HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-04-12-CAC-MIN
Communications Advisory Committee
Minutes for April 12, 2007
CAC Members Present: Jeanne Canale, Jim Baker, Dave Becker, Jim Gonzalez, Dave
Buczkowski, John Rommelfanger, Linda Roemer
AlsoPresent: Alan Lazarus, LexMedia; Jane Lyman, Comcast; Richard Wadman and
Tom Steel, RCN; Bill Johansen, Lexington Veterans Group
George Burnell, Selectmen Liaison, arrived at 8:20.
Recorder: Linda Roemer
Action
. The Committee agreed that the chairperson should write to members who have
missed 3 consecutive meetings to ask if they wish to continue on the Committee. Their
continued absence puts a greater burden on members who do attend and makes it more
difficult to obtain a quorum.
th
Minutes.
The minutes of February 15 were discussed.
Action
. Jim Baker was encouraged to make them less personal and shorter and
emphasize facts.
th
The minutes of March 15 were approved with the deletion of the question mark after
Michael Esposito’s name.
The Committee reaffirmed that minutes should not be distributed outside of the
membership until they are approved.
Comcast.
Jane Lymanreported that Comcast and RCN had worked together to develop
a temporary solution to the I-net problem which will be in place until the move to Kline
Hall. The Committee commended both RCN and Comcast for their efforts to solve the
problem.
RCN.
Tom introduced Richard Wadman who is the Senior Vice President/General
Manager of RCN in this region.
Dave Becker and Dave Buczkowski reported that they were working on the RCN
ascertainment and were developing a time line.
Verizon.
There was no Verizon report.
Financials.
Weredistributed.Jeanne reported that she was told the reason the totals
had not changed (discussed at previous meetings) was that no bills had been paid during
the period.
2
Jeanne raised a question about the Verizon payments and the account into which they are
put. It was thought that it did not matter.
Action
. The Committee will ask if the bills can be processed more quickly.
Dave Becker showed a rough scheme of how he thought the financials should be
presented to be useful and understandable by the Committee.
Action
. He will clean this up and send it to Maria who will be asked to comment and
then it will be reviewed by the Committee with the idea that we will ask if we can get our
financials in that form.
Sunshine Law.
With permission from the Editor, Jim Gonzalez circulated an article that
appeared in the Minuteman about the sunshine law. The Committee discussed what was
meant by a substantitive discussion via e-mail which is to be avoided.
Action.
The Committee will be asked to be notified of the next training session.
LexMedia.
In George Preston’s absence due to family issues, Alan said that he assumed
that George had received responses from the three operators about their needs in Kline
Hall. Alan said that they hoped that they could have one channel for education from the
high school. SCOLA is not available due to antenna problems. The high school is using
web streaming which costs $600 compared to $1700 for the antenna. Alan said they
hoped that students, as community service, could find free web sites in foreign languages
which could be used.
Alan said they are hoping to show Patriots’ Day live.
Bill Johansen, from the Lexington Veterans Group, inquired about getting the tapes of
their monthly programs put onto DVDs to go to the library. The Committee felt that this
would be wonderful programming and that the individual doing the taping could be
trained to follow the process through so that the talks could be shown on TV.
The issue of the lack of a switcher in Cary Hall per George Preston’s note was discussed.
The Committee felt that it had to be obtained and that perhaps the Committee would have
to pay the $5700. The Committee expressed some disbelief that this was not included in
the project and that AdTech felt that it should have been specified.
Complaints.
Maria had passed on a complaint about FIOS which was addressed and
John, who is doing complaints in April, had one about SCOLA. The Committee agreed
that anyone inquiring about SCOLA should be told that it will not be available for the
indefinite future because of an antenna problem but it is being noted.
LexMedia Committee Report.
JimGonzalez asked Alan about the inventory control
system. Alan replied that he knew all the new equipment is in the data base but is not
sure about the old stuff.
3
Alan also reported that it was likely that $400,000 is available for Kline Hall
construction. But $300,000 more will be needed over time for equipment and
furnishings. A plan of how to obtain this was being worked on.
Old Business.
The Committee voted, after discussion, to maintain the policy adopted in
2001 not to provide I-Net services to non-profit organizations in Lexington.
New Business.
The Committee voted torecommend to the Selectmen that they send
either the letter drafted by Peter Epstein or their own letter pursuant to the FCC proposed
rulemaking regarding cable television franchising.
WIFI.
John reported that he was making progress in pulling together his report and
emphasized that he had concluded that WiFi was not good for business but was in fact a
more private good.
When George Burnell arrived he confirmed that the $400,000 was available for Kline
Hall and that a capital campaign was being developed to help raise money toward the
$300,000 additional that was needed.
