27.010 Purpose.

The City of Manitowoc finds that the development of cable television systems can potentially be of great benefit to the citizens of the City of Manitowoc. Cable technology is changing rapidly and cable is expected to play an essential role as part of the City’s basic infrastructure. Cable television systems extensively make use of scarce and valuable public rights-of-way in a manner different from the manner in which the general public uses such rights-of-way, and in a manner reserved primarily for those who provide services to the public as public utilities. The grant of a franchise has the effect of giving the holder extensive economic benefits and creates the potential that the holder will be in a position to abuse its public trust. Because of this, the City finds that public convenience, safety and general welfare can best be served by establishing regulatory powers vested in the City or such persons or bodies as the City so designates to protect the public and ensure that any franchise granted is operated in the public interest. In light of the foregoing, the following goals, among others, underlie the provisions set forth in this chapter:

(1) Cable services should be available to as many City of Manitowoc residents as possible.

(2) A cable system should be capable of accommodating both the present and reasonably foreseeable future cable-related needs of the community.

(3) A cable system should be constructed and maintained during a franchise term so that changes in technology may be integrated into existing system facilities.

(4) A cable system should be responsive to the needs and interests of the local community.

(5) A cable system should be designed and constructed so that it may conveniently and economically be used by public institutions as a telecommunications and information highway for pursuing public purposes.

[Prior code § 27.01]