[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee
of the Township of Delanco as indicated in article histories. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 4-17-1995 by Ord. No. 5-1995]
Storer Cable Communications of Burlington County
(hereinafter "company"), and its predecessor companies have constructed
and operated a cable television system within the Township of Delanco
pursuant to the municipal consents previously granted by the Township
Committee and pursuant to a certificate of approval issued by the
Board of Regulatory Commissioners of the State of New Jersey. The
application for renewal of municipal consent was filed by the company.
Public hearings were held by the Township Committee on the application
and a record was developed. The public hearings drew no objection
to the operations of the company. Following the close of the public
hearing record, the Township Committee and the company continued negotiations
over the duration of the municipal consent renewal term and the services
and improvements to the cable television system to be provided by
the company, with the Township Committee rendering a decision to renew
the company's municipal consent for a period of 15 years from the
effective date of this ordinance subject to modifications to the company's
application agreed to by the company.
Words used in this ordinance shall have the
meanings set forth in N.J.S.A. 48:5A-3 and N.J.A.C. 14:18-1.2, as
may be amended from time to time, unless a different meaning clearly
appears from the context. In addition, the words set forth below are
defined as follows:
COMPANY
Comcast Cablevision of Burlington County, its servants, employees,
agents, officers, directors and contractors.
OCTV
The Office of Cable Television, Board of Public Utilities,
State of New Jersey.
TOWNSHIP
The Township of Delanco and its government, including the
Township Committee and its administrative personnel.
The Township Committee of the Township of Delanco
hereby consents to the renewal of the nonexclusive cable television
franchise of Comcast Cablevision of Burlington County, for a period
of 15 years from the effective date of this ordinance. This consent
shall permit the company to place and maintain in, upon, along, across,
above, over and under the highways, streets, alleys, sidewalks, public
ways and public places in the Township of Delanco, poles, wires, cables,
underground conduits, manholes, and other cable conductors and fixtures
necessary for the maintenance and operations of a cable television/cable
communications system, subject, however, to the provisions of this
ordinance, and further subject to the written acceptance by the company
of all of the terms and conditions of this ordinance. Pursuant to
this grant of consent, the company shall continue to operate a cable
television system within the Township and shall continue to furnish
cable television and reception service to all subscribers within the
Township.
The consent granted by this ordinance shall
apply to the entirety of the Township of Delanco. All questions of
municipal boundary location, rights and interests in property, federal,
state, county and/or other governmental or quasi-governmental rights,
privileges and/or interests in real estate shall be investigated and
researched at the company's own cost and expense, insofar as they
shall pertain to the company; procedures necessary to gather relevant
information and to resolve every such question shall be pursued in
the company's own name, and the Township shall never be under any
requirement to take any steps to define, delineate, establish or clarify
the boundaries or rights of the Township.
The foregoing consent is and shall at all times be subject to the company's application for a street opening permit pursuant to Township regulations with respect to the actual and exact locations of every pole, wire, cable, underground conduit, manhole and other conductor and fixture referred to in §
A325-3 above, in, upon, across, above, under, over and otherwise affecting any Township easement property or other interest in real estate. Upon request, the company shall deliver to the Township accurate plans showing the then-current locations of all facilities referred to in §
A325-3.
The foregoing consent is and at all times shall
be subject to full and detailed compliance with the Township ordinances,
specifically including but not limited to zoning and land use ordinances,
and resolutions adopted by the Township Committee, and all rules,
regulations and laws of all applicable jurisdictions as to all aspects
of location, operation and maintenance of microwave or other receivers
or transmitters, studio facilities, mobile equipment and vehicles,
all other facilities, equipment, apparatus and the like incidental
to the origination of programming, the sending or receiving of signals,
and offices, storage, power sources, power plant and the like.
No easement, right-of-way, title in fee simple,
leasehold or other interest in real estate, nor any other interest
in property of the Township, is hereby granted.
