Cable Advisory Committee - Regular Meeting

Um, the first thing on the agenda is public input. I don't see anybody on Zoom. I don't necessarily know if anybody's in the room. Does anybody have any public input? Fantastic. All right. So, the next is discuss and plan a public hearing. So that was kind of touched on at our last meeting. Um I know that was something Bob that you had brought up and addressed. So could you speak to that a little bit how how public hearing in the past had been handled and um how to what you'd like to see posted for it when you'd like to have it? And um

I I only pointed out that was a provision in our in our roles in our what do you call Charter charter well okay well

uh not necessarily we needed to do it at some time but others weren't even aware there it's a tool we could have I think when we get to a place where something we want to know like if we're going to get to participate in rules or if there are complaints coming in or any indication problem then we could go to that. I'm not sure that we need to do anything.

So you're saying we shortm we can exercise it at our discretion we can explore how to exercise it when that time comes because no one's going to be expecting it and I think it inter it really intersects with license renewal processes too and I don't know what if any role will have in that right um need to see about that to find out where we are

so the the license renewal I think is more of an administrative um process, but I think we'll get to weigh in on it a little bit. So, I kind of like the idea of doing a public hearing to collect input to say, "Hey, we did have people reach out. We did hear these complaints." And the best way to kind of do that is with a public hearing. I mean, we hold these public meetings, but I think we've had one or two people attend and they were still board members. Um, so I don't know if pushing it out in like the paper and advertising it as a carrier that changes people's um motivation to come and highlight that it's that we're looking for feedback. We're looking for issues. We have a license uh renewal coming up and any input and feedback would be greatly appreciated if you wanted to maybe try especially with Verizon that's the one coming up. So the sooner we get the input the sooner we can provide the input and you know do our role. I've done a lot of renewals. Um, if and I can anticipate exactly what's going to happen as as far as some of this goes. If if it's Bill August again, I I'm still not clear whether Bill would be likely to be the one handling it with us. But, um, normally in the past there have been both the department head and somebody from the committee um participating in negotiations with him um with the company and uh if it's going to be bad this time

makes a little difference but the first thing he does is say They always said it to us and maybe will again list of what the town needs and it's a whole long thing about setting it up and we have to have to get to that stage to see who's going to do what to really know. That'll be up to Maybe the select board negotiating or at least managing negotiating. Well, he was a committee member as well as um department. So, I don't know yet where we are on that, but uh you have you have to build this much up. You need a case of well, we need equipment. We need you know this and that in order to justify money.

It's also

it has changed over the years that the cable companies have gotten a lot more to a a set outline that they want for their licenses instead of each one being separately worked out. If you go through the stuff I guess we'll be looking at the comparisons if you're watching carefully you'll see old style this and that versus new style the current way that some of these are being done and what's being done I know that came up with me now Yeah, that makes sense. Corin, what what were you going to say?

Yeah, in terms of of a wish list, um we uh we we fought for a while uh to go from three standard definition channels to at least getting one high definition channel, which we've had. I think we the ante and include uh try to push for the other two remaining channels. The educational channel and the public channel should also be high def. We might want to ask charter channel. Yes, but charter's not high.

Yeah. Um um the the most favored nation thing since we have two two companies um the most favored nation kind of provisions are important and they've varied between companies and because it's come at different times there's a lot to it. So, as far as the public hearing um planning and discussion, what I'm hearing is you would prefer to find out if we're going to play a role in the negotiations first before we host a public hearing and if if we are going to play some kind of role, then have a public hearing and to bring some of that feedback and and have a wish list that like Corson was suggesting. Is that does that sound about right?

Yes. Although also we haven't seen any complaints anything like we used to. If we were to be seeing complaints, then a public hearing is a one of the I don't think it's time to be actually have to understand. Um, does anybody have any other input about the the public hearing? Because I can send an email to the town administrator, find out what if any role we're going to play, and then we can bring this back at a next agenda. Does that does that fit for everybody?

Um, I agree. I think it's also worth offering to facilitate the meeting even if we don't even if we aren't playing a role because someone is renewing it and it is a part of our charge to host these annual meetings and if all we're providing is community feedback to the people who are negotiating that is still to the benefit of the citizens drafted. I like it and and by reaching out I can find out when we should have that hearing. Um it gives us some like a time frame to be working within when they would need that information by um you know if we host one and no one comes do we consider hosting a second one just to try or maybe do a in person and then a Zoom one just try to make it as accessible for everybody as we can like it.

Let's not worry too much again. finding out what Evan has to say will be helpful. Unfortunately, I think Evan is a little busy right now. As are some other people like what you're talking about. It's going fine. Everything's fine. Yeah. Okay. So, um

All right. So, if we're you guys have any other comments or input about this topic or do you want to move on to um B and or or we can jump around because I really I like these um comparison reports that you guys compiled. If you want to just jump right to that. I like that. Um the chart is very helpful. Yeah. So, I'm amazed at how well Which tool? Grock. Oh, Grock. Grock is my I haven't I've been collecting all the AIS, the free AIS. Um I have about six of them on my on my lap on my desk.

