Title
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH MOSS & BARNETT FOR CABLE FRANCHISE MATTERS IN A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $25,000.
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CITY PROPOSAL:
RESOLVED, that proper city officials are hereby authorized to execute an agreement, substantially in the form attached as Exhibit 1, with Moss & Barnett to provide professional services with regard to the cable franchise renewal process and general cable franchise matters; and
FURTHER RESOLVED, that proper city officials shall be authorized to pay Moss & Barnett a total amount of no more than $25,000 pursuant to said agreement; and
FURTHER RESOLVED, funds shall be paid from Fund 110, Agency 700, Org. 1407, Obj. 5319.
Statement of Purpose
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: This resolution authorizes an agreement with Moss & Barnett for professional services regarding the City’s cable franchise ordinance, cable franchise agreements, and general cable franchise matters. Moss & Barnett is currently providing these professional services to the City pursuant to a previous (2014) agreement, which has expired.
The City’s cable franchise with Charter Communications expired on July 9, 2016. The previous franchise continues until the parties agree to a successor franchise agreement. The continuing goal of City staff is to negotiate a long-term (10 year) cable franchise agreement with an effective date of approximately January 1, 2017. As indicated to City Council previously, negotiations for a successor franchise agreement from 2016 to now have been delayed by Charter Communications due in part to its merger with Time Warner; they reconfigured their internal management structure related to franchise agreements in Minnesota.
The City’s negotiation team, which includes Moss & Barnett, has traded numerous proposals back-and-forth with Charter Communications, as well as negotiating in-person with Charter Communications’ representative. The parties are very close to a tentative agreement that will be subject to City Council ratification.