ORD 515 7/26/2000ORDINANCE NO. 515
AN ORDINANCE GRANTING A FRANCHISE TO
WESTERN INTEGRATED NETWORKS OF TEXAS OPERATING L.P.
TO FURNISH CABLE TELEVISION AND RELATED SERVICES
AND SETTING FORTH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS THEREOF
This CABLE TELEVISION FRANCHISE AGREEMENT is made and entered
into by and between the City of Cibolo, a Texas Municipal Corporation and General Law
Municipality, acting herein through its City Administrator pursuant to Ordinance No.
515, passed and approved on July 26, 2000, respectively, as Franchisor, (herein referred
to as "Grantor" or "City"), and Western Integrated Networks of Texas Operating L.P., a
Delaware limited partnership, as Franchisee (herein referred to as "Grantee") with its
principal place of business being located at 2000 South Colorado Boulevard, Suite 2-
800, Denver, Colorado 80222 ,and both parties do hereby WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, Grantee, which is a privately held company with its corporate offices in
Denver, Colorado did appear before the City Council to petition that the company be
awarded a non-exclusive Franchise to construct a Cable/Broadband Telecommunications
system in the City of Cibolo; and
WHEREAS, Grantee desires use of certain Public Rights -Of -Way within the City of
Cibolo for the purpose of constructing, maintaining and operating Grantee's
Cable/Broadband Telecommunications System for the purpose of offering Cable
Television and other services as defined by this Franchise Agreement and pursuant to
local, state and federal laws, and such use requires a Franchise Agreement; and
WHEREAS, this use of the Grantor's streets will be conducted in such a manner that is
not inconsistent with the use of the Grantor's Public Rights -Of -Way; and
WHEREAS, this Franchise Agreement will allow the Grantee to operate a
Cable/Broadband Telecommunications System, which will include Internet service and
other types of services; and
WHEREAS, consistent with H.B. 1777 prior to offering local exchange
telecommunications service to its customers, the Grantee will obtain the City's standard
right-of-way use permit which will be developed by the City for all certificated
telecommunications providers that maintain facilities in the City's rights-of-way; and
WHEREAS, Grantee has proposed to construct a Cable/Broadband Telecommunications
System with a minimum of 860 megahertz band width capacity utilizing state-of-the-art
broadband equipment and fiber optic network infrastructure facilities; and
WHEREAS, City Council has determined that such a Cable/Broadband
Telecommunications System will further the public convenience and public welfare of
the inhabitants of Cibolo; and
WHEREAS, it is in the City's interest to set forth rights, duties and obligations of
Grantee in this Franchise Agreement;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF CIBOLO, TEXAS (hereinafter, the "City"):
SECTION 1. Short Title, Definitions.
This ordinance shall be known and may be cited as the City of Cibolo, Texas
Western Integrated Networks Cable Television System Franchise Ordinance of 2000.
a. "Access Channel" means any non-commercial public, educational or
government channels as defined by the Federal Communications
Commissions ("FCC").
b. "Basic Service" shall mean any service tier which includes the
retransmission of local television broadcast service, including the delivery
of broadcast signals and programming originated over the network,
covered by the minimum monthly charge paid by subscribers. Basic cable
tier must include: (1) all local television broadcast stations carried on the
system by virtue of the FCC's must -carry and retransmission consent
provisions; (2) all public, educational and governmental ("PEG") access
channels; and (3) any other local television broadcast stations carried on
the system.
C. "Broadcast," means the over -the -air transmission of electro -magnetic
audio or video signals:
d. "Cable Act" shall mean the Cable Communications and Policy Act of
1984, found in 47 U.S.C. § 521 et. seq., as amended.
e. "CATV" or CATV system shall mean Cable/Broadband
Telecommunications System as hereinafter defined.
f. "Cable/Broadband Telecommunications System" shall have the meaning
ascribed to the term "Cable System." under the Cable Act.
g. "Cable Service" shall have the meaning ascribed to it under the Cable Act,
including Internet access service, but shall not include the provision of
telecommunications service, as otherwise defined.
h. "City" means the City of Cibolo, Texas.
