CSG has performed needs assessments for the following groups:
City of Arcadia, CA
Bill Kelly, Former City Manager / Mike Miller, Former City Attorney
From 1994 to 2007, CSG has assisted the City in general
franchise administrative duties, and has provided the City with consultant
services related to the renewal of the City's franchise with TCI
Cablevision. CSG completed a community needs assessment including public
meetings and extensive interviews with City staff, comprehensive franchise
performance audit, and technical evaluation for franchise renewal.
Services included a review of documents, evaluation of compliance, and
recommendations for franchise renewal negotiations. In addition, CSG
assessed department needs related to municipal cable television services
and managed the bidding and procurement of nearly $300,000 in television
production equipment. CSG also provides extensive rate regulation
assistance to the City.
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City of Berkeley, CA
Chris Mead, Former IT Director and Roger Miller, Former Cable Television Analyst
During 2003, CSG conducted an analysis of need in the downtown
commercial district for fiber connectivity. Working with City
public works staff and IT staff, CSG compiled a list of locations to be
connected by AT&T Broadband and negotiated a settlement agreement
thereto. For a copy of the Council staff report, follow this link:
City Council Report
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City of Berkeley, CA
Laura Allen, Former Administrative Analyst
For a two-year period (1989-1990) CSG conducted a comprehensive test
and technical evaluation of the Lenfest Cable system to determine the
cable operator's level of franchise compliance, financial condition, and
assessment of public, educational and municipal needs. The results of
CSG's needs analysis were used by the City during franchise renewal
negotiations and served as a benchmark to shape the terms and conditions
of a new cable television franchise.
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City of Cerritos, CA
Michelle Wastal, Former Public Affairs Officer
In 1993, CSG developed a master plan for public, educational, and
government access channel utilization. Services included management of a
$250,000 equipment procurement project, planning for organizational
development, and needs ascertainment. CSG also assisted the City in
identifying funding resources to provide long term operating support for
access organizations.
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City of Chino Hills, CA
Raymond Hansen, Senior Administrative Analyst
From 1995 to present, CSG has been providing the City with general
franchise administrative duties, and is currently providing the City with
consultant services related to the renewal and transfer of the City's
franchise with Century Cable and TCI Cablevision. Along with extensive
planning, fact finding, and strategy development, CSG is conducting a
community needs assessment, a comprehensive franchise performance audit,
and technical evaluation for franchise renewal/transfer, as well as
furnishing the City with a comparative analysis to franchise transfers.
Services include a review of documents, evaluation of compliance, and
recommendations for franchise renewal negotiations. CSG has also provided,
and is currently providing, the City with extensive rate regulation
assistance.
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City of Indian Wells, CA
Charlie Francis, Former Administrative Services Director
In 1992 and 1993 CSG assisted the City's renewal/transfer negotiations
with Palmer CableVision. CSG completed a community needs assessment
including public meetings and extensive interviews with City staff,
comprehensive franchise performance audit and technical evaluation for
franchise renewal. Services included a review of documents, evaluation of
compliance, and recommendations for franchise renewal negotiations. In
addition, CSG provided extensive rate regulation assistance to the City.
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City of Manhattan Beach, CA
Mike Daly, Former Assistant Administrative Services Director
CSG assessed the City's needs related to live cable television coverage
of City Council meetings, developed purchasing specifications for new
equipment, and ascertained compliance by cable operator of various
franchise performance criteria. In July 1991, CSG reviewed steps to renew
the City's cable television franchise. In 1993, CSG assisted the City with
equipment purchases and installation.
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City of Maryland Heights, MO
Steve Rasmussen, Former Assistant to the City Administrator
During 1999-2000, as part of a team of consultants, CSG was retained to
produce an outline and report on City's existing telecommunications
regulatory and permitting structure in the context of existing and future
telecommunications service providers. Recommendations for a comprehensive
telecommunications regulatory and permitting framework that is consistent
with: existing municipal code; federal and Missouri State law; the City's
telecommunications policy objective recommendations; other City department
and agency policies; and the facilitation of requirements for future
telecommunications development as needed for the promotion of competition
in telecommunications services. CSG also provided recommendations on the
evaluation criteria to be used for telecommunications provider use of the
public ROW and City-owned facilities and property. Our final report
enabled the City to: 1) Identify regulatory issues unique to the State and
develop scenarios for integrating telecommunications into the local/state
regulatory structure: 2) Identify if there are any intergovernmental
issues that cross boundaries and affect other agendas such as the
environment, visual pollution, historic preservation, residential and/or
architectural standards, etc.: 3) Develop a list of issues in order of
importance and/or urgency that need to be addressed by the City as it
approaches the adoption of new policies: 4) Offer recommendations for
integrating cable franchises and other existing carrier agreements into
the final policy and ordinance: 5) Investigate, analyze, and make
recommendations regarding appropriate strategies to maximize the value of
the public rights-of-way while at the same time securing the delivery of
competitive and diversified telecommunication services. In addition, CSG
interviewed and surveyed major City departments/agencies regarding their
own internal and external telecommunications needs and interests as well
as inquired about any processes that are utilized in processing
telecommunications permit requests. Key businesses of varying sizes were
also interviewed and surveyed as to their needs for telecommunications and
to assist the City with economic development initiatives. As an add-on
project, CSG has assisted the City in auditing telecommunications
facilities providers compliance to franchise/license provisions, including
fee auditing.
