included in Exhibit A, attached hereto and made a part of this Franchise and 39 known as Grantee Schedule of Rates. (3) Service requests for maintenance or repair of Grantee's property shall be performed at no charge to a subscrib- er. I f such maintenance or repair is required as a result of damage caused by subscriber, Grantee may charge to the subscriber as a maximum its direct costs for material and labor for service calls to subscrib- er's home. (4) Rates for new or additional services not initially in- cluded in Offering of Grantee and therefore not listed in Exhibit A shall be established by resolution of Council of City according to the terms of this Fran- chise. D. Rate Changes. (1) No rate change shall be approved that would result in different rates or charges for service to similarly situated subscribers in the rate territory, other thE'J1 those specified in Article VI, Section 2.P. (2) The standards for reviewing a proposed rate change will include at least the following: (a) The ability of the Grantee to render System serv- ices and to derive a reasonable profit therefrom under the existing rate schedule and proposed rate schedule; (b) All revenues and profits or actual losses derived from System; (c) Tax benefits and tax costs received by Grantee, 40 its partners or shareholders, as the result of their investment in the System~ (d) Cash flow generated by System~ (e) The efficiency of Grantee; (f) The quality of the service offered by Grantee~ (g) The original cost of the System, less deprecia- tion~ (h) A fair rate of return with respect to investments having similar risks to that of providing cable communication services~ (i) The extent to which Grantee has adhered to the terms of this Franchise; (j) Fairness to residents and subscribers~ (k) Capital expenditures (actual and, if the situation so warrants, projected) by Grantee in providing updated technology and service to subscribers~ (1) The extent to which Grantee has then provided service to schools, hospitals, libraries, publicly owned or leased buildings and similar institutions within City~ (m) The extent to which Grantee has technologically upgraded the System~ and (n) Increased or decreased expenses incurred by Grant- ee in the purchase of services~ and (0) Such other factors as City or Grantee may deem relevant. (3) The procedures to be followed in changing a Basic rate 41 or charge shall include at least the following: (a) Grantee shall give City written notice of any proposed rate increase at least ninety (90) days prior to the proposed effective date of the rate increase. (b) The application shall be supported by statistical and other proof indicating that the existing rate or charge is inadequate and unreasonable and that the proposed increases are required to enable Grantee to render service to fulfill its obliga- tions under this Franchise and to derive a reason- able profit therefrom. (c) The notice shall include current financial and other information with at least the following: 1. Balance Sheet; 2. Income Statement; 3. Statement of sources and applications of funds; 4. Detailed supporting schedules of expenses, income, assets and other items as may be re- quired by City; 5. Statement of current and projected subs crib- ers; 6. A current list of Grantee applicable to erated by its parent rates and charges of systems owned or op- corporation or other 42 subsidiaries or affiliates of its parent corporation at other locations~ 7. A current list of rates and charges for other systems in the seven county Metropolitan area~ 8. Cash flow derived from System services since the commencement of this Franchise~ and 9. Statement of tax benefits received by Grantee, its partners or shareholders, as a result of their investment in System. (d) In the event the proposed rate increase exceeds (in any respect) the projected rate increases shown on Exhibit B, City shall notify Grantee and Board and shall schedule a public hearing on the proposed rate increase within two weeks from the date of receipt of the notice. Grantee will noti- fy the public through providing notice for one week, each day between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on two lowest tier channels of the date, place and time of the hearing. City will publish notice ten days prior to hearing in its official newspaper. (e) After closing the public hearing, City will have 31 days within which to make its determination~ however, any proposed change in rates or charges shall become effective upon the date specified in the notice of Grantee. Approval of City shall not be unreasonably withheld. 43 (f) If City fails to approve the change of rates or charges within the 31 day period, the rate shall still become effective upon the date specified in the notice of Grantee. (g) City may utilize a rate consultant to advise it on proposed rate changes and to assist it in main- taining uniform rates wi thin the rate territory. A rate consultant may be any person who has suf- ficient background and experience, in the sole opinion of City, to properly evaluate and analyze rates and charges. (h) All costs for the review of a notice for a rate or charge change shall be paid by City from the Fran- chise fee. (i) Any time limit may be waived only if City and Grantee consent. (j) If City fails to approve the change of rates, either City or Grantee may initiate binding arbi- tration pursuant to Minnesota Statutes except as delineated below. (k) The parties shall, within 15 days of City's fail- ure to approve the rate increase, appoint one arbitrator each who is experienced and knowledge- able in the evaluation and analysis of cable rate and charge changes. Arbitrators shall each agree upon the selection of a third arbitrator, simi- larly qualified, within 15 days after appointment 44 of the second arbitrator. (1) Within 15 days after appointment of all arbitrat- ors and upon ten days written notice to parties, the arbitrators shall commence a hearing on the rate change proposed by Grantee. (m) The hearing shall be recorded and may be tran- scribed at the request and expense of either party. All hearing proceedings, debates and de- liberations shall be open to the public, City, and Grantee and at such times and places as contained in the notice or as thereafter publicly stated in the order to adjourn. (n) The arbitration panel shall be required to ap- prove, rej ect or modify the rate change proposed by Grantee according to the standards established in this Franchise. (0) At the close of the hearings and within 30 days, the arbitrators shall prepare written findings and make a written decision agreed upon by a majority of the arbitrators which shall be served by mail upon City and Grantee. (p) The decision of a majority of the arbitrators shall be binding upon both parties, provided that either party may pursue any jUdicial remedies otherwise available to either party. (q) Should the rate change be rejected or modified by a majority of the arbitrators, the Grantee shall 45 within ninety (90) days and pursuant to procedures established by Grantee refund the rate overage to affected subscribers. (r) Either party may also seek judicial relief to the extent authorized under Hinnesota Statutes, ~572. 09 and ~572 .19 as the same may be amended, and in addition, under the following circumstan- ces: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) A party fails to select an arbitrator; The arbitrators fail to select a third arbi- trator; One or more arbitrator is unqualified; Designated time limits have been exceeded; The arbitrators have not proceeded expedi- tiously; or (vi) Based upon the record the arbitrators abused their discretion. (s) In the event a Court of competent jurisdiction determines the arbitrators have abused their discretion, or that the regulation of a given rate is beyond the authority of City, it may order the arbitration procedure repeated and issue findings, orders and directions, with costs of suit to be awarded to the prevailing party. (t) Cost of arbitration shall be borne equally. (4) The procedures to be followed in changing any rate or charge other than basic shall include the following: 46 " (a) Grantee shall give City written notice of any rate increase at least ninety (90) days prior to the effective date of the rate increase. (b) In the event the percentage of the rate increase (in any respect) does not exceed the percentage of the increase from the CPI in existence on the date of the certification of this Franchise by the Board or specified in the last rate increase notice of the Grantee (whichever event is most recent), the noticed rate shall become effective upon its noticed effective date. (c) Except as provided in Article VI, Section 4., D. (c) (5), in the event the percentage of the rate increase (in any respect) exceeds the percentage of increase from the CPI in existence on the date of the certification of this Franchise by the Board or specified in the last rate increase notice of the Grantee (whichever event is most recent), the notice rate shall become effective upon its noticed effective date but the notice shall also include current financials and other information as specified in Article VI, Sec- tion 4., D. (4) (c) (1. -9. ) . (i) Upon review by City of the information pro- vided in the notice by Grantee, City may schedule a public hearing on the proposed rate increase within two (2) weeks from the 47 date of receipt of the notice. Grantee will notify the public as specified in Article VI, Section 2., 0.(4) (d). The City will publish notice ten (10) days prior to the hearing in its official newspaper. (ii) After closing the public hearing, City will have thirty-one (31) days wi thin which to make any determination regarding the noticed rate increase; however, any proposed change in rates or charges shall become effective upon the date specified in the notice of Grantee regardless of the determination of City. (iii) The City may utilize a rate consultant to advise it on proposed rate changes and to assist it in maintaining uniform rates within the territory. A rate consultant may be any person who has sufficient background and experience, in the sole opinion of City, to properly evaluate and analyze rates and charges. (iv) All costs for the review of a notice for rate or charge change should be paid by City from the Franchise fee. (5) In the event the law should provide for the regulation of other than basic rates by City, the procedure for the change of other than basic rates shall be as 48 outlined above, except that subsequent to the public hearing, should the City fail to approve the change of rates, either City or Grantee may initiate binding arbi tration pursuant to t-1innesota statutes except as delineated in Article VI, Section 3., D. (k)-(t). E. periodic Reviews, Renegotiation and Technological Update of System. The field of cable communications is a relatively new and rapidly changing one which shall no doubt see many re- gulatory, technical, financial, marketing and legal changes during the term of the Franchise. Therefore, in order to provide for a maximum degree of flexibility in this Fran- chise, and to help achieve a continued advanced and modern system, the following renegotiation provisions will apply: (1) City reserves the right to adopt rules and regulations controlling the procedures and subjects for periodic reviews and renegotiation. In the absence of any City action taken to exercise these rights, Grantee shall be subject to at least the procedures and subjects de- scribed in this section. (2) City may require, in its sole discretion, System per- formance evaluation sessions at any time during the term of this Franchise. or as required by federal or state law. In addition to these discretionary evalua- tion sessions, regular evaluation sessions shall be conducted by City within 30 days of the third, fifth and eighth anniversary dates of the date of acceptance 49 of this Franchise by Grantee. (3) All evaluation sessions shall be open to the public and notice of sessions published in the same way as a legal notice. Grantee shall notify its subscribers of all evaluation sessions by announcement on at least two channels of the System between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. for five consecutive days preceding each session. (4) Topics which may be discussed at any evaluation session may include, but not be limited to, service rate struc- tures; franchise fee; penalties; free or discounted services; application of new technologies; system per- formance; services provided; programming offered; com- munity access; local origination; customer complaints; privacy; amendmemts to this Franchise; judicial, Board and FCC rulings; line extension policies; and Grantee or City Rules. (5) During a review and evaluation by City, Grantee shall fully cooperate with City and shall provide without cost such information and documents as City may request to reasonably perform the service. (6) If at any time during its review, City determines that reasonable evidence exists of inadequate System per- formance, it may require Grantee to perform tests and analyses directed toward such suspected inadequacies at the Grantee's own expense. Grantee shall fully cooper- ate with City in performing such testing and shall pre- 50 pare results and a report, if requested, within 30 days after notice. The report prepared by Grantee shall include at least: (a) A description of the problem in System performance which precipitated the special tests. (b) What System component was tested. (c) The equipment used and procedures employed in testing. (d) The method, if any, by which such System perform- ance problem was resolved. (e) Any other information pertinent to said tests and analyses which may be required by City, or deter- mined when the test is performed. City may require that tests be supervised at Grantee's expense by a consultant designated by City. The con- sultant shall sign all records of special tests and forward to City such records with a report interpreting the results of the tests and recommending actions to be taken. (7) Grantee shall exercise its best efforts to maintain a modern state-of-the-art System which is comparable to other operating CATV systems similarly situated. As a resul t of the periodic review ses sions, City may re- quest Grantee to modify or to upgrade the System, or to provide additional services, and authorize rate in- creases sufficient to insure the economic feasibility of these changes. Grantee shall implement such changes 51 unless: (a) technology does not permit the suggested changes: (b) the proposed changes and rate increases taken in combination are not economically feasible: or (c) insufficient time has been allowed for implementa- tion. In the event of a disagreement between City and Grantee with respect to the items above, City may retain a cable consultant to advise and assist both parties in continued negotiations with respect to the changes which City desires. Either party may initiate binding arbitration pursuant to Minnesota Statutes and Article XI, section 2B of this Franchise. Costs of arbitration shall be shared equally by Grantee and City. SECTION 5. FRANCHISE RENEWAL A. Grantee may apply for renewal of this Franchise at any time prior to the expiration of this Franchise on forms provided by City. In any event renegotiation shall commence at least 12 months before the expiration of the Franchise term, un- less the City determines not to reissue the Franchise to Grantee or desires to consider additional applicants for a franchise. B. Grantee may be approved, and this Franchise or modification to it may be renewed, by City in accordance wi th the then existing rules of the FCC, the Board, the City and all other applicable laws, ordinances, rules or regulations. C. Nothing in this Franchise shall be construed to require renewal of this Franchise. 52 D. City shall conduct an investigation and evaluation of the Grantee and the System and the renewal proposal. This in- vestigation and evaluation shall be completed by City within six months after receipt of the application and determina- tion by City of its completeness. E. Renewal of this Franchise may be for any length of time but not more than fifteen years, unless otherwise permitted by federal or state law, and may be on a year to year basis in the sole discretion of City. 53 ,~ ARTICLE VIII. INDEMNIFICATION, INSURANCE, LETTER OF CREDIT AND BOND SECTION 1. GENERAL A. All rights of City pursuant to indemnification, insurance letter of credit or bond, as provided for by this Franchise, are in addition to all other rights the City may have under this Franchise or any other ordinance, rule, regulation or law. B. The exercise or failure to exercise by City of any rights pursuant to any section of this Franchise shall not affect in any way the right of City to subsequently exercise any such rights or any other right of City under this Franchise or any other ordinance, rule, regulation or law. SECTION 2. INDEMNIFICATION AND INSURANCE A. Grantee shall fully indemnify, defend and hold harmless, City, its officers, boards, commissions, elected officials, agents and employees against any and all costs, damage, ex- pense, claims, suits, actions, liability and judgments for damages, including but not limited to, expenses for legal fees, whether suit be brought or not, and disbursements and liabili ties incurred by City related to this Franchise or the System in connection with: (1) Damage to persons or property, in any way arising out of or through the acts or omissions of Grantee, their respective servants, officials, agents, or employees or to which Grantee's negligence or that of their respec- tive servants, agents, officials or employees shall in 55 " any way contribute; (2) Arising out of any claim for invasion of the right of privacy, for defamation of any person, firm or corpora- tion, or the violation or infringement of any copy- right, trademark, trade name, service mark or patent, or of any other right of any person, firm or corpora- tion, except claims because of City's own programming; and (3) Arising out of Grantee's failure to comply with the provisions of this Franchise, any federal, state or local law, ordinance or regulation applicable to Grant- ee or the System. (4) Any and all claims which Grantee may now or hereafter have or claim to have against City, its servants, agents, employees or officials, due to or arising out of damage to any of Grantee 1 s property or equipment, including, without limitation, resulting or consequent- ial loss of income, injury to reputation, or any other resulting or consequential damages of any kind, caused by or resulting from acts or omissions of City or any of its servants, agents employees or officials. B. If suit be brought or threatened against City, either inde- pendently or jointly with Grantee, or with any person or municipality, Grantee, upon notice given by City, shall de- fend City at the cost of Grantee, and if final judgment is obtained against City, either independently or jointly with Grantee, or any other defendants, Grantee shall indemnify 56 City and pay such judgment with all costs and satisfy and discharge the same. C. City reserves the right to cooperate with Grantee and parti- cipate in the defense of any litigation either through in- tervention or otherwise. Grantee shall pay upon receipt of written demand from City, all expenses incurred by City in defending itself with regard to any matters in this section. These expenses shall include, but not be limited to, attor- neys' fees, and the reasonable value of services (as deter- mined by City) rendered by City or any employees, agents or representatives of City. SECTION 3. INSURANCE A. Grantee shall maintain liability insurance covering its ob- ligations of indemnification provided for in or as a result of the exercise of this Franchise covering both the City and Grantee and shall maintain said insurance during the entire term of this Franchise in the minimum amount of: (1) $500,000 for property damage to anyone person1 (2) $2,000,000 for property damage in anyone act or oc- currence1 (3) $1,000,000 for personal injury to any one person~ and (4) $2,000,000 for personal injury in anyone act or oc- currence. B. Such insurance shall be with a company acceptable to City and shall otherwise be in form and substance acceptable to City. Such insurance policy with written evidence of pay- ment of required premiums shall be filed and maintained with 57 .' City during the term of the Franchise. The above minimum amounts shall be changed from time to time by Grantee as requested by City. Grantee shall immediately give notice to City of any threatened or pending litigation affecting this insurance. C. Neither the provisions of this section nor any damages re- covered by City or any individual shall be construed to, or shall limit the liability of Grantee. D. No recovery by City of any sum by reason of the Letter of Credit or Bond required in this Franchise shall be any lim- i tation upon the liability of Grantee to City under the terms of this section, except that the sum so received by Ci ty from such Letter of Creditor Bond shall be deducted from a recovery by City under this section, if for the same act or occurrence. E. All insurance policies maintained pursuant to this Franchise shall contain the following endorsement: It is hereby understood and agreed that this insurance policy may not be cancelled nor the intention not to renew be stated until 60 days after receipt by City, by registered mail, of written notice of such intention to cancel or not to renew. SECTION 4. LETTER OF CREDIT A. At the time of acceptance of this Franchise, Grantee shall deliver to City an irrevocable and unconditional Letter of Credi t, in form and substance acceptable to City, from a National or State bank approved by City, in the amount of 58 ,'\ $10,000. B. The Letter of Credit shall provide that funds will be paid to City, upon written demand of City, and in an amount solely determined by City in payment for penalties charged pursuant to this section, in payment for any monies owed by Grantee pursuant to its obligations under this Franchise, or in payment for any damage incurred as a result of any acts or omissions by Grantee pursuant to this Franchise. C. In addition to recovery of any monies owed by Grantee to City or damages to City as a result of any acts or omissions by Grantee pursuant to the Franchise, City in its sole dis- cretion may charge to and collect from the Letter of Credit the following penalties: (1) For failure to complete System construction in accord- ance with Grantee's initial service area plan, unless City approved the delay, the penalty shall be Five Hun- dred Dollars ($500.00) per day for each day, or part thereof, such failure occurs or continues. (2) For failure to provide data, documents, reports or in- formation or to cooperate with City during an applica- tion process or System review, the penalty shall be One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) per day for each day, or part thereof, such failure occurs or continues. (3) For failure to comply with any of the provision of this Franchise for which a penalty is not otherwise specifi- cally provided pursuant to this Paragraph C, the penalty shall be One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) per day 59 " " for each day, or part thereof, such failure occurs or continues. (4) For failure to test, analyze and report on the perform- ance of the System following a request by City, the penalty shall be One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) per day for each day, or part thereof, such failure occurs or continues. (5) For failure by Grantee to modify the System or to pro- vide additional services within 45 days after required by binding arbitration the penalty shall be Five Hun- dred Dollars ($ 5 0 0 . 00) per day for each day, or part thereof, such failure occurs or continues. (6) Forty-five days following notice from City of a failure of Grantee to comply with construction, operation or maintenance standards, the penalty shall be Five Hun- dred Dollars ($500.00) per day for each day, or part thereof, such failure occurs or continues. (7) For failure to provide the services Grantee has pro- posed, including but not limited to the implementation and the utilization of the access channels and the mak- ing available for use of the equipment and other fac- ilities to City, the penalty shall be Five Hundred Dol- lars ($500.00) per day for each day, or part thereof, such failure occurs or continues. (8) Each violation of any provision of this Franchise shall be considered a separate violation for which a separate penalty can be imposed. 