[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township
of Liberty 10-6-2011 by Ord. No. 11-10.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also superseded former
Ch. A131, Cable Television, adopted 6-10-1996 by Ord. No. 93-16.
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 CFR 76.1 et seq., and the Cable Communications Policy Act, 47 U.S.C.
§ 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:
Chapter 186 of the General Laws of New Jersey, and subsequent
amendments thereto, N.J.S.A. 48:5A-1, et seq.
The company's application for renewal of municipal consent.
Any service tier which includes the retransmission of local
television broadcast signals as defined by the FCC.
The Board of Public Utilities, State of New Jersey.
The grantee of rights under this ordinance and is known as
Comcast of Northwest New Jersey, LLC.
The Federal Communications Commission.
The Office of Cable Television of the Board.
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.
Liberty Township, County of Warren, State of New Jersey.
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.
B.
The municipality may conduct reviews of Comcast's compliance
under this ordinance. Said first review shall commence on the fifth
anniversary of the granting of the renewal certificate of approval,
and a second review shall be commenced on the ninth anniversary of
the renewal COA; both such reviews shall be completed no later than
six months from the initiating dates. The municipality shall notify
Comcast and OCTV of the commencement of said reviews in writing and
shall notify Comcast and OCTV in writing within 30 days after completion
of said review. Comcast shall have the right to fully participate
and present evidence in these proceedings.
C.
In the event that the municipality shall find that the company has
not substantially complied with the material terms and conditions
of this ordinance, through the review process described in this section,
or other through other means, 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 Comcast written notice of all alleged instances of noncompliance
and an opportunity to cure the same within 90 days.
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 required 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. The company's
line extension policy, as set forth in the company's application,
shall govern any extension of plant beyond the primary service area,
except that the density threshold shall be modified to 20 homes per
mile.
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, relay 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. Except in
the case of emergency, the company shall notify the municipality of
all planned tree trimming and removal operations at least 30 days
prior to the commencement of such activity. In addition, except in
the case of emergency, the company shall not initiate tree trimming
and removal operations until the municipality has granted its consent.
The company shall endeavor to provide service and technology
to the municipality that is of the highest quality among industry
standards. The company shall therefore maintain its distribution system
and services within the municipality to provide the municipality with
the most advanced cable services that it may be providing to other
municipalities within the State of New Jersey and within system capabilities.
The aforementioned advanced services shall include but not be limited
to any technical measure which will increase, enhance and or improve
reliability, bandwidth, throughput, and access or any other measure
including improvements to equipment, cabling, cabling conversion to
fiber optic (or other advanced transmission source) software, or any
other accessory that otherwise results in enhancements to the service
provided by company to its customers.
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 statues 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 continue to provide residents with a system-wide
public access channel maintained by the company. Qualified individuals
and organizations may utilize public access for the purpose of cablecasting
noncommercial access programming in conformance with the company's
published public access rules.
B.
The company shall continue to provide a system-wide leased access
channel maintained by the company for the purpose of cablecasting
commercial access programming in conformance with the company's
guideline and applicable state and federal statutes and regulations.
C.
The company shall take any steps that are necessary to ensure that
the signals originated on the access channels are carried without
material degradation, and with a signal whose quality is equal to
that of the other standard channels that the company transmits.
A.
The company shall provide standard installation and basic 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 200 feet of active cable distribution plant.
Each additional outlet installed, if any, shall be paid for on a materials
and equipment, plus labor, basis by the school requesting service.
Monthly service charges shall be waived on all additional outlets.
B.
The company shall provide standard installation and basic cable television
service at no cost on one outlet to each police, fire, emergency management
facility and public library in the municipality, provided the facility
is located within 200 feet of active cable distribution plant. Each
additional outlet installed, if any, shall be paid for on a materials
and equipment, plus labor basis by the municipality. Monthly service
charges shall be waived on all additional outlets.
C.
The company shall provide one free nonnetworked internet connection
and service via high speed cable modem in the Township municipal building,
in the Township's Fire Department headquarters facility, the
public library and all elementary, middle and secondary schools provided
each facility is within 200 feet of active cable distribution plant.
School and library connections must be accessible for student/patron
use and cannot be restricted to administrative use.
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.
A.
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.
B.
The municipality shall be named as an additional insured under the
aforesaid policies with it being agreed that the company shall indemnify
and hold the municipality harmless from any all liability that may
arise as a result of the action, inactions or activities of the company
within the municipality.
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.