Well, it's there is significant advancements in the XAI rock part where uh I've been told or from what Elon was talking about of the five major AIs that are out there, Grock will exceed all of them combined within a year. Well, that's

we probably we probably don't have to re review all the current AIS free and paid just yet, but I was very pleased and very interested and recognized a lot of what was on those lists. You do have to be a little bit descriptive about how and what you want for the information so you get what what we got. I I thought there was an error one place where we we didn't get anything that others did get but that later on we got there's normally you're negotiating for your 5% not a lesser figure which is one of the key things that's the money and then you're negotiating for a grant for equipment and that sort of thing. That's where the justifications come in in the report. Uh on the revising one, there's a third page which basically is not really part of the report but simply a wish list. There's any addition information that you needed to get.

Verizon last the line extension buildout rules kind of jumps out based on uh issues that Bob you brought up before. Yeah. I don't know whether that was one of the central things in the original license in 83 or two that the company had to build out the whole town. Not at that time it was quite common to only be running cable to you know high density areas that

and we got that and we pursued it. Um I I it might have gotten out of license, but it should be in there. And there is the okay, there's a line where how far do they have to go back into the house and that kind of stuff. We'll get to that negotiating. Can I can I ask a question in this report that you know of course and you brought up earlier about wanting to add additional high def channels was there a way to compare what other communities get or other communities get getting all of their channels covered or do they have a similar question I didn't think

I don't have I don't think any other town has those we kind of pushed the issue we we uh I think we're the the first to insist on having a high channel and we uh we managed to to get it out of them in the uh in the last license agreement. Um and uh I I think it's it's really nice to at least move into the 21st century with a channel that's in high depth and uh I think the other others should be following suit as well. I mean, I I can't even imagine what channels out there are not already high def.

Does anybody know how like on demand works? Is that is that something where we could get past meetings on demand so people could look them up if they don't, you know, have access to YouTube or things like that? Look them up for just to see them. I'm not sure. I'm not sure. everything I was just saying. All right. What all the old meetings um of all the boards and whatnot are on YouTube and uh I'm not sure how much of them we have on our server here. You can also come in there if you go through

the town website that links to this. I I'm pretty sure that all of all of the different meetings and things that we produce and so forth or or for that matter everything that gets produced, we always produce it in high definition, but when it goes out, depending on which channel it goes out on is either standard or high def. The government channel is is both. And so therefore, we're one of the few towns instead of having three broadcast channels. And I think a lot of these different ser services like Verizon you can actually see some neighboring towns uh channels as well and not uh not one of them have more than three. We have four because we have three standard and one high death. So my point is that we're an exception. And so therefore, I think that uh uh that we just need to graduate even more to high def. I I I even if it meant that we had to lose a a standard definition, I I think we can live with that to swap it out for high def. But my point is is that uh on the numbering scheme of things, we could we can live with three channels, but make them all high def that would be fine.

It's a good bit more complic really though.

We put our content out in 16 by9 on whatever channel we're on. Right. See 16 by9. Yes. Even on the low number. Um my recollection of the high depth channel I think that took a couple of renewal cycles and you know a couple of renewals and a lot of pushing to get from one company.

Um but we uh we we're not constrained we were not constrained that that had to be one of the three normal channels. It could be a mix of content. One of it to be I think it just I don't think it cost them. I think the only thing it costs charter is the bits of equipment at the two ends to put the high depth signal in and get it out on their end. It doesn't cost anything to run to run that those channels. If there's nobody watching them, it doesn't cost them anything. So asking for, you know, we can The thing is though, does anybody ever watch it? I do, but mostly just because I'm interested and I've been interested for since I was pregnant.

So, let me So, you watch it, right? I do a mix between watching the cable television and the Zoom because sometimes I'll sit down and watch on my TV and I hear a buzzing that I don't get when I watch it on my computer. So, I'll if I turn on certain meetings trying to watch it live, can you hear me or no? No. this she she was saying that if she watches it live she sometimes will get a buzzing in the sound but not when she goes to watch it when it's pre-recorded through through uh like say YouTube no

so I'll watch a live meeting so like so like Select for example if I'm home I can watch it live on my TV or live on my computer and there are times when I go to watch it live on my TV and I get a buzzing sound that's wildly annoying to listen to, but when I watch it when I go on the Zoom to watch it live instead, it it's not there. So, it's definitely something with that channel that happens when I watch the meetings live and it's annoying enough and I have heard people complain about it. So, that would be a complaint that I would be interested in in I don't know if that's our equipment, if it's the channel. Um, I don't think it's just my TV because other people have experienced it and I don't know, Father, you're watching it on your TV. Have you ever heard that buzzing watching a live meeting.

