[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Addison 9-19-2002 by Ord. No.
02-09. Amendments noted where applicable.]
There is hereby granted by the Town of Addison and assigned
a nonexclusive franchise to Charter Cable Partners, LLC, d/b/a Charter
Communications, hereinafter referred to as the "franchisee," to operate
and maintain a cable system for a period of 15 years.
For the purposes of this ordinance, the following terms, phrases,
words and their derivations shall have the meanings given herein.
The word "shall" is always mandatory and not merely directory.
Those revenues derived from the supplying of regular broadcast
basic and expanded basic, formerly referred to as "basic service."
The governing body of the Town of Addison.
The authorization to operate a cable television system, including
all mutual rights, duties and obligations of the franchisee and the
Town as contained in this ordinance.
Charter Cable Partners, LLC, d/b/a Charter Communications,
its successor or any affiliated company in accordance with the provisions
of this ordinance.
Those antennas, cables, wires, lines, towers, waveguides,
or other conductors, converters, equipment or facilities designed
and constructed within the Town for the purpose of producing, providing,
receiving, transmitting, amplifying and distributing, audio, video
and other forms of electronics or directional duplex signals.
Town of Addison.
A.Â
Franchisee shall be given the right and privilege to construct, erect,
operate, and maintain in, upon, along, across, above, over, and under
the streets, alleys, and public ways now laid out or dedicated and
in compatible easements, and all extensions thereof and additions
thereto, in the Town poles, wires, cables, underground conduits, manholes,
and other equipment and fixtures necessary for the maintenance and
operation of a cable system.
B.Â
Franchisee shall raise or lower wires or equipment upon the reasonable
request of any third person, including any person holding a building
permit. Expenses associated with raising and lowering the wires or
equipment shall be paid by the person requesting the same (except
in cases where franchisee is required to bear the costs under other
provisions of this franchise), and the franchisee may require advance
payment. Franchisee shall be entitled to require that it be given
up to 10 days' advance notice by the person requesting the movement.
Franchisee shall, at all times during the life of this franchise,
be subject, when not inconsistent with this franchise, to all lawful
exercise of the police power by the Town and to such reasonable regulation
as the Town shall hereafter provide.
A.Â
Franchisee shall comply with all applicable rules and regulations
of the Federal Communications Commission.
B.Â
Copies of all petitions, applications and communications submitted
by the franchisee to the Federal Communications Commission, Securities
and Exchange Commission, or any other federal or state regulatory
commission or agency having jurisdiction in respect of any matters
directly affecting cable system operations authorized pursuant to
the franchise shall be submitted to the Board upon request.
Construction and maintenance of the transmission and distribution
system, including house connections, shall be in accordance with the
provisions of the National Electrical Safety Code of the National
Board of Fire Underwriters and such safety codes as now exist or which
may be established in the future. In the event of a conflict among
safety codes, the strictest standard shall apply.
A.Â
In the event that the Town grants one or more franchise(s) or similar
authorization(s) for the construction, operation and maintenance of
any communication facility which shall offer services substantially
equivalent to services offered by the franchisee, it shall not make
the grant on more favorable or less burdensome terms. If franchisee
finds that the agreement(s) granting said other franchise(s) contains
provisions imposing lesser obligations on the company(ies) thereof
than are imposed by the provisions of this franchise, franchisee may
petition the Town for a modification of this franchise. The franchisee
shall be entitled, with respect to said lesser obligations, to such
modification(s) of this franchise as may be determined to be necessary
to ensure fair and equal treatment by this franchise and said other
agreements.
B.Â
In the event that a nonfranchise multichannel video programming distributor
provides service to the residents of the Town, the franchisee shall
have a right to request franchise amendments that relieve the franchisee
of regulatory burdens that create a competitive disadvantage to the
franchisee. In requesting amendments, the franchisee shall file a
petition seeking to amend the franchise. Such petitions shall:
(1)Â
Indicate the presence of a non-franchised competitor(s).
(2)Â
Identify the basis for franchisee's belief that certain provisions
of the franchise place franchisee at a competitive disadvantage.
