The city reserves all rights to implement and impose regulation of a cable operator's rates and charges to the maximum extent permitted by law, and may do so by amendment to this title, by separate ordinance, by amendment to a franchise, or in any other lawful manner.
(Ord. 1402 § 1(11.04.7.1), 2001)
Rate regulation shall be performed in accordance with the rules and regulations of the FCC. The city manager may take any required steps to file complaints, toll rates, issue accounting orders or take any other steps required to comply with FCC regulations. The city council shall be responsible for issuing rate orders that establish rates or order refunds. No rate may be put into effect without the prior review and approval of the city, except as federal law may otherwise require or allow.
(Ord. 1402 § 1(11.04.7.2), 2001)
Except to the extent the city may not enforce such a requirement, a cable operator is prohibited from discriminating in its rates or charges or from granting undue preferences to any subscriber, potential subscriber, or group of subscribers or potential subscribers; provided, however, that a franchisee may offer temporary, bona fide promotional discounts in order to attract or maintain subscribers, so long as such discounts are offered on a nondiscriminatory basis to similar classes of subscribers throughout the franchise area, and a franchisee may offer discounts for the elderly or the disabled, and such other discounts as it is expressly entitled to provide under federal law, if such discounts are applied in a uniform and consistent manner. A cable operator shall comply at all times with all applicable federal, state, and city laws, and all executive and administrative orders relating to nondiscrimination.
(Ord. 1402 § 1(11.04.7.3), 2001)
A cable system operator shall not deny access or charge different rates to any group of subscribers or potential subscribers because of the income of the residents of the local area in which such group resides.
(Ord. 1402 § 1(11.04.7.4), 2001)
Each cable operator must satisfy cable customer service standards or consumer protection standards as may be set forth in its franchise. In addition, every franchise shall be deemed to include a requirement that the franchisee comply with such additional or stricter customer service standards or consumer protection laws as the city may establish from time to time by ordinance or resolution.
(Ord. 1402 § 1(11.04.7.5), 2001)
The city to the extent not prohibited by applicable law and as may be authorized from time to time by the city council may delegate to a regional authority such as the Rainier Communication Commission the authority to assist the city and to recommend and implement regulations pertaining to rate regulation and other matters pertaining to cable operators over which the city has regulatory authority.
(Ord. 1402 § 1(11.04.7.6), 2001)