[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council
of the Borough of Wharton (Ch. XIII of the Revised General Ordinances).
Amendments noted where applicable.]
This ordinance shall be known and may be cited
as the "Sammons Communications of New Jersey, Inc. Franchise Ordinance."
For the purpose of this ordinance, the following
terms, phrases, words and their derivations shall have the meanings
given herein. Such meaning or definition of terms shall be interpreted
consistent with the definitions of the Federal Communications Commission,
FCC Rules and Regulations, 47 CFR 76.1 et seq., and the Cable Communications
Policy Act, 47 CFR 521 et seq., as amended, and shall in no way be
construed to broaden, alter or conflict with the federal or state
definitions.
The application of Sammons Communications of New Jersey,
Inc. and addenda thereto, which application and addenda are on file
in the office of the Borough Clerk and are incorporated herein by
reference and made a part hereof, except as modified, changed, limited
or altered by this ordinance.
The Board of Public Utilities of the State of New Jersey.
The municipality of the Borough of Wharton in the County
of Morris in the State of New Jersey.
The commitments, terms and undertakings on the part of Sammons
set forth in this ordinance.
The grantee of rights under this ordinance and is known as
Sammons Communications of New Jersey, Inc.
That federal statute relating to cable communications commonly
known as the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984, 47 U.S.C. § 521
et seq., or as that statute may be amended.
Those federal regulations relating to cable television service,
47 CFR 76.1 et seq. (and, to the extent applicable, any other federal
rules and regulations relating to cable television, including, but
not limited to those described in 47 CFR 76.3), or as such regulations
may be amended.
Chapter 186 of the General Laws of New Jersey, 1972, and
subsequent amendments thereto, N.J.S.A. 48:5A-1 et seq.
Those regulations of the State of New Jersey, Board of Public
Utilities relating to cable television, N.J.A.C. 14:17-1.1 et seq.,
and N.J.A.C. 14:18-1.1 et seq., or as such regulations may be amended.
A.
The municipality hereby grants to the company its
nonexclusive consent to place in, upon, along, across, above, over
and under the highways, streets, alleys, sidewalks, public ways and
public places in the municipality poles, wires, cables, underground
conduits, manholes and other television conductors and fixtures necessary
for the maintenance and operation in the municipality of a cable television
system and cable communications system. Any of the work noted above
shall be done in accordance with those standards promulgated by the
New Jersey Office of Cable Television and pursuant to those Borough
ordinances and regulations governing road openings. The company will
be required to make application to the Borough for road opening permits;
however, the company will be relieved of any requirement to pay the
requisite fees for such permits. In the event of an emergency, the
Administrator/Clerk or her agent may waive the application process.
B.
The municipality's consent to the renewal of the franchise
is subject to the terms and conditions of this ordinance and the company's
acceptance of the provisions of this ordinance and its written confirmation
that it will comply with all of the commitments.
A public hearing regarding the company's consent
application was held on November 13,1995, after proper public notice.
The hearing was fully open to the public, and the Borough received
at the hearing and for a period of 30 days thereafter all comments
regarding the qualifications of the company to receive municipal consent.
Pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the company
possesses the necessary legal, technical, character, financial and
other qualifications to support municipal consent, and the company's
operating and construction arrangements are adequate and feasible.
The consent herein granted shall be nonexclusive
and shall expire 15 years from the date of the expiration of the current
certificate of approval as issued by the Board of Public Utilities.
If the company seeks a successive consent, it
shall, prior to the expiration of this consent, apply for a municipal
consent and certificate of approval in accordance with the Cable Television
Act, N.J.S.A. 48:5A-11 and 48:54-16 and applicable state and federal
rules and regulations. The company shall also petition the Board for
a certificate of approval authorizing continued operation during the
period following expiration of the consent granted herein and until
such a time that a decision is made by the municipal governing body
relative to the renewal of said consent.
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 Borough 2% of the gross revenues from all
recurring charges in the nature of subscription fees paid by subscribers
to its cable television reception service in the Borough, or any greater
amount permitted by the New Jersey Cable Television Act or otherwise
allowed by law immediately upon the effective date thereof. The fee
shall be paid on or before January 25 of each year, and at the same
time the company shall file with the Chief Financial Officer of the
municipality a verified statement showing the gross receipts upon
which payment is based.
The company shall be required to proffer service
along any public right-of-way to any person's residence or business
located in those areas of the franchise territory described herein,
in accordance with the proposal for the provision of service as described
in the application. Additionally, the company shall pre-wire, at the
company's expense, the proposed senior citizen housing, provided that
the municipality give at least 30 days' written notice to the company
prior to interior walls being closed so as to permit such pre-wiring.