60 " D. Exclusive of the contractual penalties set out above in this section, a violation of any provision of this Franchise is a misdemeanor. E. Whenever City finds that Grantee has violated one or more terms, conditions or provisions of this Franchise, a written notice shall be given to Grantee informing it of such vio- lation. At any time after fifteen days following local re- ceipt of notice, provided Grantee remains in violation of one or more terms, conditions or provisions of this Fran- chise, in the sole opinion of City, City may draw from the Letter of Credit all penalties and other monies due City. F. Whenever a penalty has been assessed, Grantee may, within thirty days of local receipt of notice, notify City that there is a dispute as to whether a violation or failure has, in fact, occured. Such notice by Grantee to City shall spe- cify with particularity the matters disputed by Grantee. (1) City shall hear Grantee's dispute at the next regularly scheduled Council meeting. City shall supplement the Council decision with written findings of fact. (2) Upon a determination by City that no violation has tak- en place, City shall refund to Grantee without interest all monies drawn from the Letter of Credit by reason of the alleged violation. G. If said Letter of Credit or any subsequent Letter of Credit delivered pursuant hereto expires prior to 15 months after the expiration of the term of this Franchise, it shall be renewed or replaced during the term of this Franchise to 61 -'\ provide that it will not expire earlier than 15 months after the expiration of this Franchise. The renewed or replaced Letter of Credit shall be on the same form and with a bank authorized herein and for the full amount stated in para- graph A of this section. Failure to renew or replace the Letter of Credit shall be grounds for termination of this Franchise. H. If City draws upon the Letter of Credit, or any subsequent Letter of Credit delivered pursuant hereto, in whole or in part, Grantee shall replace the same within fifteen days and shall deliver to City a like replacement Letter of Credit for the full amount stated in paragraph A of this section as a substitution of the previous Letter of Credit. I. If any Letter of Credit is not so replaced, City may draw on said Letter of Credit for the whole amount thereof and hold the proceeds, without interest, and use the proceeds to pay costs incurred by City in performing and paying for any or all of the obligations, duties and responsiblities of Grantee under this Franchise that are not performed or paid for by Grantee pursuant hereto, including attorneys' fees incurred by the City in so performing and paying. The failure to replace any Letter of Credit may also, at the option of City, be deemed a default by Grantee under this Franchise. The drawing on the Letter of Credit by City, and use of the money so obtained for payment or performance of the obligations, duties and responsibilities of Grantee which are in default, shall not be a waiver or release of 62 " such default. J. The collection by City of any damages, monies or penalties from the Letter of Credit shall not affect any other right or remedy available to City, nor shall any act, or failure to act, by City pursuant to the Letter of Credit, be deemed a waiver of any right of City pursuant to this Franchise or otherwise. SECTION 5. BONDS A. At the commencement of this Franchise, and at all times thereafter until Grantee has liquidated all of its obliga- tions with City, Grantee shall maintain with City a bond in the total sum of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) in such form and with such sureties as shall be acceptable to City, conditioned upon the faithful performance of Grant- ee of this Franchise and the acceptance hereof given by Grantee and upon the further condition that in the event Grantee shall fail to comply with any law, ordinance or reg- ulation, there shall be recoverable jointly and severally from the principal and surety of the bond, any damages or losses suffered by City as a result, including the full amount of any compensation, indemnification or cost of re- moval of any property of Grantee, including a reasonable allowance for attorneys I fees and costs (with interest at two (2%) percent in excess of the then prime rate), up to the full amount of the bond, and which bond shall further guarantee payment by Grantee of all claims and liens against Ci ty or any public property, and taxes due to City, which 63 ~ ~ arise by reason of the construction, operation, maintenance or use of the System. B. The rights reserved by City with respect to the bond are in addition to all other rights the City may have under this Franchise or any other law. C. City may, in its sole discretion, reduce the amount of the bond. 64 " ARTICLE IX. DEFAULT SECTION 1. NOTICE AND DEFAULT A. City shall give written notice of default to Grantee if City, in its sole discretion, determines that Grantee has: (1) Violated any material provision of this Franchise or the acceptance hereof, or any rule, order, regulation or determination of the City, state or federal govern- ment, not in conflict with this Franchise~ (2) Attempted to evade any provision of this Franchise or the acceptance hereof~ (3) Practiced any fraud or deceit upon City or subscribers~ (4) Made a material misrepresentation of fact in the ap- plication for or negotiation of the Franchise~ or (5) Incurred a 6 month or more delay in the construction schedule. B. If Grantee fails to cure such default within 30 days after the giving of such notice (or if such default is of such a character as to require more than 30 days within which to cure the same, and Grantee fails to commence to cure the same within said 30 days period and thereafter fails to use reasonable diligence, in City's sole opinion, to cure such default as soon as possible), then and in any event, such default shall be a substantial breach and City, at its op- tion may elect to either cure the default or terminate and cancel this Franchise and all rights and privileges of this Franchise as follows: 65 " .... (1) City may cure any default and all sums expended by City, including attorneys' fees incurred in curing such default, whether suit be brought or not, with interest thereon at a rate per annum of two (2%) percent in ex- cess of the then prime rate, shall be paid by Grantee to City, upon demand, and failure to so pay upon demand likewise may be deemed by City to be a default under this Franchise. (2) City may place the issue of revocation and termination of the Franchise before the Council at a regular meet- ing of the City Council. If City decides there is cause or reason to terminate, the following procedure shall be followed: (a) City shall provide Grantee with a written notice of City's intention to terminate the Franchise and the reason or cause for proposed termination. City shall allow Grantee a minimum of 30 days sub- sequent to receipt of the notice in which to cor- rect the default. (b) Grantee shall be provided with an opportunity to be heard at a public hearing prior to any decision to terminate this Franchise. (c) In the event that City determines to terminate this Franchise, the Grantee shall have a period of 30 days, beginning the day next following written notice to Grantee of such decision, wi thin which to file an appeal with the Board, pursuant to the 66 ,'- -' then applicable statutes and procedures of the Board. Any such appeal to the Board shall be a contested case to which the Board shall not be a party. During such 30 day period and until the Board determines the appeal, if an appeal is tak- en, the Franchise shall remain in full force and effect, unless the term thereof sooner expires. (d) If Board approves of the action of City, the Fran- chise shall terminate immediately. If Board dis- approves of the action of City, the Franchise shall remain in full force and effect for the full term hereof unless sooner terminated in accordance wi th the provision hereof, or applicable law or rules of Board. SECTION 2. CROSS DEFAULT A. If Grantee should be in default under any of the terms or provisions of a franchise, or acceptance thereof, of another city (then a party to a Joint Powers Agreement relating to the System), at City's option, to be exercised by notice to Grantee given at any time while such default exists, such defaul t may be deemed by City a default by Grantee under this Franchise. B. This section, or any other section or provision of Franchise, shall not be deemed to incorporate into Franchise by reference any other franchises. this this 67 ~ " ARTICLE X. FORECLOSURE, RECEIVERSHIP AND ABANDONMENT SECTION 1. FORECLOSURE Upon the foreclosure or other judicial sale of all or a part of the System, Grantee shall notify City of such fact and such notification shall be treated as a notification that a change in control of Grantee has taken place, and the provisions of this Franchise governing the consent to transfer or change in owner- ship shall apply without regard to how such transfer or change in ownership occurred. SECTION 2. RECEIVERSHIP City shall have the right to cancel this Franchise 120 days after the appointment of a receiver or trustee to take over and conduct the business of Grantee, whether in receivership, reorga- nization, bankruptcy or other action or proceeding, unless such receivership or trusteeship shall have been vacated prior to the expiration of said 120 days, or unless: (a) Within 120 days after his election or appointment, such receiver or trustee shall have fully complied with all the provisions of this Franchise and remedied all de- faults hereunder~ and (b) Such receiver or trustee, within said 120 days, shall have executed an agreement with City duly approved by the Court having jurisdiction in the premises, whereby such receiver or trustee assumes and agrees to be bound by each and every provision of this Franchise. 68 :. " SECTION 3. ABANDONMENT Grantee may not abandon any portion of System without having given not less than three months prior notice to City and Board. Further, Grantee may not abandon any portion of System without compensating City for damages resulting from the abandonment. The amount of damages resulting from abandonment and due City shall be determined in the sole discretion of City. An abandon- ment of any portion of the System as determined in the sole dis- cretion of City shall be a cause for termination of this Fran- chise by City. 69 ,', ARTICLE XI. PURCHASE OF SYSTEM SECTION 1. GENERAL A. If at any time Grantee offers System for sale, City shall have the right to purchase System. If at any time Grantee receives a bona fide purchase offer for the System which Grantee is willing to accept, a complete copy of such offer shall promptly be given to City and City shall have the right to purchase the System according to the terms of that offer. City shall exercise such right by submitting to Grantee, within 60 days after City's actual receipt of the bona fide offer, notice that City desires to purchase the System pursuant to said offer. If City does not exercise such right the System may be sold, but only on the terms submitted to City. If any changes are made in the purchase offer given to City, such purchase offer, as so changed, shall again be given to City and City shall have 60 days from actual receipt by City of the offer, as changed, within which to exercise its right to purchase the System pursuant to the offer, as changed, all as above provided. If City does not exercise its right to purchase the System pursuant to any offer given to City pursuant to this paragraph, and the System is not sold to the buyer and on the terms set out in the offer given to City, then the right of City to pur- chase the System shall continue, and all subsequent purchase offers shall be given to City pursuant to this paragraph. Also, the City's right to purchase pursuant to this 70 " .' paragraph shall survive every sale to a buyer and shall continue and be binding upon every buyer of the System. B. Upon forfeiture, revocation or termination of this Fran- chise, or at the normal expiration of the Franchise term, City shall have the right to purchase the System. Such right shall be exercised upon written notice to Grantee within six months after the occurrence of any such event. SECTION 2. PROCEDURES In the event City elects to exercise its right to purchase the System as provided in Section 1B of this Article, the follow- ing shall then apply: A. City and Grantee shall negotiate all terms and conditions of the purchase of the System. B. If City and Grantee cannot agree upon the terms and condi- tions of the purchase, City shall have the right to proceed to arbitration. Arbitration shall commence and proceed ac- cording to applicable Minnesota law except as follows: (1) The parties shall, within 15 days of City's decision to proceed to arbitration, appoint one arbitrator each who is experienced and knowledgeable in the purchase and valuation of business property. Arbitrators shall each agree upon the selection of a third arbitrator, simi- larly qualified, wi thin 15 days after appointment of the second arbitrator. (2) Within 30 days after appointment of all arbitrators and upon ten days written notice to parties, the arbitrat- ors shall commence a hearing on the terms and 71 " conditions of the purchase in dispute. (3) The hearing shall be recorded and may be transcribed at the request and expense of either party. All hearing proceedings, debates and deliberations shall be open to the public and at such times and places as contained in the notice or as thereafter publicly stated in the or- der to adjourn. (4) The arbitration panel shall be required to determine the purchase price of the System according to the stan- dards established in paragraph C below. (5) At the close of the hearings and within 30 days, the arbitrators shall prepare written findings and make a written decision agreed upon by a majority of the arbi- trators which shall be served by mail upon City and Grantee. (6) The decision of a majority of the arbitrators shall be binding upon both parties except that City may, in its sole discretion and without any penalty or cost to City of any kind, withdraw its offer to purchase within 90 days of receipt of the final decision of a majority of the arbitrators. (7) Either party may seek judicial relief to the extent authorized under Minnesota Statutes, S572.09 and S572.19 as the same may be amended, and in addition, under the following circumstances: (a) A party fails to select an arbitrator~ (b) The arbitrators fail to select a third arbitrator~ 72 '- ~. (c) One or more arbitrator is unqualified~ (d) Designated time limits have been exceeded~ (e) The arbitrators have not proceeded expeditiously~ or (f) Based upon the record the arbitrators abused their discretion. (8) In the event a Court of competent jurisdiction deter- mines the arbitrators have abused their discretion, it may order the arbitration procedure repeated and issue findings, orders and directions, with costs of suit to be awarded to the prevailing party. (9) Cost of arbitration shall be borne equally. C. In the event of forfeiture, revocation or termination, the purchase price of the System shall be the fair market value of material and equipment in place. Good will shall not be included in the purchase price of the System. D. In the event City is purchasing upon normal expiration of the Franchise, the purchase price shall be the value of an ongoing business. E. Grantee expressly waives its rights, if any, to relocation costs that might otherwise be provided by law. F. The date of valuation shall be no earlier than the day fol- lowing the date of revocation, forfeiture, expiration or termination of this Franchise and no later than the date City makes a written offer for the System. 73 ,,> ARTICLE XII. MISCELLANEOUS SECTION 1. TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP OR CONTROL A. This Franchise shall not be assigned or transferred, either in whole or in part, or leased, sublet or mortgaged in any manner, nor shall title thereto, either legal or equitable or any right, interest or property therein, pass to or vest in any person without the prior written consent of City, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. Further, Grantee shall not sell or transfer any stock or ownership interest so as to create a new controlling interest except with the consent of City, which consent shall not be unreas- onably withheld. The transfers described in this paragraph shall, in the sole discretion of City, be considered sale or transfer of Franchise within the meaning and intent in the following paragraph. B. Any sale or transfer of Franchise, including a sale or transfer by means of a fundamental corporate change, re- quires the written approval of City. Any sale or transfer of Franchise shall be subject to the provisions of Board rules prohibiting certain ownership. The parties to the sale or transfer of Franchise shall make a written request to City for its consent. City shall reply in writing within 30 days of actual receipt of the request and shall indicate its approval of the request or its determination that a pub- lic hearing is necessary. City shall conduct a public hear- ing on the request within 30 days of such determination if 74 " it determines that a sale or transfer of Franchise may ad- versely affect the Grantee's subscribers. C. Unless otherwise already provided for by local law, notice of any such hearing shall be given 14 days prior to the hearing by publishing notice thereof once in a newspaper of general circulation in the City. The notice shall contain the date, time and place of the hearing and shall briefly state the substance of the action to be considered by City. Within 30 days after the public hearing, City shall approve or deny in writing the sale or transfer request. D. Any sale or transfer of Franchise, including a sale or transfer by means of a fundamental corporate change, re- quires notification to the Board by City. The notification shall be accompanied by the written certification of the transferee that it meets all of the requirements established by City for original Grantee including but not limited to technical ability and financial stability. City shall cause to be sent to the Board at Grantee's expense a copy of all public documents related to sale or transfer of the Fran- chise. E. The parties to the sale or transfer of only this Franchise, without the inclusion of the System in which at least sub- stantial construction has commenced, shall be required to establish to the sole satisfaction of City that the sale or transfer of only this Franchise is in the public interest. F. For purposes of this section, fundamental corporate change means the sale or transfer of a controlling interest in the 75 ,'t " stock of a corporation or the sale or transfer of all or a majority of a corporation's assets, merger (including a par- ent and its subsidiary corporation), consolidation or crea- tion of a subsidiary corporation. For the purposes of this section, fundamental partnership change means the sale or transfer of all or a majority of a partnership's assets, change of a general partner in a limited partnership, incor- poration of a partnership, or change in the control of a partnership. G. The word "control", as used herein, is not limited to major stockholders, but includes actual working control in what- ever manner exercised. As a minimum, "control", as used herein, means a legal or beneficial interest (even though actual working control does not exist) of at least five (5%) percent. Every change, transfer or acquisition of control of Grantee shall make the Franchise subject to cancellation unless and until City shall have consented in writing there- to, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. For the purpose of determining whether it shall consent to such change, transfer or acquisition of control, City may inquire into the qualifications of the prospective controlling par- ty, and Grantee shall assist City in any such inquiry and pay all costs incurred by City in so inquiring, including City staff time at a value determined by City. H. In the absence of extraordinary circumstances, City will not approve any transfer or assignment of the Franchise prior to substantial completion of construction of System, as 76 " determined solely by City. I. In no event shall a transfer or assignment of ownership or control be approved without transferee becoming a signator to this Franchise. J. Any transferee shall be subordinate to any right, title or interest of City. SECTION 2. REMOVAL AFTER TERMINATION OR REVOCATION A. At the expiration of the term for which this Franchise is granted, or upon its revocation or termination, as provided for herein, City shall have the right to require Grantee to remove, at Grantee's expense, all or any portion of the Sys- tem from all streets and public property within City. In so removing the System, Grantee shall refill and compact at its own expense any excavation that shall be made by it and shall leave all streets and public property in as good a condition as that prevailing prior to Grantee's removal of the System, and without affecting, altering or disturbing in any way electric, telephone or other utility cables, wires or attachments. City shall have the right to inspect and approve the condition of such streets and public property after removal. The Letter of Credit, Bonds, Insurance, In- demnity and Penalty provisions of this Franchise shall re- main in full force and effect during the entire term of re- moval. B. If, in the sole discretion of City, Grantee has failed to commence removal of System, or such part thereof as was des- ignated by City, within 30 days after written notice of 77 " City's demand for removal is given, or if Grantee has failed to complete such removal within one year after written no- tice of City's demand for removal is given, City shall have the right to exercise one of the following options: (1) Declare all right, title and interest to the System to be in City with all rights of ownership including, but not limited to, the right to operate the System or transfer the System to another for operation by it. (2) Declare the System abandoned and cause the System or such part thereof, as City shall designate, to be re- moved at no cost to City. The cost of said removal shall be recoverable from the Letter of Credit, Bonds, Insurance, Indemnification and Penal ties provided for in this Franchise, or from Grantee directly as a liqui- dated damage. C. Any portion of the System not designated by City for removal shall belong to and become the property of City without pay- ment to Grantee and Grantee shall execute and deliver such documents, as City shall request, in form and substance ac- ceptable to City, to evidence such ownership by City. SECTION 3. WORK PERFORMED BY OTHERS A. Grantee shall give notice to City specifying the names and addresses of any other entity, other than Grantee, which performs services pursuant to this Franchise, provided, how- ever, that all provisions of this Franchise remain the re- sponsibility of Grantee. B. All provisions of this Franchise shall apply to any 78 subcontractor or others performing any work or services pursuant to the provisions of this Franchise. SECTION 4. INTEREST RATE For purposes of this Franchise, prime rate shall mean the interest charged from time to time by the First National Bank of Minneapolis for 90 day unsecured loans to commercial borrowers of the highest credit rating. SECTION 5. GENERAL PROVISION ON RIGHTS AND REMEDIES A. All rights and remedies given to City by this Franchise shall be in addition to and cumulative with any and all oth- er rights or remedies, existing or implied, now or hereafter available to City at law or in equity, and such rights and remedies shall not be exclusive, but each and every right and remedy specifically given by this Franchise or otherwise existing or given may be exercised from time to time and as often and in such order as may be deemed expedient by City, and the exercise of one or more rights or remedies shall not be deemed a waiver of the right to exercise at the same time or thereafter any other right or remedy. No delay or omis- sion of City in the exercise of any right or remedy shall impair any such right or remedy, nor shall any such delay or omission be construed to be a waiver of or acquiescence to any default. The exercise of any such right or remedy by City shall not release Grantee from its Obligations, or any liability, under this Franchise. B. In addition to all other remedies granted or available to City, City shall be entitled to the restraint by injunction 79 , .' .' of the violation, or attempted or threatened violation, by Grantee of any terms or provisions of this Franchise, or to a decree compelling performance by Grantee of any term or provision of this Franchise. SECTION 6. APPLICABLE LAWS AND COURT DECISIONS: SEVERABILITY A. This Franchise shall at all times be in compliance with the rules of the Board. B. Grantee and City shall, at all times, comply with all laws, ordinances and regulations of federal, state and City gov- ernment relating to System and this Franchise, as they be- come effective. C. If any law, ordinance or regulation shall require or permit Grantee to perform any service or shall prohibit Grantee from performing any service which may be in conflict with the terms of this Franchise, then as soon as possible fol- lowing knowledge thereof, Grantee shall notify City of the point of conflict believed to exist between such law, ordi- nance or regulation and this Franchise. D. If City determines that any provision of this Franchise is affected by such law, ordinance or regulation, City shall have the right to amend, modify, alter or repeal any of the provisions of this Franchise to such reasonable extent as may be necessary to carry out the intent and purpose of this Franchise, and Grantee hereby agrees to such amendment, mod- ification, alteration or repeal of this Franchise. E. To the extent any provision of the Offering is not specific- ally set out in this Franchise or not validly incorporated 80 , c herein by reference, City from time to time may amend this Franchise to include such provision effective as of the date of commencement of the Franchise term or any such rule ef- fective as of the date of commencement of the Franchise term or adoption of the rule, whichever is later. Grantee, by acceptance of this Franchise, consents to and agrees to be bound by any such amendments. F. If any term, condition or provision of this Franchise or the application thereof to any person or circumstance shall, to any extent, be held to be invalid or unenforceable, the re- mainder hereof and the application of such term, condition and provision to persons and circumstances other than those as to whom it shall be held invalid or unenforceable shall not be affected thereby, and this Franchise and all the terms, provisions and conditions hereof shall, in all other respects, continue to be effective and to be complied with. SECTION 7. GRANTEE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF VALIDITY OF FRANCHISE Grantee acknowledges that it has had an opportunity to re- view the terms and conditions of this Franchise and that under current law Grantee believes that said terms and conditions are not unreasonable or arbitrary, and that Grantee believes the City has the power to make the terms and conditions contained in this Franchise. 81 SECTION 1. ARTICLE XIII. ADMINISTRATION AND ADVISORY BODY ADMINISTRATOR The City Administrator or the City Administrator's designee shall be responsible for the continuing administration of this Franchise. The administrator may be changed by City from time to time by written notice given to Grantee. SECTION 2. ADVISORY BODY City may appoint an advisory body to monitor the performance of Grantee in executing the provisions of this Franchise. The advisory body shall perform all functions required of it by the Council and applicable laws, ordinance, rules and regulations. SECTION 3. DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY BY CITY A. City reserves the right to delegate and redelegate from time to time any of its rights or obligations under this Fran- chise to any body or organization. B. Any delegation by City shall be effective upon written no- tice by City to Grantee of such delegation. C. Upon receipt of notice by Grantee of City's delegation, Grantee shall be bound by all terms and conditions of this delegation not in conflict with this Franchise. D. Any such delegation, revocation or redelegation, no matter how often made, shall not be deemed an amendment to this Franchise or require any consent of Grantee. 82 ARTICLE XIV. JOINT SYSTEM, ACCEPTANCE, INCORPORATION OF OFFERING, EXHIBITS, PUBLICATION SECTION I. OTHER FRANCHISES A. The System intended for City may be part of a joint system that serves the cities of Andover, Anoka, Champlin and Ramsey, Minnesota. B. Grantee will, in good faith, apply for and accept, if of- fered to it, a franchise (similar franchise) from each of the other cities on all the same terms and conditions herein provided, except provisions omitted as inapplicable. C. Notwi thstanding any other provision of this Franchise, if less than all of the other of said cities offer a similar franchise to Grantee, which is accepted by Grantee, Grantee or City may cancel this Franchise and all of their obliga- tions hereunder by written notice given to the other not later than 30 days after all the other of said cities shall have formally acted upon their respective franchise ordi- nances~ provided, that if Grantee elects to cancel this Franchise pursuant hereto , it must also cancel all other franchises granted to it by the other of said cities effec- tive simultaneously herewith. SECTION 2. TIME OF ACCEPTANCE~ GUARANTEE~ INCORPORATION OF OFFERING~ EXHIBITS A. Grantee shall have 30 days from the last date of adoption of a similar franchise by all of the cities listed in Section IA of this Article, to accept this Franchi se in form and substance acceptable to City. However, in no event will 83 acceptance occur later than 90 days after the adoption of this Franchise, unless the time for acceptance is extended by City. Such acceptance by Grantee shall be deemed the grant of this Franchise for all purposes. B. Upon acceptance of this Franchise, Grantee shall be bound by all the terms and conditions contained herein. Grantee shall provide all services and offerings specifically set forth in the Offering to provide cable communication service wi thin City and other cities included in or a part of a j oint system~ and, by its acceptance of this Franchise, Grantee specifically agrees that the Offering of Grantee, including all promises, offers, representations and induce- ments contained therein, is specifically incorporated by reference and made part of this Franchise. The failure to refer to the Offering in any specific provisions of this Franchise shall not be a limitation on the obligation of Grantee to fully comply with the Offering. Grantee further acknowledges that all promises, offers, representations and inducements contained in the Offering of Grantee were freely and voluntarily made to City by Grantee. C. The Offering shall be permanently kept and filed in the Of- fice of the City Clerk and the originals or reproductions thereof shall be available for inspection by the public dur- ing normal business hours. Also, the Grantee may summarize the Offering in a manner acceptable to City or reproduce the entire Offering, and shall have either at the following lo- cations in the following quantities: 84 (I) Office of the City Clerk - 1 copy~ (2) Administrator designated in this Franchise - 1 copy~ (3) Public libraries - 1 copy each~ (4) Office of the City Attorney - 1 copy~ (5) Anoka and Hennepin County Law Library - 1 copy each~ (6) Local office of Grantee - 1 copy each~ (7) Office of any School District in City 1 copy~ (8) Minnesota Cable Communication Board. D. In the event of conflicts or discrepancies between any part of the Offering and the provisions of this Franchise or be- tween any part of the summary made by Grantee and the Offer- ing, those provisions which provide the greatest benefit to City, in the opinion of the Council, shall prevail. E. Grantee shall have continuing responsibility for this Fran- chise, and if Grantee be a subsidiary or wholly owned cor- porate entity of a parent corporation, performance of this Franchise shall be secured by guarantees of the parent cor- poration in form and substance acceptable to City, which shall be delivered at time of, and as part of, acceptance of this Franchise. F. With its acceptance, Grantee also shall deliver to City an opinion from its legal counsel, acceptable to City, stating that this Franchise has been duly accepted by Grantee, that the guarantees have been duly executed and delivered, that this Franchise and the guarantees are enforceable against Grantee and the guarantors in accordance with their respec- tive terms, and which opinion shall otherwise be in form and 85 ,,' substance acceptable to City. G. With its acceptance, Grantee also shall deliver to City true and correct copies of documents creating Grantee and evi- dencing the power and authority referred to in the opinion of 'Grantee's counsel, certified as of a then current date by by an officer of Grantee. public office holders to the extent possible and otherwise H. Each exhibit is part of this Franchise and each is specific- ally incorporated herein by reference. The exhibits are as follows: Exhibit A - Grantee Schedule of Rates Exhibit B - Form G, Page 2 of 20 Exhibit C - Offering of Grantee Passed and adopted this ;2D tJ- day of r2J f , 1982. CITY OF ANDOVER ~.A'_ t-:' By Mffo~ 7r- L J~~ This Franchise is accepted, and we agree to he bound by all its terms and conditions. TELEPROMPTER OF QUAD CITIES, INC. DATED; By Its By Its 86 CITY OF ANDOVER COUNTY OF ANOKA STATE OF MINNESOTA ORDINANCE NO.59A AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 59, ADOPTED THE 20TH DAY OF APRIL, 1982, COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE CABLE COMMUNICATIONS ORDINANCE FOR THE CITY OF ANDOVER,MINNESOTA. THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ANDOVER HEREBY ORDAINS: Ordinance No. 59, The Cable Communications Ordinance, adopted the 20th day of April, 1982, is hereby amended as follows: Page 5, Article 1, Section 2N (Amended portion of the following is shown as underlined) "Offering of Grantee" or "Offering" shall mean that certain document dated August 19, 1981, entitled "Application for Cable Television Franchise" and signed by Grantee, as amended from time to time by mutual written agreement between the Grantee and City or its delegatee, which document is on file with the City Clerk. Approved and adopted by the City Council of the City of Andover this 7th day of December , 1982, by unanimous vote. CITY OF ANDOVER ATTEST:----~ ,J' .'