(3)Â
Identify the regulatory burdens to be remanded or repealed in order
to eliminate the competitive disadvantage.
C.Â
The Town shall not unreasonably withhold granting the franchisee's
petition and so amending the franchise.
No cable system shall be allowed to occupy or use the streets
or public right-of-way of the Town or be allowed to operate without
a cable system franchise.
A.Â
Franchise shall include the entire area of the Town.
B.Â
Franchisee's distribution system shall be capable of providing
service to all potential subscribers requesting service within the
limits of the Town and shall extend its distribution system to serve
additional subscribers in any unserved areas of the Town as of the
effective date of this ordinance whenever the number of unserviced
homes passed by such extension would exceed 40 homes per mile, provided
that such extensions are technically and economically feasible to
the franchisee.[1]
C.Â
Where the length of a drop cable required to serve an individual
resident would exceed 150 feet, the subscriber served by such a drop
cable shall pay the cost of installing a feeder cable to a point where
the subscriber will receive a signal without degradation of picture
quality or reliability.
A.Â
The franchisee shall comply with applicable federal, state and local
laws for the protection of privacy of cable subscribers.
B.Â
The franchisee-shall render efficient repair service and interrupt
service only for good cause and for the shortest time possible. A
toll-free telephone number shall be maintained so that complaints
and repair requests may be received by franchisee at any time. All
non-emergency service requests and complaints shall be responded to
within five days of receipt. All emergencies and/or system outages
will be responded to within 24 hours.
C.Â
The franchisee shall give the Town 30 days' prior notice of any rate
increases or channel lineup or other substantive service changes.
D.Â
The franchisee shall by appropriate means, as subscribers are connected
or reconnected to the system, furnish information concerning the procedures
for making inquiries and/or complaints, including the name, address
and toll-free telephone number of the franchisee.
E.Â
The equipment installed by the franchisee in the subscriber's
home shall remain the property of the franchisee and shall be subject
to reasonable inspection and service by the franchisee at reasonable
hours and removal upon nonpayment or termination of the service.
A.Â
Franchisee shall provide and maintain one free connection of basic
and expanded basic cable service to the Town Hall, library, fire stations,
and to all public and parochial primary and secondary schools located
in the Town. The cost of any internal wiring shall be borne by the
institution.
B.Â
Such connections shall be provided at such times as service can be
provided from the franchisee's existing distribution plant. If
a distribution plant extension of the system is required which imposes
an undue economic hardship, the franchisee shall have the right to
petition the Town for relief from the service commitments of this
section. Service shall be provided to newly constructed Town facilities
under the same terms and conditions and as soon as practical, but
in no event later than two years from the date of occupancy.
A.Â
Franchisee shall pay to the Town for the privilege of operating a
cable system under this franchise 3% of its gross subscriber receipts
from broadcast and expanded basic service only, in accordance with
the Cable Act. Such percentage shall be payable to the Town on an
annual basis due no later than 90 days following the end of the period.
B.Â
Town shall have the right to inspect for up to three previous years
the franchisee's records showing its gross subscriber receipts
for all services from which its contracted payouts are computed. No
acceptance of any payout by the Town shall be construed as a release
of or an accord or satisfaction of any claim the Town might have for
further or additional sums payable under the terms of this franchise.
A.Â
Franchisee shall endeavor to obtain rights to use facilities belonging
to other franchise holders within the Town. Approval of the assignment
of such rights to the franchisee by such other franchise holders is
hereby expressly given by the Town, it being the intention of the
Town that the franchisee will utilize public utility facilities where
feasible.
B.Â
All transmission and distribution structures, lines, and equipment
erected by the franchisee within the Town shall be located so as not
to interfere with the proper use of streets, alleys, and other public
ways and places, and to cause minimum interference with the rights
or reasonable convenience of property owners who adjoin any of the
said streets, alleys, or other public ways and places, and not to
interfere with existing public utility installation.
C.Â
If the franchisee disturbs any pavements, sidewalks, driveways or
other surfacing, it shall, at its own expense, and in the manner provided
by the Town, replace and restore all such pavings, sidewalks, driveways
or other surfaces of any streets or alleys thus disturbed.
