(a) Notification of Operators of City's Intent to Regulate. Upon the adoption of this section and the certification of the City by the FCC, the City shall immediately notify all cable operators in the City, by certified mail, return receipt requested, that the City intends to regulate subscriber rates charged for the basic service tier and associated equipment as authorized by the Cable Act of 1992.
(b) Cable Operator Response. Within thirty days of receiving notice from the City, a cable operator shall file with the City its current rates for the basic service tier and associated equipment and any supporting material concerning the reasonableness of its rates.
(c) Expedited Determination of Rates.
(1) If Council is able to expeditiously determine that a cable operator's rates for the basic service tier and associated equipment are within the FCC's reasonable rate standard as determined by the applicable benchmark, Council shall:
A. Hold a public hearing at which interested persons may express their views; and
B. Act to approve the rates within thirty days from the date the cable operator filed its basic cable rates with the City.
(2) If Council takes no action within thirty days from the date the cable operator filed its basic cable rates with the City, the proposed rates will continue in effect.
(d) Extended Review of Rates.
(1) If Council is unable to determine whether the rates at issue are within the FCC's reasonable rate standard based on the material before it, or if the cable operator submits a cost-of-service showing, Council shall, within thirty days from the date the cable operator filed its basic cable rates with the City, and by adoption of a formal resolution, invoke the following additional periods of time, as applicable, to make a final determination:
A. Ninety days if Council needs more time to ensure that a rate is within the FCC's reasonable rate standard; or
B. 150 days if the cable operator has submitted a cost-of-service showing seeking to justify a rate above the applicable benchmark.
(2) If Council has not made a decision within the ninety or 150-day period, it shall issue a brief written order at the end of the period requesting the cable operator to keep an accurate account of all amounts received by reason of the proposed rate and on whose behalf the amounts are paid.
(e) Public Hearings. During the extended review period and before taking action on the proposed rate, Council shall hold at least one public hearing at which interested persons may express their views and record objections.
(f) Objections. An interested person who wishes to make an objection to the proposed initial basic rate may request the City Clerk to record the objection during the public hearing or may submit the objection in writing anytime before the decision resolution is adopted. In order for an objection to be made part of the record, the objector must provide the City Clerk with the objector's name and address.
(g) Benchmark Analysis. If a cable operator submits its current basic cable rate schedule as being in compliance with the FCC's reasonable rate standard, Council shall review the rates using the benchmark analysis in accordance with the standard form authorized by the FCC. Based on the City Council's findings, the initial basic cable rates shall be established as follows:
(1) If the current basic cable rates are below the benchmark, those rates shall become the initial basic cable rates, and the cable operator's rates will be capped at that level.
(2) If the current basic cable rates exceed the benchmark, the rates shall be the greater of the cable operator's per channel rate on September 30, 1992, reduced by ten percent, or the applicable benchmark, adjusted for inflation and any change in the number of channels occurring between September 30, 1992, and the initial date of regulation.
(3) If the current basic cable rates exceed the benchmark, but the cable operator's per channel rate was below the benchmark on September 30, 1992, the initial basic cable rate shall be the benchmark, adjusted for inflation.
(h) Cost-of-Service Showings. If a cable operator does not wish to reduce the rates to the permitted level, the cable operator shall have the opportunity to submit a cost-of-service showing in an attempt to justify initial basic cable rates above the FCC's reasonable rate standard. Council will review a cost-of-service submission pursuant to FCC standards for cost-of-service review. Council may approve initial basic cable rates above the benchmark if the cable operator makes the necessary showing. However, a cost-of-service determination resulting in rates below the benchmark or below the cable operator's September 30, 1992, rates minus ten percent, will prescribe the cable operator's new rates.
(i) Decisions of Council.
(1) Contents of formal resolutions. After completion of its review of the cable operator's proposed rates, Council shall adopt its decision by formal resolution. The decision shall include one of the following:
A. If the proposal is within the FCC's reasonable rate standard or is justified by a cost-of-service analysis, Council shall approve the initial basic cable rates proposed by the cable operator; or
B. If the proposal is not within the FCC's reasonable rate standard and the cost-of-service analysis, if any, does not justify the proposed rates, Council shall establish initial basic cable rates that are within the FCC's reasonable rate standard or that are justified by a cost-of-service analysis.
(2) Rollbacks and refunds. If Council determines that the initial basic cable rates as submitted exceed the reasonable rate standard or that the cable operator's cost-of-service showing justifies lower rates, Council may order the rates reduced in accordance with subsection (g) or (h) hereof, as applicable. In addition, Council may order the cable operator to pay to subscribers refunds of the excessive portion of the rates, with interest (computed at applicable rates published by the Internal Revenue Service for tax refunds and additional tax payments), retroactive to September 1, 1993. The method for paying any refund and the interest rate will be in accordance with FCC regulations as directed in Council's decision resolution.
(3) Statements of reasons for decisions and public notice. If rates proposed by a cable operator are disapproved, in whole or in part, or if there were objections made by other parties to the proposed rates, the resolution must state the reasons for the decision and Council must give public notice of its decision. Public notice will be given by advertisement once in the official newspaper of the City.
(j) Appeals. Council's decision concerning rates for the basic service tier or associated equipment may be appealed to the FCC in accordance with applicable Federal regulations.
(Ord. 21-93. Passed 1-27-94.)