./ . - -;~x-'- , Ken --;-- /}//' 'J. / I I '- / / / I ;,. ..../ ~"{./~:/!:t."4 / 1>1, ~,,;l--<'''~'<, ~,/r- Patricia K. L:tndqufst/"City Clerk / :/,/ II ./-' '.- CITY OF ANDOVER COUNTY OF ANOKA STATE OF MINNESOTA ORDINANCE NO.59B AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 59, KNOWN AS THE CABLE ORDINANCE, REGARDING THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF ANDOVER AND GROUP W CABLE COMPANY, INC. THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ANDOVER HEREBY ORDAINS: Ordinance No. 59, adopted the 20th day of April 1982, is hereby amended as follows: ARTICLE VI. SYSTEMS OPERATIONS SECTION 4. FRANCHISE FEES, RATES, CHARGES, CHANGES IN FEES AND PROCEDURES. I J Article VI, Section 4, Paragraphs A, B, C, and 0 are amended to require that throughout the term of the franchise, Group W shall pay to the City an annual fee of 5% of all gross revenues.~ The rates provided in the franchise shall be guaranteed for 2 years and 6 months after commencement of cable service to the residential subscribers on October 20, 1983. Basic rates shall be regulated pursuant to the terms and conditions of the franchise allowing changes in rates unless the City specifically disapproves such changes. Rates for other than basic service shall be regulated pursuant to the terms and conditions of the franchise. This section further details the procedures for the regulation of other than basic service rates in the event the law should provide for their regulation. / '" c Adopted by the City Council of the City of Andover this 20th day of November , 1984. CITY OF ANDOVER \ " ORDINANCE SUMMARY \ \ I Ordinance No. 59C City of Andover AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 59 REGARDING THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF ANDOVER AND GROUP W CABLE OF THE QUAD CITIES, INC. The Council of the City of Andover does ordain: l. Article VI. SYSTEMS OPERATIONS Franchise Fees, Rates, Charges, Changes in Fees and Procedures Section 4. The franchise fee specified in Article VI, Section /.B'_l~) of the Franchise Agreement is amended to provide ~~uarterly payments of franchise fees will be made withfn ninety (90) days after end of each quarter with adjustments at year end for actual Gross Revenues'J:~ / ,,: /,Ji 2. Amended Exhibit A - Rates ' ')' ./ ( 1 Group Wls Schedule of Rates and Services as set forth in Exhibit A to the Franchise Agreement is amended in its entirety to provide for the rates and services as set forth in Attachment II of Amendment Agreement No. 2. The complete Attachment II is available for inspec- tion at the city offices. These amendments shall take effect and be enforced after their passage and official publication. The amendments were passed and adopted the l7th day of December , 1985. CITY OF ANDOVER ATTEST: ~k' "'~$'..p J ry indschltl, Mayor ',1 ~-:.~- / . L.----/ . / i\.... ..,''\ "i.-'-~C a A. Peach, City Clerk/Treasurer .' RATES I. Teleprompter of Quad Cities. Inc.. shall charge the following installation charges and monthly fees for its various services: Tier I.! 25 video channels Mini-Basic Service Installation 2 Charge- Monthly 3 Rate- First Outlet Additional Outlets Relocation Reconnection $19.95 4 Free/$19.95- $19.95 $19.95 $ 5.95 $ 2.95 Not applicable Not applicable Tier II.! Basic Service 48 video channels Installation 2 Charge- Monthly 3 Rate- First Outlet Additional Outlets Relocation Reconnection $19.95 4 Free/$19.95- $19.95 $19.95 $10.95 $ 3.95 Not applicable Not applicable Tier III.! Interactive Service 52 video channels FM Radio Servic~ Installation Monthly 2 3 Charge- Rate- $19.95 4 $12.95 Free/$19.9s.:. $19.95 Not applicable $19.95 Not applicable Installation Monthly 2 3 Charge- Rate- 4 $ 2.50 Free/$19.954 Free/$19.95- $ 2.50 $19.95 Not applicable $19.95 Not applicable Installation Monthly Charge Rate $99.00 6 $15.952- and up- First Outlet Additional Outlets Relocation Reconnection First Outlet Additional Outlets Relocation Reconnection Teleprompter Security (Burglar/Fire Alarm and Medical Alert Services A-I . .>' 1With the Mini-Basic Service, one mInI-pay TV service, Home Theater Network, is available for an additional monthly service charge. With the Basic and Interactive Services, all premium pay TV services are available each for additional monthly service charges. Additional installation charges are required if installed sepa- rately from any service. 2No installation charge for Mini-Basic, Basic or Interactive Service for 90 days after cable service is first offered in an area. No installation charge for senior citizen or handicapped heads of households. In addition, installation charges may be waived or reduced at certain times for promotional purposes. 3Fifteen percent (15%) discount for senior citizens (heads of households, age 65 and over) and for handicapped heads of households (as defined by State of Minnesota) on Monthly Service Charges for the Mini-Basic, Basic and Interactive Services; this excludes Teleprompter's security service. 4Installation is free if installed at same time as first outlet for cable television service; $19.95 if installed at a later date. 5Not available without cable television service. 6Installation charge for Teleprompter Security Service depends upon the number of monitoring devices (e.g., smoke detectors, emergency alert buttons) subscriber wishes to have installed. Teleprompter will actively seek federal aid to assist senior citizens in their payment of these services. The Security Service is available with or without other cable services. 7 Final price contingent on conclusion of negotiations with local monitoring com- panies. A-2 . ." II. A. Commercial-Account Charges--All hotels, motels, TV retail and service stores, nursing homes, and hospitals. The maximum monthly service charge per outlet of commercial usage is 50 percent of the residential first-set rate for the same service. Installation charges will be determined on an individual basis after an engineering sur- vey of the facility has been completed. In no event will the charges exceed the standard installation charge on a per-unit basis. B. Bulk-Rate Account Charges--All apartment buildings, condominiums, trailer parks, etc., having flve or more single-family dwellings at the same or contiguous service address with single point billing. Billing for bulk-rate accounts is based on total units, whether occupied or not. The maximum monthly service charge per outlet for this category is 80 percent of the residential first-set rate for the same service. Installation charges will be determined on an individual basis after an engineering sur- vey of the facility has been completed. In no event will the charges exceed the standard installation charge on a per-unit basis. C. Installation Over 200 Feet--For installation of service drops longer than 200 feet, the resident will be charged an additional amount for the installation equal to the incremental increase of the cost of time and materials for every- thing longer than 200 feet. D . Miscellaneous 1. There is no charge to subscribers for cable-related maintenance and repair calls. 2. There will be no charge for the first drop to government, educational and non-profit users of the institutional network. cial rates will be negotiated. library, Commer- 3. Teleprompter of Quad Cities will offer pay-per-view services at the lowest possible rate pending the conclusion of contract negotiations with vendors. A-3 . ,-, III. OTHER RATES A. A converter deposit shall not be required. B. Pay Cable Rates Pay Service Installation Charge Monthly Rate M. . P 1,2 Im- ay Services (Front Row) (Home Theater Network, Plus) Free Free $ 4.953,4 $ 6.953,4 Maxi _ pay1 , 2 Services (Showtime, Home Box Office, Bravo!, Cinemax, The Movie Channel, The Entertainment Channel, Public Subscriber Network) Free $10.953,4 1None of the pay television products on Teleprompter of Quad Cities' system will be X-rated. Nonetheless, Teleprompter of Quad Cities will provide an access code at no additional cost that will allow parents to "lock-out" pay television programming that they believe should not be seen by their chil- dren. 2With the Basic and Interactive Services all premium pay TV services are available each for additional monthly service charges. Home Theater Network is available with the Mini-Basic Service, for an additional monthly service charge. 3There is a ten percent (10%) discount on pay-TV monthly service charges if two or more pay-TV services are purchased. 4There is no additional charge for Pay services on additional outlets. A-4 . ' ,~ c. Studio and Equipment Usage 1. No charge is made to non leased access users. 2. Commercial a. Studio production time $100. per hour $200. per hour $ 50. per hour $100. per hour $100. per hour $100. per hour b. Remote production time c. Supervision and instruction d. Leased channel costs e. System playback costs f. Editing costs 2. Noncommercial a. Studio production time $ 50. per hour $100. per hour $ 25. per hour $ 50. per hour $ 50. per hour $ 50. per hour b. Remote production time c. Supervision and instruction d. Leased channel costs e. System playback costs f. Editing costs A-5 . v'> D. Institutional Network 1. commercial and noncommercial rates for video, audio and data uses: Data Transmission Rates: 2400 BAUD $ 85 per month 4800 BAUD -- $155 per month 9600 BAUD -- $295 per month Over 9600 BAUD Negotiated 1 Teleconferencing -- $1-- per hour 2. installation charges: Installation charges for institutional network users will be assessed at Teleprompter's cost of installation for labor, material and over- head. 3. rates for terminal equipment including installation, use, deposits, etc.: Terminal equipment will be furnished and installed at Teleprompt- er's cost of material, labor and overhead. 4. any other rates relating to the institutional networks. E. Service to Governmental and Educational Facilities2 1. Installation Fees: a. One cable outlet (per facility) $ No charge $ Time and Material $ No charge 2. b. More than one outlet (per facility) Monthly Rate: F. Leased Access and Teletex Viewdata Services Leased access time is charged at $100 per hour. Videotext services depend- ent on negotiation of rates with software suppliers. 1Rates are negotiable for multiple hours of use. 2These facilities will receive Tier I service and will be provided with 35-channel programmable Jerrold Converters. A-6 {I ' c i ," , . ,l( . G. Advertising 1. Teleprompter of Quad Cities. Inc.. shall allocate channel time free of charge for public service advertising by local noncommercial groups on its locally originated and advertising-supported channels. 2. The commercial rate for advertising shall be $30.00 per 60-second spot plus production costs. 3. Advertising time shall be initially allocated on the following channels: 0 Community Service Channel 0 Quad Cities Health Channel 0 Color Radar Weather/Time 0 ESPN 0 USA Network 0 Cable News Network A-7 . \, ~ " '. . en t<l t (.J o <: => a .... o :::: t<l ,.. 0. o :::: c.. t<l ..J '" ,.. a: C "" z ~ ;;; t<l f-< < .... in '" => z '" > '" a: ... '" ~ ;; lIJ .:> ::s en ... '" c.. 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'" '" "" ... en ." '" o ..,. en ..,. - "" ..,. '" '" ... o ... M <0 '" o ..,. M <0 '" o ... M <0 '" C> ..,. '" <0 '" C> ..,. M '" '" C> ... '" <0 '" o ..,. "" ..,. M <0 '" M <0 '" C> ..,. '" eo C> ... M eo o ..,. M eo "" ..,. '" eo o ..,. ... t- "" ..,. - t- C> ..,. t- '" '" o ..,. t- '" '" C> ..,. M C> '" o ..,. M C> '" "" ... M ..,. - C> ..,. '" ... ... ..,. - ... '" '" >- U') ... ... ., I!J >- C> ... en c> '" o ..,. en ..,. ... . H ;>'OJ 'Q):5 ~o ~'O o,s:: OJ al [/) OJ OJ- ......0 o al Z () ;>, H cu OJ 0, .- .....'0 .c: s:: () al ct: OJ () ~ '00 o al "",.0 "" ... U') '" - C> ... '" '" '" C> ..,. '" <0 '" s::"'" o 0 ..... ..... H al OJ E..... H..... .2.c: s:: () ..... c;j CD OJ ~~ 0"'" H OJ o,::s . s:: '0 OJ OJ :> H OJ OJ H "'" 'Oca ;::l (f) s:: ~ s:: '> al H OJ OJ [/)..... al ""'H o OJ b.o ell H OJ OJ :> s:: ell o H OJ '- ..... s:: [/) ell H .c: OJ ......0 Q) .~ H () o (f) eog (f) (f) ..... "'" OJ 0 ~ H g; .c:OJ() ......0 '> "",8H _::SOJ * s:: (f) (f) H OJ .0 'C () (f) .0 ::s (f) o +-> Q) () '> H OJ (f) "'" o s:: o '.... ..... ell ..... ..... ..... s:: ..... Q) .c: +-> "'" o Q) +-> <Il '0 s:: o (f) s:: 'So OJ .0 .... H <Il OJ >< ~ E-< o Z RATES I. Teleprompter of Quad Cities, Inc., shall charge the following installation charges and monthly fees for its various services: 1 Tier 1- 25 video channels Mini- Basic Service First Outlet Additional Outlets Relocation Reconnect ion Change of Service 1 Tier 11- 48 video channels Basic Service First Outlet Additional Outlets Relocation Reconnect ion Change of Service 1 Tier III- 52 video channel Interactive Service First Outlet Additional Outlets Relocation Reconnect ion Change of Service 5 FM Radio Service- Installation 2 Charge- $19.95 4 Free/$19.95- $19.95 $19.95 $10.00 Installation 2 Charge- $19.95 4 Free/$19.95- $19.95 $19.95 $10.00 Installation 2 Charge- $19.95 4 Free/$19.95- $19.95 $19.95 $10.00 installation 2 Charge- ~nthly 3 Rate- $ 5.95 $ 2.95 N/A N/A N/A Monthly 3 Rate- $10.95 $ 3.95 N/A N/A N/A ~nthly 3 Rate- $12.95 N/A N/A N/A Monthly 3 Rate- First Outlet Additional Outlets Relocation Reconnect ion Teleprompter Security (Burgular/Fire Alarm and Medical Alert Services) Remote Control A-1 4 Free/$19.95- Free/$19.95~ $19.95 $19.95 Installation Charge 6 $99.00 and up- N/A $ 2.50 $ 2.50 N/A N/A ~nthly Rate 7 $15.95- $ 5.95 With the Mini-Basic Service, Home Theater Network, plus, is available for an additional monthly service charge. With the Basic and Interactive Services, all premium pay TV services are available each for additional monthly service charges. Additional installation charges are required if installed separately fran any service. 2 No installation charge for Mini-Basic, Basic or Interactive Service for 90 days after cable service is first offered in an area. No installation charge for senior citizen or handicapped heads of households. In addition, installa- tion charges may be waived or reduced at certain times for pranotional purposes. 3 Fifteen percent (15%) discotmt for senior citizens (heads of households, age 65 and over) and for handicapped heads of households (as defined by State of Minnesota) on M:>nthly Service Charges for the Mini-Basic, Basic and Interactive Services; this excludes Telepranpter's security service. 4 Installation is free if installed at same time as first outlet for cable tele- vision service; $19.95 if installed at a later date. 5 Not available without cable television service. 6 Installation charge for Teleprompter Security Service depends upon the number of monitoring devices (e.g., smoke detectors, emergency alert buttons) subscriber wishes to have installed. Teleprompter will actively seek federal aid to assist senior citizens in their payment of these services. The Security Service is available with or without other cable services. 7 Final price contingent on conclusion of negotiations with local monitoring companies. ( r II. A. Commercial-Account Char~eS--AlI hotels, stores, nursing homes, an hospitals.' motels, TV retail and service The maximum monthly service charge per outlet of commercial usage is 50 percent of the residential first-set rate for the same service. Installation charges will be determined on an individual basis after an engineering sur- vey of the facility has been completed. In no event will the charges exceed the standard installation charge on a per-unit basis. B. Bulk-Rate Account Charges--All apartment buildings, condominiums, trailer parks, etc., having five or more single-family dwellings at the same or contiguous service address with single point billing. Billing for bulk-rate accounts is based on total units, whether occupied or not. The maximum monthly service charge per outlet for this category is 80 percent of the residential first-set rate for the same service. Installation charges will be determined on an individual basis after an engineering sur- vey of the facility has been completed. In no event will the charges exceed the standard installation charge on a per-unit basis. C. Installation Over 200 Feet-- For installation of service drops longer than 200 feet, the resident will be charged an additional amount for the installation equal to the incremental increase of the cost of time and materials for every- thing longer than 200 feet. D. Miscellaneous 1. There is no charge to subscribers for cable-related maintenance and repair calls. 2. There will be no charge for the first drop to government, educational and non-profit users of the institutional network. cial rates will be negotiated. 3. Teleprompter of Quad Cities will offer pay-per-view services at the lowest possible rate pending the conclusion of contract negotiations with vendors. library, Com mer- A-3 III. OTHER RATES A. A converter deposit shall not be required B. Pay Cable Rates Pay Service 1 ,2 Installation Charge Monthly Rate Bravo Home Theater Network, Plus Free5 Free5 $ 6.953,4 $ 6.953,4 Showtime, Home Box Office, Cinemax, The M:>vie Channel, The Disney Channel Free5 $10.953,4 None of the pay television products on Teleprompter of Quad Cities' system will be X-rated. Nonetheless, Teleprompter of Quad Cities will provide an access code at no additional cost that will allow parents to "lock-out" pay television progranming that they believe should not be seen by their children. 2 With the Basic and Interactive Services all premiun pay TV services are available each for additional monthly service charges. Home Theater Network Plus is available with Tier I for an additional. monthly service charge. 3 There is a ten percent (10%) discount on pay-TV monthly service chargesif two or more pay-TV services are purchased. 4 There is no additional charge for Pay services on additional outlets. 5 At time of initial installation. If added or deleted later, a $10.00 Change of Service Fee will be applied. The $10.00 fee is not per pre- miun service but per occurrence of service change. ---- A-4 ( ! C. Studio and Equipment Usage 1. No charge is made to non leased access users. 2. Commercial a. Studio production time $100. per hour b. Remote production time $200. per hour c. ~upervision and instruction $ 50. per hour d. . Leased channel costs $100. per hour e. ,System playback costs $100. per hour f. Editing costs $100. per hour 2. NoncoI$lercial a. S\udio production time $ 50. per hour b. ,R:~mote production time $100. per hour c. ~upervision and instruction $ 25. per hour d. Leased channel costs $ 50. per hour e. System playback costs $ 50. per hour f. , Editing costs $ 50. hour per A-5 ( ~ D. Institutional Network 1. commercial and noncommercial rates for video, audio and data uses: Data Transmission Rates: 2400 BAUD $ 85 per month 4800 BAUD -- $155 per month 9600 BAUD -- $295 per month Over 9600 BAUD -- Negotiated 1 Teleconferencing -- $1-- per hour 2. installation charges: Installation charges for institutional network users will be assessed at Teleprompter's cost of installation for labor, material and over- head. 3. rates for terminal equipment including installation, use, deposits, etc.: Terminal equipment will be furnished and installed at Teleprompt- er's cost of material, labor and overhead. 4. any other rates relating to the institutional networks. E. Service to Governmental and Educational Facilities2 1. Installation Fees: a. One cable outlet (per facility) $ No charge 2. b. More than one outlet (per facility) Monthly Rate: $ Time and Material $ No charge F. Leased Access and Teletex Viewdata Services Leased access time is charged at $100 per hour. Videotext services depend- ent on negotiation of rates with software suppliers. lRates are negotiable for multiple hours of use. 2These facilities will receive Tier I service and will be provided with 35-channel programmable Jerrold Converters. , A-6 . . . " , ( ( G. Advertising. 1. Teleprompter of Quad Cities, Inc.. shall allocate channel time free of charge for pUblic service advertising by local noncommercial groups on its locally originated and advertising-supported channels. 2. The commercial rate for advertising shall be $30.00 per 60'-second spot plus production costs. 3. Advertising time shall be initially allocated on the following channels: o Community Service Channel o Quad Cities Health Channel o Color Radar Weather/Time o ESPN o USA Network '" , . , o Cable News Network .." A-7 , ,r SECTION 4. FRANCHISE FEE, RATES, CHARGES, CHANGES IN FEES AND PROCEDURES A. Rate Change procedure. (1) To the extent permitted by law, all increases in. subscriber rates and charges shall be charged by Grantee, in a manner provided for herein. Grantee, as a condition precedent to its acceptance of this Franchise hereby knowingly and voluntarily consents to these procedures for the term of this Franchise of all rates and charges. (2) City hereby reserves the right to approve or adopt regulations governing Grantee's collection of advance charges and deposits, installation and reconnection charges, policies and procedures, disconnection charges, policies and procedures, and the availability of refunds. Approval of City shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. (3) Cost for installing any part of the System will be a factor in the rate only if such cost was incurred within City. (4) The territory for rates applicable to System shall be City and all Cities then parties to a joint powers agreement relating to the System. 0065:3/14/84 .., " .' to City, within 60 days after the end of each fiscal year of Grantee, an annual fee of five pe~gent (5%) of 9ross~evenues. No payment will be allowed of any fee "that is different from five percent, other than the . - . 'filing fee and payment required of the succes'sful applicant as established by City to recover the cbsts of franchising. Grantee agrees to support any waiver required by the FCC for the established franchise fee. The annual fee may be subject to renegotiation at such time as federal or state authorities no longer regulate the amount of the fee. If Grantee and City do not agree in renegotiations, the Franchise fee shall remain unchanged. (2) Payment will be made to City with an itemization of the 'gross revenues derived from the services in City. C. Rates and Other Charges. (l) Rates and charges charged by Grantee for monthly service and installation and other charges hereunder shall be uniform, fair and reasonable and designed to meet all necessary costs of service, including a fair rate of , return on the original cost, less depreciation, of the properties devoted to such service (without regard to any subsequent sale or transfer price or cost of such properties). 0065:3/14/84 r' I - 3 " ,- '~~-:::-.. ':':~~~I~;}~%: . two' 'year 'S. 'and , ' -. ,.:_.<--,-,~;;-~",:.->.." '. ~ - -,. :""'~'",. i';"-- .,::.,:___~;;;.i~;,~..:~~;:;~..~.,>~__.,>:~,::~~~,:,,~>,:_:_',_ .,'~, .,' six months 'after commencement i)f'cahle ' . -. "::O_::c . ',-. ,,--.. ,.,. . service to the residential subscribers on October 20, 1983, the maximum rates shall be the specific rates of Grantee as included in Exhibit A, attached hereto and , , ~ade a part of this Franchise and known as Rates. repair of Grantee's property shall be performed at no charge to a subscriber. If such maintenance or repair is required as a result of damage caused by subscriber, Grantee may charge to the subsc~iber as a maximum its direct costs for material and labor for service calls to subscriber's home. (4) Grantee shall give City and the Quad Cities Cable Communications Commission written notice of rates for new or additional services not initially included in Offering of Grantee and therefore not listed in Exhibit A. Each new or additional service rate shall be deemed approved unless expressly disapproved by re~olution of Council of City according to the terms of this Franchise within ninety (90) days after the notice has been given as provided in this Franchise. D. Rate Changes. (l) No rate change shall be approved that would result in different rates or charges for service to similarly situated subscribers in the rate territory, other than those specified in Article VI, Section 2.B. 0065:3/14/84 .' 1-4 a proposed ra.techaligewill following: (a) The ability of the Grantee to render System services and to derive a reasonable profit , therefrom under the existing rate schedule and proposed rate schedule; (b) All revenues and profits or actual losses derived from System~ (c) Tax benefits and tax costs received by Grantee, its partners or shareholders, as the result of their investment in the System; (d) Cash flow generated by System; (e) The efficiency of Grantee~ (f) The quality of the service offered by Grantee; (g) The original cost of the System, less depreciation; (h) A fair rate of return with respect to investments having similar risks to that of providing cable communication services~ (i) The extent to which Grantee has adhered to the terms of this Franchise~ (j) Fairness to residents and subscribers; (k) Capital expenditures (actual and, if the situation so warrants, projected) by Grantee in providing updated technology and service to subscribers; (l) The extent to which Grante has then provided service to schools, hospitals, libraries,. publicly owned or leased buildings and similar institutions within City; nn~r:_""""~~A '. ....c.._ .....,.__. Grantee-has . techri~iogiC~ll:Y . (n) Increased or decreased expenses incurred by Grantee in the purchase of services; and Such other factors as City or Grantee may deem <relevant. (j) ~he procedures to be ~ollowed in changing a Basic rate or charge shall include at least the following: (a) Grantee shall give City and the Quad Cities Cable Communications Commission written notice of any proposed rate increase at least ninety (90) days prior to the proposed effective date of the rate increase. Each rate increase shall be deemed approved unless expressly disapproved by resolution of Council of City according to the terms of this Franchise within ninety (90) days after the notice has been given as provided in this Franchise. (b) The notice shall be supported by statistical and other proof indicating that the existing rate or .... ." charge is inadequate and unreasonable and that the proposed increases are required to enable Grantee to render service to fulfill its obligations under this Franchise and to derive a reasonable profit therefrom. (c) Upon written request by City or the Quad Cities Cable Communications Commission The notice shall include current financial and other information with at least the following: .' I - 6 3. Statement of sources and applications 4. Detailed supporting schedules ,of, expenses, income, assets and other items as may be required by City: - . . . 