CITY OF INGLEWOOD
(Michael Calzada, Executive Assistant
to the City Manager)
Beginning in 2007, CSG has conducted a
strategic planning exercise intended to assist the City in preparing for
state video franchises and local regulatory duties allowed under AB2987
-The Digital Infrastructure and
Video Competition Act of 2006.
CSG offered detailed consulting on the effects of state franchising as
it pertains to the City’s current franchise agreement and construction
activity likely to occur by AT&T as a state video franchisee.
CSG assisted the City in adopting a comprehensive telecommunications and
video services ordinance.
CITY OF ARCADIA,
CALIFORNIA
(Tracey Hause, Former Administrative
Services Manager)
(Bill Kelly, Former City Manager)
(Steve Deitch, City Attorney)
In 2005 and again in 2007, CSG assisted
the City in drafting and updating its comprehensive cable television,
OVS, and Other Telecommunications Provider Ordinance. Beginning in 2006 and ongoing
throughout 2007, CSG has assisted the City in PUC filing and state
legislative activities relating to Senate Bill AB2987. CSG offered
detailed consulting on the effects of state franchising as it pertains
to the City’s current franchise agreement and franchise renewals.
Since 1994, CSG has assisted the City
in general franchise administrative duties and has provided the City
with consultant services related to the renewal and transfer of the
City's franchise with TCI Cablevision and several transfers of ownership
involving Century and Adelphia Communications. 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. In addition, CSG
assessed department needs related to municipal cable television services
and managed the bidding and procurement of nearly $400,000 in television
production equipment. CSG also provided extensive rate regulation
assistance to the City. In 2001and 2003, CSG provided a variety of
services related to Adelphia and the City’s competitive OVS company,
Altrio Communications. Since Altrio’s reorganization and dissolution,
CSG has been actively involved in the City’s negotiations and FCC Form
394 review with Champion Communications, a potential successor
franchisee. In 2005, CSG assisted the City in transferring ownership of
the cable T.V. franchise.
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CITY OF PORTERVILLE,
CALIFORNIA
(Julia Lew, City Attorney)
In 2006 and 2007, CSG provided the City
policy analysis and assisted the City adopted a new ordinance to address
regulatory changes related to AB2987, The Digital Infrastructure and
Video Competition Act. We also reviewed Charter Communications’
performance to the City’s cable television franchise in the franchise’s
final year before expiration. CSG also explored options with regard
renewal and state video franchising.
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CITY OF REDONDO BEACH,
CALIFORNIA
(Maggie Healy, Management Analyst)
Beginning in 2006 and ongoing
throughout 2007, CSG has assisted the City in PUC filing and state
legislative activities relating to Senate Bill AB2987. CSG offered
detailed consulting on the effects of state franchising as it pertains
to the City’s current franchise agreement and franchise renewals.
In 2007, CSG provided input to the City's modification of ordinance
language taking into account changes in state law.
Since 2003, CSG has provided services
related to renewal of the City’s Adelphia franchise. In 2000 and 2001,
CSG performed a variety of services related to reviewing an application
for an OVS franchise by RCN Communications. During 1995, CSG performed
a comprehensive evaluation of Century Cable's compliance to the City's
customer service standards. Identification of non-compliance,
recommendation for corrective actions, and draft correspondence was
provided. CSG continues to provide administrative expertise related to
cable television matters on a case-by-case basis.
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CITY OF SAN
BERNARDINO,
CALIFORNIA
(Lori Sassoon, Assistant City
Administrator)
(Catherine Allison, City Manager's
Office)
Beginning in 2006 and ongoing
throughout the first quarter of 2007, CSG has assisted the City
preparing for either renewing its local cable franchises or waiting to
allow the companies to apply as state video franchisees. CSG assisted
the City in analyzing compliance issues and in extension resolutions
enabling the three local franchises to be extended through the January
2, 2008 date specified in AB2987. CSG also offered detailed consulting
on the effects of state franchising as it pertains to the City’s current
franchise agreement and franchise renewals. In addition, CSG worked with
City Attorney in renewal preparation drafting governing ordinances for
state video franchising laws.
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CITY OF WALNUT,
CALIFORNIA
(Charles Robinson, Assistant to the
City Manager)
Beginning in 2006 and
ongoing throughout 2007, CSG has assisted the City in PUC filing and
state legislative activities relating to Senate Bill AB2987. In 2006,
CSG assisted the City adopt a comprehensive regulatory ordinance.
CSG offered detailed consulting on the effects of state franchising as
it pertains to the City’s current franchise agreement and franchise
renewals. Beginning in 2005, CSG has assisted the City in assessing
community needs, a comprehensive franchise performance audit and
technical evaluation for franchise renewal. In addition, CSG assessed
department needs related to governmental and educational access. CSG
acted as lead negotiator on the former renewal project and will serve as
lead negotiator with Charter on this renewal. From 1992 to November
1996, CSG assisted the City in general franchise administrative duties,
rate regulation services, and with the renewal of the City's franchise
with Charter Communications.