Such wiring of the facility shall include any internal wiring necessary
to allow the residents of the facility to view the front entrance
door via a camera provided by the center on the cable television system
throughout the facility. The entrance door shall be able to be viewed
on a channel designated by the senior citizen housing corporation.
Such will be accomplished by trapping a channel designated by the
senior citizen housing corporation. In no event shall the company
be required to dedicated an unused channel for such use. The municipality
shall also contact the company, in writing, during the planning phase
of the above-mentioned project so as to enable the company to make
arrangements to serve the facility.
A.
In the event that the company or its agents shall
disturb any pavement, street, surfaces, sidewalks, driveways or other
surfaces in the natural topography, the company shall, at its sole
expense, restore and replace such places or things so disturbed in
as good condition as existed prior to the commencement of said work.
B.
If at any time during the period of this consent the
Borough shall alter or change the grade of any street, alley or other
way or place, the company, upon reasonable notice by the Borough,
shall remove, re-lay and relocate its equipment, at the expense of
the company. However, to the extent any utility company is reimbursed
for the relocation of its facilities, the company shall also be reimbursed
for its expenses.
C.
The company shall temporarily move or remove appropriate
parts of its facilities to allow moving of buildings, machinery or
in other similar circumstances. The expense for the movement or removal
of such facilities shall be borne by the party requesting such action
except when requested by the Borough, in which case the company shall
bear the cost.
D.
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 and public places
of the Borough so as to prevent, but only to prevent, the branches
of such trees from coming in contact with the wires and cables of
the company. Such trimming shall be only to the extent necessary to
maintain proper clearance for the company's facilities.
The company shall provide installation to each
person's residence or business within the Borough based on the price
schedule set forth in the application, which may be amended from time
to time.
The consent granted herein to the company shall
apply to the entirety of the Borough and any property hereafter annexed
hereto.
During the term of this franchise, and any renewal
thereof, the company shall maintain a local business office or agency
for the purpose of receiving, investigating and resolving all complaints
regarding the quality of service, equipment malfunctions and similar
matters. The local business office need not be located within the
Borough, but rather within a reasonable distance thereof affording
convenient accessibility to Borough subscribers. Such local business
office shall be open during normal business hours, and in no event
less than 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. In addition,
the company shall ensure that its telephone hours for its service
departments are maintained from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Monday through
Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Further, in accord
with N.J.A.C. 14:18-3.6, company representatives shall be available
24 hours a day to respond to outages and other emergent situations.
In addition, telephone response for such purpose will be provided
by the company's personnel, representative or agent 24 hours a day.
A.
Facilities and equipment.
(1)
Transmissions.
(a)
In transmitting its television signals to subscribers
in the Borough the company shall provide a quality of signal that
is at least as good as that customarily provided under prevailing
industry standards.
(b)
The company shall comply with any requirements
imposed by the Federal Regulations and (to the extent not preempted
by federal law) state regulations relating to technical standards
for the transmission of television signals, transmission quality,
or facilities and equipment.
(2)
As soon as practicable after any source of television
programming or signals ("programming source") carried by the company
commences the transmission of at least 50% of its programming day
utilizing an MTS (stereo) signal, the company shall, unless compelling
reasons dictate otherwise, complete any necessary steps to effect
its retransmission of such programming service with an MTS signal.
However, the company shall not be required to effectuate such retransmission
as to more than three channels during each year of the renewal term.
(3)
The company shall cause construction plans relating
to work on major extensions of the company plant or work which could
have a significant impact on public works within the Borough to be
filed with the Borough Clerk. Nothing herein shall create any rights
or obligations with respect to any construction work of the Borough
or otherwise undermine the regulatory authority of the OCTV or the
Board.
B.
Customer service.
(1)
Telephone accessibility.
(a)
In order to maintain its level of telephone
accessibility for calls relating to maintenance and repairs ("service"),
installation, addition, or deletion of programming services, and other
customer inquiries ("business"), the company shall do the following:
[1]
The company shall comply with any and all properly
adopted rules or regulations of the OCTV or federal regulatory bodies
insofar as they apply to telephone accessibility.
[2]
The company shall meet with the Borough or its
authorized representatives at the Borough's written request on an
annual basis and as otherwise reasonably requested to discuss the
company's customer service, including telephone accessibility to Borough
subscribers. Such meetings shall be held at the request of the Borough
upon reasonable written notice to the company.