5. Statement of current and projected 'subscribers: 6. A current list of rates and charges of Grantee applicable to systems owned or operated by its parent corporation or other subsidiaries or affiliates of its parent corporation at other locations: 7. A current list of rates and charges for other systems in the seven county Metropolitan area: 8. Cash flow derived from System services since the commencement of this Franchise~ and 9. Statement of tax benefits received by Grantee, its partners or shareholders, as a result of their investment in System. (d) In the event the proposed rate increase exceeds (in any respect) the projected rate increases shown on Exhibit B, City shall notify Grantee and Board ~nd may schedule a public hearing on the proposed rate increase within two weeks from the date of receipt of the notice. Grantee will notify the public through providing notice for one week, each day between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on two lowest tier 0065:3/14/84 will publish notice ten days prior to hearing in newspaper. public hearing, City will have to make its deter..mination; proposed change.in rates or ,charges shall become effective upon the date specified in the notice of Grantee. The City shall not unreasonably disapprove any rate increase. (f) If City fails to disapprove the change of rate~ or charges within the original ninety (90) day period after receipt of notice as required above, the rate shall still become effective upon the date specified in the notice of Grantee. Said effective date shall be after the ninety (90) day period. (g) City may utilize a rate consultant to advise it on proposed rate changes and to assist it in maintaining uniform rates within the rate territory. A rate consultant may be any person who has sufficient background and experience, in the sole opinion of City, to properly evaluate and analyze ,rates and charges. (h) All costs for the review of a notice for a rate or charge change shall be paid by City from the Franchise fee. (i) Any time limit may be waived only if City and Grantee consent. rates of any new or .service; , " or Grantee may initiate binding arbitFation pursuant . . .. to Minnesota Statutes e.xcept,asdelineatedbelow. . , ,,,.~ -- ~ '(k) The parties :Sl1all,withirllS;days,o,fCltY'sexpress di sapprovalby' resolut ion ''Of tbeCit yCouncil of any rate increase, appoint one arbitrator each who is experienced and knowledgeable in the evaluation and analysis of cable rate and charge changes. Arbitrators shall each agree upon the selection of a third arbitrator, similarly qualified, within 15 days after appointment of the second arbitrator. (l) Within l5 days after appointment of all arbitrators and upon ten days written notice to parties, the arbitrators shall commence a hearing on the rate change proposed by Grantee. (m) The hearing shall be recorded and may be transcribed at the request and expens~of either party. All hearing proceedings, debates and deliberations shall be open to the public, City, and Grantee and at such times and places as contained in the notice or as thereafter publicly stated in the order to adjourn. (n) The arbitration panel shall be required to approve, reject or modify the rate change proposed" by Grantee according to the standards established in this franchise. 1-9 o'f 'the ". .". ..... 0' o/.;;;;~:.,':;.:I"~:~" headn'gs ~~if~,:~w(th' arbit~ators shall preparewri1:tenfinding$an~ " . - .c." > make a written decision agreed upon by, a majority of the arbitrators which shall be served by mail , upon the City and Grantee. The decision of a majority of be binding upon both parties, provided party may pursue any judicial remedies otherwise available to either party. (q) Should the rate change be rejected or modified by a majority of the arbitrators, the Grantee shall within ninety (90) days and pursuant to procedur~s established by Grantee refund the rat.e overage to affected subscribers. (r) Either party may also seek jUdicial relief to the extent authorized under Minnesota Statutes, Section 572.09 and Section 572.l9 as the same may be amended, and in addition, under the following circumstances: (i) A party fails to select an arbitrator; (ii) The arbitrators fail to select a third arbitrator; (iii) One or more arbitrator is unqualified; (iv) De~ignated time limits have been exceeded; (v) The arbitrators have not proceeded expeditiously; or (vi) Based upon the record the arbitrators abused their discretion. n"'~_~ ,...... In.... have' abused5tbeir .... -. -', ,- ~ " that the regulation of a given . , is beyond the authority of the City"itmaY.Order " '-. .,.- the arbitration procedure .repeatedCln~issue' .?~;,,< .. '-" '-."c andOire~;~oi:!!l$,'W.i,.~~.;~?~~~>~f . ;Suit ,.. .- ;--. charge other than basic shall include the following: (a) Grantee shall give City written notice of any rate increase at least ninety (90) days prior to the , effective date of the rate increase. (b) In the event the percentage of the rate increase (in any respect) does not exceed the percentage of the increase from the CPI in existence on the date of the certification of this Franchise by the Board or specified in the last rate increase notice of the Grantee (whichever event is most recent), the .,. '0 .. noticed rate shall become effective' upon its noticed effective date. (c) Except as provided in Article VI, Section 4., D.(c)(5), in the event the percentage of the rate increase (in any respect) exceeds the percentage of increase from the CPI in existence on the date of 0065:3/14/84 ~ "",;."" , Grantee (~hichever event is most recent), the notice rateshallbec~m~ effecti~e.up~n its notice~ effective date but the notice shall also include ,.curren tfinanci81s~n4 otherinfotlllatlon "'.""-"-"-;;". specified in Artlc'ievI, Section <4., D. (4) ( c) (1. -9. ) . (i) Upon review by City of the information provided in the notice by Grantee, City may schedule a pUblic hearing on the proposed rate increase within two (2) weeks from the date of receipt of the notice. Grantee will notify the public as specified in 'Article VI, Section 2., D.(4)(d). The City will publish notice ten (10) days prior to the hearing in its official newspaper. (ii) After closing the public hearing, City will have thirty-one (31) days withi~,which to make any determination regarding the noticed rate increase; however, any proposed change in rates or charges shall become effective upon the date specified in the notice of Grantee regardless of the determination of City. (iii) The City may utilize a rate consultant to advise it on proposed rate changes and to assist it in maintaining uniform rates > ",', ,. evaluate and analy,ze rates and , .; '-. -_:_<,~ .-'.--. '.,:;(iv) , . >'Ail'(;~;;~:~S79~tl1fateview ,of .anotice(,tora ..,',.. r~f.e,,':~i'(:hargej:llange shall be paid by City from the Franchise fee. (5) In the event the law should provide for the regulation of other than basic rate by City, the procedure for the change of other than basic rates shall be as outlined above, except that subsequent to the public hearing, should the City disapprove the change of rates, either City or Grantee may initiate binding arbitration pursuant to Minnesota Statutes except as delineated in Articie VI, Section 3., D.(k)-(t). . 0065:3/14/84 CITY OF ANDOVER COUNTY OF ANOKA STATE OF MINNESOTA ORDINANCE NO.59A AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 59, ADOPTED THE 20TH DAY OF APRIL, 1982, COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE CABLE COMMUNICATIONS ORDINANCE FOR THE CITY OF ANDOVER,MINNESOTA. THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ANDOVER HEREBY ORDAINS: Ordinance No. 59, The Cable Communications Ordinance, adopted the 20th day of April, 1982, is hereby amended as follows: Page 5, Article 1, Section 2N (Amended portion of the following is shown as underlined) "Offering of Grantee" or "Offering" shall mean that certain document dated August 19, 1981, entitled "Application for Cable Television Franchise" and signed by Grantee, as amended from time to time by mutual written agreement between the Grantee and City or its delegatee, which document is on file with the City Clerk. Approved and adopted by the City Council of the City of Andover this 7th day of December , 1982, by unanimous vote. CITY OF ANDOVER Ken , ;t ~/r- ity Clerk CITY OF ANDOVER COUNTY OF ANOKA STATE OF MINNESOTA ORDINANCE NO.59B AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 59, KNOWN AS THE CABLE ORDINANCE, REGARDING THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF ANDOVER AND GROUP W CABLE COMPANY, INC. THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ANDOVER HEREBY ORDAINS: Ordinance No. 59, adopted the 20th day of April 1982, is hereby amended as follows: ARTICLE VI. SYSTEMS OPERATIONS SECTION 4. FRANCHISE FEES, RATES, CHARGES, CHANGES IN FEES AND PROCEDURES. Article VI, Section 4, Paragraphs A, B, C, and 0 are amended to require that throughout the term of the franchise, Group W shall pay to the City an annual fee of 5% of all gross revenues. The rates provided in the franchise shall be guaranteed for 2 years and 6 months after commencement of cable service to the residential subscribers on October 20, 1983. Basic rates shall be regulated pursuant to the terms and conditions of the franchise allowing changes in rates unless the City specifically disapproves such changes. Rates for other than basic service shall be regulated pursuant to the terms and conditions of the franchise. This section further details the procedures for the regulation of other than basic service rates in the event the law should provide for their regulation. Adopted by the City Council of the City of Andover this 20th day of November , 1984. CITY OF ANDOVER -I ..__ -<-._ .--L---' st-City Adm.jClerk (=4..~ uL_' ~ ,~ ~ry indschit - Mayor Final Franchise Andover. Minnesota Prepared by: Thomas D. Creighton Dunkley and Bennett 1750 First Bank Place East Pillsbury Center 200 South Sixth Street Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402 (612) 339-1290 TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT OF INTENT AND PURPOSE FINDINGS ARTICLE I. SHORT TITLE AND DEFINITIONS Page 1 1 Section 1. Short Title Section 2. Definitions 3 3 ARTICLE II. GRANT OF AUTHORITY AND GENERAL PROVISIONS Section 1. Grant of Franchise and Acceptance Section 2. Authority Granted Section 3. Agreement Section 4. Franchise Term Section 5. Area Section 6. Police Powers Section 7. Use of Grantee Facilities Section 8. Written Notice 7 8 8 8 9 9 9 9 10 11 Section 9. Rights ofIndividuals Section 10. Certificate of Confirmation ARTICLE III. DESIGN OF SYSTEM Section 1, Channel Capacity-Subscriber Network Section 2. Picture Quality and Technical Requirements Section 3. Two-Way Capacity Section 4. Facilities 12 12 14 14 Section 5, Special Channel and Access Requirements 14 Section 6. Institutional Network 18 Section 7. Services to Public Buildings and Educational Institutions 18 Section 8. Interconnection 19 Section 9. Narrowcasting 19 Section 10, Regional Channel 19 ARTICLE IV. SERVICES AND PROGRAMMING, SUBSCRIBER CONTRACTS, COMPLAINTS Section 1. Services and Programming 21 Section 2. Interruption of Service and Complaints 21 ARTICLE V. CONSTRUCTION, INITIAL SERVICE AREA, LINE EXTENSION AND CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS Section 1. Initial Service Area 24 Section 2. Line Extension Policy 24 Section 3. Construction Timetable 25 Section 4. Construction Standards 26 Section 5. Conditions on Use 29 ARTICLE VI. SYSTEM OPERATIONS Section 1. Information Availability 31 Section 2. Service Contract 32 Section 3. Subscriber Practices 34 Section 4. Franchise Fees, Rates, Charges, Changes in Fees and Procedures 35 A. Rate Change Procedures 35 B. Franchise Fee 36 ii C, Rates and Other Charges 36 D. Rate Changes 37 E, Periodic Reviews, Renegotiation and Technological Update of 44 System 47 Section 5. Franchise Renewal ARTICLE VII. (Reserved) ARTICLE VIII. INDEMNIFICATION, INSURANCE, LETTER OF CREDIT AND BOND Section 1. General 50 Section 2. Indemnification and Insurance 50 Section 3. Insurance 52 Section 4. Letter of Credit 53 Section 5. Bonds 57 ARTICLE IX. DEFAULT Section 1. Notice and Default 58 Section 2, Cross Default 60 ARTICLE X. FORECLOSURE, RECEIVERSHIP AND ABANDONMENT Section 1. Foreclosure 61 Section 2. Receivership 61 Section 3. Abandonment 61 ARTICLE XI. PURCHASE OF SYSTEM Section 1. General 63 Section 2. Procedures 64 iii ARTICLE XII. MISCELLANEOUS Section 1. Transfer of Ownership or Control 67 Section 2. Removal After Termination or Revocation 69 Section 3. Work Performed by Others 71 Section 4. Interest Rate 71 Section 5. General Provision on Rights and Remedies 71 Section 6, Applicable Laws and Court Decisions: Severability 72 Section 7. Grantee Acknowledgment of Validity of Franchise 73 ARTICLE XIII. ADMINISTRATION AND ADVISORY BODY Section 1. Administrator 74 Section 2. Advisory Body 74 Section 3. Delegation of Authority by City 74 ARTICLE XIV. JOINT SYSTEM, ACCEPTANCE, INCORPORATION OF OFFERING, EXHIBITS, PUBLICATION Section 1. Other Franchises 75 Section 2. Time of Acceptance; Guarantee; Incorporation of Offering 75 Exhibits iv ORDINANCE NO. 59 AN ORDINANCE, INCLUDING ADDENDUM WITH EXHIBITS, GRANTING A FRANCHISE TO TELEPROMPTER OF QUAD CITIES, INC., A MINNESOTA CORPORATION, TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN A CABLE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM IN THE CITY; SETTING FORTH CONDITIONS ACCOMPANYING THE GRANT OF FRANCHISE; PROVIDING FOR REGULATION, AND USE OF THE SYSTEM; AND PRESCRlBING PENALTIES FOR THE VIOLATION OF ITS PROVISIONS The City Council of the City of Andover ordains: STATEMENT OF INTENT AND PURPOSE The City intends, by the adoption of this Franchise, to bring about the development of a System, and the continued operation of it. Such a development can contribute significantly to the communication needs and desires of many. Further, the City may achieve better utilization and improvement of public services with the development and operation of a Cable Communications System. Past studies, participated in by City, have led the way for organizing a means of procuring and securing a Cable Communications System deemed best suited to the City, in the judgment of the Council. This has resulted in the preparation and adoption of this Franchise. FINDINGS In the review of Grantee's proposal and application and as a result of the public hearings, the City Council makes the following findings: A. The Grantee's technical ability, financial condition, legal qualifications, and character were considered and approved in a full public proceeding after due notice and reasonable opportunity to be heard; B. Grantee's plans for constructing and operating the System were considered and found adequate and feasible in a full public proceeding after due notice and reasonable opportunity to be heard; C. The Franchise granted to Grantee by City complies with the existing applicable Minnesota Statues and regulations and Franchise standards of Board; and D, The Franchise granted to Grantee is nonexclusive. 2 SECTION 1, ARTICLE I. SHORT TITLE AND DEFINITIONS SHORT TITLE This Ordinance shall be known and cited as the Cable Communications Ordinance. SECTION 2. DEFINITIONS For the purpose of the Franchise, the following terms, phrases, words and their derivations shall have the meaning given herein, When not inconsistent with the context, words used in the present tense include the future, words in the plural number include the singular number, and words in the singular number include the plural number. The words "shall" and "will" are mandatory and "may" is permissive. Words not defined shall be given their common and ordinary meaning. A. "Basic Service" means all subscriber services provided by Grantee including the delivery of broadcast signals, covered by the regular montWy charge paid by all subscribers, excluding optional services for which a separate charge is made. B. "Board" means the Minnesota Cable Communications Board. C. "City" means City of Andover, a municipal corporation, in the State of Minnesota. D. "Class IV Channel" means a signaling path provided by a System to transmit signals of any type from a subscriber terminal to another point in System. E. "Converter" means an electronic device, which converts signals to a frequency acceptable to a television receiver of a subscriber, and by an appropriate channel selector permits a subscriber to view all subscriber signals included in the service. 3 G. "Council" means the governing body of the City. H. "Drop" shall mean the cable that connects the subscriber terminal to the nearest feeder cable of the system. 1. "FFC" shall mean the Federal Communications Commission and any legally appointed, designated or elected agent or successor. 1. "Grantee" is Teleprompter of Quad Cities, Inc., a Minnesota Corporation, its agents or employees. K. "Gross Revenues" shall mean all revenue derived directly or indirectly by Grantee, its affiliates, subsidiaries, parent, and any person in which Grantee has financial interest of five percent (5%) or more from or in connection with the operation of the System, including but not limited to, basic subscriber service monthly fees, pay cable fees, installation and reconnection fees, leased channel fees, converter rentals, studio rental, production equipment and personnel fees, and advertising revenues. The term does not include any taxes on services furnished by Grantee and imposed directly upon any subscriber or user by the State, City or other governmental unit and collected by Grantee on behalf of said governmental unit or any revenues derived from a feed originating in or passing through City and destined for a location outside City. L. "Installation" means the connection of the System from feeder cable to the point of connection. M. "Lockout Device" is an optional mechanical or electrical accessory to a subscriber's terminal which inhibits the viewing of a certain program, certain channel or certain channels provided by way of the cable communications system. 4 N. "Offering of Grantee" or "Offering" shall mean that certain document dated August 19, 1981, entitled "Application for Cable Television Franchise" and signed by Grantee, as amended from time to time by mutual written agreement between the Grantee and City or its delegatee, which document is on file with the City Clerk (59A, 12/7/82). O. "Public Property" is any real property owned by City other than a street. P. "Scramb1er/Descrambler" refers respectively to the equipment installed in the cable communication system's headend equipment and subscriber terminal used to isolate pay cable and other ancillary service channels from basic service which is accomplished by electronically distorting the signal prior to its transmission through the cable communications system and reconstituting the signal at each authorized location for subsequent display. Q. "Sidewalk" is the portion of a street delineated for pedestrian travel. R. "Street" shall mean the surface of and the space above and below any public street, road, highway, freeway, lane, path, public way, alley, court, sidewalk, boulevard, parkway, drive or any easement or right-of-way now or hereafter held by City which shall, within its proper use and meaning in the sole opinion of City, entitle Grantee to the use thereof for the purpose of installing or transmitting over poles, wire, cables, conductors, ducts, conduits, vaults, manholes, amplifiers, appliances, attachments and other property as may be ordinarily necessary or pertinent to a System. S. "Subscriber" means any person or entity who subscribes to a service provided by Grantee by means of or in connection with the System regardless of whether a fee is paid for such servIce. 5 T. "System" means a system of antennas, cables, wires, lines, towers, waveguides or other conductors, converters, equipment or facilities, designed and constructed for the purpose of producing, receiving, transmitting, amplifying and distributing, audio, video and other forms of electronic or electrical signals, located in City, Said definition shall not include any system wholly internal to one or more multiple unit dwellings under common ownership, control or management, and which does not use City streets or other public property. In any event, system as defined herein shall not be inconsistent with the definition as set out in the rules of the Board. 6 SECTION 1. ARTICLE II. GRANT OF AUTHORITY AND GENERAL PROVISIONS GRANT OF FRANCHISE AND ACCEPTANCE City hereby grants to Grantee, to be effective upon certification by Board, a nonexclusive franchise subject to all of the terms and conditions as herein provided: A. Grantee shall accept this Franchise in the following manner, and not later than the time set out in Article XIV, Section 2: (1) This franchise will be properly executed and acknowledged by Grantee and delivered to City. (2) At the same time as delivery of the executed Franchise, Grantee shall deposit with City its nomefundable acceptance fee in the sum of$14,000.00, for the purpose of defraying the costs and expenses of developing this Franchise and for the enforcement and administration costs to be incurred until Franchise fees may be realized. After the initial payment of the acceptance fee, should costs in excess of the acceptance fee be incurred by City prior to the payment of the first Franchise fee, City may charge such excess costs to Grantee and Grantee shall pay them on demand by City, as an advance on the payment of Franchise fees. (3) All security deposits, Letters of Credit, certificates of insurance, acceptances, bonds, attorneys' opinions, organizational and creation documents and guarantees required of Grantee by this Franchise, shall be delivered with the executed Franchise and in accordance therewith, 7 SECTION 2. AUTHORITY GRANTED A. City grants to Grantee the permission to use streets for erecting, constructing, operating and maintaining the System, Other rights necessary for the System on other public or private property must be obtained by Grantee, but City shall have no obligation to give or grant or assist in obtaining the same. B. Grantee shall construct and maintain the System so as not to interfere with other uses of streets. Grantee shall make use of existing poles and other facilities available to Grantee. C. Notwithstanding the above grant to use streets, no street shall be used by Grantee if City in its sole opinion determines that such use is inconsistent with the terms, conditions or provisions by which such street was created or dedicated, or presently used. SECTION 3. AGREEMENT A. Grantee agrees to be bound by all the terms and conditions of this Franchise. B. The Grantee also agrees to provide all services specifically set forth in, and to comply with all provisions of, its Offering to provide a System within the boundaries of City. Further, failure of Grantee to provide a System as described in it Offering, at City's option, shall be a violation of the provisions of this Franchise. In the event of conflicts or discrepancies between the Offering of Grantee and the provisions of this Franchise, the provisions which provide the greatest of this Franchise, the provisions which provide the greatest benefit to City, in the opinion of the Council, shall prevail. SECTION 4. FRANCHISE TERM This Franchise shall commence upon acceptance by Grantee and shall expire fifteen (15) years from date of acceptance, 8 SECTION 5. AREA This Franchise is granted for City as it exists from time to time during the term of this Franchise. SECTION 6. POLICE POWERS A. Grantee's rights are subject to the police power of City to adopt and enforce ordinances necessary to the health, safety and welfare of the public. B. Any conflict between the provisions of this Franchise and any other present or future lawful exercise of police powers of City shall be resolved in favor of City. SECTION 7. USE OF GRANTEE FACILITIES City shall have the right to install and maintain, free of charge, upon the poles and within the underground pipes and conduits of Grantee any wires and fixtures desired by City. Grantee waives any claim against City arising from City's exercise of these rights, SECTION 8. WRITTEN NOTICE All notices, reports or demands required to be given in writing under this Franchise shall be deemed to be given when delivered personally to any officer of Grantee or City's Administrator of this Franchise or 48 hours after it is deposited in the United States Mail in a sealed envelope, with registered or certified mail postage prepaid thereon, addressed to the party to which notice is being given, as follows: If to City: City of Andover 1685 Crosstown Blvd. N.W. Andover, Minnesota 55304 Ifto Grantee: Teleprompter of Quad Cities, Inc, 924 F & M Bank Building Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402 Attn: System Manager 9 With Copy to: Group W Cable, Inc. 888 Seventh Avenue New York, New York 10 106 Attn: Vice-President and General Counsel Such addresses may be changed by either party upon notice to the other party given as provided in this section. SECTION 9. RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS A. No signals, including signals of a Class IV Channel, shall be transmitted from a subscriber terminal except as required to provide a service authorized by this Franchise and the subscriber. Grantee and any other person shall neither initiate nor use any procedure or device for monitoring individual viewing patterns or practices or otherwise procuring or storing or selling information or data from a subscriber's terminals or terminal by any other means, without the prior authorization of the affected subscriber which shall not have been obtained from the subscriber as a condition of service. The request for such authorization shall be contained in a separate document which prominently states that the subscriber is authorizing with full knowledge of the authorization provisions and which identifies the purpose for which the data or information is being gathered or stored. Such authorization shall be for a limited period of time not to exceed one year. The authorization shall be revocable at any time by the subscriber without penalty of any kind whatsoever. A separate authorization shall be required for each type of classification of data or information sought from a subscriber terminal. B. Grantee shall not, without the written authorization of the affected subscriber, provide to anyone data identifying or designating any subscriber. Any data authorized shall be made available upon request by and without charge to the authorizing subscriber in 10 understandable fashion, including specification of the purpose for which the information is being gathered and to whom and for what fee the information is to be sold. C. Grantee shall not tap or monitor, arrange for the tapping or monitoring, or permit any other person to tap or monitor, any cable, line, signal input device, or subscriber outlet or receiver for any purpose whatsoever, without the prior written authorization of the affected subscriber as required by paragraph A of this section. D. Nothing herein contained shall prohibit Grantee from verifying System operation and the transmission of signals to an affected subscriber or from monitoring for the purpose of billing. The confidentiality of the information obtained in this subsection shall be subject to the provisions of this section. SECTION 10. CERTIFICATE OF CONFIRMATION Grantee shall abide by the then current rules and regulations of Board regarding the application, approval, and renewal of a Certificate of Confirmation. Failure of Grantee to obtain a Certificate of Confirmation or a renewal thereof shall result in automatic termination of this Franchise, and this Franchise shall cease to be of any force or effect. However, Grantee may operate the System while the Board is considering an application for renewal of the Certificate of Confirmation. 