Hidden Hills Municipal Code Art. B Cable Television Systems

A. In accordance with applicable federal and state law, the City is authorized to grant one or more nonexclusive franchises to construct, reconstruct, operate, and maintain cable television systems within the City limits.

B. The City Council finds that the development of cable television and related telecommunications services may provide significant benefits for, and substantial impacts upon, the residents of the City. Because of the complex and rapidly changing technology associated with cable television, the City Council further finds that the public convenience, safety, and general welfare can best be served by establishing regulatory powers to be exercised by the City. This article is intended to specify the means for providing to the public the best possible cable television and related telecommunications services, and every franchise issued in accordance with this article is intended to achieve this primary objective. It is the further intent of this article to adopt regulatory provisions that will enable the City to regulate cable television and related telecommunications services to the maximum extent authorized by federal and state law.

(Ord. No. 312, § 2, 10-28-02)

A. Franchise Purposes: A franchise granted by the City under the provisions of this article may authorize the Grantee to do the following:

1. To engage in the business of providing cable service and such other telecommunications services as may be authorized by law and which Grantee elects to provide to its subscribers within the designated franchise service area.

2. To erect, install, construct, repair, rebuild, reconstruct, replace, maintain, and retain, cable lines, related electronic equipment, supporting structures, appurtenances, and other property in connection with the operation of the cable system in, on, over, under, upon, along and across streets or other public places within the designated franchise service area.

3. To maintain and operate the franchise properties for the origination, reception, transmission, amplification, and distribution of television and radio signals, and for the delivery of cable services and such other services as may be authorized by law.

B. Franchise Required: It is unlawful for any person to construct, install, or operate a cable television system within any street or public way in the City without first obtaining a franchise under the provisions of this article.

C. Term of the Franchise:

1. A franchise granted under this article will be for the term specified in the franchise agreement, commencing upon the effective date of the ordinance or resolution adopted by the City Council that authorizes the franchise.

2. A franchise granted under this article may be renewed upon application by the Grantee in accordance with the then-applicable provisions of state and federal law and this article.

D. Franchise Territory: A franchise is effective within the territorial limits of the City, and within any area added to the City during the term of the franchise, unless otherwise specified in the ordinance or resolution granting the franchise or in the franchise agreement.

E. Federal or State Jurisdiction: This article will be construed in a manner consistent with all applicable federal and state laws and shall apply to all franchises granted or renewed after the effective date of this Chapter, to the extent authorized by applicable law.

F. Franchise Non-Transferable:

1. Grantee may not sell, transfer, lease, assign, sublet, or dispose of, in whole or in part, either by forced or involuntary sale, or by ordinary sale, contract, consolidation, or otherwise, the franchise or any of the rights or privileges therein granted, without the prior written consent of the City Council and then only upon such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the City Council, which consent may not be unreasonably denied or delayed. Any attempt to sell, transfer, lease, assign, or otherwise dispose of the franchise without the written consent of the City Council is null and void. The granting of a security interest in any assets of the Grantee, or any mortgage or other hypothecation, will not be deemed a transfer for the purposes of this subsection.

2. The requirements of subsection 1 apply to any change in control of Grantee. The word "control" as used herein is not limited to the ownership of major stockholder or partnership interests, but includes actual working control in whatever manner exercised. If Grantee is a partnership or a corporation, prior authorization of the City Council is required where ownership or control of 25 percent or more of the partnership interests or of the voting stock of Grantee, or any company in the tier of companies controlling the Grantee, whether directly or indirectly, is acquired by a person or a group of persons acting in concert, none of whom, singularly or collectively, owns or controls those partnership interests or that voting stock of the Grantee, or Grantee's upper tier of controlling companies, as of the effective date of the franchise.

3. Grantee must notify the City in writing of any foreclosure or judicial sale of all or a substantial part of the Grantee's franchise property, or upon the termination of any lease or other interest covering all or a substantial part of that franchise property. That notification will be considered by the City as notice that a change in control of ownership of the franchise has taken place, and the provisions of this paragraph that require the prior written consent of the City Council to that change in control of ownership will apply.

