2009-06910 -14 -09
Ordinance No. 2009 - 69
An Ordinance Approving a Cable Television Franchise Agreement
Between the Village of Buffalo Grove and Comcast of Illinois VI, LLC
WHEREAS, the Village of Buffalo Grove is a Home Rule Unit by virtue of the Illinois Constitution
of 1970; and,
WHEREAS, the Village of Buffalo Grove is a member of the Regional Cable Group, consisting
of the municipalities of the Village of Buffalo Grove, the Village of Elk Grove Village, the Village of
Hoffman Estates, the Village of Palatine, and the City of Rolling Meadows; and
WHEREAS, the Regional Cable Group has been negotiating a renewal of the cable franchise
with Comcast of Illinois which the Village of Buffalo Grove approved on February 24, 1997 by
Ordinance No. 1997 -019; and
WHEREAS, a cable franchise agreement has been set forth and agreed to by the Village of
Buffalo Grove and Comcast of Illinois VI, LLC ("Franchise Agreement "); and
WHEREAS, the provisions of the Franchise Agreement meet the requirements established in
Ordinance No. 97 -5, the Village's Cable Communication ordinance.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED BYTHE PRESIDENTAND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF
THE VILLAGE OF BUFFALO GROVE, COOK AND LAKE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS:
Section 1. The foregoing Whereas clauses are hereby incorporated herein.
Section 2. The Village President and Village Clerk are hereby authorized to execute the
Franchise Agreement by and between the Village of Buffalo Grove and Comcast
of Illinois VI, LLC which is attached hereto and made a part hereof.
Section 3. This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and
approval.
AYES: 6 - Rraiman, Gl near, Rarman, Tri 1 jjAg, Stone, Sussman
NAYES: 0 - None
ABSENT: n - *Tone
ABSTAIN: 0 - None
PASSED: October 19 , 2009.
APPROVED: October 19 2009.
F... -•
Village President
ATTEST:
q _vvi,• "a .
ge Clerk
5 -18 -09
FRANCHISE AGREEMENT
This Franchise Agreement (hereinafter, the "Agreement" or "Franchise Agreement ") is made
between the Village of Buffalo Grove, Illinois (hereinafter, the "Village ") and Comcast of
Illinois VI, LLC (hereinafter, "Grantee "), a wholly -owned indirect subsidiary of Comcast
Corporation, a publicly traded Pennsylvania corporation." on this 18th day of May, 2009 (the
"Effective Date ").
The Village, having determined that the financial, legal, and technical abilities of the Grantee are
reasonably sufficient to provide the services, facilities, and equipment necessary to meet the
future cable - related needs of the community, desires to enter into this Franchise Agreement with
the Grantee for the construction, operation and maintenance of a Cable System on the terms and
conditions set forth herein.
This Agreement is entered into by and between the parties under the authority and shall be
governed by the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984, as amended from time to time, 47
U.S.C. §§ 521 et seq. (the "Cable Act ").
SECTION 1 - Definition of Terms
For the purpose of this Franchise Agreement, capitalized terms, phrases, words, and
abbreviations shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Cable Act.
"Access Channel" means a channel position for Public, Educational and /or Governmental
access as defined herein.
"Public Access" is noncommercial use of an access channel by the public on a first -
come, first- served, nondiscriminatory basis. A Public Access Channel may not be used
to cablecast programs for profit, or for non - profit, political or commercial fundraising in
any fashion.
"Educational Access" is noncommercial use of an access channel by educational
institutions, such as public or private schools (but not "home schools "), community
colleges, and universities.
"Government Access" is noncommercial use of an access channel by the Grantee for the
purpose of providing local government information and programming.
"Cable Act" or "Act" means the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984, as amended by the
Cable Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992 and the Telecommunications Act of
1996, as the same may be amended from time to time.
