36.04A.240 Rates.

(a)    Rates and Charges. All of a grantee’s rates and charges related to or regarding cable service shall be subject to regulation by the county to the full extent authorized by applicable federal, state and local laws. County board shall exercise final cable service rate review authority in conformity with the Cable Acts and FCC regulations upon review and recommendation from the commission. Board shall by resolution establish standards and procedures for review of cable service rates consistent with FCC regulations.

(b)    Rate Discrimination. All of a grantee’s rates and charges shall be published (in the form of a publicly-available rate card), and shall be nondiscriminatory as to all persons and organizations of similar classes, under similar circumstances and conditions. A grantee shall apply its rates in accordance with governing law, with similar rates and charges for all subscribers receiving similar cable service, without regard to race, color, familial, ethnic or national origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital, military or economic status, or physical or mental disability, or geographic location in the franchise area. Grantees shall provide equivalent cable service to all residential subscribers at similar rates and to commercial subscribers as authorized by applicable laws. Nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit:

(1)    The temporary reduction or waiving of rates or charges in conjunction with valid promotional campaigns;

(2)    The offering of reasonable discounts to senior citizens or economically disadvantaged citizens;

(3)    Grantees from establishing different and nondiscriminatory rates and charges and classes of service for commercial customers, as well as different nondiscriminatory monthly rates for classes of commercial customers as allowable by federal law and regulations; or

(4)    Grantees from establishing different and nondiscriminatory rates and charges for residential subscribers as allowable by federal law and regulations.

(c)    Filing of rates and charges.

(1)    Throughout the term of any franchise granted pursuant to this chapter, a grantee shall maintain on file with the commission a complete schedule of applicable rates and charges for cable service provided under the franchise agreement. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require a grantee to file rates and charges under temporary reductions or waivers of rates and charges in conjunction with promotional campaigns provided that the grantee shall make reasonable efforts to notify the commission in writing in advance of such promotions.

(2)    Grantees shall provide upon request from the commission a complete schedule of current rates and charges for any and all leased access channels, or portions of such channels, provided by the grantee. The schedule shall include a description of the price, terms and conditions established by the grantee for leased access channels. (Sec. 2 of Ord. 1998-12-21)