[HISTORY: Adopted by the Council of the Town of Mount Airy 2-7-1983
by Ord. No. 83-130. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Ethics — See Ch. 13.
There is hereby established the Mount Airy Community Public Cable Television
Commission. The Commission shall consist of five members to be appointed by
the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Council. The original appointment
shall be made in such manner that the term of one member shall expire on July
1, 1984, the term of another is to expire on July 1, 1985, the term of another
is to expire on July 1, 1986, the term of another is to expire on July 1,
1987, and the term of the remaining member is to expire on July 1, 1988. Their
successors shall be appointed for terms of five years from the date of expiration
of their respective terms of office, except that any person appointed to fill
a vacancy shall serve only for the unexpired term and any member of the Commission
shall be eligible for reappointment.
The Mayor shall name one member, so appointed, as Chairman of the Commission
and shall name from time to time all successor Chairmen of the Commission
as vacancies in that office occur. Three members of the Commission shall constitute
a quorum. The members of the Commission shall not be entitled to compensation
for their services but may be reimbursed for actual expenses necessarily incurred
in the performance of their duties, provided that funds for such reimbursement
shall have been authorized in the budget of the Town. The Mayor and President
of the Council shall serve as nonvoting ex officio members of the Commission,
shall be entitled to be present at all Commission meetings and to participate
in its deliberations.
A.
The Commission is created for the purpose of studying
the feasibility of granting cable television franchise or franchises to serve
the community of the Town of Mount Airy, to prepare and submit to the Council
of the Town of Mount Airy for its approval or disapproval recommendations
for the adoption of regulations and amendments thereto as hereafter set forth,
to prepare and submit to the Council of the Town of Mount Airy for its approval
or disapproval procedures for the oversight of the operation of any community
cable television system and to perform such studies and make such reports
to the Council as it may deem expedient, or as the Council may request, relating
generally to the subject of cable television systems.
B.
The Commission is hereby granted and shall have and may
exercise all powers necessary or convenient for carrying out the aforesaid
general purposes, including but without limiting the generality of the aforegoing,
the following rights and powers:
(1)
To prepare regulations governing the award by the Town
of a cable television franchise or franchises, together with regulations covering
the operation and oversight of the operation of any such franchise or franchises.
(2)
Following approval and adoption of such regulations as
hereafter set forth, to solicit bids for the award of a cable television franchise
or franchises.
(3)
To recommend, following receipt of such bids, to the
Council the award of such a franchise or franchises based upon the following
factors as related to bidders: their relative financial strength, technical
competence, accessibility to management, time provided for installation, proposals
as to the duration of the length of the franchise, renegotiations proposals,
proposed rates and charges, installation methods, general qualifications to
render proper and efficient cable television service to viewers and subscribers
within the Town, proposals for methods of resolving subscriber complaints
and such other factors as the Commission may consider desirable and in the
public interest. Such recommendations shall be advisory only and no award
of a franchise shall be made except by resolution of the Council.
(4)
Subject to budget authorization and with the approval
of the Mayor, to contract for such technical advice, assistance and services
as the Commission may require.
(5)
To perform such other duties as may be requested of it
from time to time by resolution of the Council or by written request of the
Mayor.
C.
Before any regulations shall be submitted by the Commission to
the Council for adoption, the Commission shall hold a public hearing thereon
and notice of the time and the place of such public hearing shall be published
one or more times as the Commission deems best in a newspaper of general circulation
with the Town of Mount Airy, together with a summary of the proposed regulations.
Thereafter, such proposed regulations shall be submitted to the Council of
the Town of Mount Airy which may by ordinance adopt the same, subject to such
changes and amendments therein as the Council may deem appropriate. After
the adoption of such amendments by the Council of the Town of Mount Airy,
all further amendments or supplements to the same shall be made in accordance
with the same procedure herein specified for the original adoption of such
regulations, except a public hearing thereon shall not be required.