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CITY OF EMERYVILLE,
CALIFORNIA
(Carol Victor, Former Deputy City
Attorney and Karen Hemphill,
City Clerk)
Beginning in 2004 and
ongoing throughout 2006, CSG has assisted the City in adopting a
comprehensive cable television and video services ordinance. We
also advised the City regarding federal and
state legislative activities. CSG offered detailed consulting on the
effects of state franchising as it pertains to the City’s current
franchise agreement and franchise renewals. Beginning in 2005, CSG
has assisted the City in assessing community needs, a comprehensive
franchise performance audit and technical evaluation for franchise
renewal.
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FORT BRAGG, WILLITS,
UKIAH AND MENDOCINO COUNTY,
CALIFORNIA
(Bruce Mordhorst, Former Assistant County Administrator)
Beginning in 2000 and
ongoing throughout 2005, CSG has assisted the cities and County acting
jointly in adopting individual regulatory ordinances relating to video
services and other telecommunications services. During this
period, CSG also 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.
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CITY OF REDONDO
BEACH, CALIFORNIA
(Maggie Healy, Assistant to the City
Manager)
In 2001 and 2002 the City retained
Communications Support Group, Inc., (CSG) to facilitate a study of City
telecommunications right-of-way (ROW) policies. CSG assisted the City
Manager’s Office and the City Attorney’s Offices by reviewing methods
used by the City to grant permits for both wireline and wireless
telecommunications companies. CSG presented a series of objectives to
be considered during the development of local policies, which City
personnel ranked in the order of priority. Outcomes of this project
included:
§
A central point of
contact for all telecommunications matters;
§
Centralized record
keeping of telecommunications applications;
§ Enabled the City’s IT
facilities to develop and support a practical database of
telecommunications permit and franchising matters;
§
Revised fee schedules for
all departments pertaining to right of way and telecom planning matters;
§
New and improved private
line agreements related to TCG and TYCOM;
§
Improved centralized
mapping to identify and control placement of ROW entrants;
§
Improved
inter-departmental communications;
§ Began the development of
a "level playing field" for all telecommunications companies by
assessing non-discriminatory taxes and fees on service providers in the
City and/or companies that wish to use City ROW
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CITY OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA
(Roger Miller, Office of Information
Technology)
In November 2000, the City of Berkeley
contracted with Communications
Support Group, Inc., and its subcontractor, the Social Science Research
Center (SSRC) at California State University, Fullerton, to assess the
telecommunications needs, concerns, and interests of residential
households in Berkeley. Telephone interviews were conducted from
the SSRC’s survey research laboratory, utilizing Computer Assisted
Telephone Interviewing (CATI) equipment and software. The purpose of
this study was to collect useful
demographic and frequency data concerning residential use of cable
television and telecommunications in Berkeley and to ascertain users’
satisfaction with cable television and telecommunications service. The
City used the data from the
survey to write a Telecommunications Master Plan for the City of
Berkeley and recommend telecommunications policies to the City Council.
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CITY OF MARYLAND
HEIGHTS, MISSOURI
(Steve Rasmussen, Assistant to the City
Administrator)
Since 2000, CSG has performed a number
of third-party auditor projects for the City. CSG has audited franchise
fees, license fees, per-foot ROW fees, and utility taxes for 14
telecommunications licenses serving residents and businesses within the
City. During 1999-2000, as part of a team of consultants, CSG was
retained to report on the City's existing telecommunications regulatory
and permitting structure in the context of existing and future
telecommunications service providers. CSG made recommendations for a
comprehensive telecommunications regulatory and permitting framework
that is consistent with state and federal law.
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CITY OF SAN DIEGO,
CALIFORNIA
(Marc Jaffe, Former Cable Television
Program Manager)
In 1999 the City retained CSG to
analyze current City telecommunications policies and to identify areas
regarding modification or amendment. As part of the analysis, CSG:
§ Addressed the City’s
issues of ROW management and compensation under federal and state law;
§ Conducted
a comprehensive audit of the City’s telecommunications regulatory
process, structure, fees and practices and evaluated the various
departments for compliance to City codes or regulations;
§ Reviewed
Finance Department forecasts and revenues attributable to
telecommunications;
§ Evaluated
the City’s organizational infrastructure involved with
telecommunications management, planning, permitting, facility attachment
approvals and ROW use management;
§
Conducted a variety of
educational programs for City staff;
§ Developed
strategic and action plans for ongoing telecommunications management;
§ Developed an inventory of
known ROW users, locally assessed fees, taxes, or other compensation;
§ Identified
new revenue streams, economic development initiatives, and
organizational restructuring devices designed to increase and enhance
service delivery and reduce operating costs.
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COUNTY OF MONTERREY,
CALIFORNIA
(Aleta Cozart, Former Deputy CAO)
From 1992 to 1995, CSG was contracted
to update and revise provisions of County's ordinance as they relate to
customer service and performance. CSG completed a compliance audit of
the two cable operators as a part of the process. CSG also provided a
variety of services related to the County's rate regulation proceedings
and franchise administrative issues in general.