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County of Mendocino, CA
Doug Losak, County Counsel and Jay Johnson, IT Director
Beginning in 2000 and
ongoing throughout 2005, CSG has assisted the County acting
jointly in adopting individual regulatory ordinances relating to video
services and other telecommunications services. During this
period, CSG also assessed needs and provided guidance on federal and state legislative
activities relating to telecommunications and cable television. In 2004, CSG assisted the group negotiate with Adelphia and Comcast for a fiber
lease and institutional network. We also assisted the group adopt
and transfer a franchise agreement between Adelphia and Comcast.
See link to needs report:
Report
City of Mission Viejo, CA
Danian Hopp, Former Assistant to the City Manager
From June 1991 to June 1995, CSG provided a variety of cable television
consulting services. In 1991, CSG monitored franchise compliance and
established action plans for cable utilization by the City. Duties
included research and report writing concerning equipment, staffing,
budgeting, and other elements of municipal programming operations and
facilities. Work scope also included production of City Council meetings,
other special meetings, and capital project management of a $130,000 video
production facility. In 1993, CSG conducted needs assessments and planning
negotiation and enforcement strategies for provisions of the franchise
dealing with public, educational, and government access television. In
1994, CSG implemented and managed a community access television model at
Mission Viejo High School. In 1993 and 1994, CSG performed rate regulatory
consulting and assisted the City in transferring its cable franchise from
Multivision to Cox Cable.
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City of Monrovia, CA
Rod Gould, Former City Manager / Richard Singer, Assistant City Manager
In 1991, CSG was engaged to document television needs related to their
City Council chambers. Our firm developed purchase specifications and
supervised the installation of this $100,000 municipal production
facility. CSG provided comment on the cable company's signal transmission
of community access channels. In 1993 CSG returned to the City to assist
in an ownership transfer between Cablevision and Century which resulted in
additional funds for maintenance and repair of teleproduction equipment.
Throughout the period 2000-2009, performed a variety of special
assignments related to the City's various cable and video services
providers.
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City of Norwalk, CA
Dan Keen, Assistant City Manager
In 1993 and 1994 CSG was contracted to assist the City with franchise
renewal proceedings with Crown Cable. Tasks include a compliance audit,
community needs assessment, franchise fee audit, renewal questionnaire and
assistance in renewal negotiations.
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City of Pasadena, CA
Lori Sandoval, Technical Planning Manager
From 1998 to
present, CSG has been assisting the City in general franchise
administrative duties, and has provided the City with consultant services
related to the renewal of the City's franchise with Charter
Communications. Along with extensive planning, fact finding, and strategy
development, CSG has provided the City with a community needs assessment,
comprehensive franchise performance audit, and technical evaluation for
franchise renewal. Services have included a review of documents,
evaluation of compliance, and recommendations for franchise renewal
negotiations.
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City of Temple City, CA
Isa Kravitz, Former Assistant to City Manager
In 1993, 1994, and 1995, CSG was contracted to assist the City with
franchise renewal proceedings and rate regulatory activities related to
its cable company, Crown Cable. Tasks included a compliance audit,
community needs assessment, franchise fee audit, renewal questionnaire,
rate reviews, rate hearings, and planning for renewal negotiations.
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City of Walnut, CA
Tony Ramos, Former Assistant City Manager
From 1992 to
November 1996, and then again in 2005 and 2006; CSG assisted the City in
general franchise administrative duties, and provided the City consultant
services related to the renewal of the City's franchise with Charter
Cable. CSG assisted the City in assessing community needs, a
comprehensive franchise performance audit and technical evaluation for
franchise renewal. Services included a review of documents, evaluation of
compliance, and recommendations for franchise renewal negotiations. In
addition, CSG assessed department needs related to cable television
services and negotiated provisions in the franchise agreement related to
governmental and educational access. Between 1993 and 1996, CSG also
provided extensive rate regulation assistance to the City.
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