(A) Duties. The county shall have the following regulatory responsibility:
(1) Administration and enforcement of the provisions of this chapter and any franchise granted hereunder.
(2) Award, renewal, extension, or termination of a franchise pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, the franchise, and other applicable law.
(3) Consent prior to sale or transfer of any franchise granted hereunder.
(4) Performance evaluation of the grantee.
(5) Rate and service regulation, if applicable.
(B) Rights reserved. The county also reserves the right to perform the following functions:
(1) Develop objectives and coordinate activities related to the operation of government channels.
(2) Approve procedures and standards for public, government, and educational access operations and services, including the use of dedicated channels and sharing of public facilities.
(3) Coordinate plans for expansion, interconnection, and growth of cable services.
(4) Analyze the possibility of integrating cable communications with other county, state, or regional telecommunications networks.
(5) Formulate and recommend long-range telecommunications policy for the county and determine the county's view of the future cable-related needs and interests of the community.
(6) Provide the administrative effort necessary for the conduct of performance evaluations, and any other activities required for the administration of the franchise.
(7) Monitor grantee's process for handling citizen complaints and periodically inspect and analyze the records related to such complaints.
(8) Receive applications for rate increases, if applicable and provide staff assistance in the analysis and recommendations thereto.
(9) Monitor grantee's adherence to operational standards, service requirements, and line extension policies.
(10) Assure compliance with applicable laws and ordinances.
(11) Arrange tests and analysis of equipment and performance, as needed, to insure compliance with this chapter and the franchise.
(12) Assure continuity in service.
(13) Receive for examination all data and reports required by this chapter.
(C) Cable TV Advisory Committee. The county may establish a citizen's advisory committee entitled the Cable TV Advisory Committee. The members of the Committee shall serve for terms of three years, such terms to be staggered with three members to serve initial terms of three years, two members to serve initial terms of two years. Thereafter their successors shall serve three-year terms. Membership shall be limited to two consecutive three-year terms. Persons having served any such consecutive terms may be reappointed after a regular intervening period of three years. Appointment for an unexpired term shall be considered a full term. The responsibilities of the Committee shall include but not be limited to the following:
(1) Monitor and advise the Commission and county administration on the provisions of the county's cable television ordinance and related ordinances.
(2) Serve as an advisory body for the public, educational, and governmental access channels of cable television and any institutional programming that may be developed.
(3) Advise the county government of objectives to be obtained in the county's cable communications system based upon its continued evaluation of the county's cable television franchise, cable technology, and the future cable-related needs and interests of the community.
(4) Prepare an annual report to the Commission.
(5) Cooperate with the county and the grantee in fulfilling its responsibilities herein.
(D) Interconnectivity. Upon the request of the county, the grantee shall interconnect its cable communications system with any other broadband or like telecommunications facility operating in the county, including but not limited to other cable communications systems or a state-wide information highway. The grantee further agrees that it will bear its share of the cost of any interconnection. Such costs will be allocated between and among the systems being interconnected in an equitable manner. The grantee may not construct any physical facilities to provide an interconnection with other cable communications or data systems until the plans for such interconnection have been approved by the Commission.
(Ord. passed 12-2-96)