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i. "City Council" means the governing body of the City of Cibolo.
"City Administrator" means the chief administrative officer of the City of
Cibolo or his designated agent.
k. "Cablecast'shall mean to distribute video programming over a cable
television system.
1. "Channel' shall mean a band of frequencies six megahertz in width in the
electromagnetic spectrum.
in. "Converter" shall mean an electronic device capable of converting
electronic signals to other than their original frequencies so as to eliminate
interferences within television receivers of subscribers.
n. "Dwelling unit" shall mean a room or suite of rooms, in a building or
portion thereof, used for living purposes by one family.
o. `Educational Authorities" shall mean those public or parochial school
districts within the City of Cibolo, and/or those colleges and universities
within the City of Cibolo, whether operating independently oc in unison in
relation to the transmission or reception of programming through the
CATV system.
P. "Expanded Service" shall mean the level of service received by a CATV
system subscriber for an additional charge over the Basic Service charge
and which will allow for the capability to receive other services being
offered by the grantee with the exception of pay television services, pay
per view, per program, or other services for which an additional fee is
charged, or limited access services.
q. "FCC". shall mean the Federal Communications Commission.
r. "Franchise" shall mean the authorization granted by this ordinance to
construct, operate, and maintain a Cable/Broadband Telecommunications
System in the corporate limits of the City of Cibolo.
S. "Grantor" shall mean the City of Cibolo.
t. "Grantee" shall mean Western Integrated Networks of Texas Operating
L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, or its successors and assigns.
U. "Gross Annual Revenues" shall mean all revenues derived by the Grantee,
its affiliates or subsidiaries from and in connection with the operation of a
Cable/Broadband Telecommunications System as authorized by this
Franchise to provide Cable Service. For the purposes of this section, this
tern shall include, but not be limited to, installation fees, fees for Basic
Service and Expanded Basic Service, Fees for Premium Service, fees for
any cable programming service, and any other subscriber fees, charges for
lease of channels, revenue from advertising, fees, charged for carriage of
programming on the system. The term shall not include any taxes or fees
on services furnished by the Grantee, which is imposed directly on any
subscriber or user by any city, state or other governmental unit and
collected by the Grantee for such governmental unit. Revenue received by
the City under this Franchise is not such a tax.
V. "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, partnership, association,
corporation, company, or organization of any kind.
W. "Pay Television" shall mean the delivery over the Cable/Broadband
Telecommunications System of video and audio signals in intelligible
form to subscribers for a fee or charge over and above the charge for basic
or expanded services, on a per program, per channel, or other subscription
basis.
X. "Premium Service" shall mean the same as pay television.
Y. "Subscriber" shall mean a lawful recipient of services, which are delivered
over the CATV system.
Z. "Public Rights -of -Way" or "Right -of -Way" shall mean the surface of and
the space above and below any public street, road, highway, freeway, lane
path, public way or place, sidewalk, alley boulevard, parkway, drive or
other easement now or hereafter held by the City and shall include other
easements or rights of way as shall be now held or hereafter held by the
City and its Grantee for the purposes of installing or transmitting cable
television system transmissions over poles, wires, cables, conductors,
ducts, conduits, vaults, manholes, amplifiers, appliances, attachments, and
other property as may be ordinarily necessary and pertinent to a cable
television system.
aa. "User" shall mean a person utilizing a cable television system channel for
purposes of production or transmission of materials to subscribers.
SECTION 2. Grant of Franchise.
The City hereby grants to Western Integrated Networks of Texas Operating L.P. a
Delaware limited partnership (hereinafter, together with any successor or assignee
permitted hereunder, the "Grantee"), under the terms and conditions of this franchise, the
non-exclusive right and privilege to erect, construct, maintain and operate in, upon,
along, across, over, above and under the streets of the City and all extensions and
relocations of, poles, wires, cables, underground conduits, manholes and other conductors
and fixtures necessary for the maintenance and operation of a Cable System and the
distribution of Cable Services.