4. For the purpose of determining whether it will consent to an acquisition, transfer, or change in control, the City may inquire as to the qualifications of the prospective transferee or controlling party, and Grantee must assist the City in that inquiry. In seeking the City's consent to any change of ownership or control, Grantee or the proposed transferee, or both, must complete Federal Communications Commission Form 394 or its equivalent. This application must be submitted to the City not less than 120 days prior to the proposed date of transfer. The transferee must establish that it possesses the legal, financial, and technical capability to operate and maintain the cable system and to comply with all franchise requirements during the remaining term of the franchise. If the legal, financial, and technical qualifications of the proposed transferee are determined to be satisfactory, then the City will consent to the transfer of the franchise.

5. Any financial institution holding a pledge of the Grantee's assets to secure the advance of money for the construction or operation of the franchise property has the right to notify the City that it, or a designee satisfactory to the City, will take control of and operate the cable television system upon Grantee's default in its financial obligations. Further, that financial institution must also submit a plan for such operation within 90 days after assuming control. The plan must insure continued service and compliance with all franchise requirements during the period that the financial institution will exercise control over the system. The financial institution may not exercise control over the system for a period exceeding one year unless authorized by the City, in its sole discretion, and during that period of time it will have the right to petition the City to transfer the franchise to another Grantee.

6. Grantee must reimburse the City for the City's reasonable review and processing expenses incurred in connection with any transfer or change in control of the franchise. These expenses may include, without limitation, costs of administrative review, financial, legal, and technical evaluation of the proposed transferee, consultants (including technical and legal experts and all costs incurred by these experts), notice and publication costs, and document preparation expenses. The total amount of these reimbursable expenses may be subject to maximum limits that are specified in the franchise agreement between the City and the Grantee. No reimbursement may be offset against any franchise fee payable to the City during the term of the franchise.

G. Geographical Coverage:

1. Unless otherwise provided in the franchise agreement, Grantee must design, construct, and maintain the cable television system to have the capability to pass every dwelling unit and commercial building in the franchise service area, subject to any service-area line extension requirements or territorial restrictions set forth in the franchise agreement.

2. After service has been established within all or any part of the franchise service area by activating trunk or distribution cables, Grantee must provide service to any requesting subscriber within that activated part of the service area within seven days from the date of request, provided that the Grantee is able to secure on reasonable terms and conditions all rights-of-way necessary to extend service to that subscriber within that seven-day period.

H. Nonexclusive Franchise: Every franchise granted is nonexclusive. The City specifically reserves the right to grant, at any time, such additional franchises for a cable television system that it deems appropriate, subject to applicable state and federal law. If the City proposes to grant an additional franchise to a subsequent Grantee, a noticed public hearing must first be held if required by the provisions of Section 53066.3 of the Government Code of the State of California as it now exists or may hereafter be amended.

I. Multiple Franchises:

1. The City may grant any number of franchises, subject to applicable state and federal law. The City may limit the number of franchises granted, based upon, but not necessarily limited to, the requirements of applicable law and the following specific local considerations:

a. The capacity of the public rights-of-way to accommodate multiple cables in addition to the cables, conduits, and pipes of the existing utility systems, such as electrical power, telephone, gas, and sewerage.

b. The benefits that may accrue to subscribers as a result of cable system competition, such as lower rates and improved service.

c. The disadvantages that may result from cable system competition, such as the requirement for multiple pedestals on residents' property, and the disruption arising from numerous excavations within the public rights-of-way.

2. The City may require that any new Grantee be responsible for its own underground trenching and the associated costs if, in the City's opinion, the rights-of-way in any particular area cannot reasonably accommodate additional cables.