We've been around this kind of thing more than once, number of times calls the company and eventually somebody comes out. We've I think they've gotten to where they show up better times along those lines. Um and um you know is not working right or something needs to be tuned or whatever, but I we need to talk in more detail about exactly the details. Probably more than really do right now.

Colleen, which provider do you have Verizon? Verizon. Yeah. um when you're watching I'm not asking us to to figure out the problem right now. My question was is it something you had personally noticed at your house that was

I I have to understand which flavor of the problem you've done. I haven't noticed that but I don't necessarily watch the ways you do. I usually I hardly ever watch live. Um I when I see What I've always said is we have to get these up, the the videos up because people will read u the evening or the morning after they did what and then they want to go and take a look and see what did they do? Um so that's uh you can watch it live on feed from right right through to the company from from us. You could watch it on uh Zoom. Um then afterwards you can go to YouTube and see it or you can come to our channel and see it. So we have we have to sort out which which channel would you be tuned? Well, you're probably tuned to 33. You could also DVR the the broadcast and I suspect the buzzing that you're hearing would be on that recording from that broadcast through the DVR that Verizon provides. Anyway,

we've heard I've heard these things all all along and one of my things has always been working with uh whomever was in charge at the time to get the me down there and get things sorted or get whatever sorted out sorted out. One of the things when we were oversight we did or I did over.

So, how would you guys feel about potentially putting like a social media post up? Maybe the town of Graton could post a social media post asking for feedback. Has anybody noticed any buzzing sounds when watching GCTV live TV or any issues like that? And and maybe start soliciting input that way. I think that's kind of how a lot of people I know for a fact when water is an issue, they jump right on social media and they complain that way. They're not they're not usually going to meetings. I mean, some people do, but but when it comes to the idea of like trying to collect some of that information, which would be important going into the negotiations to to Megan's point, um that might be a good first step is to just say, "Hey, have have you noticed?" And or if not, anything else for us to to know and see if people comment that way.

Yeah, I I watch and I answer things and interact with people from time to time. um offering, you know, saying, "I'm not quite sure where you're going to do it, but wherever you want to do it." I only watch I only look at Facebook. I don't look at whatever they are. Instagram and whatever the other Tik Tok I'm not sure this I don't even I know nothing about Tik Tok and I blend people that way. I see I see Tik Tok stuff creeping coming coming through right X um

yeah if they want to complain on I don't know I probably wouldn't see them on Colleen it may also be worth considering that people don't know we exist to show up to these meetings or know that complaining to local government about the way that they're being treated by a private is an option. They may think their only grievance route is with Spectrum or with Verizon and that's simply not the case. And it's just an education opportunity for us more than anything else. And then and we're not going to be able to help with their like Disney Channel. No, we're going to be able to help with

their channel. I always answered why you can't have Disney Channel or you have to have it or whatever. what can we do about it? And the answer is nothing. The cable companies get to decide what they are, what they put up and we can't, you know, there's a whole lot of you can't. They don't come up as much as they did, you know, years ago, but we have all of that. Of course, you want to be sure that um he is happy with stuff coming to us instead of going to him.

Yep. Yep. That makes sense. Um we give you something to do if it comes to us. Uh it is it is part of our charge to handle complaints and um I I I don't think it would be um too too far out if they came to us because we would disseminate them to the appropriate people as well. But it's back to this comparison report. I think this is is a lot of great work that you guys put into it. So, do we want to vote to send this to Evan so he can use it as part of his, you know, information when he's coming to to the negotiating table? Um

well, how far how far away is the negotiation? Verizon. I got two people. Sorry. The Verizon franchise expires in October of 28. 28 27 26. We should be talking about what's happening with the renewal process. It should have started already three years. Now, they don't necessarily always do the threeear process now, but there's That's one of the pieces of this is started three years, right? Yeah. We're two and a half years from expiration at this point. Yeah.

So it it I know it has I know it has not started but Bill August has reached out to start the process. That's so nothing has started besides Bill reaching out to say hey we should start this. Um so it you know makes total sense to be talking about what we're talking about right now is you know what role if any are we going to play and here's this great comparison report that has been um compilated to help for the negotiation for whoever does participate in it. So that's why I was asking do we want to send this over because we know at the very least Evan is going to be taking part in it and and that this is helpful information for him. Okay.

Is that something you guys want to vote on? Are you are you comfortable with me just sending it over or how do you want to handle it? Send it over. I'd be I'd be happy to work with Bill as I have many times going back every one of the old that's you may have other uh I think one of the uh requirements is that when I submit the minutes for example of this meeting that I have to also include the supporting documents regarding that. So it it basically be something I'd have to submit. So if you want to do it, by all means.

