Chapter 5.24
CATV FRANCHISE
Sections:
5.24.060 Indemnification of city.
5.24.210 State video service franchises.
5.24.010 Definitions.
For the purpose of this chapter, the following terms, phrases, words, and their derivations shall have the meanings given in this section:
“City” means the city of Seaside, a municipal corporation of the state, in its present incorporated form or in any later recognized, consolidated, enlarged or reincorporated form.
“Community antenna television system,” referred to in this chapter as “CATV,” means coaxial cables, wave guides or other conductors and equipment for providing television service by cable or through its facilities as contemplated in this chapter. CATV shall not mean or include the transmission of any special program or event in the manner commonly known and referred to as “pay television” transmission.
“Council” means the present governing body of the city or any future board constituting the legislative body of the city.
“Grantee” means the persons or corporations to whom or which a franchise under this chapter is granted by the city council and the lawful successor or assignee of said persons or corporations.
“Gross annual receipts” means any and all compensation and other consideration in any form whatever and any contributing grant or subsidy received directly or indirectly from subscribers or users in payment for television signals received within the city. “Gross annual receipts” does not include any taxes on the services furnished by the grantee imposed directly on any user or subscriber by any city, state or other governmental unit and collected by the grantee for such governmental unit.
“Local station” means a television broadcasting station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to operate in Monterey County.
“Street” means the surface of, and the space above and below, any public street, road, highway, freeway, lane, alley, court, sidewalk, parkway or drive, now or hereafter existing as such within the city.
“Subscribers” means any person or entity receiving for any purpose the CATV service of the grantee herein defined. (Ord. 266, 1963; prior code § 12-1002)
5.24.020 Granting authorized.
Repealed by Ord. 1042. (Ord. 822 § 1, 1993; Ord. 266, 1963; prior code § 12-1001)
5.24.030 Application and issuance.
Repealed by Ord. 1042. (Ord. 822 § 2, 1993; Ord. 266, 1963; prior code § 12-1019)
5.24.040 Payment.
A. Any grantee granted a franchise under this chapter shall pay to the city, annually, in lawful money of the United States, a sum equal to a percentage of the gross annual receipts of the grantee based upon proposals to be received by the council, and such payment by the grantee to the city shall be in lieu of any occupation tax, license tax or similar levy, and shall be paid annually.
B. The grantee shall file with the city, within thirty days after the expiration of any calendar year during which such franchise is in force, a financial statement prepared by a certified public accountant showing in detail the total gross receipts, as defined in SMC 5.24.010, of grantee, its successors or assigns, during the preceding calendar year. It shall be the duty of grantee to pay to the city, within fifteen days after the time for filing such statements, any unpaid balance for the calendar year covered by such statements. In any year, or portion thereof, during which payments under this section amount to less than fifty dollars per month, the grantee agrees to pay the city the minimum amount of fifty dollars per month, or six hundred dollars annually.
C. The city shall have the right of inspection of the grantee’s records showing its gross receipts. (Ord. 266, 1963; prior code § 12-1005)
5.24.050 Faithful performance bond.
Repealed by Ord. 1042. (Ord. 266, 1963; prior code § 12-1014)
5.24.060 Indemnification of city.
A. The grantee shall, at all times during the existence of any franchise, maintain in full force and effect, furnish to the city and file with the city council, at its own cost and expense, a general comprehensive liability insurance policy, in protection of the city, its officers, boards, commissions, agents and employees, in a company approved by the city manager and in a form satisfactory to the city attorney, protecting the city and all persons against liability for loss or damage for personal injury, death, and property damage, occasioned by the operations of the grantee under such franchise, with minimum liability limits of one million dollars for personal injury or death in any one occurrence.
B. The policies mentioned in subsection A of this section shall name the city, its officers, boards, commissions, agents and employees as additional insureds and shall contain a provision that a written notice of any cancellation or reduction in coverage of the policy shall be delivered to the city ten days in advance of the effective date thereof; if such insurance is provided in either case by a policy which also covers the grantee or any other entity or person than those above named, then such policy shall contain the standard cross-liability endorsement. (Ord. 1042 § 2 (Att. C), 2017; Ord. 822 § 3, 1993; Ord. 266, 1963; prior code § 12-1015)
5.24.070 Duration.
Repealed by Ord. 1042. (Ord. 653 § 1, 1983; Ord. 266, 1963; prior code § 12-1004)