(Ord. No. 312, § 2, 10-28-02)

A. Filing of Applications: Any person desiring an initial franchise for a cable television system must file an application with the City. A reasonable nonrefundable application fee deposit in an amount established by resolution of the City Council must accompany the application. That application fee deposit will cover all anticipated costs associated with reviewing and processing the application, including without limitation costs of administrative review, financial, legal, and technical evaluation of the applicant, consultants (including technical and legal experts and all costs incurred by those experts), notice and publication requirements, and document preparation expenses. If actual costs exceed the application fee deposit, the applicant must pay the difference to the City within thirty (30) days following receipt of an itemized statement of those costs.

B. Applications—Contents: An application for an initial franchise for a cable television system must contain, as applicable:

1. A statement describing the proposed franchise service area.

2. A resume of the applicant's prior history, including the experience and expertise of the applicant in the cable television industry.

3. A list of the partners, general and limited, of the applicant, if a partnership, or the percentage of stock owned or controlled by each stockholder, if a closely-held corporation. If the applicant is a publicly-owned partnership or corporation, each owner of ten percent or more of the partnership interests, or of the issued and outstanding capital stock, must be identified. If the applicant is a limited liability company, the following information must be provided: the address of its principal executive office; the name and business or residence address of each member and of each holder of an economic interest in the limited liability company, together with the contribution and the share in profits and losses of each member and holder of an economic interest; the name and business or residence address of any manager or managers and the chief executive officer, if any, appointed or elected in accordance with the articles of organization or operating agreement.

4. A list of officers, directors, and managing employees of the applicant, together with a description of the background of each such person.

5. The names and addresses of any parent or subsidiary of the applicant, or any other business entity owning or controlling applicant in whole or in part, or that is owned or controlled in whole or in part by the applicant.

6. A current financial statement of the applicant verified by a certified public accountant or otherwise certified to be true, complete, and correct.

7. The proposed construction and service schedule, the proposed rate structure for cable services, and the proposed commitment to provide public, educational, and governmental access capacity, services, facilities, and equipment.

8. Any additional information that the City deems to be reasonably necessary.

C. Consideration of Initial Applications:

1. Upon receipt of an application for an initial franchise, the City Manager or the City Manager's designee must prepare a report and make recommendations to the City Council concerning that application.

2. A public hearing will be noticed prior to any initial franchise grant, at a time and date approved by the City Council. Within 30 days after the close of the hearing, the City Council will make a decision, based upon the documents and testimony received at the hearing, as to whether the franchise should be granted, and, if granted, subject to what conditions. The City Council may grant one or more franchises, or may decline to grant any franchise.

D. Franchise Renewal: Franchise renewals will be processed in accordance with then-applicable law and with the renewal terms, if any, of the franchise agreement. The City and Grantee, by mutual consent, may enter into renewal negotiations at any time during the term of the franchise. Unless preempted by paramount federal law, a nonrefundable renewal application fee deposit in an amount established by resolution of the City Council must accompany the renewal application or the renewal request. That renewal application fee deposit will cover all anticipated costs associated with reviewing and processing the renewal application, including the review of Grantee's prior compliance with the franchise, the ascertainment of the community's cable-related needs and interests, the engagement of technical and legal consultants, and expenses related to negotiations and document preparation. If actual costs exceed the renewal application fee deposit, the Grantee must pay the difference to the City within 30 days following receipt of an itemized statement of those costs.

(Ord. No. 312, § 2, 10-28-02)

A. The terms and provisions of a franchise agreement for the operation of a cable television system and related telecommunication services may relate to or include, without limitation, the following subject matters:

1. The nature, scope, geographical area, and duration of the franchise.

2. The applicable franchise fee to be paid to the City, including the percentage amount, the method of computation, and the time for payment.

3. Requirements relating to compliance with and implementation of state and federal laws and regulations pertaining to the operation of the cable television system.

4. Requirements relating to the construction, upgrade, or rebuild of the cable television system, as well as the provision of special services, such as outlets for public buildings, emergency alert capability, and parental control devices.

5. Requirements relating to the maintenance of a performance bond, a security fund, a letter of credit, or similar assurances to secure the performance of the Grantee's obligations under the franchise agreement.