"Cable Service" or "Service" means the one -way transmission to Subscribers of Video
Programming or other programming service and Subscriber interaction, if any, which is required
for the selection or use of such Video Programming or other programming service.
"Cable System," means a facility consisting of a set of closed transmission paths and associated
signal generation, reception, and control equipment that is designed to provide cable service
which includes video programming and which is provided to multiple Subscribers within a
community.
"Channel" or "Cable Channel' means a portion of the electromagnetic frequency spectrum
which is used in a cable system and which is capable of delivering a television channel as the
term television channel is defined by the Federal Communications Commission by regulation.
"Village" means the Village of Buffalo Grove, Illinois or the lawful successor, transferee,
designee, or assignee thereof.
"Converter" means an electronic device, which converts signal carriers from one form to
another.
"Customer" or "Subscriber" means a Person who lawfully receives and pays for Cable Service
with the Grantee's express permission and does not further distribute it.
"Dwelling Unit" means a single - family or multiple- family residential place of occupancy.
"FCC" means the Federal Communications Commission or successor governmental entity
thereto.
"Franchise" means the initial authorization, or renewal thereof (which has been granted subject
to Section 626 of the Cable Act [47 U.S.C. §§ 546]), issued by the Village, whether such
authorization is designated as a franchise, agreement, permit, license, resolution, contract,
certificate, ordinance or otherwise, which authorizes the construction and operation of the Cable
System.
"Franchise Agreement" or "Agreement" shall mean this non - exclusive Agreement and any
amendments or modifications hereto.
"Franchise Area" means the present legal boundaries of the Village as of the Effective Date,
and shall also include any additions thereto, by annexation or other legal means.
"Franchise Fee" Shall include any tax, fee, or assessment of any kind imposed by the Village or
other government entity on the Grantee or a Cable Subscriber solely because of their status as
such. The term "Franchise Fee" does not include any tax, fee or assessment of general
applicability (including any such tax, fee, or assessment imposed upon both utilities and Cable
Operators or their services, but not including a tax, fee or assessment which is unduly
discriminatory against the Grantee or cable Subscribers); capital costs which are required by the
Franchise to be incurred by Grantee for the establishment and operation of Public, Educational,
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or Governmental Access Facilities; requirements or charges incidental to the awarding or
enforcing of the Franchise, including payments for bonds, security funds, letters of credit,
insurance, indemnification, penalties, liquidated damages; or any fee imposed under Title 17,
U.S. Code.
"Grantee" means Comcast of Illinois VI, LLC or the lawful successor, transferee, designee, or
assignee thereof.
"Gross Revenue" means the Cable Service revenue received by the Grantee from the operation
of the Cable System in the Franchise Area to provide Cable Services, calculated in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles. Cable Service revenue includes but is not limited
to, monthly fees charged Subscribers for basic Cable Service; any expanded tiers of Cable
Service; premium Services; Pay - per -view Service; other optional Service; installation,
reconnection, and change -in- Service fees; remote control rental fees; revenues from sales of
converters or other Cable System equipment; advertising revenues; revenues from program
guides; late fees; and revenue from home shopping. Gross Revenue shall also include such other
revenue sources directly related to the provision of Cable Service as may now exist or hereafter
develop from the operation of the Cable System within the Village, provided that such revenues,
fees, receipts, or charges may lawfully be included in the Gross Revenue base for purposes of
computing the Village's permissible Franchise fee under the Cable Act, as amended from time to
time.
Gross Revenue shall not include refundable deposits, bad debt, investment income, programming
launch support payments, advertising sales commissions, nor any taxes, fees (not including
franchise fees) or assessments imposed or assessed by any governmental authority.
The Village intends and desires to collect Franchise Fee revenue on the Franchise Fee as well as
all non - subscriber revenue pursuant to City of Dallas, Texas v. F.C.C., 118 F.3d 393 (5th 1997)
and In re: Texas Coalition of Cities for Utility Issues v. F.C.C., 324 F.3d 802 (5th 2003),
respectively.