5.24.080 Uses permitted the grantee.
Repealed by Ord. 1042. (Ord. 822 §§ 4(A), (B), 1993; Ord. 266, 1963; prior code § 12-1003)
5.24.090 Limitations.
Repealed by Ord. 1042. (Ord. 822 § 1, 1993; Ord. 266, 1963; prior code § 12-1006)
5.24.100 Right reserved to city.
Repealed by Ord. 1042. (Ord. 266, 1963; prior code § 12-1007)
5.24.110 Permits and authorizations.
Repealed by Ord. 1042. (Ord. 266, 1963; prior code § 12-1008)
5.24.120 Location of grantee’s properties.
Repealed by Ord. 1042. (Ord. 266, 1963; prior code § 12-1009)
5.24.130 Removal or abandonment of property of grantee.
Repealed by Ord. 1042. (Ord. 266, 1963; prior code § 12-1010)
5.24.140 Change required by public improvements.
Repealed by Ord. 1042. (Ord. 266, 1963; prior code § 12-1011)
5.24.150 Failure to perform street work.
Repealed by Ord. 1042. (Ord. 266, 1963; prior code § 12-1012)
5.24.160 CATV installation shielding.
Repealed by Ord. 1042. (Ord. 266, 1963; prior code § 12-1013)
5.24.170 Operational standards.
Repealed by Ord. 1042. (Ord. 266, 1963; prior code § 12-1017)
5.24.180 Miscellaneous provisions.
Repealed by Ord. 1042. (Ord. 822 § 5, 1993; Ord. 488, 1977; Ord. 266, 1963; prior code § 12-1018)
5.24.190 Inspection of property and records.
Repealed by Ord. 1042. (Ord. 266, 1966; prior code § 12-1016)
5.24.200 Service rates and charges.
Repealed by Ord. 1042. (Ord. 822 § 6, 1993)
5.24.210 State video service franchises.
A. General Provisions.
1. Purpose. This section is intended to be applicable to state franchise holders who have been awarded a state video franchise under the California Public Utilities Code Section 5800 et seq. (the Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act of 2006 (“DIVCA”)), to serve any location(s) within the incorporated boundaries of the city. It is the purpose of this section to implement within the incorporated boundaries of the city the provisions of DIVCA and the rules of the California Public Utilities Commission promulgated thereunder that are applicable to a “local franchising entity” or a “local entity” as defined in DIVCA.
2. Rights Reserved.
a. The rights reserved to the city under this section are in addition to all other rights of the city, whether reserved by this section or authorized by law, and no action, proceeding or exercise of a right shall affect any other rights which may be held by the city.
b. Except as otherwise provided by DIVCA, a state franchise shall not include, or be a substitute for:
i. Compliance with generally applicable requirements for the privilege of transacting and carrying on a business within the city, including, but not limited to, compliance with the conditions that the city may establish before facilities may be constructed for, or providing, non-video services;
ii. Any permit or authorization required in connection with operations on or in public rights-of-way or public property, including, but not limited to, encroachment permits, street work permits, pole attachment permits and street cut permits; and
iii. Any permit, agreement or authorization for occupying any other property of the city or any private person to which access is not specifically granted by the state franchise.
c. Except as otherwise provided in DIVCA, a state franchise shall not relieve a state franchisee of its duty to comply with all laws, including the ordinances, resolutions, rules, regulations, and other laws of the city, and every state franchisee shall comply with the same.
3. Compliance with This Section. Nothing contained in this section shall ever be construed so as to exempt a state franchise holder from compliance with all ordinances, rules or regulations of the city now in effect or which may be hereafter adopted which are consistent with this section or California Public Utilities Code Section 5800 et seq.
B. Definitions.
1. Definitions Generally – Interpretation of Language. For purposes of this section, the following terms, phrases, words, and their derivations shall have the meanings given in this subsection B. Unless otherwise expressly stated, words not defined in this section shall be given the meanings set forth in SMC 5.24.010 as may be amended from time to time, unless the context indicates otherwise. Words not defined in this subsection B or SMC 5.24.010 shall have the same meaning as established in (1) DIVCA, and if not defined therein, (2) commission rules implementing DIVCA, and if not defined therein, (3) Title VI of Title 47 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. Section 521 et seq., and if not defined therein (4) their common and ordinary meaning. When not inconsistent with the context, words used in the present tense include the future, words in the plural number include the singular number, words in the singular number include the plural number, and “including” and “include” are not limiting. The words “shall” and “will” are always mandatory. References to governmental entities (whether persons or entities) refer to those entities or their successors in authority. If specific provisions of law referred to herein are renumbered, then the reference shall be read to refer to the renumbered provision. References to laws, ordinances or regulations shall be interpreted broadly to cover government actions, however nominated, and include laws, ordinances and regulations now in force or hereinafter enacted or amended.