6. Requirements relating to comprehensive liability insurance, workers' compensation insurance, and indemnification.

7. Requirements relating to consumer protection and customer service standards, which requirements may include, without limitation, those set forth in Section 2-10B-5 of this article.

8. Requirements relating to the Grantee's support of local cable usage, including the provision of public, educational, and governmental access channels, the coverage of public meetings and special events, and financial support for the required access channels.

9. Requirements relating to construction, operation, and maintenance of the cable television system within the public rights-of-way, including compliance with all applicable building codes and permit requirements of the City, the abandonment, removal, or relocation of facilities, and compliance with FCC technical standards.

10. Requirements relating to recordkeeping, accounting procedures, reporting, periodic audits and performance reviews, the inspection of Grantee's books and records, and reimbursement for technical audits and franchise fee audits under specified circumstances.

11. Acts or omissions constituting material breaches of or defaults under the franchise agreement, and the applicable penalties or remedies for such breaches or defaults, including fines, penalties, liquidated damages, suspension, revocation, and termination.

12. Requirements relating to the sale, assignment, or other transfer or change in control of the franchise.

13. The Grantee's obligation to maintain continuity of service and to authorize, under certain specified circumstances, the City's operation and management of the cable system.

14. Such additional requirements, conditions, policies, and procedures as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties to the franchise agreement and that will, in the judgment of City staff and the City Council, best serve the public interest and protect the public health, welfare, and safety.

B. If there is any conflict or inconsistency between the provisions of a franchise agreement authorized by the City Council and provisions of this article, the provisions of the franchise agreement will control.

(Ord. No. 312, § 2, 10-28-02)

A. General Standards: A Grantee must meet or exceed all applicable consumer protection and service standards that are customary in the cable television industry and that are recommended or required by the following:

1. Federal statutes, and the rules, regulations, and orders of the Federal Communications Commission, including the following:

a. The provisions of Section 76.309(c) of Title 27 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as they now exist or may hereafter be amended.

b. The provisions of Section 76.630 of Title 27 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as they now exist or may hereafter be amended.

c. The provisions of Section 551 of Title 27, United States Code, as they now exist or may hereafter be amended.

2. The provisions of California Government Code Section 53054, et seq., entitled the "Cable Television and Video Provider Customer Service and Information Act" as they now exist or may hereafter be amended.

3. The provisions of California Government Code Section 53088, et seq., entitled the "Video Customer Service Act" as they now exist or may hereafter be amended.

4. The provisions of California Civil Code Section 1722(b)(1)—(6) relating to service or repair transactions between cable television companies and their subscribers as they now exist or may hereafter be amended.

5. The provisions of subsection B. of Section 2-10B-5 of this article as they now exist or may hereafter be amended.

B. Local Standards: A Grantee must meet or exceed all of the following customer protection and service standards:

1. Unless otherwise provided in the franchise agreement, the Grantee must maintain the necessary facilities, equipment, and personnel to comply with the following consumer protection and service standards under normal operating conditions:

a. Sufficient toll-free telephone line capacity during normal business hours to ensure that telephone calls are answered before the fourth ring. Telephone answer time by a customer service representative, including wait time, may not exceed 30 seconds. Callers who must be transferred may not be required to wait more than 30 seconds before being connected to a service representative.

b. Under normal operating conditions, a caller must receive a busy signal less than three percent of the time.

c. Emergency toll-free telephone line capacity on a 24-hour basis, including weekends and holidays. After normal business hours, the telephone calls may be answered by an answering service in accordance with the telephone answering standards set forth above in subparagraphs a. and b. of this subsection. Calls received after normal business hours must be responded to by a trained company representative on the next business day.

d. A conveniently-located local business and service or payment office open during normal business hours at least eight hours daily on weekdays, and at least four hours weekly on evenings or weekends, and adequately staffed with trained customer service representatives to accept subscriber payments and to respond to service requests, inquiries, and complaints.