11 SECTION 1. ARTICLE III. DESIGN OF SYSTEM CHANNEL CAP ACHY - SUBSCRIBER NETWORK A. The 400 mHz System shall be capable of providing 52 downstream channels, four fully activated upstream channels and a full-video information retrieval channel. The system shall provide access to information data bases with the capacity of such data bases to be 250,000 pages. B. The System shall provide three tiers of subscriber service, Tier 1 shall be a 25 video channel mini-basic service tier. Tier 2 shall be a 48 video channel basic service tier. Tier 3 shall be a 52 video channel interactive service. SECTION 2. PICTURE QUALITY AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS A. The System shall produce a picture upon each subscriber's television screen in black and white or color, depending upon whether color is being telecast and provided the subscriber's television set is capable of producing a color picture, that is not materially distorted and free from ghost images, without material degradation of color fidelity. The System shall produce a sound that is not materially distorted on any receiver of a subscriber. Grantee, at its expense, shall install and maintain the System so as not to interfere with any subscriber's ability to receive local broadcast stations. B. The System shall transmit or distribute signals to all television and radio receivers of all subscribers without causing unreasonable crossmodulation in the cables or unreasonably interfering with other electrical or electronic systems or the reception of other television hor radio receivers. 12 C. Grantee shall construct and maintain a System that at least meets minimum technical standards now or hereafter promulgated by the FCC relating to cable communication systems; provided, however, that in no event shall the technical standards required to be met by Grantee be less stringent than the FCC standards in effect at the time of the adoption of the Ordinance, nor shall Grantee be required to meet minimum FCC technical standards which apply solely to cable communications systems for which franchises are granted subsequent to the acceptance of this Franchise. The FCC technical standards relating to cable communications systems contained in subpart K of part 76 of the FCC rules are hereby incorporated by reference and made a part hereof, D. The System shall be designed for and operated on a 24 hours a day continuous operation basis. E. Grantee shall initially and subsequently test the technical capacity of the System according to the procedures delineated in the Offering. Additionally, Grantee agrees to allow City to select a consultant if City deems it is necessary to review and perform such testing procedure. The results of any tests required by the FCC shall be filed within ten days of the conduct of such tests with the City and the Board. Other representatives of City may be present during testing. Tests may be done annually at such times as is determined by City, with notice to Grantee. The expenses of any tests required by the FCC shall be paid by Grantee. The expenses of tests required by City in addition to FCC required tests shall be paid by City from the Franchise fee. Should the tests show System to be not in compliance with this Franchise, Grantee shall pay upon demand of City all expenses associated with City required tests. 13 SECTION 3. TWO- WAY CAPACITY Grantee shall initially activate and thereafter maintain a two-way capable System (audio, video and data impulse). Grantee shall fully activate four upstream channels at the time of System activation. This will include fully interactive service capability supported by addressable, state-of-the-art equipment. SECTION 4. FACILITIES The Grantee shall construct, maintain and continue to provide all facilities and equipment set forth in the Offering including, but not limited to, the headend, hubs, distribution system, studios, equipment and other facilities. Grantee's plan, as set forth in the Offering, for implementing the construction, utilization, System performance, and maintenance of these facilities, including its plans for accommodating future growth and changing needs and desires, shall be fully and timely performed. SECTION 5. SPECIAL CHANNEL AND ACCESS REQUIREMENTS A. Grantee will carry broadcast stations in accordance with FCC rules as from time to time revised. B. Channel 10 (the Government access channel) shall be dedicated as an emergency override channel operated by City. C. Grantee will provide an audio/video emergency alert override system that will permit the interruption by designated City officials of all audio (including FM) and video programming, instructing citizens to switch to Channell 0 for emergency announcements, D. Grantee shall provide at least eight (8) channels for access use (including one for each of the following uses: public, educational, government, leased, regional, religious channel, 14 senior citizens access, and library access). All residential subscribers who receive all or any part of the total services offered on the System shall also receive all of said eight (8) access channels at no additional charge. These channels shall be activated upon System activation and thereafter maintained. Grantee shall establish rules and regulations prior to System activation for the use of access channels which shall be approved by City before implementation and thereafter shall not be alerted or amended without approval of City. In preparing such rules: (1) Grantee shall provide an equal opportunity for use of access services. (2) Grantee will consider needs assessments prepared by City, (3) Grantee will comply, at a minimum, with the requirements of City and the Board now or hereafter adopted or determined by City or the Board regarding access channels. Such requirements of the Board are hereby made a part of this ordinance and include the following: (a) Grantee shall, to the extent of the System's available channel capacity, provide to each of its subscribers who receive all or any part of the total services offered on the System, reception on at least one specially designated noncommercial public access channel available for use by the general public on a first come, nondiscriminatory basis; at least one specially designated access channel for use by local educational authorities; at least one specially designated access channel for local government use; and at least one specially designated access channel available for lease on a first come, nondiscriminatory basis by commercial and noncommercial users (the preceding hereinafter referred to as the 15 "access channels"), Subscribers receiving only alarm system services or only data transmission services for computer operated functions shall be exempt from this requirement. The VHF spectrum shall be used for at least one of the specially designated noncommercial public access channels required. No charges shall be made for channel time or playback of prerecorded programming on at least one of the specially designated noncommercial public access channels. Any fees for use of public access channels shall be consistent with the goal of affording the public a low cost means of television access. Access facilities, equipment and/or channel time will be made available to the general public, any group or individual resident in City for the production and/or cablecasting of noncommercial programming free of charge on a first come, nondiscriminatory basis. (b) Whenever any of the access channels is in use during 80 percent ofthe weekdays (Monday-Friday), for 80 percent of the time during any consecutive three hour period for six weeks running, and there is demand for use of an additional channel for the same purpose, Grantee shall then have six months in which to provide a new specially designated access channel for the same purpose at no additional cost to subscribers, provided that provision of such additional channel (s) shall not require the cable system to install converters. 16 (c) The rules and regulations established by the Grantee and approved by City governing the access channels shall be filed with the Board within 90 days after any such channels are put into use. (d) Subscribers receiving programs on one or more special service channels without also receiving the regular subscriber services may receive only one specially designated composite access channel composed of the programming on access channels. This composite channel shall not include programming from the leased access channel. Subscribers receiving only alarm system services or only data transmission services for computer operated functions shall not be included in this requirement. (4) The Grantee shall comply, at a minimum, with the requirements of City and Board, now or hereafter adopted by City or Board regarding public use of its equipment, including but not limited to the following: (a) Grantee shall make readily available for public use at least minimal equipment necessary for the production of programming and playback of prerecorded programs for the specially designated noncommercial public access channel. The Grantee shall also make readily available upon need being shown, the minimum equipment necessary to make it possible to record programs at remote locations with battery operated portable equipment. (b) Need within the meaning of this paragraph shall be determined by subscriber petition. Said petitions must contain the signatures of at least 17 10 percent of the subscribers of System, but in no case more than 500 nor fewer than 100 signatures. SECTION 6. INSTITUTIONAL NETWORK The System shall include a separate institutional cable communications network, interconnected with the subscriber network, which will permit 38 separate television channels to be sent to each institution and 16 channels to be returned from each institution to the head-end for redistribution. Said institutional network shall be offered, activated, expanded, marketed, and developed at a minimum in full compliance with the Offering. Need for the provision of institutional service shall be determined in the sole discretion of City. SECTION 7. SERVICE TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS Grantee shall provide, at a minimum, institutional network service to: Anoka Senior High Anoka State Hospital Anoka Vo-Tech Institute Anoka Fred Moore Junior High Anoka Sandberg Middle School Anoka Franklin Elementary School Anoka Lincoln Elementary School Anoka Wilson Elementary School Anoka Washington Elementary School Anoka St. Stephen's Anoka City Hall Anoka Court House Anoka Fire Station Anoka City Library Landscape Career Center (Anoka Vo-Tech) Anoka Ice Arena Anoka Senior Citizens Drop In Anoka Senior Citizens High-rise Anoka Public Works Department Anoka Liquor Store Anoka Liquor Store Anoka Liquor Store 18 3939 7th Avenue 3300 4th Avenue West Highway 10 1523 Wash 1902 2nd Avenue 215 West Main 540 South Street 1025 Sunnylane 6 Avenue and School 506 Jackson 2015 1st Avenue North 325 East Main 2301 3rd Avenue 2135 3rd Avenue 2929 7th Avenue 41st Avenue North & 7th Avenue North Wash & 6th Avenue 2 Bridge Square 2301 3rd Avenue 848 East River Road 709 38th Avenue 809 West Main Champlin Municipal Center Champlin Elementary School Champlin Public Library Champlin Municipal Liquor Store Jackson Junior High School Crooked Lake Community/Elementary School Meadowcreek Christian School Andover City Hall Andover Fire Hall Ramsey City Hall Ramsey Elementary School SECTION 8. INTERCONNECTION 12001 Highway 52 111 Dean Avenue West 230 Curtis Road 123 Miller Road 109th Street 2939 Bunker Lake Road 2941 Bunker Lake Road 1685 N.W. Crosstown Blvd. 1785 N.W. Crosstown Blvd. 15153 Nowthen Blvd. 15000 Nowthen Blvd. The System serving the Cities of Andover, Anoka, Champlin, and Ramsey shall be completely interconnected. Grantee will comply with all present and future rules, regulations and orders of the Board regarding interconnection of systems, and will cooperate with any agencies or utilities involved with interconnection. At such times as interconnection is required, Grantee shall accomplish this without additional charge to subscribers. System shall be initially constructed so that other systems now or hereafter constructed in any area adjacent to System or within the metropolitan area (if technologically feasible) may be interconnected with System upon request to City and agreement with other System's Grantor and Cable Company. SECTION 9. NARROWCASTING System shall be capable of "narrowcasting" of programs to each community separately so that the residents of one community may view a given program while, at the same time, residents of another community may watch different programming at the same time on the same channel. SECTION 10. REGIONAL CHANNEL The standard VHF Channel 6 is hereby designated for uniform regional channel usage. However, until the regional channel becomes operational, Grantee may utilize the standard VHF 19 channel 6 as it deems appropriate. Use oftime on the regional channel shall be made available without charge. 20 ARTICLE IV. SERVICES AND PROGRAMMING, SUBSCRIBER CONTRACTS, COMPLAINTS SECTION 1. SERVICES AND PROGRAMMING A. Grantee shall provide those services and programming as specified in its Offering. B. City recognizes that services and programming in cable communications is rapidly changing. Therefore, to insure the providing of services and programming in the best interest of the citizens of City, Grantee may add or delete services and programming from the System only with the express written permission of City as authorized by the Council of City, While such addition or deletion of programming or services will not require the amendment of this Franchise, any addition or deletion of programming will be subject to all terms and conditions of this Franchise. C. City authorization of Grantee deletion of programming or services shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed, The withholding of authorization of Grantee's addition of programming or services shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed and shall be viewed as an administrative decision of City requiring findings of fact demonstrating reasonable cause for withholding authorization. SECTION 2. INTERRUPTION OF SERVICE AND COMPLAINTS A. Whenever it is necessary to shut off or interrupt service, Grantee shall do so during periods of minimum use of the System. Unless such interruption is unforeseen and immediately necessary, Grantee shall give reasonable notice thereof to subscribers. All costs incurred in repairing System and handling complaints shall be paid by Grantee, and if service is interrupted or discontinued for more than 48 hours, subscribers shall be 21 credited pro rata for such interruption. The cause of any such interruption shall be removed and service restored as promptly as reasonably possible. B. Grantee shall maintain an office in the Quad City area which shall be open during all usual business hours, have a listed local telephone, and be so operated that complaints and requests for repairs or adjustments may be received at any time, 7 days per week. (1) Notice of this infonnation shall be provided to all new subscribers at time of subscription and to existing subscribers annually. (2) Grantee shall not engage in the sale of television sets or provide other television repair service, but in the event such service is required, shall promptly notify subscriber of that need for service. (3) All complaints by City, subscribers, or other persons regarding the quality of service, equipment malfunction, billing disputes, and any other matters relative to the System, shall be investigated and responded to by a service representative at the location of the complaint by Grantee within 24 hours. If reasonably possible, Grantee shall rectify the cause of all valid complaints. If a complaint is not rectified within seven days, the complainant may then file the complaint with City. (4) City and Grantee shall prepare and maintain a record of all complaints made to them. If at any time after the filing of a complaint with City, City detennines, in its sole discretion, that the complaint represents a violation of this Franchise, any law, ordinance or regulation, or represents a failure in the perfonnance of Grantee pursuant to this Franchise, City may, in addition to any other remedy available to it, issue written notice specifying the nature of the complaint and ordering Grantee 22 to appear at the next regularly scheduled Council meeting or at a special meeting of the Council called for this purpose. At said Council meeting, Grantee shall explain its failure to rectify the complaint and show cause why the Council should not institute default proceedings. Failure by Grantee to appear may result, at the sole discretion of City, in the termination of this Franchise. 23 ARTICLE V. CONSTRUCTION, INITIAL SERVICE AREA LINE EXTENSION AND CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS SECTION 1. INITIAL SERVICE AREA Grantee shall construct as the initial service area all areas containing dwelling units within the cities of Anoka and Champlin, as well as all areas within Andover and Ramsey where current dwelling unit density exceeds 40 homes per mile. All trunk cables in all four communities shall be considered part of the initial service area. Grantee shall extend service to any area contiguous to the initial service area which exceeds a density of 40 homes per street mile or greater. SECTION 2. LINE EXTENSION POLICY Grantee's extension of service to those areas not included in the initial service area shall be done pursuant to the following requirements: A. In the portions of the line extension area which do not reach 40 homes per mile, Grantee shall provide cable television on a cost-sharing arrangement. If any potential subscriber requests that the line be extended, Grantee shall calculate the cost on a time and material basis. Grantee shall assume $400 per home passed by the line extension, Any subscriber will assume the remainder of all costs incurred on a pro-rata basis. If additional subscribers receive service from the line extension, they will assume their pro-rated share of the line extension cost; and, appropriate rebates will be made to subscribers having previously assumed those costs or if said subscribers cannot be located by Grantee, appropriate rebates will be made to the current subscriber of affected dwelling unit. If additional dwelling units are constructed in the line extension and the line extension density remains under 40 dwelling units per street mile contiguous to the initial service 24 area, Grantee shall rebate to subscribers on the line extension on a prorated basis $400 for each additional dwelling unit built. In no event will a subscriber who partially assumed construction costs be rebated more than the amount initially assumed by that subscriber. B. If the line extension has been built and reaches a density 000 homes per street mile contiguous to the initial service area, Grantee shall rebate all monies paid by those subscribers who have assumed line extension costs. In no event will a subscriber who partially assumed construction costs be rebated more than the amount initially assumed by that subscriber. C. For installation of service drops longer than 200 feet, the resident shall be charged an additional amount for the installation equal to the incremental increase of the cost of time and material for everything longer than 200 feet. SECTION 3. CONSTRUCTION TIMETABLE A. Within 90 days after the granting of Franchise, Grantee shall apply for all necessary permits, licenses, certificates and authorizations which are required in the conduct of its business, including, but not limited to, any joint use attachment agreements, microwave carrier licenses, or any other permits, licenses and authorizations to be granted by duly constituted regulatory agencies having jurisdiction over the operation of cable communication systems, or their associated microwave transmission facilities. If after one year from the commencement of Franchise term, Grantee has not received the permits, licenses, certificates and authorizations described in this paragraph, City may terminate this Franchise without regard to fault for delay in obtaining such permits, licenses, certificates and authorizations. 25 B. Within 90 days after obtaining all necessary permits, licenses, certificates and authorizations, Grantee shall give written notice thereof to City and commence construction and installation of System. Grantee shall construct substantially all areas of the initial service area which contain dwelling units within one year of the granting of the state certificate of confirmation so that persons along the route of the energized cable will have individual "drops" as desired during the same period of time. C. Any delays in the construction timetable or commencement of construction shall result in penalties as provided in this Franchise, and continued delays may result in the termination of this Franchise and all rights and privileges of Grantee hereunder. (1) Grantee shall promptly notify City of all delays known or anticipated in the construction of System. (2) City may extend the time for beginning construction or may extend the construction timetable in the event Grantee, acting in good faith, experiences delays by reason of circumstances beyond its control. SECTION 4. CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS A. Grantee shall not open or disturb the surface of any streets or public property without first obtaining a permit from City for which permit City may impose a reasonable fee to be paid by Grantee. The lines, conduits, cables and other property placed in the streets and public property pursuant to such permit shall be located in such part of the street or public property as shall be determined by City. Grantee shall, upon completion of any work requiring the opening of any streets or public property, restore the same, including the pavement and its grounds to as good a condition as formerly and in a manner and quality approved by City, and shall exercise reasonable care to maintain the same thereafter in 26 good condition. Such work shall be performed with diligence and due care, and if Grantee shall fail to perform the work promptly, to remove all dirt and rubbish and to put the street or public property back into the condition required hereby, City shall have the right to put the streets or public property back into good condition at the expense of Grantee. Grantee shall, upon demand, pay to City the reasonable cost of such work done or performed. B. All wires, conduits, cable and other property and facilities of Grantee shall be so located, constructed, installed and maintained as not to endanger or unnecessarily interfere with the usual and customary trade, traffic and travel upon, or other use of, the streets and public property of City. Grantee shall keep and maintain all of its property in good condition, order and repair so that the same shall not menace or endanger the life or property of any person. City shall have the right to inspect and examine at all reasonable times and upon reasonable notice the property owned or used, in part or in whole, by Grantee. Grantee shall keep accurate maps and records of all of its wires, conduits, cables and other property and facilities located, constructed and maintained in the City. Further, Grantee shall, without charge, furnish copies of such maps and records from time to time as requested by City. C. All wire, conduits, cables and other property and facilities of Grantee, shall be constructed and installed in an orderly and workmanlike manner. All wire, conduits and cables shall be installed, where possible, parallel with electric and telephone lines. Multiple cable configurations shall be arranged in parallel and bundled with due respect for engineering considerations. 27 D. Grantee shall at all times comply with all applicable laws, ordinances, rules, regulations and codes, federal, state and local. In any event, the installation, operation or maintenance of System shall not endanger or interfere with the safety of persons or property in the City. E. Whenever City shall undertake any public improvement which affects Grantee's equipment or facilities, City shall, with due regard to reasonable working conditions and with reasonable notice, direct Grantee to remove its wires, conduits, cables and other property located in streets or public property. Grantee shall relocate or protect its wires, conduits, cables and other property at its own expense. F. Grantee's plans for constructing its System, and the construction of the System, shall be in accordance with its Offering. However, Grantee shall comply with the following minimum requirements. (1) Grantee shall construct underground in any area where all other utility lines are underground. (2) Grantee shall change from aerial to underground, at its own expense, in any area where (i) all other lines are hereafter changed from aerial to underground or (ii) any aerial line is changed to underground by the open trench method and City requests Grantee to share the trench. (3) To enable Grantee reasonable opportunity to change its wiring from aerial to underground, and also to allow it to prewire all new multiple dwelling units, subdivisions or new development areas, City shall provide Grantee with written notice of the following, but in no event shall City have any liability for failure to provide notice of the following: 28 (a) (b) (c) (d) SECTION 5. Any changes of which City has knowledge, or which City may order, regarding a change from aerial to underground of any line (telephone or electrical) within its boundaries, Any underground trenching that may be pending. All subdividers or developers of new subdivisions and developments shall be notified of the Franchise and the System. All Franchise changes affecting the wiring of the System. CONDITIONS ON USE A. Grantee shall not place poles or other fixtures where the same will interfere with any gas, electric or telephone fixture, water hydrant or main, and sewer line. B. Grantee, at the request of any person holding a building moving permit and with not less than five days advance notice, shall temporarily remove, raise or lower its wires, conduits and cables. The expense of such temporary removal, raising or lowering of wires, conduits and cables shall be paid by person requesting the same, and Grantee shall have the authority to require such payment in advance. C. Grantee shall have the authority, to the extent the City has authority to grant the same, to trim trees upon or overhanging any street or public property so as to prevent the branches of such trees from coming in contact with the wires, conduits and cables of Grantee. All trimming for the benefit of Grantee shall be done under the supervision and direction of City and at the expense of Grantee. D. Nothing contained in this Franchise shall relieve any person from liability arising out of the failure or exercise reasonable care to avoid injuring the Grantee's facilities while 29 performing any work connected with grading, regarding or changing the line of any street or public place or with the construction or reconstruction of any sewer or water system. 