The company shall, during each year of operation
under the consent granted herein, pay to the Township the maximum
franchise fee permitted by law. It is acknowledged that, at the time
of the enactment of this ordinance, the maximum franchise fee permitted
by law is a sum equal to 2% of the basic revenues from all recurring
charges in the nature of subscriptions fees received by the company
from subscribers to the company's cable television reception within
the franchise territory. The company shall annually, with the payment
of the franchise fee, provide the Township with a financial statement
verifying the amount of basic revenues subject to the franchise fee.
The company shall file with the Township a copy of the Annual CATV-1
Report as filed with the Board of Public Utilities, as to the Township
of Delanco, within 30 days after filing with the Board of Public Utilities,
Office of Cable Television. In the event of a dispute between the
Township and the company as to the calculation of the franchise fee,
the company shall, upon reasonable notice, permit the Township to
inspect its books of account and other records for the purpose of
ascertaining or verifying the amount of gross revenues subject to
the foregoing franchise fee. All such records beyond the certified
financial statement shall be deemed to be private and proprietary
and shall be made available to the Township for the limited purposes
set forth herein. In the event that applicable law hereafter permits
a larger franchise fee to be collected, the Township shall be entitled
to the larger franchise fee 90 days from the effective date of the
applicable law. Nothing herein shall prohibit the Township and the
company from entering into negotiations with respect to the franchise
fee or from reaching an agreement which would provide for a reduced
franchise fee in exchange for improved services or benefits which
the Township may determine to be in the best interests of the Township.
The company shall provide service to all dwellings,
businesses, schools and institutions located within the Township which
are passed by cable and within 20 days of a request for service except
as provided in N.J.A.C. 14:18-3.2 and unless prevented or delayed
by circumstances beyond its control. The company will provide service
to existing and newly constructed dwellings, businesses, schools and
institutions that require extensions to the system in accordance with
the line extension policy set forth in the application. Service will
be provided to newly constructed buildings within three months of
issuance of a certificate of occupancy, provided that the developer
or builder shall advise the company promptly after approval of subdivision
or when site plans have been obtained from the Planning Board or Zoning
Board of Adjustment, or after issuance of a building permit in cases
where local land use board approval is not necessary, to permit the
company to coordinate its installations with other construction and
utility installation work; further provided that all costs of extension
payable by the subscriber have been paid, unless the company is prevented
or delayed by circumstances beyond its control.
A. Restoration. In the event that the company shall from
time to time disturb any public or private pavement, street surface,
curbs, gutters, sidewalks, driveways, above- or below-ground utilities,
lines, fixtures, equipment or other facilities, or trees, shrubs or
other landscaping or surfaces in the natural topography, the company,
upon written notice from the Township, shall, within a reasonable
time, at its sole expense restore and replace such places and things
so disturbed to and in not less than as good condition as existed
prior to each such disturbance. In so doing, the company shall comply
with all applicable ordinances, resolutions, laws, rulings and regulations.
B. Relocation. If, at any time during the period of this
consent, the Township shall alter or change the grade of any public
street, alley or other way or place, or alter or change the location
or grade of any public water or sewer facility, or other utility facility,
the company, upon reasonable written notice by the Township, shall,
at its own expense, remove, relay and relocate its cables, equipment
or other facilities.
C. Temporary removal of cables. The company shall, upon
request of the Township, temporarily raise, lower or remove its cables
and associated facilities in order to facilitate the moving of buildings,
equipment, vehicles and machinery and to accommodate other like circumstances.
Any request to temporarily raise, lower or remove its cables and associated
facilities by the Township for a governmental purpose of the Township
shall be accommodated at the sole expense of the company. Any request
to temporarily raise, lower or remove its cables and associated facilities
on behalf of a third party and not for a governmental purpose shall
be accommodated at the expense of the third party on the same basis
as that third party is able to make arrangements for the raising,
lowering or removal of telephone or electric cables and associated
facilities.
