Norfolk Cable Advisory Committee (CAC)
Subject: Minutes of CAC meeting: March 23, 2006, 5:00 PM, IT Conference Room, Third Floor, Town Hall
Present:
Chris McClure ex officio
John Spinney Chairman
John Olivieri
Donna Jones
Bob Haddleton Clerk
This constitutes the minutes of the meeting as required by MGL Chapter 39 Section 23B (9).
The meeting began at 5:00 PM
Chris and John mentioned that the CAC needs to get its name and purpose out there, and get a survey together and out to the public. We could use NorfolkNet, the Boomerang, etc.
330 MHz Institutional Network (I-Net)
Chris mentioned that he has two companies in mind to work on an I-Net expansion, if authorized in a new contract. Chris’s interest is the I-Net only, not the Public Educational Government (PEG) cable access system. We may get a presentation from those companies, and we will have a price range to discuss with Comcast for I-Net negotiations. Chris knows exactly what he wants in the I-Net RFP or RFQ: surveillance of all municipal buildings, including KP Middle school; the water towers, etc.
As members of NCTV’s board and as residents of the Town, Donna Jones and Bob Haddleton have an interest in preserving the PEG aspect of the cash flow and the contract provisions.
We and the other Norfolk residents do not want to see any of the NCTV programming cut in any new contract. There was a lengthy discussion regarding current payments to the Access Corporation, and how the I-Net might be rebuilt with capital money from Comcast, if there might be any.
Attleboro was brought up as a model for what we want to achieve, while retaining Norfolk’s current percentage. The population difference is significant, though.
A Strategic Plan sub-committee was mentioned but was not constituted.
Donna Jones will look for a previous survey. John Spinney will talk to Matt McDonald of the Boomerang. John Spinney will look for grants; Homeland Security, etc.
Additional I-Net drops utilizing Fiber Optic Cable are needed at the KP Middle School as well as at the water tower on Sharon Ave and the water tower at the top of the hill behind the Town Hall.
There was a question as to whether a grant from Homeland Security could be secured for the purpose of video surveillance, fire detection, etc. These purposes are currently mentioned in the contract, Section 3.2c. Possibly a town-wide municipal phone system could use the I-Net, and the survey could ask how many phone call each department gets in a day.
The next CAC meeting will be spent working on a survey to be passed out and collected at Town Meeting.
The next meeting will be Thursday April 13 at 5 PM in the IT Conference Room, Third Floor.
The meeting ended at 6:15 PM.
Respectfully submitted:
Robert Haddleton
CableAdvComMinutesMarch23_ 2006.doc
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