30 ARTICLE VI. SYSTEM OPERATIONS SECTION 1. INFORMATION AVAILABILITY A. Throughout the term of this Franchise, Grantee shall maintain books and records in accordance with normal and accepted bookkeeping and accounting practices for the cable communications industry, and allow for inspection and copying of them by City at reasonable times at its designated office, The books and records to be maintained by Grantee shall include the following: (I) A record of all requests for service except those requests subsequently withdrawn (retained for two years); (2) A record of all subscriber or other complaints, and the action taken (retained for two years); (3) A file of all subscriber contracts; (4) Grantee policies, procedures and company rules; and (5) Financial records. B. City shall give Grantee at least 24 hours notice before making inspections of any books or records of Grantee. C. Grantee shall file with City, at the time of its annual payment of the franchise fee, as described in this Franchise, the following (although City may make written waiver of receipt of any of the following): (1 ) A financial statement certified by an officer of Grantee showing, in such reasonable detail as acceptable to City, the gross revenues of Grantee for the preceding fiscal year. 31 (2) Current list of names and addresses of each officer and director and other management personnel, and if a corporation, each shareholder having stock ownership of three (3 %) percent or more, and if a partnership, all general partners, and if a general partner is a corporation, the foregoing information shall be given as to the corporate general partner. (3) A copy of each document filed with all federal, state and local agencies not previously filed with City with respect to the ownership and operation of System (each of these filings shall be provided at the time the filing is made). (4) A statement of its current billing practices (5) A current copy of its rules and policies. (6) A current copy of its subscriber service contract, if any. D. City, its agents and representatives shall have authority to arrange for and conduct an audit of an copy the books and records of Grantee, The City and Grantee shall establish reasonable procedures to protect the confidentiality of information. Grantee shall first be given five days notice of the audit request, the description of and purpose for the audit, and description, to the best of City's ability, of the books, records and documents it wants to review. SECTION 2. SERVICE CONTRACT A. Grantee shall receive approval from City of the form and content of the service contract to be used by Grantee prior to entering into any such service contracts with subscribers, and the Grantee shall make no changes in the approved service contract without prior written approval of City, which permission shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. The service contract shall include, at a minimum, a schedule of all applicable 32 rates and charges, description of services, instructions on the use of the system, billing and collection practices. B. The service contract shall further contain a statement as follows: Grantee shall not, as to rates, charges, service facilities, rules, regulations or in any other respect, make or grant any preference or advantage to any person, nor subject any person to any prejudice or disadvantage, provided, however, that nothing in this Franchise shall be deemed to prohibit the establishment of special contracts or reduced rates for senior citizens or handicapped heads of households or for installation rate reductions for 90 days after cable service is first offered in an area or for such other purposes offered to all individuals similarly situated or to meet competition from other providers of telecommunications services. C. Grantee shall have authority to promulgate such rules, regulations, terms and conditions governing the conduct of its business as shall be reasonably necessary to enable Grantee to exercise its rights and perform its obligations under this Franchise and to assure an uninterrupted service to each and all of its subscribers; provided, however, that such rules, regulations, terms and conditions shall not be in conflict with the provisions of the Franchise, ordinances of City, and laws of the State of Minnesota or the United States. D. Each subscriber shall be provided with instructions on filing complaints or otherwise obtaining information or assistance from Grantee. E. All items described in this section shall be provided to each new subscriber at the time a contract is entered into or service begun, and to all existing subscribers not less than once each year. 33 F. The term of a subscriber contract shall not be for more than 12 months duration unless after 12 months the contract may be terminated by the subscriber at his option at any time, with no penalty to subscriber. SECTION 3. SUBSCRIBER PRACTICES A. There shall be no charge for disconnection of any installation or outlet. If any subscriber fails to pay a properly due monthly subscriber fee, or any other properly due fee or charge, Grantee may disconnect the subscriber's service outlet, provided, however, that such disconnection shall not be effected until after the later of (i) 45 days after the due date of said delinquent fee or charge or (ii) ten days after delivery to subscriber of written notice of the intent to disconnect. If a subscriber pays before expiration of the later of (i) or (ii), Grantee shall not disconnect. After disconnection, upon payment in full of the delinquent fee or charge and the payment of a reconnection charge, Grantee shall promptly reinstate the subscriber's cable service. B. Refunds to subscribers shall be made or determined in the following manner: (1) If Grantee fails, upon request by a subscriber, to provide any service then being offered, Grantee shall within 60 days of subscriber request refund all deposits or advance charges paid for the service in question by said subscriber. This provision does not alter Grantee's responsibility to subscribers under any separate contractual agreement or relieve Grantee of any other liability. (2) If any subscriber terminates any monthly service because of failure of Grantee to render the service in accordance with Franchise, Grantee shall refund to such subscriber the proportionate share of the charges paid by the subscriber for the 34 services not received. This provision does not relieve Grantee of liability established in other provisions ofthis Franchise. C. If any subscriber terminates any monthly service prior to the end of a prepaid period, a proportionate amount of any prepaid subscriber service fee, using the number of days as a basis, shall be refunded to the subscriber by Grantee. D. Continued failure by Grantee to provide services required by this Franchise may, in the discretion of City, be cause for imposition of a penalty or termination of this Franchise. SECTION 4. FRANCHISE FEE. RATES. CHARGES. CHANGES IN FEES AND PROCEDURES A. Rate Change Procedure. (1) To the extent permitted by law, all increases in subscriber rates and charges shall be charged by Grantee, in a manner provided for herein. Grantee, as a condition precedent to its acceptance of this Franchise hereby knowingly and voluntarily consents to these procedures for the term of this Franchise of all rates and charges. (2) City hereby reserves the right to approve or adopt regulations governing Grantee's collection of advance charges and deposits, installation and reconnection charges, policies and procedures, disconnection charges, policies and procedures, and the availability of refunds. Approval of City shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. (3) Cost for installing any part ofthe System will be a factor in the rate only if such cost was incurred within City. (4) The territory for rates applicable to System shall be City and all Cities then parties to a joint powers agreement relating to the System. 35 B. Franchise Fee. (1) Throughout the term of this Franchise, Grantee shall pay to City, within 60 days after the end of each fiscal year of Grantee, an annual fee of five percent (5%) of all gross revenues. Quarterly payments of Franchise fees will be made within ninety (90) days after end of each quarter with adjustments at year end for actual Gross Revenues (59C, 12/17/85). The rates provided in the franchise shall be guaranteed for 2 years and 6 months after commencement of cable service to the residential subscribers on October 20,1983. Basic rates shall be regulated pursuant to the terms and conditions of the franchise allowing changes in rate unless the City specifically disapproves regulated pursuant to the terms and conditions of the franchise. This section further details the procedures for the regulation of other than basic service rates in the event the law should provide for their regulation (59B, 11/20/84). No payment will be allowed of any fee that is different from five percent, other than the filing fee and payment required of the successful applicant as established by City to recover the costs of franchising. Grantee agrees to support any waiver required by the FCC for the established franchise fee. The annual fee may be subject to renegotiation at such time as federal or state authorities no longer regulate the amount of the fee. If Grantee and City do not agree in renegotiations, the Franchise fee shall remain unchanged. (2) Payment will be made to City with an itemization of the gross revenues derived from the services in City. C. Rates and Other Charges. (1) Rates and charges charged by Grantee for monthly service and installation and 36 other charges hereunder shall be uniform, fair and reasonable and designed to meet all necessary costs of service, including a fair rate of return on the original cost, less depreciation, of the properties devoted to such service (without regard to any subsequent sale or transfer price or cost of such properties). (2) For three years after commencement of cable service to residential subscribers, the maximum rates shall be the specific rates of Grantee as included in Exhibit A, attached hereto and made a part of this Franchise and known as Grantee Schedule of Rates. (3) Service requests for maintenance or repair of Grantee's property shall be performed at no charge to a subscriber. If such maintenance or repair is required as a result of damage caused by subscriber, Grantee may charge to the subscriber as a maximum its direct costs for material and labor for service calls to subscriber's home. (4) Rates for new or additional services not initially included in Offering of Grantee and therefore not listed in Exhibit A shall be established by resolution of Council of City according to the terms of this Franchise. D. Rate Changes. (1) No rate change shall be approved that would result in different rates or charges for service to similarly situated subscribers in the rate territory, other than those specified in Article VI, Section 2.B. (2) The standards for reviewing a proposed rate change will include at least the following: (a) The ability of the Grantee to render System services and to derive a 37 reasonable profit therefrom under the existing rate schedule and proposed rate schedule; (b) All revenues and profits or actual losses derived from System; (c) Tax benefits and tax costs received by Grantee, its partners or shareholders, as the result of their investment in the System; (d) Cash flow generated by System; (e) The efficiency of Grantee; (f) The quality of the service offered by Grantee; (g) The original cost of the System, less depreciation; (h) A fair rate of return with respect to investments having similar risks to that of providing cable communication services; (i) The extent to which Grantee has adhered to the terms of this Franchise; G) Fairness to residents and subscribers; (k) Capital expenditures (actual and, if the situation so warrants, projected) by Grantee in providing updated technology and service to subscribers; (1) The extent to which Grantee has then provided service to schools, hospitals, libraries, publicly owned or leased building and similar institutions within City; (m) The extent to which Grantee has technologically upgraded the System; and (n) Increased or decreased expenses incurred by Grantee in the purchase of services; and (0) Such other factors as City or Grantee may deem relevant. (3) The procedures to be followed in changing a Basic rate or charge shall include at 38 least the following: (a) Grantee shall give City written notice of any proposed rate increase at least ninety (90) days prior to the proposed effective date of the rate increase. (b) The application shall be supported by statistical and other proof indicating that the existing rate or charge is inadequate and unreasonable and that the proposed increases are required to enable Grantee to render service to fulfill its obligations under this Franchise and to derive a reasonable profit therefrom. (c) The notice shall include current financial and other information with at least the following: 1. Balance Sheet; 2. Income Statement; 3. Statement of sources and application of funds; 4. Detailed supporting schedules of expenses, income, assets and other items as may be required by City; 5. Statement of current and projected subscribers; 6. A current list of rates and charges of Grantee applicable to systems owned or operated by its parent corporation or other subsidiaries or affiliates of its parent corporation at other locations; 7. A current list of rates and charges for other systems in the seven county Metropolitan area; 8. Cash flow derived from System services since the commencement of this Franchise; and 39 9. Statement of tax benefits received by Grantee, its partners or shareholders, as a result of their investment in System. (d) In the event the proposed rate increase exceeds (in any respect) the projected rate increases shown on Exhibit B, City shall notify Grantee and Board and shall schedule a public hearing on the proposed rate increase within two weeks from the date of receipt of the notice. Grantee will notify the public through providing notice for one week, each day between 7:00p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on two lowest tier channels of the date, place and time of the hearing. City will publish notice ten days prior to hearing in its official newspaper. (e) After closing the public hearing, City will have 31 days within which to make its determination; however, any proposed change in rates or charges shall become effective upon the date specified in the notice of Grantee. Approval of City shall not be unreasonably withheld. (f) If City fails to approve the change of rates or charges within the 31 day period, the rate shall still become effective upon the date specified in the notice of Grantee. (g) City may utilize a rate consultant to advise it on proposed rate changes and to assist it in maintaining uniform rates within the rate territory. A rate consultant may be any person who has sufficient background and experience, in the sole opinion of City, to properly evaluate and analyze rates and charges. (h) All costs for the review of a notice for a rate or charge change shall be 40 paid by City from the Franchise fee. (i) Any time limit may be waived only if City and Grantee consent. G) If City fails to approve the change of rates, either City or Grantee may initiate binding arbitration pursuant to Minnesota Statutes except as delineated below. (k) The parties shall, within 15 days of City's failure to approve the rate increase, appoint one arbitrator each who is experienced and knowledgeable in the evaluation and analysis of cable rate and charge changes. Arbitrators shall each agree upon the selection of a third arbitrator, similarly qualified, within 15 days after appointment of the second arbitrator. (1) Within 15 days after appointment of all arbitrators and upon ten days written notice to parties, the arbitrators shall commence a hearing on the rate change proposed by Grantee. (m) The hearing shall be recorded and may be transcribed at the request and expense of either party. All hearing proceedings, debates and deliberations shall be open to the public, City, and Grantee and at such times and places as contained in the notice or as thereafter publicly stated in the order to adjourn. (n) The arbitration panel shall be required to approve, reject or modify the rate change proposed by Grantee according to the standards established in this Franchise. (0) At the close of the hearings and within 30 days, the arbitrators shall 41 prepare written findings and make a written decision agreed upon by a majority of the arbitrators which shall be served by mail upon City and Grantee. (P) The decision of a majority of the arbitrators shall be binding upon both parties, provided that either party may pursue any judicial remedies otherwise available to either party. ( q) Should the rate change be rej ected or modified by a maj ority of the arbitrators, the Grantee shall within ninety (90) days and pursuant to procedures established by Grantee refund the rate overage to affected subscribers. (r) Either party may also seek judicial relief to the extent authorized under Minnesota Statutes, ~572.09 and ~572.19 as the same may be amended, and in addition, under the following circumstances: (i) A party fails to select an arbitrator; (ii) The arbitrators fail to select a third arbitrator; (iii) One or more arbitrator is unqualified; (iv) Designated time limits have been exceeded; (v) The arbitrators have not proceeded expeditiously; or (vi) Based upon the record the arbitrators abused their discretion. (s) In the event a Court of competent jurisdiction determines the arbitrators have abused their discretion, or that the regulation of a given rate is beyond the authority of City, it may order the arbitration procedure repeated and issue findings, orders and directions, with costs of suit to be 42 awarded to the prevailing party. (t) Cost of arbitration shall be borne equally. (4) The procedures to be followed in changing any rate or charge other than basic shall include the following: ( a) Grantee shall give City written notice of any rate increase at least ninety (90) days prior to the effective date of the rate increase. (b) In the event the percentage of the rate increase (in any respect) does not exceed the percentage of the increase from the CPI in existence on the date of the certification of this Franchise by the Board or specified in the last rate increase notice of the Grantee (whichever event is most recent), the noticed rate shall become effective upon its noticed effective date. (c) Except as provided in Article VI, Section 4., D.(c) (5), in the event the percentage of the rate increase (in any respect) exceeds the percentage of increase from the CPI in existence on the date of the certification of this Franchise by the Board or specified in the last rate increase notice of the Grantee (whichever event is most recent), the notice rate shall become effective upon its noticed effective date but the notice shall also include current financials and other information as specified in Article VI, Section 4., D. (4) (c) (1.-9.). (i) Upon review by City of the information provided in the notice by Grantee, City may schedule a public hearing on the proposed rate increase within two (2) weeks from the date of receipt of the notice. Grantee will notify the public as specified in Article VI, 43 Section 2., D. (4) (d). The City will publish notice ten (10) days prior to the hearing in its official newspaper. (ii) After closing the public hearing, City will have thirty-one (31) days within which to make any determination regarding the noticed rate increase; however, any proposed change in rates or charges shall become effective upon the date specified in the notice of Grantee regardless of the determination of City. (iii) The City may utilize a rate consultant to advise it on proposed rate changes and to assist it in maintaining uniform rates within the territory. A rate consultant may be any person who has sufficient background and experience, in the sole opinion of City, to properly evaluate and analyze rates and charges. (iv) All costs for the review of a notice for rate or charge change should be paid by City from the Franchise fee. (5) In the event the law should provide for the regulation of other than basic rates by City, the procedure for the change of other than basic rates shall be as outlined above, except that subsequent to the public hearing, should the City fail to approve the change of rates, either City or Grantee may initiate binding arbitration pursuant to Minnesota statutes except as delineated in Article VI, Section 3., D. (k) - (t). E. Periodic Reviews, Renegotiation and Technological Update of System. The field of cable communications is a relatively new and rapidly changing one which shall no doubt see many regulatory, technical, financial, marketing and legal 44 changes during the term of the Franchise. Therefore, in order to provide for a maximum degree of flexibility in this Franchise, and to help achieve a continued advanced and modern system, the following renegotiation provisions will apply: (1) City reserves the right to adopt rules and regulations controlling the procedures and subjects for periodic reviews and renegotiation. In the absence of any City action taken to exercise these rights, Grantee shall be subject to at least the procedures and subjects described in this section. (2) City may require, in its sole discretion, System performance evaluation sessions at any time during the term of this Franchise or as required by federal or state law. In addition to these discretionary evaluation sessions, regular evaluation sessions shall be conducted by City within 30 days ofthe third, fifth and eighth anniversary dates of the date of acceptance of this Franchise by Grantee. (3) All evaluation sessions shall be open to the public and notice of sessions published in the same way as a legal notice. Grantee shall notify its subscribers of all evaluation sessions by announcement on at least two channels of the System between the hours of7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. for five consecutive days preceding each session. (4) Topics which may be discussed at any evaluation session may include, but not be limited to, service rate structures; franchise fee; penalties; free or discounted services; application of new technologies; system performance; services provided; programming offered; community access; local origination; customer complaints; privacy; amendments to this Franchise; judicial, Board and FCC rulings; line extension policies; and Grantee or City Rules. 45 (5) During a review and evaluation by City, Grantee shall fully cooperate with City and shall provide without cost such information and documents as City may request to reasonably perform the service. (6) If at any time during its review, City determines that reasonable evidence exists of inadequate System performance, it may require Grantee to perform tests and analyses directed toward such suspected inadequacies at the Grantee's own expense. Grantee shall fully cooperate with City in performing such testing and shall prepare results and a report, if requested, within 30 days after notice. The report prepared by Grantee shall include at least: (a) A description of the problem in System performance which precipitated the special tests. (b) What System component was tested. (c) The equipment used and procedures employed in testing. (d) The method, if any, by which such System performance problem was resolved. (e) Any other information pertinent to said tests and analyses which may be required by City, or determined when the test is performed. City may require that tests be supervised at Grantee's expense by a consultant designated by City. The consultant shall sign all records of special tests and forward to City such records with a report interpreting the results of the tests and recommending actions to be taken. (7) Grantee shall exercise its best efforts to maintain a modem state-of-the-art System which is comparable to other operating CATV systems similarly situated. As a 46 result of the periodic review sessions, City may request Grantee to modify or to upgrade the System, or to provide additional services, and authorize rate increases sufficient to insure the economic feasibility of these changes. Grantee shall implement such changes unless: (a) technology does not permit the suggested changes; (b) the proposed changes and rate increases taken in combination are not economically feasible; or (c) insufficient time has been allowed for implementation. In the event of a disagreement between City and Grantee with respect to the items above, City may retain a cable consultant to advise and assist both parties in continued negotiations with respect to the changes which City desires. Either party may initiate binding arbitration pursuant to Minnesota Statutes and Article XI, section 2B of this Franchise. Costs of arbitration shall be shared equally by Grantee and City. SECTION 5. FRANCHISE RENEWAL A. Grantee may apply for renewal of this Franchise at any time prior to the expiration of this Franchise on forms provided by City. In any event renegotiation shall commence at least 12 months before the expiration of the Franchise term, unless the City determines not to reissue the Franchise to Grantee or desires to consider additional applicants for a franchise. B. Grantee may be approved, and this Franchise or modification to it may be renewed, by City in accordance with the then existing rules of the FCC, the Board, the City and all other applicable laws, ordinances, rules or regulations. C. Nothing in this Franchise shall be construed to require renewal of this Franchise. 47 D. City shall conduct an investigation and evaluation of the Grantee and the System and the renewal proposal. This investigation and evaluation shall be completed by City within six months after receipt of the application and determination by City of its completeness. E. Renewal of this Franchise may be for any length of time by not more than fifteen years, unless otherwise permitted by federal or state law, and may be on a year to year basis in the sole discretion of City. 48 ARTICLE VIII. INDEMNIFICATION, INSURANCE, LETTER OF CREDIT AND BOND SECTION 1. GENERAL A. All rights of City pursuant to indemnification, insurance letter of credit or bond, as provided for by this Franchise, are in addition to all other rights the City may have under this Franchise or any other ordinance, rule, regulation or law. B. The exercise or failure to exercise by City of any rights pursuant to any section of this Franchise shall not affect in any way the right of City to subsequently exercise any such rights or any other right of City under this Franchise or any other ordinance, rule, regulation or law. SECTION 2. INDEMNIFICATION AND INSURANCE A. Grantee shall fully indemnify, defend and hold harmless, City, its officers, boards, commissions, elected officials, agents and employees against any and all costs, damage, expense, claims, suits, actions, liability and judgments for damages, including but not limited to, expenses for legal fees, whether suit be brought or not, and disbursements and liabilities incurred by City related to this Franchise or the System in connection with: (1) Damage to persons or property, in any way arising out of or through the acts or omissions of Grantee, their respective servants, officials, agents, or employees or to which Grantee's negligence or that of their respective servants, agents, officials or employees shall in any way contribute; (2) Arising out of any claim for invasion of the right of privacy, for defamation of any person, firm or corporation, or the violation or infringement of any copyright, trademark, trade name, service mark or patent, or of any other right of any person, 50 firm or corporation, except claims because of City's own programming; and (3) Arising out of Grantee's failure to comply with the provisions of this Franchise, any federal, state or local law, ordinance or regulation applicable to Grantee or the System. (4) Any and all claims which Grantee may now or hereafter have or claim to have against City, its servants, agents, employees or officials, due to or arising out of damage to any of Grantee's property or equipment, including, without limitation, resulting or consequential loss of income, injury to reputation, or any other resulting or consequential damages of any kind, caused by or resulting from acts or omissions of City or any of its servants, agents employees or officials. B. If suit be brought or threatened against City, either independently or jointly with Grantee, or with any person or municipality, Grantee, upon notice given by City, shall defend City at the cost of Grantee, and if final judgment is obtained against City, either independently or jointly with Grantee, or any other defendants, Grantee shall indemnify City and pay such judgment with all costs and satisfy and discharge the same. C. City reserves the right to cooperate with Grantee and participate in the defense of any litigation either through intervention or otherwise. Grantee shall pay upon receipt of written demand from City, all expenses incurred by City in defending itself with regard to any matters in this section. These expenses shall include, but not be limited to, attorneys' fees, and the reasonable value of services (as determined by City) rendered by City or any employees, agents or representatives of City. 51 SECTION 3. INSURANCE A. Grantee shall maintain liability insurance covering its obligations of indemnification provided for in or as a result of the exercise of this Franchise covering both the City and Grantee and shall maintain said insurance during the entire term of this Franchise in the minimum amount of: (1) $500,000 for property damage to anyone person; (2) $2,000,000 for property damage in anyone act or occurrence; (3) $1,000,000 for personal injury to anyone person; and (4) $2,000,000 for personal injury in anyone act or occurrence. B. Such insurance shall be with a company acceptable to City and shall otherwise be in form and substance acceptable to City. Such insurance policy with written evidence of payment of required premiums shall be filed and maintained with City during the term of the Franchise. The above minimum amounts shall be changed from time to time by Grantee as requested by City. Grantee shall immediately give notice to City of any threatened or pending litigation affecting this insurance. C. Neither the provisions of this section nor any damages recovered by City or any individual shall be construed to, or shall limit the liability of Grantee. D. No recovery by City of any sum by reason of the Letter of Credit or Bond required in this Franchise shall be any limitation upon the liability of Grantee to City under the terms of this section, except that the sum so received by City from such Letter of Credit or Bond shall be deducted from a recovery by City under this section, if for the same act or occurrence. 