SECTION 3. Franchise Term.
The franchise term and the rights, privilege and authority hereby granted shall take effect
and be in force as of July, 26, 2000. This franchise shall continue in force and effect for a
term of fifteen (15) years from the Effective Date, or until July 26, 2015. The date herein
referred to, as the "Effective Date" of this franchise shall be July 26, 2000
SECTION 4. Transfer of Franchise, Sale of Grantee.
a. Subject to Section 4b, this franchise shall be held in personal trust by the
Grantee. No interest in this franchise shall be assigned, transferred, sold or disposed of
and no sale, merger, consolidation or transfer of controlling ownership interest in the
Grantee shall be permitted without the prior written consent of the City and then only
upon such conditions as may be prescribed to guarantee the continued performance of the
terms of this franchise by the Grantee's successor. The Grantee shall be authorized to
change its name at any time and, subject to the requirements of the following sentence,
may transfer this franchise to any entity which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the
Grantee or which is wholly-owned by the Grantee's owner or owners. The transfer to a
related entity described in the preceding sentence may be affected by the Grantee if the
Grantee establishes to the reasonable satisfaction of the City that the transferee entity is
sufficiently capitalized and experienced to operate and maintain the Cable System under
the terms of this franchise. The Grantee shall give notice to the City of any such
proposed change of name or transfer to any entity with such common ownership with the
Grantee or a subsidiary of the Grantee at least sixty (60) days before the effective date of
any such change or transfer. Any attempt to assign, transfer, sell, or dispose of this
franchise or an interest in the Grantee except under the conditions of this Section 4a shall
be void.
b. The Grantee may assign, mortgage or pledge its interest or equity in the
Cable System authorized by this franchise, or any part thereof, in connection with the
financing of improvements or extensions to the Cable System authorized by this
franchise, or as a general pledge of all the assets of its parent corporation, or those of its
successors in interest, to provide major funding for its parent corporation.
SECTION 5. Franchise Territory and Line Extension Policy.
This franchise.shall be for the present territorial limits of the City and for any area
hereafter added thereto during the term of this franchise. The Grantee agrees to extend
Cable Service to all areas within the corporate limits of the City, which have a
Residential Dwelling Unit density, which is or becomes twenty-five (25) dwelling units
or more per cable plant mile required to provide service. The Grantee shall extend Cable
Services to such areas and to areas annexed by the City subsequent to the Effective Date
within twelve (12) months after the City notifies the Grantee that housing density in such
area has reached twenty-five (25) Residential Dwelling Units per cable plant mile in such
areas.
SECTION 6. Use of Streets.
a. The Grantee shall have the right to use the streets of the City for the
construction, operation and maintenance of the Cable System as prescribed, regulated and
limited by provisions of this franchise and by local, Texas and federal law, as in effect
from time to time.
b. All transmission and distribution structures, lines and equipment erected
by the Grantee within the City shall be so located as to cause minimum interference with
the proper use of streets and to cause minimum interference with the rights and
reasonable convenience of property owners who adjoin said streets. The installation
and/or construction of above ground structures, lines and equipment by Grantee shall
require the prior approval of the City Administrator for aesthetic and location suitability,
unless such structures, lines and equipment will be located on the same poles as existing
electric, telephone or other CATV plant facilities. City approval shall not be
unreasonably withheld.