"Initial Franchise Service Area" means that portion of the Franchise Area served by the
Grantee's Cable System as of the Effective Date of this Franchise Agreement.
"Person" means any natural person or any association, firm, partnership, joint venture,
corporation, or other legally recognized entity, whether for - profit or not -for profit, but shall not
mean the Village.
"Right -of -Way" or "Rights -of -Way " - Any street, alley, other land or waterway including the
surface, the air space above the surface and the area below the surface, dedicated or commonly
used for pedestrian or vehicular traffic or other similar purposes, including but not limited to,
public utility easements and other easements which have been dedicated for compatible uses,
now or hereafter held by the Village in the Franchise Area, in which the Village has the right
and authority to authorize, regulate or permit the location of facilities other than those of the
Village. "Right -of -way" or 'Rights -of -way" shall not include any real or personal Village
property that is not specifically described in the previous two sentences and shall not include
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Village buildings, fixtures and other structures or improvements, regardless of whether they are
situated in the right -of -way.
"Village Board" mean the corporate authorities of the Village of Buffalo Grove, Illinois.
"Village Manager" means the duly appointed Village Manager of the Village of Buffalo Grove,
or his designee.
SECTION 2 - Grant of Authority
2.1. Grant of Franchise. The Village hereby grants to the Grantee a nonexclusive Franchise
authorizing the Grantee to construct and operate a Cable System in the Rights -of -Way within the
Franchise Area, and for that purpose to erect, install, construct, repair, replace, reconstruct,
maintain, or retain in any Right -of -Way such poles, wires, cables, conductors, ducts, conduits,
vaults, manholes, pedestals, amplifiers, appliances, attachments, and other related property or
equipment as may be necessary or appurtenant to the Cable System, and to provide such services
over the Cable System as may be lawfully allowed.
2.2. Term of Franchise. The term of this Franchise Agreement shall be ten (10) years from and
after the Effective Date unless the Franchise is renewed or is lawfully terminated in accordance
with the terms of this Franchise Agreement and /or applicable law.
2.3. Renewal. Any renewal of this Franchise shall be governed by and comply with the
provisions of Section 626 of the Cable Act, as amended.
2.4. Reservation of Authority. Nothing in this Franchise Agreement shall: (i) abrogate the right
of the Village to perform any public works or public improvements of any description, (ii) be
construed as a waiver of any codes or ordinances of general applicability promulgated by the
Village, or (iii) be construed as a waiver or release of the rights of the Village in and to the
Rights -of -Ways.
2.5. Police Powers. The right is hereby reserved to the Village to adopt and enforce in addition
to the terms, conditions and provisions contained in this Agreement and in otherwise existing
applicable ordinances, such additional generally applicable ordinances, rules and regulations as it
shall find necessary in the exercise of its police powers for the health, safety and welfare of the
public.
2.6. Competitive Equity.
2.6.1. In the event that the Village grants an additional Franchise to use and occupy the
Public Way for the purposes of operating a Cable System, the additional Franchise shall only be
granted in accordance with applicable federal, state and local law, including the Illinois Level
Playing Field Statute, 65 ILCS 5/11- 42 -11.
2.6.2. In the event an application for a new cable television franchise or other similar
authorization is filed with the Village proposing to serve the Franchise Area, in whole or in part,
the Village shall inform the Grantee of the filing of said application.
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SECTION 3 - Construction and Maintenance of the Cable System
3.1. Generally. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, all construction and
maintenance of the Cable System shall be in accordance with Chapter 12.04 (Construction and
Use of Public Ways) of the Village of Buffalo Grove Municipal Code as may be amended from
time to time.