Communications Advisory Committee
Minutes for April 12, 2007
CAC Members Present: Jeanne Canale, Jim Baker, Dave Becker, Jim Gonzalez, Dave
Buczkowski, John Rommelfanger, Linda Roemer
AlsoPresent: Alan Lazarus, LexMedia; Jane Lyman, Comcast; Richard Wadman and
Tom Steel, RCN; Bill Johansen, Lexington Veterans Group
George Burnell, Selectmen Liaison, arrived at 8:20.
Recorder: Linda Roemer
Action
. The Committee agreed that the chairperson should write to members who have
missed 3 consecutive meetings to ask if they wish to continue on the Committee. Their
continued absence puts a greater burden on members who do attend and makes it more
difficult to obtain a quorum.
th
Minutes.
The minutes of February 15 were discussed.
Action
. Jim Baker was encouraged to make them less personal and shorter and
emphasize facts.
th
The minutes of March 15 were approved with the deletion of the question mark after
Michael Esposito’s name.
The Committee reaffirmed that minutes should not be distributed outside of the
membership until they are approved.
Comcast.
Jane Lymanreported that Comcast and RCN had worked together to develop
a temporary solution to the I-net problem which will be in place until the move to Kline
Hall. The Committee commended both RCN and Comcast for their efforts to solve the
problem.
RCN.
Tom introduced Richard Wadman who is the Senior Vice President/General
Manager of RCN in this region.
Dave Becker and Dave Buczkowski reported that they were working on the RCN
ascertainment and were developing a time line.
Verizon.
There was no Verizon report.
Financials.
Weredistributed.Jeanne reported that she was told the reason the totals
had not changed (discussed at previous meetings) was that no bills had been paid during
the period.
2
Jeanne raised a question about the Verizon payments and the account into which they are
put. It was thought that it did not matter.
Action
. The Committee will ask if the bills can be processed more quickly.
Dave Becker showed a rough scheme of how he thought the financials should be
presented to be useful and understandable by the Committee.
Action
. He will clean this up and send it to Maria who will be asked to comment and
then it will be reviewed by the Committee with the idea that we will ask if we can get our
financials in that form.
Sunshine Law.
With permission from the Editor, Jim Gonzalez circulated an article that
appeared in the Minuteman about the sunshine law. The Committee discussed what was
meant by a substantitive discussion via e-mail which is to be avoided.
Action.
The Committee will be asked to be notified of the next training session.
LexMedia.
In George Preston’s absence due to family issues, Alan said that he assumed
that George had received responses from the three operators about their needs in Kline
Hall. Alan said that they hoped that they could have one channel for education from the
high school. SCOLA is not available due to antenna problems. The high school is using
web streaming which costs $600 compared to $1700 for the antenna. Alan said they
hoped that students, as community service, could find free web sites in foreign languages
which could be used.
Alan said they are hoping to show Patriots’ Day live.
Bill Johansen, from the Lexington Veterans Group, inquired about getting the tapes of
their monthly programs put onto DVDs to go to the library. The Committee felt that this
would be wonderful programming and that the individual doing the taping could be
trained to follow the process through so that the talks could be shown on TV.
The issue of the lack of a switcher in Cary Hall per George Preston’s note was discussed.
The Committee felt that it had to be obtained and that perhaps the Committee would have
to pay the $5700. The Committee expressed some disbelief that this was not included in
the project and that AdTech felt that it should have been specified.
Complaints.
Maria had passed on a complaint about FIOS which was addressed and
John, who is doing complaints in April, had one about SCOLA. The Committee agreed
that anyone inquiring about SCOLA should be told that it will not be available for the
indefinite future because of an antenna problem but it is being noted.
LexMedia Committee Report.
JimGonzalez asked Alan about the inventory control
system. Alan replied that he knew all the new equipment is in the data base but is not
sure about the old stuff.
3
Alan also reported that it was likely that $400,000 is available for Kline Hall
construction. But $300,000 more will be needed over time for equipment and
furnishings. A plan of how to obtain this was being worked on.
Old Business.
The Committee voted, after discussion, to maintain the policy adopted in
2001 not to provide I-Net services to non-profit organizations in Lexington.
New Business.
The Committee voted torecommend to the Selectmen that they send
either the letter drafted by Peter Epstein or their own letter pursuant to the FCC proposed
rulemaking regarding cable television franchising.
WIFI.
John reported that he was making progress in pulling together his report and
emphasized that he had concluded that WiFi was not good for business but was in fact a
more private good.
When George Burnell arrived he confirmed that the $400,000 was available for Kline
Hall and that a capital campaign was being developed to help raise money toward the
$300,000 additional that was needed.