D. Removal or trimming of public trees. The company may,
in carrying out its usual operation, reasonably and prudently trim
trees which are under the jurisdiction of the Township or other public
body to prevent the branches of trees from coming in contact with
the wires and cables of the company. Trimming shall not exceed that
which is necessary to maintain proper clearance for the company's
wires and cables. Prior approval from the proper public body is required
for removal of any public tree, said approval not to be unreasonably
withheld. In the event of an emergency (such as an act of God), prior
approval is not necessary, provided that notice is given to the Township
Clerk.
The Office of Cable Television is hereby designated
as the complaint officer to receive and act upon complaints by subscribers
to cable television reception service provided by the company pursuant
to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 48:5A-26. All complaints shall be received
and processed as provided by the regulations applicable to the Office
of Cable Television.
During the term of its franchise and any renewal
thereof, the company shall maintain a full-service local business
office for the purpose of receiving, investigating and resolving all
complaints regarding the quality of service, equipment malfunctions,
exchange and return of converters, minor repairs, sales and acceptance
of payment of bills and similar matters. The office shall be open
for business at a minimum during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, and 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Saturdays.
During the term of its franchise and any renewal
thereof, the company shall make a portion of a local access/local
origination channel, also known as a Public, Educational and Governmental
(PEG) channel, available to the Township of Delanco for use as the
Township Committee may direct. At a minimum, the current usage of
the PEG channel, currently Channel 8 for Delanco oriented programming,
shall be maintained and shall not be reduced. At the time of expanded
channel capacity, as provided in this ordinance, an additional Public,
Educational and Governmental access channel shall be provided with
proportional additional time allocated on the additional channel for
Delanco oriented programming. The company shall ensure that the signals
originated on the local access/local origination channels are carried
without material degradation, as measured by signal level, carrier-to-noise
ratios or other technical standards within the control of the company,
and that the signal quality of the local access channel is equal to
that of other channels which the company transmits. Nothing herein
shall be construed to require the company to take action to improve
or enhance the quality of videotape materials provided to the company.
It is acknowledged that, to the extent that requests are not sufficient
to use the additional channel for community-based programming, then
the PEG channel can be used for other programming. In determining
the availability of the channel for other than community-based programming,
a priority shall be given during prime time hours for community-based
programming on the PEG channels.
The company shall respond to subscriber complaints
regarding quality of service, equipment malfunctions, outages and
similar matters within 24 hours following receipt of the complaint,
whether by mail, in person or by telephone, except that when a complaint
is received on a weekend or holiday, the company shall respond within
36 hours or on the next business day, whichever is earlier. Problems
within the company's control shall be promptly corrected. The company
shall make as many service calls as may be reasonably necessary in
order to resolve a complaint attributable to operation of the company's
system. The company shall make no charge for receiving, responding
to, investigating and resolving complaints, nor for any repair, maintenance
or other service to or for a subscriber arising out a complaint, except
as may be expressly authorized by the company's filed tariff.
The company shall provide semiannual reports
to the Township Committee on its routinely maintained level of service.
These reports shall, to the extent permitted by law, include a report
on all complaints, whether showing the date and time received, the
nature of the complaint, the response and disposition of the complaint
and the date and time the complaint was resolved, and the percentage
of calls completed within a specific number of hours. The reports
are considered to be proprietary and confidential and may be retained
in the Township files in a protected manner, but may not be retained
by Township Committee members. The company shall reasonably respond
to any other request for information by the Township Committee, to
the extent permitted by law.
The company shall notify the Township Clerk
of any rate increase or change in the channel mix in accordance with
the applicable OCTV regulations. (At the time of the enactment of
this ordinance, it is understood that the OCTV regulations require
five days' notice on any addition of a channel and 30 days' notice
for any deletion of a channel or for any rate increase.)
The Township shall have the maximum authority
with respect to regulation of rates permitted by law. It is acknowledged
that under current federal and state law the Township does not have
the authority to regulate rates. In the event that federal and/or
state law is amended to provide for the Township to have that authority,
then the Township shall have the maximum authority permitted by law.
The Township shall have the maximum authority
with respect to regulation of channel mix provided by the company
as is permitted by law. It is acknowledged that under current federal
and state law the Township does not have the authority to regulate
channel mix. In the event that federal and/or state law is amended
to provide for the Township to have that authority, then the Township
shall have the maximum authority permitted by law.