D.Â
If at any time during the period of this franchise the Town shall
lawfully elect to alter or change the grade or location of any street,
alley or other public way, the franchisee shall, upon reasonable notice
by the Town, remove and relocate its poles, wires, cables, underground
conduits, manholes, and other fixtures at its own expense, and in
each instance comply with the requirements of the Town.[1]
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Workers' Compensation
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Statutory Limits
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|---|---|
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Commercial general liability
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$1,000,000 per occurrence, combined single liability (CSL)
$2,000,000 general aggregate
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Auto liability including coverage on all owned, nonowned and
hired autos
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$1,000,000 per occurrence CSL
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Umbrella liability
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$1,000,000 per occurrence CSL
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Any notices to be sent to the parties hereto shall be sent to
the following addresses, unless either party notifies the other in
writing of another address:
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Town of Addison
Attn: Town Clerk
P.O. Box 481
Allenton, WI 53002
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Charter Communications
Attn: Vice President of Government Relations
12405 Powerscourt Drive
St. Louis, MO 63131-3674
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and
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Charter Communications
Attn: Vice President of Operations
P.O. Box 1197
Fond du Lac, WI 54936-1197
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This franchise and the rights, privileges and authority hereby
granted shall take effect and be in force after the final passage
hereof and upon filing of acceptance by the franchisee and shall continue
in force and effect for a term of 15 years.
In the case of any emergency or disaster, the franchisee shall,
upon request of the Town, make available its facilities for emergency
use during the emergency or disaster.
The Town shall have access to records and other like materials
of the franchisee upon reasonable prior notice as mutually agreed
upon by the Town and franchisee.
A.Â
In addition to all other rights and powers pertaining to the Town
by virtue of this franchise or otherwise, the Town reserves the right
to terminate and cancel this franchise and all rights and privileges
of the franchisee hereunder in the event that the franchisee:
B.Â
Such termination and cancellation shall be by ordinance duly adopted
after 30 days' written notice to the franchisee and shall in no way
affect any of the Town's rights under this franchise or any provisions
of law. In the event that such termination and cancellation depend
upon a finding of fact, such finding of fact shall be made by the
Board or its representative. Before this franchise may be terminated
and canceled under this section, the franchisee must be provided with
an opportunity to be heard before the Board and an opportunity to
cure any condition leading to termination or cancellation. If the
franchisee has corrected the condition leading to termination or cancellation
within the 30 days' written notice of termination or cancellation,
or, if such correction requires more than 30 days, has begun to correct
any such condition, this franchise shall remain in effect.
C.Â
Prevention or delay of any performance under the franchise due to
circumstances beyond the control of franchisee or Town, including
but not limited to natural disaster, employee strikes or war, shall
not be deemed noncompliance with or a violation of this franchise.
Franchisee shall comply at all times with applicable federal,
state and local laws and all executive and administrative orders relating
to nondiscrimination and equal employment opportunity.
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion
of this agreement is for any reason held invalid, unconstitutional
or unenforceable, such portion shall be deemed a separate, distinct
and independent provision and such holding shall not effect the validity
of the remaining portions hereof.
This agreement sets forth the entire agreement between the parties
respecting the subject matter hereof. All agreements, covenants, representations
and warranties, express and implied, oral and written, of the parties
with regard to the subject matter hereof are contained herein. No
other agreements, covenants, representations and warranties, express
or implied, oral or written, have been made by any party to another
with respect to the matter of this agreement. All prior and contemporaneous
conversations, negotiations, possible and alleged agreements, representations,
covenants and warranties with respect to the subject matter hereof
are waived, merged herein and therein and superseded hereby and thereby.
This is an integrated agreement.
To the extent that federal or state law or regulation may now,
or as the same may hereafter be amended to, authorize the Town to
regulate the rates for any particular service tiers, service packages,
equipment, or any other services provided by the franchisee, the Town
shall have the right to exercise rate regulation to the full extent
authorized by law, or to refrain from exercising such regulation for
any period of time, at the sole discretion of the Town. If and when
exercising rate regulation, the Town shall abide by the terms and
conditions set forth by the FCC.
