Title
Resolution authorizing the City of Pittsburgh (“City”) to extend a Contract or Agreement or Agreements with Pittsburgh Community Television for public access television services, by extending the term of the agreement until June 30th, 2022.
Body
WHEREAS, the City recently extended an agreement with Pittsburgh Community Television for public access television services up to September 30, 2021 via amending Resolution 539 of 2021; and
WHEREAS, the ability of the City to enter into a new agreement for public access television services is largely contingent on the terms and conditions of the City’s cable franchise agreements; and
WHEREAS, the City has entered into a renewed franchise agreement with Comcast Cable Communications Management, LLC pursuant to Resolution 858 of 2021; and
WHEREAS, the City is currently operating under an existing cable franchise agreement with Verizon Pennsylvania Inc. while a new agreement is in negotiation; and
WHEREAS, pending the City’s entry into a new cable franchise agreement, the City wishes to further extend its existing agreement with Pittsburgh Community Television for public access television services until June 30th, 2022.
Be it resolved by the Council of the City of Pittsburgh as follows:
Section 1. The Mayor and the Director of the Department of Innovation & Performance are hereby authorized to extend existing Agreements with Pittsburgh Community Television, Inc. for a term to end on June, 2022, with said contract to be funded with certain public, educational, and governmental ("PEG") channel proceeds generated by the City's cable franchise agreements with Comcast Cable Communications Management, LLC and Verizon Pennsylvania, Inc., according to the schedule set forth in Section 2.
Section 2. The City shall continue to receive all remaining Fixed PEG Grants and Annual PEG Grants revenue from the aforementioned franchise agreements and deposit the funds in the appropriate trust funds. The City shall first apply the following amounts to the City Cable Bureau and then release the remaining funds to City of Pittsburgh PCTV as follows: Annual PEG Grants: The City Cable Bureau for its capital program shall receive the first Annual PEG Grant allocation of $150,000 until June 30th, 2022. The remaining Annual PEG Grants collected by the City after the above-referenced funding has been remitted to the City Cable Bureau shall be remitted to PCTV. Funds shall be deposited to JDE account numbers 1030281500.43101.00
(Comcast Franchise Trust Fund) and/or 1030288000.43101.00 (Verizon Franchise Trust Fund). Remittances to PCTV shall be paid from 1030281500.57501.00 and/or 1030288000.57501.00.
Section 3. The Agreement shall include the following stipulations: a) The City Controller shall have the express right to conduct audits of PCTV b) The City shall reserve its right to change the allocation at any time providing that any and all funding changes to this agreement shall have City Council approval c) The responsible City department shall use the designated trust funds for receipt of revenue and payment expenditures attributable to the franchise agreements. This shall include all pass through funds for PCTV. d) PCTV shall provide the City Clerk's office a copy of their annual fiscal report
Section 4. Said Agreement(s) shall be approved by the City Solicitor as to form and substance.