The company shall upgrade reception by the installation
of a fiber optic node by December 31, 1995. The company shall provide
a minimum of 60 channels throughout the franchise area not later than
September 30, 1996, in accordance with the technical standards set
forth in the application.
The company shall continue to maintain a fully
operational and equipped studio, which shall be available for use
to the public in accordance with reasonably established company policies
for its use.
Any new construction areas and any areas wherein
existing lines are to be substantially replaced shall be installed
with the cable underground and with ground level equipment comparable
to that installed in existing areas with underground cable installation.
To the extent that telephone or electric cables are above ground,
the company may place its cables above ground, following the other
utility lines.
The company shall make representatives available
to meet on a semiannual basis with the Township Committee when appropriate.
A representative of OCTV may be invited, for the purpose of reviewing
the company's performance and to review the reports to be provided
by the company.
The company shall meet with the Township Committee,
when requested to do so by the Township Committee, in order to discuss
developments in cable television technology and, where feasible, to
demonstrate the technology.
The company shall meet all FCC established requirements
for HDTV (High Density Television) or similar signal transmission
without any reduction below the minimum channel capacity established
by this ordinance.
The company shall maintain an emergency audio
override capability to permit the broadcasting of emergency messages
simultaneously on all channels. In the event of an emergency, an authorized
representative of the Township may request, and the company shall
honor such request consistent with Federal Communications Commission
regulations, to broadcast such emergency messages. The Township shall
provide the company with a list of those Township officials who shall
be authorized to request the use of the audio override capability.
The Township shall indemnify the company for any third-party claims
which may arise out of the negligent or improper use of the audio
override capability by the authorized Township representative. The
indemnification shall not extend to the use of the audio override
capability by anyone other than an authorized Township representative
and shall not extend to any claims for incidental damages, including
but not limited to lost revenue or interference with any program being
broadcast.
To secure the faithful performance by the company
of all of its obligations to the Township and its subscribers, the
company shall deliver to the Township and maintain in force throughout
the duration of its franchise a bond in the penal sum of $25,000,
conditioned on the faithful performance by the company of all of its
undertakings pursuant to its franchise, its application for municipal
consent and this ordinance. In the event that the company undertakes
any construction or reconstruction which involves opening any street,
the company shall post an additional performance bond in an amount
determined to be reasonably necessary by the Township Engineer and
approved by the Board of Public Utilities pursuant to the appropriate
regulations.
During the term of its franchise and any renewal
thereof, the company shall provide basic monthly service to one outlet
in each fire station, school, municipal building and library within
the Township without charge. Installation of all outlets beyond the
first to each fire station, school and library within the Township
shall be on a cost-plus-labor basis.
A. During the term of its franchise and any renewal thereof,
the company shall deliver to the Township and maintain in force at
its sole expense sufficient liability insurance naming the Township
of Delanco as an insured and insuring against loss by any such claim,
suit, judgment, execution or demand in the minimum amounts of:
(1)
Five hundred thousand dollars for bodily injury
or death to one person;
(2)
Two million five hundred thousand dollars for
bodily injury or death from any one accident;
(3)
One million dollars for property damage resulting
from any one accident; and
(4)
Two hundred fifty thousand dollars for all other
types of liability.
B. The company shall assure that no such policy of insurance
shall be canceled without a minimum of 10 days' notice to the Township,
or greater notice if required by regulations of the New Jersey Department
of Insurance.
A. Subject to the provisions of §
A325-30, the company shall hold and save the Township harmless from the indemnity and defend the Township against every claim, loss and liability of every kind, arising in any and every way directly or indirectly, immediately and consequentially from:
(1)
The grant or use of this municipal consent.
(2)
The construction, operation and/or maintenance
of a cable television system and/or incidental fixtures or facilities
within or without the Township.
(3)
The acquisition of, or negotiation for the acquisition
of, any interest in real estate, rights or privileges within or without
the Township.
(4)
The making, prosecuting or processing of any
application for any governmental approval, permit or license, including
all appeals.