C. In sections of the City where the cables, wires and other like facilities of
public utilities and other cable plant facilities are placed underground, the Grantee shall
place its cables, wires or other like facilities underground.
d. The Grantee shall comply with all permitting requirements of the City,
including the payment of all permit fees and notice requirements, in connection with any
proposed cut or disturbance of City streets. In case of the disturbance of any street, paved
area or landscaped area by the Grantee, the Grantee shall, at its own cost and expense and
in a manner approved by the City, replace and restore such street, paved area and/or
landscaped area to as good condition as before the disturbance. If such restoration or
replacement is not completed within thirty (30) days of the date of disturbance, or if the
completed -work is reasonably found by the City to be unsatisfactory, the City, after
written notice to Grantee, may repair or replace the inadequate work or complete the
unfinished work and bill the Grantee for the cost of such work, including but not limited
to the cost of labor, materials, supervisions, and overhead if Grantee fails to repair or
replace the inadequate or unfinished work within a reasonable time. During the term of
this franchise, the Grantee shall maintain the integrity of any paved surface over the
Grantee's facilities, but only to the extent that such paved surfaces have been restored by
the Grantee or by the City on the Grantee's behalf.
e. If at any time during the period of this franchise the City shall elect to alter
or change the grade of any street or construct any other public works which will disturb
the cables or other facilities of the Grantee, the Grantee, upon reasonable written notice
by the City, shall remove, relay and relocate its poles, wires, cables, underground
conduits, manholes and other fixtures, as the case may be, at no expense to the City.
f. The Grantee shall have the authority and duty to trim trees upon and
overhanging streets and easements of the City so as to prevent the branches of such trees
from coming in contact with the wires and cables of the Grantee, except that at the option
of the City such trimming may be done by the City or under its supervision and direction
at the expense of the Grantee if Grantee has failed after two (2) weeks' written notice to
perform such work. City may at any time with the Grantee's concurrence perform such
work at Grantee's expense.
h. If during the term of this franchise, the City grants approval of plats for
new developments, the City shall notify the Grantee or advise the developer to notify the
Grantee of the timing of construction and location of trenching of rights-of-way and give
the Grantee reasonable opportunity to place cable in such trenches. The City will make
available to the Grantee copies of all plats for new developments approved by the City
during the term of this franchise.
L If at any time during the term of the franchise, the Grantee's cables, wires
or other equipment or facilities should be damaged or destroyed, the Grantee shall
promptly and (except for damage or destruction resulting from the negligence of the City
or its employees) at the Grantee's expense and without cost to the City repair and restore
such cables, wires or other equipment or facilities. Nothing herein shall prevent the
Grantee or the City from seeking recovery, reimbursement or contribution from any third
party which may have caused or contributed to the Grantee's or the City's damages or
expenses.
j. Upon the determination of Grantee, whenever practical, the Grantee will
bore,"rather than trench in the public rights-of-way, to minimize disturbance in paved
areas. The Grantee assumes responsibility for establishing to the City's reasonable
satisfaction that trenching, rather than boring, is the most practical means of equipment
installation, taking into account street construction and maintenance, due either to cost,
maintenance or liability. The City agrees that approval to trench will not be unreasonably
withheld. The Grantee will perform work involving disturbance of paved areas following
approval from the City's Public Works Department, provided such approval shall not be
withheld or delayed unreasonably. The Grantee, upon prior notice before paving, shall
install conduit under street intersections during their construction and otherwise install
cable during the development of subdivisions to help avoid unnecessary subsequent
cutting of streets.
SECTION 7. Franchise Fees.
a. In consideration of the grant of a franchise under this ordinance, the
Grantee shall pay to the City annually five percent (5%) of the Grantee's gross revenues,
defined as all revenues received by the Grantee from all sources derived from or
attributable to the operation of the cable television system and the cable television
connections authorized by this franchise, including but not limited to installation fees,
subscriber fees and pay television services but excluding any taxes or fees collected by
the Grantee as required by law and wholly transmitted to a city, state, or federal
government. Such payment shall be in addition to any other taxes, license fees or other
fees or charges levied by the City on the Grantee, or agreed upon contractually elsewhere
in this franchise or by separate agreement. The payment due to the City shall be
computed and paid quarterly, based on the Grantee's fiscal year. The Grantee shall file
with the City, within sixty (60) days after the close of each of the Grantee's fiscal
quarters, a statement showing the gross revenues received by the Grantee during the
immediately preceding quarter and the amount of the franchise fee then due. Payment of
the franchise fee shall be remitted with such statement. A copy of the Grantee's income
statement for the operation of the System herein authorized for the entire year, audited by
an independent Certified Public Accountant, shall accompany the fourth-quarter payment
for each year.