e. An emergency system maintenance and repair staff, capable of responding to and repairing major system malfunctions on a 24-hour per day basis.

f. A trained installation staff must provide service to any subscriber requiring a standard installation within five days after receipt of a request, in all areas where trunk and feeder cable have been activated. "Standard installations" are those that are located up to 150 feet from the existing distribution system, unless otherwise defined in the franchise agreement.

g. The Grantee must schedule, within a specified four-hour time period Monday through Saturday (legal holidays excluded), all appointments with subscribers for installation of service, service calls, and other activities at the subscriber's location. The Grantee may schedule installation and service calls outside of normal business hours for the convenience of the subscriber. The Grantee may not cancel an appointment with a subscriber after the close of business on the business day prior to the scheduled appointment. If a Grantee representative is delayed in keeping an appointment with a subscriber and will not be able to honor the scheduled appointment, the subscriber must be contacted prior to the time of the scheduled appointment, and the appointment must be rescheduled, as necessary, at a time that is convenient for the subscriber. The Grantee must use its best efforts to contact every customer within two weeks after an installation or repair work is completed to ensure that the customer is satisfied with the work.

h. Subscribers who have experienced one missed appointment due to the fault of the Grantee will receive an installation free of charge if the appointment was for an installation. If an installation was to have been provided free of charge, and for all other appointments, the subscriber will receive one month of the subscribed-to service tier, free of charge. Subscribers also will be entitled to receive a free installation, or one month free service, as provided above if the Grantee fails to complete a standard installation within five days of receiving an installation request due to its fault, its failure to schedule an appointment within a specified four-hour time period, or its failure to notify the subscriber that the Grantee's representative will be late for an appointment. Subscribers who have experienced two missed appointments due to the fault of the Grantee will receive two months of the subscribed-to service tier, free of charge, in addition to the free installation or free month of service provided for the first missed appointment.

i. Upon a subscriber's request, the Grantee will arrange for pickup or replacement of converters or other equipment provided by the Grantee at the subscriber's address within 14 days after the request is made if the subscriber is mobility-limited.

2. Under normal operating conditions, the standards of subparagraphs a., c., f. and g. of Subsection B.1. above must be met not less than 95 percent of the time, measured on a quarterly basis. For the purposes of this article, 'quarterly basis' shall mean any 90 calendar-day period.

3. The Grantee shall render efficient service, make repairs promptly, and interrupt service only for good cause and for the shortest time possible. Except in emergency situations, scheduled interruptions shall occur during a period of minimum use of the cable system, preferably between midnight and 6:00 a.m. Unless the scheduled interruption lasts for no more than two hours and occurs between midnight and 6:00 a.m. (in which event 24-hours prior written notice must be given to the City), that Grantee shall provide 48-hours prior notice to subscribers of all scheduled interruptions.

4. The Grantee shall maintain a repair force of technicians who will respond to subscriber requests for service within the following time frames:

a. For a system outage: Within two hours, including weekends, of receiving subscriber calls or requests for service that by number identify a system outage of sound or picture of one or more channels, affecting five or more subscribers of the system.

b. For an isolated outage: Within 24-hours, including weekends, of receiving requests for service identifying an isolated outage of sound or picture for one or more channels.

c. For inferior signal quality: No later than the following business day, excluding Sundays and holidays, after a request for service identifying a problem concerning picture or sound quality.

5. The Grantee shall be deemed to have responded to a request for service under the provisions of this article when a technician arrives at the service location and begins work on the problem. If a subscriber is not home when the technician arrives, the technician must leave written notification of arrival.

C. Franchise Agreement: Unless preempted by paramount federal law, the consumer protection and service standards referenced above in paragraph a. that are the most stringent, and that afford the greatest degree of protection to consumers, will be specified in the cable television franchise agreement and will apply, without limitation, to all video, voice, and data services that are provided by the Grantee to its subscribers within the franchise service area.

(Ord. No. 312, § 2, 10-28-02)