(5)
All proceedings of every kind by or against
the company.
(6)
Any act or omission of the company of any of
its officers, directors, employees, agents, contractors, suppliers,
materialmen or affiliate companies.
(7)
The exercise or implementation, whether or not
proper or lawful, of any right or privilege expressed or implied hereunder,
by law or otherwise arising out of this municipal consent.
(8)
The company's action, inaction, franchise, operation,
maintenance, construction, installation or the like.
B. "Loss" shall include all actual legal fees and costs.
The indemnification provision herein shall not apply to any claim,
loss or liability arising solely from the act or omission of the Township,
its officers or employees.
The franchise herein granted shall be nonexclusive.
It is acknowledged that developing technology
may result in the capacity for the company to deliver television signals
to subscribers by technology other than by traditional cable systems.
The company agrees to keep the Township advised in a reasonably timely
manner of any developments which would have an impact on the franchise
herein granted. With respect to the implementation of any technological
change for the delivery of television signals which would result in
a potential reduction in the franchise fee payable to the Township,
the company agrees to give the Township 180 days' advance notice before
implementation of the technological change in the delivery system,
and, during the one-hundred-eighty-day period, to meet with the Township
to discuss the impact on the Township of the change.
Upon the expiration of the franchise term granted
by this ordinance, the company shall be entitled to apply for a renewal
of the franchise with the anticipation of the company and the Township
that any renewal request would be for a term of 10 years. It is anticipated
that the renewal would be for a term of 10 years, provided that the
Township Committee determines, after a public hearing, that the company
has substantially met operating standards required by law or by this
ordinance, the company has provided expanded service and channel capacity
as required by this ordinance, the company has continued to improve
service on a regular basis in accordance with developing technology,
and the terms of the consent granted herein continue to be adequate
and in the public interest.
Except as modified by this ordinance, all of
the statements and commitments contained in the application of Comcast
Cablevision of Burlington County, for renewal of municipal consent
filed with the Township, together with all of the statements and commitments
made by the company on the record during the municipal consent renewal
proceedings or in correspondence and other documents entered into
the record of those proceedings are hereby incorporated by reference
in this ordinance and shall be binding on the company as terms and
conditions of this consent, whether annexed hereto or not.
Should any provision of this ordinance be determined
invalid by a court or administrative tribunal of competent jurisdiction,
such determination shall not affect the remaining provisions.
This ordinance shall take effect immediately
upon final passage and publication according to law, provided that
the company shall have accepted, in writing, all of the terms and
conditions set forth herein.
[Adopted 3-1-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-3]
The municipality hereby grants to Comcast renewal of its nonexclusive
municipal consent to place in, upon, across, above, over and under
highways, streets, alleys, sidewalks, easements, public ways and public
places in the municipality, poles, wires, cables, underground conduits,
manholes and other television conductors, fixtures, apparatus and
equipment as may be necessary for the construction, operation and
maintenance in the municipality of a cable television and communications
system.
For the purpose of this ordinance, the following terms, phrases,
words and their derivations shall have the meaning given herein. Such
meaning or definition of terms is supplemental to those definitions
of the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") rules and regulations,
47 C.F.R. Subsection 76.1 et seq., and the Cable Communications Policy
Act, 47 U.S.C. Section 521 et seq., as amended, and the Cable Television
Act, N.J.S.A. 48:5A-1 et seq., and shall in no way be construed to
broaden, alter or conflict with the federal and state definitions:
ACT or CABLE TELEVISION ACT
Chapter 186 of the General Laws of New Jersey, and subsequent
amendments thereto, N.J.S.A. 48:5A-1, et seq.
APPLICATION
The company's application for renewal of municipal consent.
BASIC CABLE SERVICE
Any service tier, which includes the retransmission of local
television broadcast signals as defined by the FCC.
BOARD or BPU
The Board of Public Utilities, State of New Jersey.
COMPANY
The grantee of rights under this ordinance and is known as
Comcast of Burlington County, LLC.