(b)
Nothing herein shall impair the right of any subscriber of the Borough to express any comment or complaint with respect to telephone accessibility to the Complaint Officer (as designated in § A390-13 hereof) or impair the right of the Complaint Officer to take any action which is appropriate under law.
(2)
The company shall maintain a telephone number by which subscribers wishing to communicate with the company by day or evening for any reason can reach it by a toll-free telephone call, and as to which the provisions of the preceding § A390-14B(1) shall apply.
(a)
The toll-free number shall be published in every
monthly bill; and
(b)
In the event of major technical changeovers
of converter equipment affecting the majority of subscribers, where
such changeover of equipment is necessary for such subscribers to
maintain their current level of service, the company shall exchange
such equipment for the subscriber at the local office (and to the
extent necessary, at night and on Saturday) at no cost to the subscriber
other than the usual charges relating to the rental of such converter
equipment.
(3)
Before sending out any questionnaire which will
go exclusively to subscribers in the Borough, which questionnaire
concerns subscribers in the Borough with respect to subscriber experiences,
preferences or views, the company shall provide the Borough or its
designee a reasonable opportunity to suggest revisions or matters
for inclusion. The company shall provide the Borough or its designee
with access to the questionnaire and any summaries or compilations
or such responses permitted within the subscriber privacy provisions
of federal law.
(4)
The company shall provide by means which are
reasonable in quantity and quality information informing subscribers
and potential subscribers to the most efficient procedures and telephone
numbers for requesting installation, repairs and the addition or deletion
of services, of addressing billing problems, and for reporting comments
or complaints.
(5)
The company shall credit the accounts of company
subscribers affected by service outages pursuant to N.J.A.C. 14:18-3.5,
any and all properly adopted rules or regulations of the OCTV or applicable
state or federal statutes, except that the company may, at its option,
elect to credit customer accounts after outages or interruptions of
services lasting only four hours.
C.
Locally originated programming.
(1)
The company shall continue to make a available
two channels for purposes such as public, educational and government
(PEG) use, as set forth in the application, to the Borough. The company
shall be deemed to have satisfied such obligation if those two PEG
channels are shared by the Borough with other municipalities. Subject
only to: (i) the requirements of law; (ii) any company requirements
that PEG programming be of a noncommercial nature; and (iii) any need
for the sharing municipalities to cooperate in programming origination,
the municipality shall have full direction and flexibility with respect
to program content in its use of the PEG channels, provided all such
programming shall comply with applicable statutes, rules and regulations.
It shall be understood that views expressed on PEG channels shall
not be deemed to be the views of the company, and it shall not be
responsible for the content of PEG programming or for views expressed
on programming produced.
(2)
The company shall take any steps which are reasonably
necessary to ensure that the signals transmitted on the PEG channels
are carried without material degradation and that, to the extent the
PEG channels' programming is originated with a signal whose quality
meets accepted industry standards, it is equal to that of other channels
the company transmits.
(3)
The company will produce, at its expense and
upon the request of the Borough, at least two programs on an annual
basis for the Borough, provided the company is given at least 30 days'
written notice. Such programs shall be aired on the local access channel.
The Borough Administrator shall act as the contact person between
the Borough and company with respect to such matters. Borough residents
who want the company to produce a program must present their ideas
to the Borough Administrator, who will notify and seek approval of
the company. If, however, the company has already produced programs
similar to those requested by the Borough, those programs already
produced shall count towards the program production requirements of
this section. Similarly, if the company has already promoted the Borough
by way of two programs previously produced by the company during the
year, they shall also be counted towards the company's requirement
under this paragraph. The Borough Administrator must approve, in writing,
any program the company wants to count towards its obligation under
this paragraph.
(4)
Subject to the provisions herein and under supervision,
if required, the company shall loan to the Borough for PEG broadcasts
videotapes of programming relating to the Borough or matters of particular
interest to the Borough (including, but not limited to, interviews
with Borough officials and sporting events involving Borough teams)
which are in the company's possession or control, and which have been
previously shown on the company channel or such other channel the
company uses for its own originated programming, providing that the
company may withhold such videotapes on reasonable grounds, including,
but not limited to, the rights of copyright holders or its other commitments
with respect to such programming.
D.
Compliance with law. Notwithstanding any specific
mention of applicable federal or state statutes or regulations above,
the company shall comply with all of the requirements of the federal
act, the federal regulations, the state act and state regulations
(to the extent not preempted) and any other valid statute, regulation
or rule, specifically including, but without limitation, those relating
to equal employment opportunity.
A.