b. The City shall have the right to inspect and audit the Grantee's income
records and the right to recompute any amounts determined to be payable under this
franchise. An audit of any fiscal year may be made at any time during the term of this
franchise but limited only to the examination of the Grantee's books for the immediate
preceding two (2) calendar years from the date of such audit request. Any additional
amount due as a result of such audit, together with interest at the maximum interest rate
permitted by law from the last day of the fiscal year from which such additional amount
is due, shall be paid to the City within thirty (30) days following written notice to the
Grantee by the City, which notice shall include a copy of the audit report. The cost of
such audit shall be bome by the Grantee only if it is determined that franchise fees should
be increased by three percent (3%) or more of the City's annual franchise fee received in
the immediate preceding two (2) calendar years from the date of such audit. Should there
be such a deficiency following an audit of the Grantee's books the City shall have the
right during the term of this franchise to conduct a second audit examination of the
Grantee's books which may, at the Grantor's option, extend to the time period ending
with the last audit period that reflected a deficiency in the Grantor's expense by an
independent accounting firm to be mutually agreed upon between the parties. Such an
audit shall consist of a representation letter based on an examination of the franchise fee
payment schedule.
C. Acceptance of any payment by the City shall not be construed as a release
or as an accord and satisfaction of any claim the City may have for further or additional
sums payable as a franchise fee or for the performance of any obligation of the Grantee
hereunder.
SECTION 8. Liability and Indemnification.
a. The Grantee shall indemnify and hold the city harmless from any and all
losses sustained by the City on account on any tax, penalty, fine, costs, expense, suit,
judgment, execution, claim or demand whatsoever against the City resulting from the
Grantee's construction, operation or maintenance of the Cable System and/or any other
negligent actions or omissions taken or not taken by the Grantee in connection with this
franchise. The Grantee may, and if requested in writing by the City, undertake the
defense of any claim, action or proceeding for which the City is indemnified under this
Section, and, thereafter, the Grantee shall not be liable to the City for any legal or other
expenses of the City other than reasonable costs subsequently incurred by the City at the
request of the Grantee in connection with the defense thereof. The Grantee shall not be
liable for the settlement of any such claim, action or proceeding effected without its prior
written consent. The City shall give the Grantee prompt notice of any claim, action or
proceeding against it upon which the City may seek indemnity hereunder.
b. The Grantee shall carry, throughout the term of this franchise, personal
and property damage liability insurance with insurance companies qualified to do
business in the State of Texas. Such insurance shall show the City as an additional
insured parry. The amounts of such insurance to be carried for liability due to property
damage shall be $500,000 as to any one occurrence, and against liability due to injury or
death of a person $2,000,000 as to any one person and $5,000,000 as to any one
occurrence. A certificate or certificates of insurance shall be filed and maintained with
the City during the term of this franchise. The Grantee agrees that, at the end of the fifth
and tenth complete fiscal years following the Effective Date of this franchise, it will
increase the amounts of insurance required to be maintained by the Grantee under this
Section 8b in accordance with an opinion of a qualified insurance consultant agreed to by
the City and the Grantee stating that such amounts should be increased.
SECTION 9. Performance Evaluations.
The City Council shall have the right under this franchise at any time to review
the performance of the Grantee hereunder and to ascertain that all provisions of this
franchise are being fully and faithfully carried out. The City Council may conduct formal
performance evaluations of the Grantee's Cable System and the Cable Services on or
about the fifth, ninth and thirteenth anniversary of the Effective Date of this franchise.
The City shall permit the Grantee to be involved in and comment on establishing the
method and format of such evaluation prior to the evaluation.
