Sean C. Morgan
The Sweet Home City Council held the first reading on Jan. 24 of an ordinance creating a 10-year franchise agreement with Comcast.
The previous franchise agreement was granted in 2006, said City Manager Craig Martin.
The new agreement continues a fee of 5 percent of cable revenues to be paid to the city for use of rights of way and other property, Martin said. It will provide approximately $78,000 to the city annually, depending on the number of subscribers.
Tim Goodman represented Comcast at the regular council meeting and outlined a new Comcast program, Comcast Essentials.
The program, rolled out in October, provides low-cost broadband Internet service to low-income families as part of an effort to bridge the “so-called digital divide,” Goodman said.
Under the program, families that have children who qualify for free lunch at school may pay $9.95 per month for Internet service that normally costs $30, Goodman said. Comcast also will cover about two-thirds of the cost of a laptop for those families. Participants pay approximately $150 for the laptop.
The Essentials program includes online training, Goodman said.
About 40 percent of Oregon students qualify for this program, he said, and about 59.4 percent – 1,299 – of Sweet Home students qualify.
The council will hold two more readings of the ordinance before deciding whether to approve and adopt the ordinance.
Present at the meeting were councilors Marybeth Angulo, Mayor Craig Fentiman, Jim Gourley, Mike Hall, Greg Mahler and Scott McKee Jr. Ron Rodgers was absent.
In other business, the council:
n Approved a three-year lease agreement to purchase a new patrol car.
The vehicle, a 2012 Dodge Charger, will cost $33,252 in three annual payments.
The Police Department used the Chevrolet Caprice in the 1990s before switching to the Ford Crown Victoria and then the Chevrolet Impala, Martin said. When the Impala was discontinued, the city switched back to the Crown Victoria. That also has been discontinued, so the department has turned to the Charger.
After completion of the three-year lease, the department pays $1 to purchase the vehicle, said Police Chief Bob Burford.
n Passed a resolution to adjust fees for copies, research and miscellaneous services.