3.2. Aerial and Underground Construction. At the time of Cable System construction, if all of the
transmission and distribution facilities of all of the respective public or municipal utilities in any
area of the Franchise Area are underground, the Grantee shall place its Cable Systems'
transmission and distribution facilities underground, provided that such underground locations
are actually capable of accommodating the Grantee's cable and other equipment without
technical degradation of the Cable System's signal quality. In any region(s) of the Franchise
Area where the transmission or distribution facilities of the respective public or municipal
utilities are both aerial and underground, the Grantee shall have the discretion to construct,
operate, and maintain all of its transmission and distribution facilities, or any part thereof,
aerially or underground. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to require the Grantee to
place underground any ground- mounted appurtenances such as customer taps, line extenders,
system passive devices, amplifiers, power supplies, pedestals, or other related equipment.
3.3. Undergrounding and Beautification Projects. In the event all users of the Public Way
relocate aerial facilities underground as part of an undergrounding or neighborhood
beautification project, Grantee shall participate in the planning for relocation of its aerial
facilities contemporaneously with other utilities. Grantee shall be entitled to reimbursement of
its relocation costs under this Section from public or private funds, or payment in advance from
private funds, allocated for the project to the same extent as such funds are made available to
other users of the Rights -of -Way, provided that any utility's exercise of authority granted under
its tariff to charge consumers for the cost of the project shall not be considered to be public or
private funds.
3.4. The Grantee shall not be required to relocate its facilities unless it has been afforded at least
thirty (30) calendar days notice of the necessity to relocate its facilities. Upon adequate notice the
Grantee shall provide a written estimate of the cost associated with the work necessary to
relocate its facilities.
3.5. Emergency removal of plant. Whenever, in case of emergency, it becomes necessary in the
judgment of the Village in the exercise of its Police Powers for the health, safety and welfare of
the public, to remove or damage any of the Grantee's facilities, no charge shall be made by the
Grantee against the Village for restoration or repair; provided the Village shall endeavor to notify
the Grantee of the situation prior to taking such action, if reasonably possible.
SECTION 4 - Service Obligations and Privacy Protections
4.1. Customer Service Obligations. Grantee and the Village acknowledge that the customer
service standards and customer privacy protections are set forth in the Cable and Video
Customer Protection Law, 220 ILCS 5/22 -501 et seq. and Chapter 5.78 of the Village of Buffalo
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Grove Municipal Code (Cable and Video Customer Protection Law). Enforcement of such
standards and the penalties for non - compliance with such standards shall be consistent with the
Cable and Video Customer Protection Law, 220 ILCS 5/22 -501 et seq.
4.2. General Service Obligation. The Grantee shall make Cable Service available beyond the
Initial Franchise Service Area to every residential dwelling unit within the Franchise Area where
the minimum density is at least thirty (30) dwelling units per cable plant mile measured from the
existing Cable System's nearest technically feasible connection point. Subject to the density
requirement, Grantee shall offer Cable Service to all new homes or previously unserved homes
located within one hundred twenty -five feet (125 feet) of the Grantee's distribution cable.
4.2.1. Extension of Service and System. The Grantee may elect to provide Cable Service
to areas not meeting the above density and distance standards. The Grantee may impose an
additional charge in excess of its regular installation charge for any service installation requiring
a drop in or line extension in excess of the above standards. Any such additional charge shall be
computed on a time plus materials basis to be calculated on that portion of the installation that
exceeds the standards set forth above.
4.2.2. Grantee shall not deny access to its Cable Service within the Village because of the
income or minority status of the residents within the Village.
4.3. Service to School Buildings. Pursuant to 220 ILCS 5/22- 501(f), the Grantee shall provide
complimentary basic Cable Service and a free standard installation at one outlet to each State
accredited K -12 public and private school, not including "home schools," located in the
Franchise Area within one hundred twenty five feet (125) of the Grantee's distribution cable.
