HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Resolution 2020-191
C ITY OF P LYMOUTH
R ESOLUTION N O. 2020-191
R ESOLUTION IN S UPPORT OF THE P ROTECTING C OMMUNITY T ELEVISION A CT
WHEREAS, the City of Plymouth is a member of the Northwest Suburbs Cable Communications
Commission (the “Commission”), a Joint Powers Commission organized pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 471.59, as
amended, and includes the municipalities of Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Golden Valley, Maple
Grove, New Hope, Osseo, Plymouth, Robbinsdale Minnesota (collectively the “Member Cities”); and
WHEREAS, the Commission negotiates and manages the cable franchises agreements of the Member
Cities and operates CCX Media, a local community public educational and governmental (“PEG”) community
media center on behalf of the Member Cities; and
WHEREAS, CCX Media provides coverage of local events, such as local high school sporting events
and most government meetings that local broadcast stations (i.e. WCCO, KSTP, KMSP, and KARE) typically will
not cover, and, in light of a rapidly decreasing print media, CCX Media is the principal, and may soon be the
sole, source for local residents to have access to coverage of local events; and
WHEREAS, CCX Media is funded through franchise fee and PEG fee revenues negotiated in the cable
franchise agreements; and
WHEREAS, the Member Cities require, as part of the cable franchise agreements, that cable
companies meet demonstrated community needs by providing non-monetary in-kind contributions that
benefit the Member Cities, local schools, public safety buildings, as well as CCX Media; and
WHEREAS, in 1984 Congress defined a franchise fee as a “tax, fee, or assessment” and, for the past
35 years, it has been solely a monetary fee; and
WHEREAS, last year the FCC departed from the clear language of the Cable Act and ruled that a
franchise fee is both a monetary and non-monetary fee and permits cable companies to unilaterally assign a
value to the non-monetary in-kind contributions and then subtract that amount from the franchise fees the
cable operator pays the local community; and
WHEREAS, the FCC order results in decreased vital funding to the Member Cities and CCX Media; and
WHEREAS, the Protect Community Television Act (currently S. 3218/HR 5659) has been introduced in
Congress and its goal is to maintain the status quo by reversing the FCC order and allowing franchise fees to
be calculated as they have been for over 35 years as monetary only fees; and
WHEREAS, this legislation is supported by the National League of Cities, the U.S. Conference of
Mayors, the National Association of Counties, the Minnesota League of Cities, and NATOA.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PLYMOUTH,
MINNESOTA that the City of Plymouth calls on Congress to pass legislation, such as the Protect Community
Television Act, which would undo the FCC’s action and urges all House members and Senators from
Minnesota to cosponsor the Protect Community Television Act.
APPROVED by the City Council on this 23rd day of June, 2020.