The City of Laconia hereby adopts the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) Basic Service and Equipment Rate Regulations Promulgated
Pursuant to the Cable Act of 1992, and further provides that:
A. Upon certification of the City by the FCC to regulate rates for basic
service and equipment, the City Council, as franchising authority,
shall notify all cable operators providing service within the City
of said certification and shall direct each cable operator to file
with the franchising authority its current schedule of rates and supporting
FCC forms and work sheets for basic service and equipment.
B. The cable operator(s) shall file all such schedules and supporting documents within 30 days after receiving the notice referred to in Subsection
A above. The filing date for all such rate-related materials shall be the date of actual receipt by the franchising authority.
C. If a cable operator elects to use a cost-of-service showing, the
operator shall submit cost-of-service accounts in detail sufficient
to support such a showing.
D. Each cable operator shall submit such number and form of copies as
the franchising authority shall determine in its notice to the cable
operator.
E. Upon receipt of any rate schedule referenced in Subsection
A above or of any rate schedule proposing any change in such rates, the franchising authority shall schedule, give public notice and give notice to the cable operator of a period during which the franchising authority will receive written comments from the public and the cable operator on the reasonableness of the cable operator's rates.
F. At its discretion, the franchising authority may also schedule and
preside at a public hearing for the receipt of oral comments. If such
a public hearing is scheduled, the franchising authority shall give
notice of such hearing to the cable operator and the general public.
The public hearing for oral comments normally shall be held and the
period for written comments normally shall close within 30 days after
the franchising authority's receipt of the cable operator's
written rate filing.
G. The franchising authority shall review the rate filing and comments
received and shall make an evaluation of said rates within 30 days
of receipt of said rate filing; however, if the franchising authority
determines that the initial thirty-day period is insufficient to review
and evaluate the filing, the franchising authority shall extend the
period for such review and evaluation as permitted by the FCC's
regulations and notify the cable operator of such fact during the
initial thirty-day period.
H. The franchising authority shall send a copy of its written evaluation
and decision to the cable operator within the time frame permitted
by federal law.
This chapter, in addition to having the binding effect of a
municipal ordinance, shall function for all purposes as a regulation
and thereby meet the requirements of 47 CFR 76.910(b)(1) (franchising
authority certification).
Pursuant to the FCC's regulations, the franchising authority will ensure that a copy of this chapter (these regulations) is/are forwarded to the cable operator, with a request that the rate filing be submitted to the City, pursuant to §
125-1A above.