4.4. Service to Governmental Facilities. Pursuant to 220 ILCS 5/22- 501(f), the Grantee shall
provide complimentary basic Cable Service and a free standard installation at one outlet to each
municipal building located in the Franchise Area within one hundred twenty five (125) feet of
Grantee's distribution cable. "Municipal buildings" are those buildings owned or leased by the
Village for government administrative purposes, and shall not include buildings owned by
Village but leased to third parties or buildings such as storage facilities at which government
employees are not regularly stationed.
4.5. Programming. The Grantee agrees to provide cable programming services in the following
broad categories:
Children General Entertainment Family Oriented
Ethnic /Minority Sports Weather
Arts, Culture and Performing Arts News & Information Educational
4.6. New Developments. In cases of new construction or property development where utilities
are to be placed underground, the Village agrees to require the developer or property owner to
provide the Grantee written notice concurrent with notice to the other utilities of such
construction or development, and of the particular date on which open trenching will be available
for the Grantee's installation of conduit, pedestals, and /or vaults and laterals for the Cable
System. The Grantee shall also provide specifications to the developer or property owner as
needed for trenching. Costs of trenching and easements required to bring service to the
development shall be borne by the developer or property owner; except that if the Grantee fails
to install its conduit, pedestals and /or vaults and laterals for the Cable System during the period
(not less than 10 days) when the trenches are available, as designated in the notice given by the
property owner or developer to the Grantee, then any additional cost is to be borne by the
Grantee.
4.7. Notice to Grantee. The Village shall notify, or require the developer or property owner to
notify, the Grantee of any and all planned developments in its Franchise Area or those located in
areas expected to be annexed. Such notices shall be provided at the time of notice to all other
utilities or like occupants of the Village's Rights -of -Way. Said notice is to allow the Grantee
sufficient foresight into the future demands on its design, engineering, construction and capital
resources. Should the Village fail to provide advance notice of such developments the Grantee
shall be allowed an adequate time to prepare, plan and provide a detailed report as to the
timeframe for it to construct its facilities and provide the services required under this Franchise.
SECTION 5 - Oversight and Regulation by Village
5.1. Franchise Fees. The Grantee shall pay to the Village a Franchise Fee in an amount equal to
five percent (5 %) of annual Gross Revenues received from the operation of the Cable System to
provide Cable Service in the Franchise Area; provided, however, that Grantee shall not be
compelled to pay any higher percentage rate for Franchise fees than any other Person paying a
video service provider fee or similar fee under state authorization or otherwise providing similar
service in the Franchise Area. The payment of Franchise Fees shall be made on a quarterly basis
and shall be due forty -five (45) days after the close of each calendar quarter. Each Franchise Fee
payment shall be accompanied by a report prepared by a representative of the Grantee showing
the basis for the computation of the Franchise Fees paid during that period. Any undisputed
Franchise Fee payment which remains unpaid in whole or in part, after the date specified herein
shall be delinquent. For any Franchise Fee payments, owed by Grantee in accordance with this
Section which are not made on or before the due dates, Grantee shall make such payments
including interest at an annual rate of twelve percent (12 %) or two (2) percent over prime
lending rates as quoted by JP Morgan Chase & Co. or its successor, whichever is higher,
computed daily from time due until paid. Any undisputed overpayments made by Grantee to the
Village shall be returned or credited upon discovery of such overpayment and shall be payable
within forty -five (45) days of the receipt of written notice from Grantee.
5.1.1. Change in Amount. The Parties acknowledge that, at present, applicable federal
law limits the Village to collection of a maximum permissible Franchise Fee of five percent (5 %)
of Gross Revenues. In the event that at any time during the duration of this Franchise, the Village
is authorized to collect an amount in excess of five percent (5 %) of Gross Revenues, then the
Village may unilaterally amend this Agreement to increase the required percentage to be paid by
the Grantee to the Village up to the amount permitted by the Cable Act, provided that: (i) such
amendment is competitively neutral; (ii) the Village conducts a public hearing on the proposed
amendment; (iii) the Village approves the amendment by ordinance; and (iv) the Village notifies
Grantee at least ninety (90) days prior to the effective date of such an amendment.