[Amended 6-13-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-22]
FCC
The Federal Communications Commission.
PRIMARY SERVICE AREA or PSA
Consists of the area of the municipality currently served
with existing plant as set forth in the map annexed to the company's
application for municipal consent.
Public hearings conducted by the municipality, concerning the
renewal of municipal consent herein granted to the company were held
after proper public notice pursuant to the terms and conditions of
the Act and the regulations of the Board adopted pursuant thereto.
Said hearings, having been fully open to the public, and the municipality,
having received at said public hearings all comments regarding the
qualifications of the company to receive this renewal of Municipal
Consent, the municipality hereby finds that the company possesses
the necessary legal, technical, character, financial and other qualifications
and that the company's operating and construction arrangements
are adequate and feasible.
A. The nonexclusive municipal consent granted herein shall expire 15
years from the date of expiration of the previous certificate of approval
issued by the Board with a ten-year automatic renewal as provided
by N.J.S.A. 48:5A-19 and 25, and N.J.A.C. 14:18-13.6.
B. In the event that the municipality shall find that the company has
not substantially complied with the material terms and conditions
of this ordinance, the municipality shall have the right to petition
the OCTV, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 48:5A-47, for appropriate action, including
modification and/or termination of the certificate of approval; provided,
however, that the municipality shall first have given the company
written notice of all alleged instances of noncompliance and an opportunity
to cure same within 90 days of that notification.
Pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Act, the company
shall, during each year of operation under the consent granted herein,
pay to the municipality 2% of the gross revenues from all recurring
charges in the nature of subscription fees paid by subscribers for
cable television reception service in the municipality or any higher
amount permitted by the Act or otherwise allowable by law, whichever
is greater.
The consent granted under this ordinance to the renewal of the
franchise shall apply to the entirety of the municipality and any
property subsequently annexed hereto.
The company shall be required to proffer service to any residence
or business along any public right-of-way in the primary service area,
as set forth in the company's application. Any extension of plant
beyond the primary service area shall be governed by the company's
line extension policy, as set forth in the company's application.
A. Restoration. In the event that the company or its agents shall disturb
any pavement, street surfaces, sidewalks, driveways, or other surface
in the natural topography, the company shall, at its sole expense,
restore and replace such places or things so disturbed in as good
a condition as existed prior to the commencement of said work.
B. Relocation. If at any time during the period of this consent, the
municipality shall alter or change the grade of any street, alley
or other way or place the company, upon reasonable notice by the municipality,
shall remove, re-lay or relocate its equipment, at the expense of
the company.
C. Removal or trimming of trees. During the exercise of its rights and
privileges under this franchise, the company shall have the authority
to trim trees upon and overhanging streets, alleys, sidewalks or other
public places of the municipality so as to prevent the branches of
such trees from coming in contact with the wires and cable of the
company. Such trimming shall be only to the extent necessary to maintain
proper clearance of the company's wire and cables.
In providing services to its customers, the company shall comply
with N.J.A.C. 14:18-1 et seq. and all applicable state and federal
statutes and regulations. The company shall strive to meet or exceed
all voluntary company and industry standards in the delivery of customer
service and shall be prepared to report on it to the municipality
upon written request of the municipality Administrator or Clerk.
A. The company shall continue to comply fully with all applicable state
and federal statutes and regulations regarding credit for outages,
the reporting of same to regulatory agencies and notification of same
to customers.
B. The company shall continue to fully comply with all applicable state
and federal statutes and regulations regarding the availability of
devices for the hearing impaired and the notification of same to customers.
C. The company shall use every reasonable effort to meet or exceed voluntary
standards for telephone accessibility developed by the National Cable
Television Association (NCTA).
D. Nothing herein shall impair the right of any subscriber or the municipality
to express any comment with respect to telephone accessibility to
the Complaint Officer, or impair the right of the Complaint Officer
to take any action that is permitted under law.
The Office of Cable Television is hereby designed as the Complaint
Officer for the municipality pursuant to N.J.S.A. 48:5A-26(b). All
complaints shall be received and processed in accordance with N.J.A.C.