52 E. All insurance policies maintained pursuant to this Franchise shall contain the following endorsement: It is hereby understood and agreed that this insurance policy may not be canceled nor the intention not to renew be stated until 60 days after receipt by City, by registered mail, of written notice of such intention to cancel or not to renew. SECTION 4. LETTER OF CREDIT A. At the time of acceptance of this Franchise, Grantee shall deliver to City an irrevocable an unconditional Letter of Credit, in form and substance acceptable to City, from a National or State bank approved by City, in the amount of $10,000. B. The Letter of Credit shall provide that funds will be paid to City, upon written demand of City, and in an amount solely determined by City in payment for penalties charged pursuant to this section, in payment for any monies owed by Grantee pursuant to its obligations under this Franchise, or in payment for any damage incurred as a result of any acts or omissions by Grantee pursuant to this Franchise. C. In addition to recovery of any monies owed by Grantee to City or damages to City as a result of any acts or omissions by Grantee pursuant to the Franchise, City in its sole discretion may charge to and collect from the Letter of Credit the following penalties: (1) For failure to complete System construction in accordance with Grantee's initial service area plan, unless City approved the delay, the penalty shall be Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) per day for each day, or part thereof, such failure occurs or continues. (2) For failure to provide data, documents, reports or information or to cooperate with City during an application process or System review, the penalty shall be One 53 Hundred Dollars ($100.00) per day for each day, or part thereof, such failure occurs or continues. (3) For failure to comply with any ofthe provision of this Franchise for which a penalty is not otherwise specifically provided pursuant to this Paragraph C, the penalty shall be One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) per day for each day, or part thereof, such failure occurs or continues. (4) For failure to test, analyze and report on the performance of the System following a request by City, the penalty shall be One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) per day for each day, or part thereof, such failure occurs or continues. (5) For failure by Grantee to modify the System or to provide additional services within 45 days after required by binding arbitration the penalty shall be Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) per day for each day, or part thereof, such failure occurs or continues. (6) Forty-five days following notice from City of a failure of Grantee to comply with construction, operation or maintenance standards, the penalty shall be Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) per day for each day, or part thereof, such failure occurs or continues. (7) For failure to provide the services Grantee has proposed, including but not limited to the implementation and the utilization of the access channels and the making available for use of the equipment and other facilities to City, the penalty shall be Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) per day for each day, or part thereof, such failure occurs or continues. 54 (8) Each violation of any provision of this Franchise shall be considered a separate violation for which a separate penalty can be imposed. D. Exclusive ofthe contractual penalties set out above in this section, a violation of any provision of this Franchise is a misdemeanor. E. Whenever City finds that Grantee has violated one or more terms, conditions or provisions of this Franchise, a written notice shall be given to Grantee informing it of such violation. At any time after fifteen days following local receipt of notice, provided Grantee remains in violation of one or more terms, conditions or provisions of this Franchise, in the sole opinion of City, City may draw from the Letter of Credit all penalties and other monies due City. F. Whenever a penalty has been assessed, Grantee may, within thirty days oflocal receipt of notice, notify City that there is a dispute as to whether a violation or failure has, in fact, occurred. Such notice by Grantee to City shall specify with particularity the matters disputed by Grantee. (1) City shall hear Grantee's dispute at the next regularly scheduled Council meeting. City shall supplement the Council decision with written findings of fact. (2) Upon a determination by City that no violation has taken place, City shall refund to Grantee without interest all monies drawn from the Letter of Credit by reason of the alleged violation. G. If said Letter of Credit or any subsequent Letter of Credit delivered pursuant hereto expires prior to 15 months after the expiration of the term of this Franchise, it shall be renewed or replaced during the term of this Franchise to provide that it will not expire earlier than 15 months after the expiration of this Franchise. The renewed or replaced 55 Letter of Credit shall be on the same form and with a bank authorized herein and for the full amount stated in paragraph A of this section. Failure to renew or replace the Letter of Credit shall be grounds for termination of this Franchise. H. If City draws upon the Letter of Credit, or any subsequent Letter of Credit delivered pursuant hereto, in whole or in part, Grantee shall replace the same within fifteen days and shall deliver to City a like replacement Letter of Credit for the full amount stated in paragraph A of this section as a substitution of the previous Letter of Credit. I. If any Letter of Credit is not so replaced, City may draw on said Letter of Credit for the whole amount thereof and hold the proceeds, without interest, and use the proceeds to pay costs incurred by City in performing and paying for any or all of the obligations, duties and responsibilities of Grantee under this Franchise that are not performed or paid for by Grantee pursuant hereto, including attorney's fees incurred by the City in so performing and paying. The failure to replace any Letter of Credit may also, at the option of City, be deemed a default by Grantee under this Franchise. The drawing on the Letter of Credit by City, and use of the money so obtained for payment or performance of the obligations, duties and responsibilities of Grantee which are in default, shall not be a waiver or release of such default. J. The collection by City of any damages, monies or penalties from the Letter of Credit shall not affect any other right or remedy available to City, nor shall any act, or failure to act, by City pursuant to the Letter of Credit, be deemed a waiver of any right of City pursuant to this Franchise or otherwise. 56 SECTION 5. BONDS A. At the commencement of this Franchise, and at all times thereafter until Grantee has liquidated all of its obligations with City, Grantee shall maintain with City a bond in the total sum of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) in such form and with such sureties as shall be acceptable to City, conditioned upon the faithful performance of Grantee of this Franchise and the acceptance hereof given by Grantee and upon the further condition that in the event Grantee shall fail to comply with any law, ordinance or regulation, there shall be recoverable jointly and severally from the principal and surety of the bond, any damages or losses suffered by City as a result, including the full amount of any compensation, indemnification or cost of removal of any property of Grantee, including a reasonable allowance for attorneys' fees and costs (with interest at two (2%) percent in excess of the then prime rate), up to the full amount of the bond, and which bond shall further guarantee payment by Grantee of all claims and liens against City or any public property, and taxes due to City, which arise by reason of the construction, operation, maintenance or use of the System. B. The rights reserved by City with respect to the bond are in addition to all other rights the City may have under this Franchise or any other law. C. City may, in its sole discretion, reduce the amount ofthe bond. 57 ARTICLE IX. DEFAULT SECTION 1. NOTICE AND DEFAULT A. City shall give written notice of default to Grantee if City, in its sole discretion, determines that Grantee has: (1) Violated any material provision of this Franchise or the acceptance hereof, or any rule, order, regulation or determination of the City, state or federal government, not in conflict with this Franchise; (2) Attempted to evade any provision of this Franchise or the acceptance hereof; (3) Practiced any fraud or deceit upon City or subscribers; (4) Made a material misrepresentation of fact in the application for or negotiation of the Franchise; or (5) Incurred a 6 month or more delay in the construction schedule. B. If Grantee fails to cure such default within 30 days after the giving of such notice (or if such default is of such a character as to require more than 30 days within which to cure the same, and Grantee fails to commence to cure the same within said 30 days period and thereafter fails to use reasonable diligence, in City's sole opinion, to cure such default as soon as possible), then and in any event, such default shall be a substantial breach and City, at its option may elect to either cure the default or terminate and cancel this Franchise and all rights and privileges of this Franchise as follows: (1) City may cure any default and all sums expended by City, including attorneys' fees incurred in curing such default, whether suit be brought or not, with interest thereon at a rate per annum of two (2%) percent in excess of the then prime rate, 58 shall be paid by Grantee to City, upon demand, and failure to so pay upon demand likewise may be deemed by City to be a default under this Franchise. (2) City may place the issue of revocation and termination of the Franchise before the Council at a regular meeting of the City Council. If City decides there is cause or reason to terminate, the following procedure shall be followed: (a) City shall provide Grantee with a written notice of City's intention to terminate the Franchise and the reason or cause for proposed termination. City shall allow Grantee a minimum of 30 days subsequent to receipt of the notice in which to correct the default. (b) Grantee shall be provided with an opportunity to be heard at a public hearing prior to any decision to terminate this Franchise. (c) In the event that City determines to terminate this Franchise, the Grantee shall have a period of 30 days, beginning the day next following written notice to Grantee of such decision, within which to file an appeal with the Board, pursuant to the then applicable statues and procedures of the Board. Any such appeal to the Board shall be a contested case to which the Board shall not be a party. During such 30 day period and until the Board determines the appeal, if an appeal is taken, the Franchise shall remain in full force and effect, unless the term thereof sooner expires. (d) If Board approves of the action of City, the Franchise shall terminate immediately. If Board disapproves of the action of City, the Franchise shall remain in full force and effect for the full term hereof unless sooner 59 SECTION 2. terminated in accordance with the provision hereof, or applicable law or rules of Board. CROSS DEFAULT A. If Grantee should be in default under any of the terms or provisions of a franchise, or acceptance thereof, of another city (then a party to a Joint Powers Agreement relating to the System), at City's option, to be exercised by notice to Grantee given at any time while such default exists, such default may be deemed by City a default by Grantee under this Franchise. B. This section, or any other section or provision of this Franchise, shall not be deemed to incorporate into this Franchise by reference any other franchises. 60 SECTION 1 ARTICLE X. FORECLOSURE, RECEIVERSHIP AND ABANDONMENT FORECLOSURE Upon the foreclosure or other judicial sale of all or a part of the System, Grantee shall notify City of such fact and such notification shall be treated as a notification that a change in control of Grantee has taken place, and the provisions of this Franchise governing the consent to transfer or change in ownership shall apply without regard to how such transfer or change in ownership occurred. SECTION 2. RECEIVERSHIP City shall have the right to cancel this Franchise 120 days after the appointment of a receiver or trustee to take over and conduct the business of Grantee, whether in receivership, reorganization, bankruptcy or other action or proceeding, unless such receivership or trusteeship shall have been vacated prior to the expiration of said 120 days, or unless: (a) Within 120 days after his election or appointment, such receiver or trustee shall have fully complied with all the provisions of this Franchise and remedied all defaults hereunder; and (b) Such receiver or trustee, within said 120 days, shall have executed and agreement with City duly approved by the Court having jurisdiction in the premises, whereby such receiver or trustee assumes and agrees to be bound by each and every provision of this Franchise. SECTION 3. ABANDONMENT Grantee may not abandon any portion of System without having given not less than three months prior notice to City and Board. Further, Grantee may not abandon any portion of System 61 without compensating City for damages resulting from the abandonment. The amount of damages resulting from abandonment and due City shall be determined in the sole discretion of City. An abandonment of any portion of the System as determined in the sole discretion of City shall be a cause for termination of this Franchise by City. 62 ARTICLE XI. PURCHASE OF SYSTEM SECTION 1. GENERAL A. If at any time Grantee offers System for sale, City shall have the right to purchase System. If at any time Grantee receives a bona fide purchase offer for the System which Grantee is willing to accept, a complete copy of such offer shall promptly be given to City and City shall have the right to purchase System according to the terms of the offer. City shall exercise such right by submitting to Grantee, within 60 days after City's actual receipt of the bona fide offer, notice that City desires to purchase the System pursuant to said offer. If City does not exercise such right the System may be sold, but only on the terms submitted to City. If any changes are made in the purchase offer given to City, such purchase offer, as so changed, shall again be given to City and City shall have 60 days from actual receipt by City of the offer, as changed, within which to exercise its right to purchase the System pursuant to the offer, as changed, all as above provided. If City does not exercise its right to purchase the System pursuant to any offer given to City pursuant to this paragraph, and the System is not sold to the buyer and on the terms set out in the offer given to City, then the right of City to purchase the System shall continue, and all subsequent purchase offers shall be given to City pursuant to this paragraph. Also, the City's right to purchase pursuant to this paragraph shall survive every sale to a buyer and shall continue and be binding upon every buyer of the System. B. Upon forfeiture, revocation or termination of this Franchise, or at the normal expiration of the Franchise term, City shall have the right to purchase the System. Such right shall 63 be exercised upon written notice to Grantee within six months after the occurrence of any such event. SECTION 2. PROCEDURES In the event City elects to exercise its right to purchase the System as provided in Section IB of this Article, the following shall then apply: A. City and Grantee shall negotiate all terms and conditions of the purchase of the System. B. If City and Grantee cannot agree upon the terms and conditions of the purchase, City shall have the right to proceed to arbitration. Arbitration shall commence and proceed according to applicable Minnesota law except as follows: (1) The parties shall, within 15 days of City's decision to proceed to arbitration, appoint one arbitrator each who is experienced and knowledgeable in the purchase and valuation of business property. Arbitrators shall each agree upon the selection of a third arbitrator, similarly qualified, within 15 days after appointment of the second arbitrator. (2) Within 30 days after appointment of all arbitrators and upon ten days written notice to parties, the arbitrators shall commence a hearing on the terms and conditions of the purchase in dispute. (3) The hearing shall be recorded and may be transcribed at the request and expense of either party. All hearing proceedings, debates and deliberations shall be open to the public and at such times and places as contained in the notice or as thereafter publicly stated in the order to adjourn. (4) The arbitration panel shall be required to determine the purchase price of the System according to the standards established in paragraph C below. 64 (5) At the close of the hearings and within 30 days, the arbitrators shall prepare written findings and make a written decision agreed upon by a majority of the arbitrators which shall be served by mail upon City and Grantee. (6) The decision of a majority of the arbitrators shall be binding upon both parties except that City may, in its sole discretion and without any penalty or cost to City of any kind, withdraw its offer to purchase within 90 days of receipt of the final decision of a maj ority of the arbitrators. (7) Either party may seek judicial relief to the extent authorized under Minnesota Statutes, ~572.09 and ~572.19 as the same may be amended, and in addition, under the following circumstances: (a) A party fails to select an arbitrator; (b) The arbitrators fail to select a third arbitrator; (c) One or more arbitrator is unqualified; (d) Designated time limits have been exceeded; (e) The arbitrators have not proceeded expeditiously; or (f) Based upon the record the arbitrators abused their discretion. (8) In the event a Court of competent jurisdiction determines the arbitrators have abused their discretion, it may order the arbitration procedure repeated and issue findings, orders and directions, with costs of suit to be awarded to the prevailing party . (9) Cost of arbitration shall be borne equally. 65 C. In the event of forfeiture, revocation or termination, the purchase price of the System shall be the fair market value of material and equipment in place. Good will shall not be included in the purchase price of the System. D. In the event City is purchasing upon normal expiration of the Franchise, the purchase price shall be the value of an ongoing business. E. Grantee expressly waives its rights, if any, to relocation costs that might otherwise be provided by law. F. The date of valuation shall be no earlier than the day following the date of revocation, forfeiture, expiration or termination of this Franchise and no later than the date City makes a written offer for the System. 66 SECTION 1. ARTICLE XII. MISCELLANEOUS TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP OR CONTROL A. This Franchise shall not be assigned or transferred, either in whole or in part, or leased, sublet or mortgaged in any manner, nor shall title thereto, either legal or equitable or any right, interest or property therein, pass to or vest in any person without the prior written consent of City, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. Further, Grantee shall not sell or transfer any stock or ownership interest so as to create a new controlling interest except with the consent of City, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The transfers described in this paragraph shall, in the sole discretion of City, be considered sale or transfer of Franchise within the meaning and intent in the following paragraph. B. Any sale or transfer of Franchise, including a sale or transfer by means of a fundamental corporate change, requires the written approval of City. Any sale or transfer of Franchise shall be subject to the provisions of Board rules prohibiting certain ownership. The parties to the sale or transfer of Franchise shall make a written request to City for its consent. City shall reply in writing within 30 days of actual receipt of the request and shall indicate its approval of the request or its determination that a public hearing is necessary. City shall conduct a public hearing on the request within 30 days of such determination if it determines that a sale or transfer of Franchise may adversely affect the Grantee's subscribers. C. Unless otherwise already provided for by local law, notice of any such hearing shall be given 14 days prior to the hearing by publishing notice thereof once in a newspaper of 67 general circulation in the City. The notice shall contain the date, time and place of the hearing and shall briefly state the substance of the action to be considered by City. Within 30 days after the public hearing, City shall approve or deny in writing the sale or transfer request. D. Any sale or transfer of Franchise, including a sale or transfer by means of a fundamental corporate change, requires notification to the Board by City. The notification shall be accompanied by the written certification of the transferee that it meets all of the requirements established by City for original Grantee including but not limited to technical ability and financial stability. City shall cause to be sent to the Board at Grantee's expense a copy of all public documents related to sale or transfer of the Franchise. E. The parties to the sale or transfer of only this Franchise, without the inclusion of the System in which at least substantial construction has commenced, shall be required to establish to the sole satisfaction of City that the sale or transfer of only this Franchise is in the public interest. F. For purposes of this section, fundamental corporate change means the sale or transfer of a controlling interest in the stock of a corporation or the sale or transfer of all or a majority of a corporation's assets, merger (including a parent and its subsidiary corporation), consolidation or creation of a subsidiary corporation. For the purposes of this section, fundamental partnership change means the sale or transfer of all or a majority of a partnership's assets, change of a general partner in a limited partnership, incorporation of a partnership, or change in the control of a partnership. 68 G. The word "control", as used herein, is not limited to major stockholders, but includes actual working control in whatever manner exercised. As a minimum, "control", as used herein, means a legal or beneficial interest (even though actual working control does not exist) of at least five (5%) percent. Every change, transfer or acquisition of control of Grantee shall make the Franchise subject to cancellation unless and until City shall have consented in writing thereto, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. For the purpose of determining whether it shall consent to such change, transfer or acquisition of control, City may inquire into the qualifications of the prospective controlling party, and Grantee shall assist City in any such inquiry and pay all costs incurred by City in so inquiring, including City staff time at a value determined by City. H. In the absence of extraordinary circumstances, City will not approve any transfer or assignment of the Franchise prior to substantial completion of construction of System, as determined solely by City. I. In no event shall a transfer or assignment of ownership or control be approved without transferee becoming a signator to this Franchise. 1. Any transferee shall be subordinate to any right, title or interest of City. SECTION 2. REMOVAL AFTER TERMINATION OR REVOCATION A. At the expiration of the term for which this Franchise is granted, or upon its revocation or termination, as provided for herein, City shall have the right to require Grantee to remove, at Grantee's expense, all or any portion of the System from all streets and public property within City. In so removing the System, Grantee shall refill and compact at its own expense any excavation that shall be made by it and shall leave all streets and public property in as good a condition as that prevailing prior to Grantee's removal of the 69 System, and without affecting, altering or disturbing in any way electric, telephone or other utility cables, wires or attachments. City shall have the right to inspect and approve the condition of such streets and public property after removal. The Letter of Credit, Bonds, Insurance, Indemnity and Penalty provisions of this Franchise shall remain in full force and effect during the entire term of removal. B. If, in the sole discretion of City, Grantee has failed to commence removal of System, or such part thereof as was designated by City, within 30 days after written notice of City's demand for removal is given, or if Grantee has failed to complete such removal within one year after written notice of City's demand for removal is given, City shall have the right to exercise one of the following options: (1) Declare all right, title and interest to the System to be in City with all rights of ownership including, but not limited to, the right to operate the System or transfer the System to another for operation by it. (2) Declare the System abandoned and cause the System or such part thereof, as City shall designate, to be removed at no cost to City. The cost of said removal shall be recoverable from the Letter of Credit, Bonds, Insurance, Indemnification and Penalties provided for in this Franchise, or from Grantee directly as a liquidated damage. C. Any portion of the System not designated by City for removal shall belong to and become the property of City without payment to Grantee and Grantee shall execute and deliver such documents, as City shall request, in form and substance acceptable to City, to evidence such ownership by City. 70 SECTION 3. WORK PERFORMED BY OTHERS A. Grantee shall give notice to City specifying the names and addresses of any other entity, other than Grantee, which performs services pursuant to this Franchise, provided, however, that all provisions of this Franchise remain the responsibility of Grantee. B. All provisions of this Franchise shall apply to any subcontractor or others performing any work or services pursuant to the provisions of this Franchise. SECTION 4. INTEREST RATE For purposes of this Franchise, prime rate shall mean the interest charged from time to time by the First National Bank of Minneapolis for 90 day unsecured loans to commercial borrowers of the highest credit rating. SECTION 5. GENERAL PROVISION ON RIGHTS AND REMEDIES A. All rights and remedies given to City by this Franchise shall be in addition to and cumulative with any and all other rights or remedies, existing or implied, now or hereafter available to City at law or in equity, and such rights and remedies shall not be exclusive, but each and every right and remedy specifically given by this Franchise or otherwise existing or given may be exercised from time to time and as often and in such order as may be deemed expedient by City, and the exercise of one or more rights or remedies shall not be deemed a waiver of the right to exercise at the same time or thereafter any other right or remedy. No delay or omission of City in the exercise of any right or remedy shall impair any such right or remedy, nor shall any such delay or omission be construed to be a waiver of or acquiescene to any default. The exercise of any such right or remedy by City shall not release Grantee from its obligations, or any liability, under this Franchise. 