a. “Access,” “PEG access,” “PEG use,” or “PEG” means the availability of a cable or state franchise holder’s system for public, educational, or governmental use by various agencies, institutions, organizations, groups, and individuals, including the city and its designated access providers, to acquire, create, and distribute programming not under a state franchise holder’s editorial control.
b. “Gross revenues” means all revenues actually received by the holder of a state franchise that are derived from the operation of the holder’s network to provide cable service or video service within the incorporated areas of the city, subject to the specifications of California Public Utilities Code Section 5860.
c. “State franchise holder” or “state franchisee” means a cable operator or video service provider that has been issued a franchise by the California Public Utilities Commission to provide cable service or video service, as those terms are defined in California Public Utilities Code Section 5830, within any portion of the incorporated limits of the city.
C. Franchise Fees.
1. State Franchise Fees. Any state franchise holder operating within the incorporated areas of the city shall pay to the city a state franchise fee equal to five percent of gross revenues.
2. Payment of Franchise Fees. The state franchise fee required pursuant to this subsection C shall each be paid quarterly, in a manner consistent with California Public Utilities Code Section 5860. The state franchise holder shall deliver to the city, by check or other means, which shall be agreed to by the city, a separate payment for the state franchise fee not later than forty-five days after the end of each calendar quarter. Each payment made shall be accompanied by a report, detailing how the payment was calculated, and shall include such additional information on the appropriate form as designated by the city.
3. Audits. The city may audit the business records of the holder of a state franchise in a manner consistent with California Public Utilities Code Section 5860(i).
4. Late Payments. In the event a state franchise holder fails to make payments required by this section on or before the due dates specified in this section, the city shall impose a late charge at the rate per year equal to the highest prime lending rate during the period of delinquency, plus one percent.
5. Lease of City-Owned Network. In the event a state franchise holder leases access to a network owned by the city, the city may set a franchise fee for access to the city-owned network separate and apart from the franchise fee charged to state franchise holders pursuant to this subsection C, which fee shall otherwise be payable in accordance with the procedures established by this subsection.
D. Customer Service.
1. Customer Service Standards. A state franchise holder shall comply with Sections 53055, 53055.2 and 53088.2 of the California Government Code; the FCC customer service and notice standards set forth in Sections 76.309, 76.1602, 76.1603, and 76.1619 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations; Section 637.5 of the California Penal Code; the privacy standards of Section 551 of Title 47 of the United States Code; and all other applicable state and federal customer service and consumer protection standards pertaining to the provision of cable service or video service, include any such standards hereafter adopted. In case of a conflict, the stricter standard shall apply. All customer service and consumer protection standards under this subsection shall be interpreted and applied to accommodate newer or different technologies while meeting or exceeding the goals of the standards.
2. Penalties for Violations of Standards. The city shall enforce the compliance of state franchisees with respect to the state and federal customer service and consumer protection standards set forth in subsection (D)(1) of this section. The city will provide a state franchisee with a written notice of any material breaches of applicable customer service or consumer protection standards, and will allow the state franchisee thirty days from the receipt of the notice to remedy the specified material breach. Material breaches not remedied within the thirty-day time period will be subject to the following penalties to be imposed by the city:
a. For the first occurrence of a material breach, a fine of five hundred dollars may be imposed for each day the violation remains in effect, not to exceed one thousand five hundred dollars for each violation.
b. For a second material breach of the same nature within twelve months, a fine of one thousand dollars may be imposed for each day the violation remains in effect, not to exceed three thousand dollars for each violation.
c. For a third material breach of the same nature within twelve months, a fine of two thousand five hundred dollars may be imposed for each day the violation remains in effect, not to exceed seven thousand five hundred dollars for each violation.
3. Any penalties imposed by the city shall be imposed in a manner consistent with California Public Utilities Code Section 5900.
