Agenda - 11-16-1999 - 9f - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 Time Warner has indicated live telecast of the meetings would require construction of fiber optic cable to the Southern Human Services Center and the F. Gordon Battle Courtroom. The cost to the County for extending fiber optic cable to the Southern Human Services Center would be $25, 871 and $20,388 to the F. Gordon Battle Courtroom. On September 18, 1999 the Cable Committee Chair and staff discussed options for telecasting Board meetings with Commissioners Mazgazet Brown and Moses Carey. Commissioners' Brown and Cazey and the Cable Committee agreed on the following phased. approach for telecasting Board meetings: Phase I Tape delay of County Commissioners' Meetings at the Southern Human Services Center and the F. Gordon Battle Courtroom should be considered after the Board has reviewed all cost associated with the taping. Phase II The audiovisual engineering plan (design and purchase of cameras/equipment) for Southern Human Services Center and F. Gordon Battle Courtroom should not be considered until a site plan for the Hillsborough Court Campus Master Plan have been developed. Phase III Consider an audiovisual engineering plan for live telecast of commissioners meetings at a later date. Before discussing this venture, determine which County appointed advisory boards would be interested in live telecast. Estimated cost for camera/equipment would be approximately $125,000- $200,000 for one meeting room. , Commissioner Brown and Cazey also agreed to meet with The Peoples Channel and the Cable Committee to discuss the actual tapping of meetings including camera angles and lighting before tape delay telecast begins. Since the County does not have a cable franchise agreement with Time Warner Cable all costs for telecasting will be derived from County funds. Under a cable franchise agreement with Time Warner, the cable operator could be required to provide capital equipment for telecasting commissioners meetings. Time Warner could use the following methods of payments: (a) purchase the equipment with no cost to the County; (b) purchase the equipment and pay a portion of the total cost, and charge the cable subscribers in the unincorporated azeas of the County a monthly repayment fee over a period of one yeaz or several yeazs; or (c) purchase the equipment then chazge the cable subscribers a monthly repayment fee over a period of one year or several yeazs for the total cost. Chick Krautler, Executive Director, Triangle J Council of .Governments has provided the attached update on regional negotiations with Time Warner Cable and will present the key points which have prevented a successful franchise negotiation between Time Warner and regional local governments. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The cost for telecasting County Commissioners Meetings on a tape delay basis will be $18,000 annually and this amount is included in the 1999-2000 approved budget. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager concurs with the phased approach suggested by the Cable Committee for telecasting Commissioners Meetings; and recommends (1) a performance agreement between The Peoples Channels and the County be reviewed by the Boazd, and (2) tape delay of regular Commissioners Meetings begin in February 2000.