Cable & Telecommunications Commission

MEETING MINUTES CABLE AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION February 28, 2017 The Cable and Telecommunications Commission met in the Community Conference Room of the Village Hall at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 28, 2017. In attendance were: Present: Steven Robinson, Chair John Chaput Neil Charak Greg Lapin John Sanner Adam Simon Ken Urbaszewski Absent: Alan Barasky Also Present: Andrew Lichterman, Assistant Village Manager Paul Diambri Service Mr. Diambri recently resigned from the Commission. Chairman Robinson expressed his gratitude to former Chairman Paul Diambri, on behalf of the Commission, for his years of service to the Village. Minutes A motion to approve the minutes from the October 27, 2015 meeting was made by Commissioner Charak and seconded by Commissioner Lapin. The motion passed unanimously. Public Comment There was no one present for public comment. Telecom Lease Advisor Proposal The Commission reviewed the Telecom Lease Advisor proposal. Commissioner Simon noted that it is his opinion there is little chance the tower will become obsolete. Commissioner Lapin concurred noting there will be more demand in the future. Commission Chapin noted there would be little to gain from accepting the Telecom Lease Advisors proposal at this time. Chairman Robinson inquired about the amount of notice the Village would receive if a carrier were to cancel. Commissioner Simon confirmed 6-month advance notice is required. Commissioner Simon also noted that it is unlikely to have further consolidation amongst the remaining carriers. Commissioner Simon made a motion to deny the Telecom Lease Advisor proposal. Commissioner Lapin seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Page 1 of 3 Cable and Telecommunications Commission February 28, 2017 AT&T Lease Negotiation Discussion The Commissioners reviewed the AT&T lease proposal noting that it lacked specifics. The Commission requested that AT&T provide further explanation and clarity regarding proposed contract terms such as “fair” early termination rights, and “per touch” rent upcharges. Additionally, the proposal simply stated AT&T wants “rents reduced to competitive rates” with “reduced annual escalators” but did not offer examples. The Commissioners requested that Mr. Lichterman request a detailed proposal from AT&T that includes specific rent rates and escalators. Chairman Robinson noted that the negotiated terms of this contract would likely be used as a benchmark for other upcoming lease negotiations. Mr. Lichterman noted he would solicit a specific proposal from AT&T and bring this matter to the Commission for further consideration at the next meeting. Small Cell Ordinance The Commission reviewed various template small cell ordinances. Commissioner Simon noted his preference would be amend the Village’s Right-of-Way ordinance to incorporate small cell regulations rather than creating new a stand-alone ordinance for small cells. The Commissioners suggested including items such as height limitation and dispersion requirements into the ordinance, for example. There was consensus from the Commissioners to move forward with amending the Right-of-Way ordinance, as noted. Mr. Lichterman stated that he would work with the Village Attorney to prepare a draft ordinance for the Commission’s review. Tower Inspection Services Mr. Lichterman reported that SAC Wireless has been the Village’s contractor for tower inspection services for the monopole for at least the last three years. The Village’s building department has historically overseen this contract. Staff would like to renew the agreement with SAC Wireless to continue these inspection services. Mr. Lichterman wanted to ensure that the Commission was apprised of these operations. Chairman Robinson requested clarification regarding the bi-annual inspection services and asked if this has historically been completed. Mr. Lichterman noted that the Village typically has not conducted stand-alone inspections, rather the inspections have taken place in conjunction with routine carrier maintenance. Chairman Robinson recommended that due to the age of the monopole that the Village begin conducting regular inspections of the monopole, at least once a year. The Commission was supportive of staff’s recommendation to retain SAC Wireless for monopole inspection services. Comcast Annual Report The Commission reviewed the 2016 Comcast annual report. In 2016, 221 customer complaints were reported compared to 161 customer complaints in 2015. The largest number of complaints were related to billing, charges, refunds and credits. Page 2 of 3 Cable and Telecommunications Commission February 28, 2017 Chairman Robinson inquired if it would be possible for Comcast to report the total value of credits that were provided to Deerfield customers. Mr. Lichterman will request the information from Comcast. Adjournment Commissioner Lapin made a motion to adjourn. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Robinson. The motion was unanimously approved. The meeting was adjourned at 8:23 PM. Respectfully submitted, Andrew S. Lichterman Assistant to the Village Manager Page 3 of 3