E. Permits and Construction.
1. Except as expressly provided in this section, the provisions of SMC 5.24.060 shall apply to all work performed by or on behalf of a state franchise holder on any city public rights-of-way, public property, or city easement as those terms are defined in this chapter.
2. Permits. Prior to commencing any work for which a permit is required by this subsection E, a state franchise holder shall apply for and obtain a permit in accordance with the provisions referred to in subsection (E)(1) of this section and shall comply with all other applicable laws and regulations, including but not limited to all applicable requirements of Division 13 of California Public Resources Code Section 21000 et seq. (the California Environmental Quality Act).
3. The city manager or designee shall either approve or deny a state franchise holder’s application for any permit required under subsection (E)(1) of this section within sixty days of receiving a completed permit application from the state franchise holder.
4. If the city manager or designee denies a state franchise holder’s application for a permit, the city manager or designee shall, at the time of notifying the applicant of denial, furnish to the applicant a detailed explanation of the reason or reasons for the denial.
5. A state franchise holder that has been denied a permit by final decision of the city manager or designee may appeal the denial to the city council. Upon receiving a notice of appeal, the city council shall take one of the following actions:
a. Affirm the action of the city manager or designee without any further hearing; or
b. Refer the matter back to the city manager or designee for further review with or without instructions; or
c. Set the matter for a de novo hearing before the city council.
6. In rendering its decision on the appeal, the city council shall not hear or consider any argument or evidence of any kind other than the record of the matter received from the city manager or designee unless the city council is itself conducting a public hearing on the matter.
7. Notification to Residents Regarding Construction or Maintenance. Prior to any construction, rebuild, or upgrade of a cable or video system, a state franchise holder shall establish procedures to notify city residents in the impacted area of construction schedules and activities. Such notices must be provided in the predominant languages spoken by those persons who work and/or reside in the impacted area. The notices shall be provided to the city manager or designee for review and approval no later than twenty days before commencement of construction, rebuild, or upgrade activities.
8. At a minimum, the notice required in subsection (E)(7) of this section shall be provided by the state franchise holder to impacted residents and occupants in the construction area not less than forty-eight hours prior to the planned construction. The state franchise holder shall provide additional notice to the persons described in subsection (E)(7) of this section on the day of construction. The notice may be in the form of door hangers that indicate, at a minimum, the dates and times of construction and the name and telephone number of a state franchise holder contact.
9. The state franchise holder shall provide notice at least twenty days prior to entering private property or public ways or public easements adjacent to or on such private property, public ways, or public easements, and provide a second notice three days prior to entering such property.
a. Should there be above ground or underground installations (excluding aerial cable lines utilizing existing poles and cable paths) which will affect the private property, such notice shall be in writing and shall contain specific information regarding any above ground or underground installations (excluding aerial cable lines utilizing existing poles and existing cable paths) which shall affect the private property.
b. To the extent practicable, above ground or underground equipment placed on private property shall be placed at the location requested by the property owner. A state franchise holder shall provide the private property owner with at least twenty days’ advance written notice of its plans to install such equipment, and shall obtain express written consent, in the form of a recorded easement agreement, from the private property owner before installing its appurtenances. The state franchise holder shall notify the property owner, in writing, that the property owner is not obligated to agree to the placement on their property or to enter into an easement agreement with the state franchise holder. Should property owner notify the state franchise holder of objection to placement of any such above ground or underground installations (excluding aerial cable lines utilizing existing poles and existing cable paths), the state franchise holder shall confer with the city public works department regarding appropriate location and placement of such appurtenances.
10. In addition to any other notice of proposed entry required under this subsection E, a state franchise holder’s personnel shall make a reasonable attempt to give personal notice to residents immediately preceding entry on private property or public ways or public easements adjacent to or on such private property.
11. Identification Required. A state franchise holder, its employees, agents, contractors, and subcontractors shall be properly identified as agents of the state franchise holder prior to and during entry on private and public property. Identification shall include the name and telephone number of the state franchise holder on all trucks and vehicles used by installation personnel.
12. Restoration of Private and Public Property. After performance of work, the state franchise holder shall restore such private and public property to a condition equal to or better than its condition prior to construction. Any disturbance of landscaping, fencing, or other improvements upon private or public property shall, at the sole expense of the state franchise holder, be promptly repaired or restored (including replacement of such valuables as shrubbery and fencing) to the reasonable satisfaction of the property owner, in addition to the furnishing of camouflage plants on public property.