SECTION 10. Revocation and Termination of Franchise.
a. The City shall have the right to revoke and terminate this franchise only if
the Grantee has (1) taken or permitted an act described in Section 14c or committed a
series of material violations of this franchise such as to indicate that the Grantee is unable
or unwilling to comply with the material terms of this franchise, and the Grantee has
failed to take reasonable steps to correct or desist from the violations within a reasonable
time after due written notice has been given to the Grantee by the City, or (2) if the
Grantee files in any court a petition of voluntary bankruptcy or is involuntarily adjudged
bankrupt in any court of competent jurisdiction or is placed in receivership or trusteeship
or (3) if the Grantee's title and interest in the Cable System authorized by this franchise
or in this franchise is taken by judicial or non judicial execution or is forfeited or subject
to forfeiture before any court.
b. If at any time the City has reason to believe that the Grantee is in jeopardy
of having this franchise revoked and terminated for any reason, the City shall so notify
the Grantee in writing, and order the Grantee to show cause before the City Council
within thirty (30) days of such notice why such revocation or termination should not take
place. If the Grantee fails to show cause, or in any case if the City reasonably finds (1)
that any of the causes set forth in Section 10a are applicable, (2) that adequate notice has
previously been given and (3) that the Grantee has failed to correct the defects or
violations as required, the City may, by majority vote of the City Council, declare this
franchise to be revoked and terminated.
SECTION 11. Customer Service Standards.
a. The Grantee shall maintain an office reasonably accessible to residents of
the City who are subscribers of the Cable System and which shall be open during normal
business hours, have a listed telephone number and be so operated that complaints and
requests for repairs or equipment adjustments may be received at any time. The Grantee
shall provide for regular billing of accounts.
b. The Grantee shall furnish to each new subscriber, at the time service is
installed, a written statement that clearly sets forth procedures for placing trouble calls or
requesting equipment adjustments, and an annual reminder that the subscriber can call or
write the City if the Grantee fails to respond to the subscriber's request for installation,
service or equipment adjustment within a reasonable period of time.
C. The Grantee shall respond to requests for service on the same business day
if the request is received prior to 2:00 p.m. in the case of a system outage or service
interruption. In no event shall the response time for calls received later than 2:00 p.m.
exceed twenty-seven (27) hours.
d. The Grantee may interrupt Cable System service after 7:00 a.m. and
before 1:00 a.m. only with good cause and for the shortest time possible and, except in
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emergency situations only after giving notice to subscribers that Cable Service will be
interrupted. Cable Service may be interrupted between 1:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. for
routine testing, maintenance and repair, without notification, any night except Friday,
Saturday or Sunday, or the night preceding a holiday.
e. Whenever service to any subscriber of the Cable System is interrupted for
any period of time in excess of twenty-four (24) consecutive hours, or the Grantee
violates the service standards then in effect recommended by the National Cable
Television Association, and such interruption or violation is known to the Grantee in
addition to all other refunds and penalties due pursuant to federal law or regulation, the
subscriber, upon written request, shall receive a rebate of one -thirtieth (1/30`h) of his
monthly subscription fee for each day or part thereof from the time service is interrupted
or service standards are violated until service is restored or corrected. For purposes of
this Section, "interruption of service" means that a subscriber is not receiving all
subscribed -for services.
f. The Grantee shall maintain records listing date and time of trouble and
service complaints, identifying the subscriber and describing the nature of each complaint
and what action was taken by the Grantee in response thereto. Such records shall be
available for inspection by a representative of the City at any time during regular business
hours. Upon written request of the City, the Grantee shall use its best efforts to develop a
summary of such report for each fiscal quarter for inclusion with the payment and report
due under Section 7a.
g. The programming available on the Cable System on the Effective Date are
identified on Exhibit A attached hereto. The Grantee shall fife all changes in channel
space allocation and rates with the City at least thirty (30) days' in advance of the
effective date of such change and shall provide customers of the Cable System with at
least thirty (30) days' prior notice of channel space allocation and rate changes.
