The Authority shall have the following functions and powers:
(A) Advise the Council on applications for franchises;
(B) Advise the Council on matters which might constitute grounds for revocation of the franchise in accordance with the franchise agreement;
(C) Resolve disagreements among franchisee and public and private users of the system to the extent possible;
(D) Advise the Council on regulation of rates in accordance with the franchise agreement;
(E) Facilitate government, education, community groups and individual use of the public channels;
(F) Determine general policies relating to the services provided subscribers in the operation and use of the access channels, with the view of maximizing the diversity of programs and services to the subscribers. The use of access channels shall be allocated on a first come first serve basis subject to limitations on monopolization of system time or prime times;
(G) Encourage use of access channels along the widest range of institutions, groups or individuals within the city;
(H) Submit an annual report to the Council, including the total number of hours of utilization of access channels and a review of any plans submitted during the year by franchisees for development of new services and relevant information concerning education uses, public access for local programming under public control, local government access, pay television and channel leasing;
(I) Cooperate with other systems in supervising interconnecting of systems;
(J) Maintain a knowledge of current developments in cable communications by subscribing to trade publications and attending cable communication seminars and meetings;
(K) Audit all franchise records required by the franchise agreement and, in the Authority's discretion, require the preparation and filing of information additional to that required by that franchise;
(L) Conduct a detailed evaluation of the system at least every three years and make recommendations to the Council for amendments to the franchise agreement;
(M) Employ, as necessary, services of a technical, accounting, legal and administrative nature;
(N) Act on behalf or as the designee of the Council for purposes of proposing regulations and arbitration procedures as deemed necessary by the Council and/or to provide any other service to the council that may be reasonably required by the Board under authority of the franchise agreement; and
(O) In conjunction with the renewal of franchises, as provided for under state or federal law, the Authority shall develop procedures for the implementation of a renewal procedure of the cable franchise.
(2000 Code, § 2-87)