Norwalk Municipal Code Art. I General Provisions

This chapter is known and may be cited as the Telecommunications Regulatory Ordinance of the City.

(Prior code § 18-2.1; Ord. 1494 § 2, 1999; Ord. 21-1722 § 2)

A. The City Council finds and determines as follows:

1. The development of cable television and other telecommunications systems may provide significant benefits for, and have substantial impacts upon, the residents of the City.

2. Because of the complex and rapidly changing technology associated with telecommunications services and systems, the public convenience, safety and general welfare can best be served by establishing regulatory powers to be exercised by the City.

3. This chapter is intended to establish regulatory provisions that authorize the City to regulate cable television and telecommunications services and systems to the extent authorized by Federal and State law, including, but not limited to, the Federal Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984, the Federal Cable Television Consumer and Competition Act of 1992, the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, applicable regulations of the Federal Communications Commission, and applicable California statutes and regulations.

B. The purpose and intent of this chapter is to provide for the attainment of the following objectives:

1. To enable the City to discharge its public trust in a manner consistent with rapidly evolving Federal and State regulatory policies, industry competition, and technological development;

2. To authorize and to manage reasonable access to the City's public rights-of-way and public property for telecommunications purposes on a competitively neutral and nondiscriminatory basis;

3. To obtain fair and reasonable compensation for the City and its residents for authorizing the private use of the public rights-of-way and public property;

4. To promote competition in cable television and telecommunications services, minimize unnecessary local regulation of cable television and telecommunications service providers, and encourage the delivery of advanced and competitive cable television and telecommunications services on the broadest possible basis to local government and to the businesses, institutions, and residents of the City;

5. To establish clear local guidelines, standards and time frames for the exercise of local authority with respect to the regulation of cable television and telecommunications service providers;

6. To encourage the profitable deployment of advanced telecommunications infrastructures that satisfy local needs, deliver enhanced services, and provide informed consumer choices in an evolving telecommunications market.

(Prior code § 18-2.2; Ord. 1494 § 2, 1999; Ord. 21-1722 § 2)

Various terms and phrases used in this chapter are defined below in Section 5.24.160.

(Prior code § 18-2.3; Ord. 1494 § 2, 1999; Ord. 21-1722 § 2)