SECTION 12. Technical Standards and Reports.
a. Technical standards shall be maintained in compliance with Federal
Communications Commission Rules and Regulations 47 C.F.R., Part 76, Subpart K, as
amended from time to time.
b. If, during the term of this franchise, Grantee develops, builds or obtains .
the ability to provide other forms of cable television services not currently being
provided, and such new services are offered and provided to either residential or
commercial subscribers in the City, and if such services are subscribed to by residential
or commercial subscribers, then, Grantee shall provide at least one (1) service connection
to provide such service to Grantor's facilities as set forth in Section 18(a) herein.
Provided however, that Grantee shall be under no obligation to continue to provide such
new service(s) to Grantor if Grantee ceases to offer or provide such new service(s) to
either resident or commercial subscribers in the City.
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C. The Grantee shall advise the City with its quarterly report of any major
changes in federal and/or Texas law and regulation relating to the cable industry and any
significant advances in technology in the cable industry relating to the quality and
quantity of services which may be available and shall promptly inform the City of the
implementation of any interconnect with another cable system.
d. The Grantee shall arrange for its representatives to meet at least once each
fiscal year with representatives of the City to provide additional information which the
Grantee believes is useful to the City in connection with the Cable System and to respond
to inquiries from the City in connection with the Cable System and this franchise.
SECTION 13. Parental Control of Programs.
The City and the Grantee agree that public concern has been expressed regarding
the reception in subscribers' homes of television programs that are offensive to some
persons, that are intended for viewing by adults and that are believed by some persons to
be detrimental to the community's cultural values. Accordingly, the City and the Grantee
agree that a public interest exists and that there is a need for certain services to permit
parents to exercise greater control over the television programs watched by their children.
Therefore, the Grantee agrees as follows:
(a) The Grantee shall provide a locking device to any subscriber of the
Cable System, at the subscriber's request, which when locked electronically or by
a key will prevent the television set from being tuned to any channel designated
by the subscriber. The Grantee shall have the right to charge an amount equal to
its cost of providing said locking device.
SECTION 14. Books and Records.
a. The Grantee's books of account and records of its business and operations
under and in connection with this franchise shall be maintained and available at the
Grantee's office in San Antonio, Texas.
b. The City shall have access upon reasonable advance written notice and at
reasonable times to review all of the Grantee's books of account and records of its
business and operations in Cibolo to the extent reasonably necessary to enforce the terms
of this franchise.
C. Any intentional false entry in the books of account or records of the
Grantee or any intentional false statement in the reports to the City as to a material fact,
knowingly made by the Grantee, shall constitute a major violation of this franchise.
Unintentional errors in such books and reports shall not constitute a violation.
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SECTION 15. Severability.
If any portion of this franchise is for any reason held invalid or unconstitutional
by a court of competent jurisdiction or is superseded or preempted by any State of Texas
or federal law or regulation, such portion shall be deemed a separate, distinct and
independent provision and shall not affect the validity or effectiveness of the remaining
portions hereof.
SECTION 16. Force Majeure.
When any provision or condition to be performed by the grantee under the terms
of this franchise is prevented, delayed or interrupted by lack of labor or materials caused
by conditions beyond the reasonable control of the Grantee, or by fire, storm, flood, war,
rebellion, insurrection, sabotage, riot or strike, or by failure of carriers to transport, make
delivery or furnish facilities for transportation, or as a result of some law, order, rule,
regulation or necessity of governmental authority, whether local, state or federal, or as the
result of some law, order rule, regulation or necessity of governmental authority, whether
local, state or federal, or as the result of the filing of a suit by the City against the Grantee
(unless the Grantee is ultimately determined in such litigation to have been in material
violation of this franchise and Grantee has failed to cure such breach), in which the
Grantee's franchise may be affected, or as a result of any cause beyond the reasonable
control of the Grantee, this franchise shall remain in full force and effect. The Grantee
shall not be liable for any breach of any express or implied covenant or obligation under
this franchise when the same is prevented, delayed or interrupted, provided that Grantee
shall make a good faith effort to carry out or complete, as the case may be, its duties and
obligations hereunder in a timely manner.