F. Emergency Alert.
1. Emergency Alert Systems. Each state franchise holder shall comply with the emergency alert system requirements of the Federal Communications Commission in order that emergency messages may be distributed over the state franchise holder’s network.
2. To the extent consistent with California Public Utilities Code Section 5880, each state franchisee shall provide the system capability to transmit an emergency alert signal to all participating subscribers, in the form of an emergency override capability to permit the city to interrupt and cablecast an audio message on all channels simultaneously in the event of a disaster or public emergency. Each state franchisee shall be exempt from all liability for the use of the emergency alert, and the city shall indemnify and hold each state franchisee harmless from any claims and damages arising out of any such use.
G. Public, Educational, and Government Access Channel Capacity, Interconnection, Signal Carriage and Support.
1. PEG Channel Capacity.
a. A state franchisee that has been authorized by the California Public Utilities Commission to provide video service in the city shall designate and activate three PEG channels within three months from the date that the city requests that the state franchisee designate and activate these PEG channels. However, this three-month period shall be tolled for such a period, and only for such a period, during which the state franchisee’s ability to designate or provide such PEG capacity is technically infeasible, as set forth in Sections 5870(a), 5870(c) and 5870(h) of the California Public Utilities Code.
b. A state franchisee shall provide an additional PEG channel when the standards set forth in Section 5870(d) of the California Public Utilities Code are satisfied by the city or any entity designated by the city to manage one or more of the PEG channels.
2. PEG Support.
a. Amount of PEG Support Fee. Any state franchise holder operating within the city shall pay to the city or, if directed by the city, pay to the city’s designated PEG provider a PEG support fee equal to one percent of gross revenues.
b. The PEG support fee shall be used for PEG purposes that are consistent with state and federal law.
c. A state franchisee shall remit the PEG support fee to the city or, if directed by the city, to the city’s designated PEG provider on a quarterly basis, within forty-five days after the end of each calendar quarter. Each payment made shall be accompanied by a report, detailing how the PEG support fee was calculated.
d. If a state franchisee fails to pay the PEG support fee when due, or underpays the proper amount due, the state franchisee shall pay a late payment charge at the rate per year equal to the highest prime lending rate during the period of delinquency, plus one percent, to the extent that such a late payment charge is deemed to be consistent with DIVCA.
3. PEG Carriage and Interconnection.
a. As set forth in Sections 5870(b) and 5870(g)(3) of the California Public Utilities Code, state franchisees shall ensure that all PEG channels are receivable by all subscribers, whether they receive digital or analog service, or a combination thereof, without the need for any equipment other than that needed to receive the lowest cost tier of service. PEG access capacity provided by a state franchisee shall be of similar quality and functionality to that offered by commercial channels, shall be capable of carrying a National Television System Committee (NTSC) quality television signal, and shall be carried on the state franchisee’s lowest cost tier of service. To the extent feasible, the PEG channels shall not be separated numerically from other channels carried on the lowest cost tier of service and the channel numbers for the PEG channels shall be the same channel numbers used by any incumbent cable operator, unless prohibited by federal law. After the initial designation of the PEG channel numbers, the channel numbers shall not be changed without the agreement of the city unless federal law requires the change.
b. As set forth in Section 5870(h) of the California Public Utilities Code, the holder of a state franchise and an incumbent cable operator shall negotiate in good faith to interconnect their networks for the purpose of providing PEG programming. If a state franchisee and an incumbent cable operator cannot reach a mutually acceptable interconnection agreement for PEG carriage, the city shall require the incumbent cable operator to allow the state franchise to interconnect its network with the incumbent cable operator’s network at a technically feasible point on the state franchisee’s network as identified by the state franchisee. If no technically feasible point of interconnection is available, the state franchisee shall make interconnection available to each PEG channel originator programming a channel in the city and shall provide the facilities necessary for the interconnection. The cost of any interconnection shall be borne by the state franchisee requesting the interconnection unless otherwise agreed to by the parties.
H. Notices.
1. Each state franchise holder or applicant for a state franchise shall file with the city a copy of all applications or notices that the state franchise holder or applicant is required to file with the California Public Utilities Commission.
2. Unless otherwise specified in this section, all notices or other documentation that a state franchise holder is required to provide to the city under this section or the California Public Utilities Code shall be provided to both the city manager and the city staff person in charge of cable and telecommunications, or their successors or designees. (Ord. 982, 2009; Ord. 970, 2008)