71 B. In addition to all other remedies granted or available to City, City shall be entitled to the restraint by injunction of the violation, or attempted or threatened violation, by Grantee of any terms or provisions of this Franchise, or to a decree compelling performance by Grantee of any term or provision of this Franchise. SECTION 6. APPLICABLE LAWS AND COURT DECISIONS: SEVERABILITY A. This Franchise shall at all times be in compliance with the rules of the Board. B. Grantee and City shall, at all times, comply with all laws, ordinances and regulations of federal, state and City government relating to System and this Franchise, as they become effective. C. If any law, ordinance or regulation shall require or permit Grantee to perform any service or shall prohibit Grantee form performing any service which may be in conflict with the terms of this Franchise, then as soon as possible following knowledge thereof, Grantee shall notify City of the point of conflict believed to exist between such law, ordinance or regulation and this Franchise. D. If City determines that any provision of this Franchise is affected by such law, ordinance or regulation, City shall have the right to amend, modify, alter or repeal any of the provisions of this Franchise to such reasonable extent as may be necessary to carry out the intent and purpose of this Franchise, and Grantee hereby agrees to such amendment, modification, alteration or repeal of this Franchise. E. To the extent any provision of the Offering is not specifically set out in this Franchise or not validly incorporated herein by reference, City from time to time may amend this Franchise to include such provision effective as of the date of commencement of the Franchise term or any such rule effective as of the date of commencement of the 72 Franchise term or adoption of the rule, whichever is later. Grantee, by acceptance of this Franchise, consents to and agrees to be bound by any such amendments. F. If any term, condition or provision of this Franchise or the application thereof to any person or circumstance shall, to any extent, be held to be invalid or unenforceable, the remainder hereof and the application of such term, condition and provision to persons and circumstances other than those as to whom it shall be held invalid or unenforceable shall not be affected thereby, and this Franchise and all the terms, provisions and conditions hereof shall, in all other respects, continue to be effective and to be complied with. SECTION 7. GRANTEE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF V ALInITY OF FRANCHISE Grantee acknowledges that it has had an opportunity to review the terms and conditions of this Franchise and that under current law Grantee believes that said terms and conditions are not unreasonable or arbitrary, and that Grantee believes the City has the power to make the terms and conditions contained in this Franchise. 73 SECTION 1. ARTICLE XIII. ADMINISTRATION AND ADVISORY BODY ADMINISTRATOR The City Administrator or the City Administrator's designee shall be responsible for the continuing administration of this Franchise. The Administrator may be changed by City from time to time by written notice given to Grantee. SECTION 2. ADVISORY BODY City may appoint an advisory body to monitor the performance of Grantee in executing the provisions of this Franchise. The advisory body shall perform all functions required of it by the Council and applicable laws, ordinance, rules and regulations. SECTION 3. DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY BY CITY A. City reserves the right to delegate and redelegate from time to time any of its rights or obligations under this Franchise to any body or organization. B. Any delegation by City shall be effective upon written notice by City to Grantee of such delegation. C. Upon receipt of notice by Grantee of City's delegation, Grantee shall be bound by all terms and conditions of this delegation not in conflict with this Franchise. D. Any such delegation, revocation or redelegation, no matter how often made, shall not be deemed an amendment to this Franchise or require any consent of Grantee. 74 ARTICLE XIV. JOINT SYSTEM, ACCEPTANCE, INCORPORATION OF OFFERING, EXHIBITS, PUBLICATION SECTION 1. OTHER FRANCHISES A. The System intended for City may be part of a joint system that serves the cities of Andover, Anoka, Champlin and Ramsey, Minnesota. B. Grantee will, in good faith, apply for and accept, if offered to it, a franchise (similar franchise) from each of the cities on all the same terms and conditions herein provided, except provisions omitted as inapplicable. C. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Franchise, ifless than all of the other of said cities offer a similar franchise to Grantee, which is accepted by Grantee, Grantee or City may cancel this Franchise and all of their obligations hereunder by written notice given to the other not later than 30 days after all the other of said cities shall have formally acted upon their respective franchise ordinances; provided, that if Grantee elects to cancel all other franchises pursuant hereto, it must also cancel all other franchises granted to it by the other of said cities effective simultaneously herewith. SECTION 2. TIME OF ACCEPTANCE: GUARANTEE: INCORPORATION OF OFFERING: EXHIBITS A. Grantee shall have 30 days from the last date of adoption of a similar franchise by all of the cities listed in Section lA of this Article, to accept this Franchise in form and substance acceptable to City. However, in no event will acceptance occur later than 90 days after the adoption of this Franchise, unless the time for acceptance is extended by City. Such acceptance by Grantee shall be deemed the grant of this Franchise for all purposes. 75 B. Upon acceptance of this Franchise, Grantee shall be bound by all the terms and conditions contained herein. Grantee shall provide all services and offerings specifically set forth in the Offering to provide cable communication service within City and other cities included in or a part of a joint system; and, by its acceptance of this Franchise, Grantee specifically agrees that the Offering of Grantee, including all promises, offers, representations and inducements contained therein, is specifically incorporated by reference and made part of this Franchise. The failure to refer to the Offering in any specific provisions of this Franchise shall not be a limitation on the obligation of Grantee to fully comply with the Offering. Grantee further acknowledges that all promises, offers, representations and inducements contained in the Offering of Grantee were freely and voluntarily made to City by Grantee. C. The Offering shall be permanently kept and filed in the Office of the City Clerk and the originals or reproductions thereof shall be available for inspection by the public during normal business hours. Also, the Grantee may summarize the Offering in a manner acceptable to City or reproduce the entire Offering, and shall have either at the following locations in the following quantities: (1) Office of the City Clerk - 1 copy; (2) Administrator designated in this Franchise - 1 copy; (3) Public libraries - 1 copy each; (4) Office of the City Attorney - 1 copy; (5) Anoka and Hennepin County Law Library - I copy each; (6) Local office of Grantee - 1 copy each; 76 (7) Office of any School District in City - 1 copy; (8) Minnesota Cable Communication Board. D. In the event of conflicts or discrepancies between any part of the Offering and the provisions of this Franchise or between any part of the summary made by Grantee and the Offering, those provisions which provide the greatest benefit to City, in the opinion of the Council, shall prevail. E. Grantee shall have continuing responsibility for this Franchise, and if Grantee be a subsidiary or wholly owned corporate entity of a parent corporation, performance of this Franchise shall be secured by guarantees of the parent corporation in form and substance acceptable to City, which shall be delivered at time of, and as part of, acceptance of this Franchise. F. With its acceptance, Grantee also shall deliver to City an opinion from its legal counsel, acceptable to City, stating that this Franchise has been duly accepted by Grantee, that the guarantees have been duly executed and delivered, that this Franchise and the guarantees are enforceable against Grantee and the guarantors in accordance with their respective terms, and which opinion shall otherwise be in form and substance acceptable to City. G. With its acceptance, Grantee also shall deliver to City true and correct copies of documents creating Grantee and evidencing the power and authority referred to in the opinion of Grantee's counsel, certified as of a then current date by public office holders to the extent possible and otherwise by an officer of Grantee. 77 .. ~~ H. Each exhibit is part of this Franchise and each is specifically incorporated herein by reference. The exhibits are as follows: Exhibit A - Grantee Schedule of Rates Exhibit B - Form G, Page 2 of20 Exhibit C - Offering of Grantee Passed and adopted this day of ,1982. ATTEST: CITY OF ANDOVER BY BY Mayor This Franchise is accepted, and we agree to be bound by all its terms and conditions. TELEPROMPTER OF QUAD CITIES, INC. DATED: BY Its BY Its 78 ORDINANCE SUMMARY Ordinance No. 59C City of Andover AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 59 REGARDING THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF ANDOVER AND GROUP W CABLE OF THE QUAD CITIES, INC. The Council of the City of Andover does ordain: 1. Article VI. SYSTEMS OPERATIONS Section 4. Franchise Fees, Rates, Charges, Changes in Fees and Procedures The franchise fee specified in Article VI, Section 4.B.(1) of the Franchise Agreement is amended to provide that quarterly payments of franchise fees will be made within ninety (90) days after end of each quarter with adjustments at year end for actual Gross Revenues. 2. Amended Exhibit A - Rates Group W's Schedule of Rates and Services as set forth in Exhibit A to the Franchise Agreement is amended in its entirety to provide for the rates and services as set forth in Attachment II of Amendment Agreement No. 2. The complete Attachment II is available for inspec- tion at the city offices. These amendments shall take effect and be enforced after their passage and official publication. The amendments were passed and adopted the 17th day of December, 1985. CITY OF ANDOVER ATTEST: ~ t..c" ,. ~I'..p J ry indschltl, Mayor a A. Peach, City Clerk/Treasurer CITY OF ANDOVER COUNTY OF ANOKA STATE OF MINNESOTA ORDINANCE NO.59 AN ORDINANCE INCLUDING ADDENDUM WITH EXHIBITS, GRANTING A FRANCHISE TO TELEPROMPTER OF QUAD CITIES, INC. A MINNESOTA CORPORATION, TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN A CABLE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM IN THE CITY: SETTING FORTH CONDITIONS ACCOMPANYING THE GRANT OF FRANCHISE: PROVIDING FOR REGULATION, AND USE OF THE SYSTEM: AND PRESCRIBING PENALTIES FOR THE VIOLATION OF ITS PROVIS.IONS. Ordinance Copy on File in Office of City Clerk - 1685 Crosstown Boulevard Northwest - City of Andover, Minnesota 55303 Adopted by the City Council of the City of Andover this 20th day of Apr il , 1982. CITY OF ANDOVER ATTEST~ ~LJ~ Jer Wi schitl - Mayor / / i I ~- Clerk . l. ') CITY OF ANDOVER COUNTY OF ANOKA STATE OF MINNESOTA ORDINANCE NO. 59D AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CABLE FRANCHISE ORDINANCE NO. 59/ ARTICLE II, SECTION 4, FRANCHISE TERM. The City Council of the City of Andover hereby ordains: SECTION 1. Ordinance No. 59/ Article II, Section 4, Franchise Term, is hereby amended to read: Section 4. Franchise Term This Franchise shall commence upon acceptance by Grantee and shall expire on September 9, 1998. SECTION 2. This ordinance shall be effective upon passage and official publication. Adopted by the City Council of the City of Andover this 4th day of March. 1997. CITY OF ANDOVER Attest: .' . (', d~---;t . , /1 ,4/. ~.J..AL./ (....-'~ Victoria V olk - City Clerk Accepted by Grantee this -1/ day of /lJ;' /P ~ , 1997. GROUP W OF THE QUAD CITIES, INC. CITY OF ANDOVER ) COUNTY OF ANOKA ) ss STATE OF MINNESOTA) I, the undersigned, being the duly qualified and acting City Clerk of the City of Andover, Minnesota, do hereby certify that I have carefully compared the attached Ordinance No. 59D with the original record thereof preserved in my office and have found the same to be a true and correct transcript of the whole thereof. IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto subscribed my hand this 18th day of Mar.ch,1997. CITY OF ANDOVER (Sea.1) 1" / /,t~ tJrtfL/ Victoria V olk - City Clerk RESOLUTION NO. 5.J ~?0.1 ADOPTING FINDINGS OF FACT, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDED RESOLUTION REGARDING THE TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP AND CONTROL OF GROUP W CABLE, INC. AND THE TRANSFER OF THE FRANCHISE ORDINANCE TO NORTH CENTRAL CABLE COMMUNI- CATIONS, L.P. INTRODUCTION The Quad Cities Cable Communications Commission (herein- after "Commission") is organized pursuant to the terms of a Joint and Cooperative Agreement for the Administration of a Cable Television Franchise (hereinafter "Agreement"), as authorized by Minnesota Statutes Section 471.59, as amended. The Member Cities of the Commission include Anoka, Champlain, Ramsey, and Andover, Minnesota (hereinafter "Member Cities"). This proceeding involves the Commission's review, on behalf of the Member Cities, of a request by Group W Cable, Inc. and Group W Cable of the Quad Cities, Inc. (hereinafter collectively "Group W") to approve the transfer of ownership and control of Group Wand transfer of the Cable Communica-. tions Franchise Ordinance to North Central Cable Communica- tions, L.P. (hereinafter "North Central"). Notice is hereby given that the Member Cities will make the final determination of this matter. Further, notice is hereby given that the Member Cities, may at their own dis- cretion, accept or reject the Commission's recommendation and that said recommendation has no legal effect unless ex- pressly adopted by the Member Cities as their final deci- sion. STATEMENT OF ISSUE The purpose of this proceeding is to determine whether the Member Cities of the Commission should consent to the transfer of ownership and control of Group Wand the trans- fer of the Cable Communications Franchise Ordinance (herein- after "Franchise") to North Central. Based upon all the proceedings herein, the Commission makes the following: FINDINGS OF FACT 1. On February 10, 1986, the Commission and its Member Cities received an official notice from Group W Cable, Inc., by and on behalf of its wholly-owned subsidiary Group W Cable of the Quad Cities, Inc., requesting two forms of approval: a) Consent to a change in control and transfer of ownership in Group W to a group of five Buyers (transaction one): and b) Consent to a change in control and transfer of ownership in Group Wand transfer of the Cable Communications Franchise Ordinance to North Central Cable Communications, L.P. (trans- action two). 2. On February 21, 1986, the Commission sent to Group Wand North Central a Municipal Request for Information Re- garding Request For Approval and Transfer for the pur- pose of inquiring into the legal, technical, financial, and other qualifications of North Central, as authorized and required by state law and the Franchise. 3. The Commission requested the return of the Municipal Request For Information from Group Wand North Central by March 7, 1986 so that it would have sufficient time to review the information. North Central filed its response to the Municipal Request For Information on March 24, 1986. 4. The Commission received on April 14, 15, and 17 a request from Group W, North Central, and the Buyers, respectively to bifurcate its consideration of the two transactions. Group W, North Central, and the Buyers stated in effect that consent to the first transaction would in no way be construed or viewed as consideration or consent to the second transaction. 5. The Commission gave notice and held a public hearing on April 9, 1986 for the purpose of providing the public with an opportunity to comment on the two transactions. 6. On April 9, 1986 the Commission reviewed and discussed the information it had received from Group Wand North Central. The Commission unanimously passed a resolution recommending to the Member Cities approval of trans- action one. However, the Commission determined it necessary to continue the public hearing with respect to transaction two because of incomplete responses to requests for information from North Central. 7. The proposed transaction two involves Daniels & Associ- ates, Inc., a Delaware Corporation: Daniels-Hauser Hold- ing Company, a Colorado general partnership: North - 2 - Central Cable Communications L.P., a Minnesota limited partnership-;, ~and Hauser Cable Communications, Inc., a Delaware Corporation. 8. The Commission has reviewed the necessary documentation of each of the entities identified in Finding No. 7 to conclude that each of the entities is duly organized and authorized to own and operate a cable system. 9. The Commission has reviewed the character qualifications of North Central and its principals and found them to be satisfactory. 10. The Commission has reviewed the technical ability of North Central for the purpose of establishing its tech- nical expertise and experience in operating and main- taining a cable system. Since North Central is a new organization created for the purpose of accomplishing the transaction, the Commission inquired into the tech- nical ability of its managing principals. 11. The information provided shows that Mr. Gustave Hauser, Mr. John D. Evans, and Hauser Communications, Inc. have extensive cable management experience. Mr. Hauser has been involved in cable television and other electronic communications since the early 1960's. Mr. Evans has 13 years of management experience in the cable television industry, including Arlington, Virginia, Columbus, Ohio, and Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Hauser Communications, as a manager of cable systems, has experience in Arlington and Brooklyn Center. 12. The technical ability of the individuals and other en- tities related to North Central in owning, operating, and managing cable systems is satisfactory. 13. The Commission has attempted to review the financial capability of North Central for the purpose of determin- ing whether it has the financial resources available or committed to not only acquire the cable system, but also to meet the franchise commitments to operate the cable system. The Commission engaged an independent financial communications consultant to assist in this analysis. 14. North Central has not provided sufficient information regarding closing costs and working capital to determine whether the amounts are reasonable or whether such funds are available to North Central and if available, are adequate. North Central estimates $1 million for this factor, but has failed to provide sufficient detailed information of the specific amounts. - 3 - 15. North Central has not documented their analysis or assumptions to support a projected household growth of 2 percent in the franchise area. The Commission deter- mines this projection is unreasonable in light of the projected household growth of the Membe~ Cities for 1986. Andover,.Anoka, Champlain, and Ramseyrespec- tively project a 6.5 percent, 1 percent, 9 percent, and 7.5 percent household growth in 1986. Future expansion of the system is therefore undercapitalized. 16. North Central has not provided its assumptions regarding the percentage price increases for basic and pay ser- vices. The Commission is unable to determine the rea- sonableness of this projection. 17. North Central has not provided sufficient detailed in- formation at this time to enable the Commission to de- termine the reasonableness of its operating expense assumptions, including but not limited to repairs and maintenance, system maintenance, postage and billing, converter maintenance, vehicle operation, light, heat, power, and pole rental. 18. North Central has not provided sufficient detailed in- formation at this time to enable the Commission to de- termine the reasonableness of its administrative expense assumptions, including but not limited to telephone, insurance, rent, legal fees, repairs and maintenance, consulting services, and employee benefits. 19. North Central has not provided sufficient detailed in- formation at this time to enable the Commission to de- termine the reasonableness of its marketing expense assumptions, including but not limited to telephone marketing, data processing, contract sales, direct sales override, direct mail promotions, mass media promotions, and subscriber maintenance. 20. For all expenses, North Central has not documented its assumptions for general inflation on a line-by-line basis. 21. North Central has not provided sufficient detailed in- formation at this time to enable the Commission to de- termine the reasonableness of its capital expenditure assumptions, including but not limited to office elec- tronics, billing computer, telephone installation and future construction. 22. The Commission has requested from North Central the financial information and operational assumptions to review the items listed above for the purpose of analyz- - 4 - ing its overall financial plan and financial ability. However, despite the request, NOIthCentral has not adequately provided the information. 23. North Central has not provided supporting documentation showing the terms and conditions of its financing avail- able to meet the franchise requirements and operational plans. For the purpose of reviewing its overall finan- cial plan, confirmation of the terms and conditions of financing are necessary. Moreover, North Central has not provided supporting documentation of the terms and conditions of its financing for the purpose of reviewing its impact on the operational plans of the system. 24. The cablesystem has experienced short-term operating expense shortfalls in the recent preceding years. While it is assumed by the Commission that any transferee of the system would attempt to remediate such shortfalls, North Central has failed to demonstrate that it could financially withstand such short-term deficits: 25. The information which has been supplied by North Central represents in large part financial information for six cable systems in Minnesota. The Commission represents one of those six systems. The Commission finds it impossible to analyze the financial ability of North Central relative to this system without system specific financial information. 26. North Central has established as its financial goals a minimum operating margin of 40%, subscriber penetrations from 43% to 55%, and a minimum rate of return on invest- ment of 15%. North Central has not supplied sufficient financial information and documentation for the Commis- sion to determine whether its financial plans will achieve the aforementioned goals. As a result of exist- ing experience in the system, the Commission determines these goals and projections are unreasonable. 27. Absent sufficient financial information from North Central, the Commission determines that the financial ability of North Central to meet existing and future obligations is inadequate. The Commission also notes for the record that the existence of sufficient finan- cial information would not in and of itself have led to a finding of adequate financial ability. The existence of such information would have served only as a basis for the Commission to perform a complete financial analysis which mayor may not have resulted in a deter- mination that North Central was financially able to fulfill existing and future obligations. - 5 - 28. The Commission determines the financial qualifications of North Central are unsatisfactory and unacceptable. Pertinent Franchise provision The standard of review in this matter is the relevant portion of Article XII, Section 1 of Cable Communications Franchise Ordinance, which provides in part as follows: A. This Franchise shall not be assigned or trans- ferred, either in whole or in part, or leased, sublet or mortgaged in any manner, not shall title thereto, either legal or equitable or any right, interest or property therein, pass to or vest in any person without the prior written consent of City, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. Further Grantee shall not sell or transfer any stock or owner- ship interest so as to create a new controll- ing interest except with the consent of City, which consent shall not be unreasonably with- held. The transfers described in this para- graph shall, in the sole discretion of City, be considered a sale or transfer of Franchise within the meaning and intent in the following paragraph. Similarly, Minnesota Statutes Section 238.083, subdivi- sion 4 provides: Within 30 days after the public hearing, the fran- chising authority shall approve or deny in writing the sale or transfer request. The approval must not be unreasonably withheld. Based upon the foregoing Findings of Fact, the Quad Cities Cable Communications Commission makes the following: CONCLUSIONS 1. The Commission, on behalf its Member Cities, gave proper notice of the public hearing in this matter, has ful- filled all relevant substantive and procedural require- ments of law or rules and has the authority to make a determination as to Transaction No. 2 and to recommend that determination to its Member cities. 2. North Central has met the legal and character qualifica- tions. 3. North Central has met the technical qualifications. - 6 - 4. North Central has not met the financial qualifications nor has North Central demonstrated it has the financial qualifications sufficient to own and operate the cable system. 5. Any of the foregoing Findings of Fact which might be properly termed Conclusions are hereby adopted as such. THIS REPORT IS NOT AN ORDER AND NO AUTHORITY IS GRANTED HEREIN. THE MEMBER CITIES OF THE COMMISSION MUST ISSUE A FINAL DETERMINATION WHICH MAY ADOPT OR DIFFER FROM THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATION. It is the recommendation of the Quad Cities Cable Com- munications Commission to its Member Cities that it adopt the following: RESOLUTION IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED and based upon the Findings of Fact and Conclusions of the Quad Cities Cable Communications Commission (attached hereto and made a part hereof) that the City denies the request to transfer the ownership of and control of Group W Cable of the Quad Cities, Inc. and trans- fer of ,the Cable Communications Franchise Ordinance to North Central Cable Communications L.P. The above listed Findings of recommended resolution was moved I- \'c-k and duly seconded t< e ~ YY\ 0\.1'\ VI . . The following Commission Directors voted in the affirma- tive: ~ lc..-k) J o--co b S dh) Fact, Conclusions and by Commission Director by Commission Director ,1 ~ ;.))'1(. I ) J1Je}-rosf' j( e~ ""^Io,YI / The following Commission Directors voted in the nega- tive: IV oN t: - 7 - CITY OF ANDOVER COUNTY OF ANOKA STATE OF MINNESOTA ORDINANCE NO.59 AN ORDINANCE INCLUDING ADDENDUM WITH EXHIBITS, GRANTING A FRANCHISE TO TELEPROMPTER OF QUAD CITIES, INC. A MINNESOTA CORPORATION, TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN A CABLE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM IN THE CITY: SETTING FORTH CONDITIONS ACCOMPANYING THE GRANT OF FRANCHISE: PROVIDING FOR REGULATION, AND USE OF THE SYSTEM: AND PRESCRIBING PENALTIES FOR THE VIOLATION OF ITS PROVISIONS. Ordinance Copy on File in Office of City Clerk - 1685 Crosstown Boulevard Northwest - City of Andover, Minnesota 55303 Adopted by the City Council of the City of Andover this 20th day of Apr il , 1982. I CITY OF ANDOVER ATTES~ ! ~ IAJ~ JerWi schitl - Mayor I I ~ Clerk CITY OF ANDOVER COUNTY OF ANOKA STATE OF MINNESOTA ORDINANCE NO.59 AN ORDINANCE INCLUDING ADDENDUM WITH EXHIBITS, GRANTING A FRANCHISE TO TELEPROMPTER OF QUAD CITIES, INC. A MINNESOTA CORPORATION, TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN A CABLE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM IN THE CITY: SETTING FORTH CONDITIONS ACCOMPANYING THE GRANT OF FRANCHISE: PROVIDING FOR REGULATION, AND USE OF THE SYSTEM: AND PRESCRIBING PENALTIES FOR THE VIOLATION OF ITS PROVISIONS. Ordinance Copy on File in Office of City Clerk - 1685 Crosstown Boulevard Northwest - City of Andover, Minnesota 55303 Adopted by the City Council of the City of Andover this 20th day of April , 1982. CITY OF ANDOVER ~LJ~ Jer Wi schitl - Mayor Clerk ~