14:17-6.5. The municipality shall have the right to request copies
of records and reports pertaining to complaints by municipality customers
from the OCTV.
During the term of this franchise, and any renewal thereof,
the company shall maintain a business office or agent in accordance
with N.J.A.C. 14:18-5.1 for the purpose of receiving, investigating
and resolving all local complaints regarding the quality of service,
equipment malfunctions, and similar matters. Such a business office
shall have a publicly listed toll-free telephone number and be open
during standard business hours, and in no event (excepting emergent
circumstances) less than 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
During the life of the franchise, the company shall give to
the municipality a bond in the amount of $25,000. Such bond shall
be to insure the faithful performance of all undertakings of the company
as represented in its application for municipal consent incorporated
herein.
The rates of the company shall be subject to regulation as permitted
by federal and state law.
A. The company shall provide total preferred cable television service
on one outlet at no cost to each school in the municipality, public
and private, elementary, intermediate and secondary, provided the
school is within 175 feet of active cable distribution plant. Each
additional outlet installed, if any, shall be paid for on a materials
plus labor basis by the school requesting service. Monthly service
charges shall be waived on all additional outlets.
B. The company shall provide total preferred cable television service
at no cost on one outlet to the Township Municipal Building, each
police, fire, emergency management facility and public library in
the municipality, provided the facility is located within 175 feet
of active cable distribution plant. Each additional outlet installed,
if any, shall be paid for on a materials plus labor basis by the municipality.
Monthly service charges shall be waived on all additional outlets.
C. The company shall provide free basic Internet service, via high-speed
cable and modem, to one non-networked personal computer in each qualified
existing and future school in the City, public and private, elementary,
intermediate and secondary, at no charge provided the facility is
located within 175 feet of active cable distribution plant. The Internet
service shall be installed on a personal computer that is accessible
to the students and not for administrative use only.
D. The company shall provide free basic Internet access via high-speed
cable and modem on one non-networked personal computer in each qualified
existing and future public library at no charge provided the facility
is located within 175 feet of active cable distribution plant. The
Internet shall be installed on a personal computer that is accessible
to library patrons and not for administrative use only.
E. Within 12 months of receipt of a renewal certificate of approval,
the company shall provide the Township with a one-time technology
grant in the amount of $11,500 for the Township's cable and technology
related needs.
A. The company will comply with the Emergency Alert System ("EAS") rules
in accordance with applicable state and federal statutes and regulations.
B. The company shall in no way be held liable for any injury suffered
by the municipality or any other person, during an emergency, if for
any reason the municipality is unable to make full use of the cable
television system as contemplated herein.
The company shall at all times maintain a comprehensive general
liability insurance policy with a single limit amount of $1,000,000
covering liability for any death, personal injury, property damages
or other liability arising out of its construction and operation of
the cable television system, and an excess liability (or "umbrella")
policy in the amount of $5,000,000.
All of the statements and commitments contained in the application
or annexed thereto and incorporated therein, and any amendment thereto,
except as modified herein, are binding upon the company as terms and
conditions of this consent. The application and other relevant writings
submitted by the company shall be annexed hereto and made a part hereof
by reference, provided same do not conflict with applicable state
or federal law.
Should the municipality grant a franchise to construct, operate
and maintain a cable television system to any other person, corporation
or entity on terms materially less burdensome or more favorable than
the terms contained herein, the company may substitute such language
that is more favorable or less burdensome for the comparable provision
of this ordinance subject to the provisions of N.J.A.C. 14:17-6.7.
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or portion
of this ordinance is for any reason held invalid or unconstitutional
by any court or federal or state agency of competent jurisdiction,
such portion shall be deemed a separate, distinct and independent
provision, and its validity or unconstitutionality shall not affect
the validity of the remaining portions of the ordinance.
Nothing in this franchise or in any prior agreement is or was
intended to confer third-party beneficiary status on any member of
the public to enforce the terms of such agreements or franchise.
This ordinance shall take effect immediately upon issuance of
a renewal certificate of approval from the BPU.