The Borough will not regulate the rates the company
may charge subscribers for its service, provided that, in the event
the federal act and other applicable law hereafter is amended to permit
the exercise of regulatory power over rates by municipalities, the
Borough reserves the right to exercise the maximum power permitted
by law.
B.
The company shall implement a senior citizens' rate
discount as described in its pre-published price schedule and as approved
by the Board to any person 62 years of age or older who subscribes
to cable services and does not share the subscription with more than
one other person in the same household who is less than 62 years of
age. Such subscribers must meet the income and residence requirements
of the Pharmaceutical Assistance to Aged and Disabled Program pursuant
to N.J.S.A. 30:4D-21 and N.J.A.C. 10:69A-1.1 (eligibility).
Although nothing herein shall require the company
to carry or transmit any particular television stations or programming
source, the company shall provide the subscribers in the Borough with
at least the same broad categories of programming in approximately
the same quantity as are now provided and which appear in the application.
The company shall provide the standard installation
of at least one outlet and Lifeline and first tier level of monthly
service to each school, library, municipally owned facility and firehouse
or first aid squad located in the Borough free of charge. Each additional
outlet installation fee shall be paid for by the institution on a
materials-plus-labor basis, except that the company shall provide
four outlets free of charge at the Borough Municipal Building. Monthly
service on all other such additional outlets shall be charged at the
regular tariffed rates for additional outlets. The company shall not
be required to extend its lines to unserviced areas of the Borough
in order to provide service to those facilities listed above.
Unless otherwise provided by law, in the event
that a predominant number of the municipalities within the company's
service area agree to participate in an emergency use system, the
company shall be required to have the capability at the head end to
override the audio portion of the system in order to permit the broadcasting
of emergency messages by the Borough. The Borough shall provide such
facilities or, if such facilities are provided by the company, it
shall be the responsibility of the Borough to pay for their use. The
company shall in no way be held liable for any injury suffered by
the Borough or any other person during an emergency if for any reason
the Borough is unable to make full use of the cable television system
as contemplated herein. The company and the participating municipalities
shall also establish reasonable procedures for such uses.
A.
Subject to the provision of § A390-18 herein, the company shall indemnify, protect and save the Borough harmless from and against losses and physical damages to property, including those properties owned or under the control of the Borough, and bodily injury or death of person, including payments made under any workmen's compensation law, which may arise out of or be caused by the company's negligence in the construction, location, installation, operation, erection, maintenance, presence, repair, replacement, removal or use of the cable television system within the Borough contemplated by this franchise or by any act or omission of the company, its agents or employees.
B.
The company shall maintain, at all times during the
term of the franchise liability insurance naming the Borough as an
named insured and providing insurance coverage against all claims,
demands, actions, judgments, costs, expenses and liabilities which
may arise or result, directly or indirectly, from or by reason of
any loss, injury or damage related to the company's operation of its
cable television system. The amounts of such insurance against liability
due to physical damages to property or bodily injury or death to any
one person shall not be less than $1,000,000 and not less than $1,000,000
to any one accident and excess liability (or "umbrella") policy in
the amount of $5,000,000.
C.
The company shall also carry such insurance as it
deems necessary to protect it from all claims under the workmen's
compensation laws in effect that may be applicable to the franchise.
D.
All insurance required by this ordinance shall be
and remain in full force and effect for the entire life of this franchise.
A certificate of insurance with the above-mentioned limits of liability
must be submitted to the Borough to review. Said policy or policies
of insurance or certificate of insurance shall be deposited with and
kept on file by the Borough Clerk, and the Borough shall be a named
insured on said policies. The insurer shall notify the Borough at
least 30 days prior of its intention to cancel any policy. The insurer
further shall certify to the Borough the fact of renewal of every
such insurance policy at least 15 days prior to the expiration date.
To insure its faithful performance of its obligations
under a renewal of the franchise during the renewal term, the company
shall provide a performance bond in the sum of $25,000. Such bond
shall specifically secure the faithful performance of all undertakings
of the company as represented in the application and in the commitments.
The Borough reserves the right by resolution to require a reasonable
increase in the amount of said bond, subject to review by the OCTV
and approval by the Board.
All of the statement and commitments contained
in the application and any amendment thereto submitted, in writing,
by the company to the Borough, except as modified herein, are binding
upon the company as terms and conditions of this consent. The application
and any other relevant writings submitted by the company shall be
annexed hereto and made a part hereof by reference.
The company shall be bound by the terms and
provisions of its ordinance irrespective of the number of subscribers
to its system.