SECTION 17. Regulation
The City shall automatically have all of the rights, benefits and powers granted to
municipalities under federal or State of Texas cable television laws or regulations in
effect and as amended during the term of this franchise, including specifically all powers
or rights to regulate cable television rates, services and programming, as if such laws and
regulations were incorporated herein. Any other matters permitted by such enactments or
amendments shall be negotiated in good faith by the City and the Grantee.
SECTION 18. Publicly Owned or Leased Facilities and Public Service
Broadcasting.
. a. The Grantee shall provide at least one service connection in each of the
following locations:
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1. all municipal buildings or facilities as may be now or hereinafter
designated by the City Administrator or his agent;
2. all public and parochial school buildings as may be designated now
or hereinafter by the City Administrator; and
3. each classroom building of each college or university in the City.
Such service connections shall be provided to buildings as designated by the City
Administrator within at least three (3) months of the date service is available to such
building. In addition, a converter to provide the capability of receiving basic and
expanded basic service only shall be provided to each such location. Connection and
services provided hereunder shall be for public non-commercial use only.
b. No charge shall be made by the Grantee for the installation, disconnection
(when reasonably requested) reconnection (when reasonably requested), monthly services
and/or maintenance of equipment authorized by Section 18a., provided, however, Grantee
shall not be required to make sure installations if line extension in excess of 300 feet
would be required.
C. Grantee agrees to include in its Cable Broadband Telecommunications
System a regionally operated Emergency Broadcast System with the capability to
introduce an audio and video message on the Cable System in times of public emergency,
and to provide that such override may be introduced from a City facility.
d. The Grantee shall provide locally -originated programming each week and
shall meet or exceed all such programming requirements or recommendations of the
Federal Communications Commission or applicable State of Texas or federal law or
regulation. The Grantee may produce such programming itself or may rely on local
groups to produce such programming with technical assistance from the Grantee. The
Grantee agrees to permit the City, at its options, to participate in the formation and
operation of a broadly representative advisory board to help implement community
involvement in local origination production and use of public access channels. The
Grantee shall provide and maintain a studio in San Antonio, Texas or in another location
at Grantee's option reasonably accessible to residents of the City for the purpose of local
program production and origination.
SECTION 19. Waiver
The waiver by either party of a breach or violation of any provision of this
agreement shall not operate as or be construed to be a waiver of any subsequent breach of
any provision of this agreement. To the contrary, such conduct shall not be considered a
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waiver to either party to future performance of any such provisions of this agreement, and
the obligations of the parties to such future performance shall continue in full force and
effect.
PASSED AND ADOPTED THE DAY OF 2000.
MAYOR
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ACCEPTANCE
The undersigned duly authorized officer of Western Integrated Networks of Texas
Operating L.P., d/b/a Western Integrated Networks, LLP does hereby unconditionally
accept on behalf of Western Integrated Networks of Texas Operating L.P. the terms of
Ordinance No. 515, effective through July 26, 2015 granting Western Integrated
Networks a cable television franchise for the City of Cibolo, Texas.
COMMONWEALTH OF
ACCEPTED this 8`' day of July, 2000
Western Integrated Networks of Texas Operating L.P.
By: WIN of Texas GP, LLC
COUNTY OF BERKSHIRE )
BEFORE ME, the undersigned authority, on this day personally appeared William
J. Mahon, Jr., Sr. Vice President of WIN of Texas GP, LLC and of Western Integrated
Networks of Texas Operating L.P., known to me to be the person whose name is
subscribed to the foregoing instrument, and acknowledged to me that he executed the
same for the purposes and consideration therein expressed.
2000.
GIVEN UND &4V1Y HAND AND SEAL THIS 8TH DAY OF JULY,
Not Publ2c
M Commission Expires: // -/ 7- do a
IN
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