89-SSHo. 89-$
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF
THE CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA,
URGING THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES
TO REVIEW THE CABLE COMMUNICATION POLICY
ACT OF 1984, AND EXPRESSING GENERAL
CONCERN ABOUT THE NEED FOR GREATER LOCAL
GOVERNMENT REGULATORY AUTHORITY.
W~XE~, the Cable Communications
restricted states' and local governments'
regulate the cable television industry directly; and
W~RREAS, since the passage of the Cable Communications
Act of 1984, concentrations of ownership amounting to
monopolies have increased among cable operators, even though
that Act was intended to "promote competition in cable
communications and minimize unnecessary regulations that
impose undue economic burden on cable systems;" and
W~IEREAS, municipalities throughout the nation,
including this one, have been subjected to substantial rate
increases, service reductions, and programming changes that
do not reflect consumers' needs or the original intentions
of their franchise agreements; and
W~RREAS, more than half of the nation's householdS, and
a substantial number of the residents of this City subscribe
to cable, and cable television is increasingly becoming the
main means of access to information an~ ~tertainme~tr-and
WHEREA~, cable subscribers in this City have been
subjected to substantial rate increases over the last number
of years, as well as increases in the costs of additional
outlets, premium services, installation, etc., and
W~EREAS, cable television is rapidly being priced
beyond the reach of lower-income people, including families
with children and the elderly, who are particularly in need
of information and other services that are available solely
through cable television; and
W~XERF2kS, existing law provides this City and other
franchising authorities no authority to control or question
Act of 1984
abilities to
the imposition by cable franchises of exorbitant rates upon
citizens whose rights-of-way have been placed at the
companies' disposal by virtue of the grant of franchises;
and
WHEREAS, the National League of Cities has adopted
policies in favor of increasing local governments' cable
regulatory authority and in favor of more competition in the
provision of cable television service to consumers; and
WHEREAS, legislation that
Congress seeks comprehensive
Communications Act of 1984.
is now pending in the
changes in the Cable
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION
OF THE CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA, AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The City Commission of the City of
Boynton Beach declares its support for the restoration of
local regulatory authority over cable television systems.
Section 2. The Congress of the United States should
rewrite the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984, with
particular focus on reregulation of subscriber rates,
allowance of telephone company provision of cable service
under circumstances that respect local government authority,
system ownership transfers, the impact of vertical
integration in the cable industry, and other aspects of the
Act that directly impact local regulatiOn and consumers.
Section 3. The City Commission of the City of
Boynton Beach urges Congressional action for appropriate
federal legislation to restore local authority over cable
systems, to eliminate the barriers to competition, and to
rectify other aspects of the 1984 Act that work to disfavor
cable consumers.
Section 4. That copies of this resolution be
dispatched to the President of the United States, to the
President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the
United States House of Representatives, and to each member
of the Florida Delegation to the United States Congress.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this
/g~day of' ~SEPTF2~BE~, ~989
, FLORID~
ATTEST:
City C~e~k '
Mayor
Vice Mayor
~o~. ssione, rC~
~dr~nis sione~ -
(Corporate Seal)