Um pass on. I'm not sure that this information is a little early in the process. As far as process, you might you might wait till you might wait till after town meeting to go too far with this. the election that's coming after I don't know did they set a date for the election May 19th May 19th is the election oh okay there was one I don't know last time I remember election

I was in 2020 because of co it got moved to to June 23rd in 2020 because of co um but every other elections in May because the charter dictates when we have to have it. Okay. Well, anyway, after the election is probably when after the election and a little recovery time when people are ready to actually focus on other things, don't you think? I mean, you we started this conversation by saying we should be doing this now, right? The now. So, I think delaying it uh yeah,

I don't I don't think it hurts to to just get it on the radar, even if it is on the back burner for a little bit. But, but I don't I don't I don't see the harm. Make it so. Number one, does everybody else agree though? I I don't want to be going out on a limb here if everybody wants to wait because I'll wait.

That's fine. I still have to submit the documents though based on what I understand the rules are. Yeah. Yeah. So, when you submit your minutes and all the supporting documents to the town clerk that after we vote on them, that that makes total sense. I was already going to be reaching out to Evan to ask what our capacity was going to be, if any, in the negotiation. I was going to ask him about potentially doing a social media post. And since I was already reaching out, it made sense I could include that document. But if you want to send it to him too, I don't want to prevent you from doing that. So, whatever whatever is easiest,

doesn't matter. There's a difference though between the fact that if you send them they go out relatively soon now as opposed to us next meeting we approve the minutes then after those after that meeting then I send them it'll be much later if you think it's helpful for him to have the things send a copy

you can send them now if you want In all honesty, it should have been on the town website already. It was It should have been in a meeting packet for tonight and I wrote D to an email and then I got distracted. It's in my draft email right now. I never sent it to him. So that's that's on me. Um, you know, it's really helpful when we have our agenda and all these supporting documents we're looking at for the people who may want to look at them, but we just didn't have that fixed tonight. So that's on me. All right. Um, complaint report. We kind of encapsulated that in part of our discussion just now. Uh, do you guys have anything else you want to talk about on this report or are you guys good with discussing future meeting dates?

I'm ready to discuss future meeting dates. I I have one thing that I would like to at least make note of for the the agenda is uh looking for a new person to replace me because of course when I retire from my job in July, my plan was to run out my my term but not not return the end of my term. So in other words, June will be my last meeting. Yes. Yeah. So that's problematic because had an empty seat for how long now? And we can't even fill that. So, um,

so I'm saying adding that as part of an announcement uh being on the agenda, it basically alerts other people that, you know, we're still looking for I think I've seen that on some other agendas where they're trying to fill seats that they at least post and note that in the agendas uh about that they're looking for uh individuals for the following uh positions within the boards. There's a fair amount of that being published.

It's kind of lumped in together with all of the openings and maybe we can do one by itself um to just highlight it a little more. Um but yeah, that's a that's a good idea. So, I wrote that down. Um so, looking into April, um what days and times work for you guys. I cannot do the 15th. Yeah, that's tax day. Yeah,

22nd. Yeah, 22nd works. I was going to say every every Wednesday is free for me. Yes, I I like the 22nd. I know it committee tends to be the thing we hinge it all on. So if that works for Bob, we can we can do the 22nd.

It looks to me that moves around with somewhat unpredictably that uh I have it at least penciled in here for the first Monday, which I think is a pattern that if we would ever follow our pattern, that's where it would come. Trouble is, you know, stuff happens. Um so um yeah um the uh the 22nd would currently work for me.

We'll do that. Uh we have some meeting minutes to approve for January 21st and February 4th. If anybody has any input on those. If not I can take a motion. I move we you can have the motion then you can have the discussion. I move we approve the minutes with anything we come up with. I'll second it. I have a motion and second and any discussion. Um in the the on the first page under current draft neighborhood

we I'm doing what the planning board often does. for the discussion part. Well, but you you pass the motion, then you discuss. Very well. Well, no, man. You can do a discuss discussion prevote. The discussion part discussion for the January January January. Okay. Current craft and neighboring communities. That first bullet I think should be me, not you. course in halfway through Milford's file, but I didn't get it to you until February, so would have been me, I think.

That was my All right. So make a motion we accept it as amended. I my motion was to accept with amendments we discuss. I'll accept I'll I'll second that. So there's no more um no more amendments. So all those in favor say I. I. You're breaking the rules. All right. I

anybody opposed? Great. Fantastic. Motion carries. Um All right. So, is there anything else or we are we good for I have a couple uh to-do lists for our next meeting. Is there anything else anybody wants on the next agenda though before we go? So, I can make sure I include that. Move we adjourn. All right, that is not debatable. All those in favor? I I have a good night. Happy birthday. No, you're you didn't you didn't