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5.2. Village's Right of Inspection and Audit.
5.2.1. Upon reasonable prior written notice, during normal business hours at Grantee's
principal business office, the Village shall have the right to inspect the Grantee's financial
records used to calculate the Village's franchise fees or PEG fees; provided, however, that any
such inspection shall take place within the time period specified in the Village's generally
applicable Taxpayer Rights and Responsibilities Ordinance, from the date the Village receives
such payment, after which period any such payment shall be considered final.
5.2.2. Upon the completion of an independent audit by the Village, the Village shall
provide to the Grantee a final report setting forth the Village's findings in detail, including any
and all substantiating documentation. In the event of an alleged underpayment, the Grantee shall
have thirty (30) days from the receipt of the report to provide the Village with a written response
agreeing to or refuting the results of the audit, including any substantiating documentation.
Based on these reports and responses, the parties shall agree upon a "Finally Settled Amount."
For purposes of this Section, the term "Finally Settled Amount(s)" shall mean the agreed upon
underpayment, if any, to the Village by the Grantee, or overpayment to the Village by the
Grantee as the case may be, as a result of any such audit. If the parties cannot agree on a "Final
Settlement Amount," the parties shall submit the dispute to a mutually agreed upon mediator
within sixty (60) days of reaching an impasse. In the event an agreement is not reached at
mediation, either party may bring an action to have the disputed amount determined by a court of
law.
5.2.3. Any "Finally Settled Amount(s)" due to the Village as a result of such audit shall
be paid to the Village by the Grantee within thirty (30) days from the date the parties agree upon
the "Finally Settled Amount." Any overpayment by the Grantee to the Village shall be credited
against subsequent franchise fee payments by the Grantee to the Village until such time as the
overpayment is fully credited; or shall be paid by the Village to the Grantee within thirty (30)
days from the date the parties agree upon the "Finally Settled Amount" in the event no
subsequent franchise fee payments are due to the Village. In the event Grantee or the Village
does not pay the "Finally Settled Amount" within thirty (30) days, Grantee or the Village shall
be charged and shall pay, in addition to the amount due, interest on the amount due equal to the
prevailing prime rate plus two hundred basis points of interest compounded daily from the due
date for payment of the "Finally Settled Amount."
5.3. Books and Records.
5.3.1. Access to Books and Records. Upon fourteen (14) days' notice to Grantee, the
Village or its designated independent representative shall have the right to examine books and
records reasonably related to Grantee's compliance with its obligations under this Agreement,
including the fees described in Sections 5.1 and 10.7 of this Agreement. The Village shall have
no right to examine any aspect of the books and records that does not reasonably relate to
Grantee's obligations under this Agreement.
5.3.2. Confidentiality and Proprietary Information. Notwithstanding anything to the
contrary set forth in this Agreement, the Grantee shall not be required to disclose information
which it reasonably deems to be proprietary or confidential in nature. The Village agrees to treat
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any information disclosed by the Grantee as confidential and only to disclose it to those
employees, representatives, and agents of the Village that have a need to know in order to
enforce this Franchise Agreement and who agree to maintain the confidentiality of all such
information. For purposes of this Section, the terms "proprietary or confidential" include, but are
not limited to, information relating to the Cable System design, customer lists, marketing plans,
financial information unrelated to the calculation of Franchise Fees or rates pursuant to FCC
rules, or other information that is reasonably determined by the Grantee to be competitively
sensitive. Grantee may make proprietary or confidential information available for inspection but
not copying or removal by the Village's representative. Village's representative will sign a
reasonable confidentiality agreement. In the event that the Village has in its possession and
receives a request under a state "sunshine," public records, or similar law for the disclosure of
information that the Grantee has designated as confidential, trade secret or proprietary, the
Village shall notify Grantee of such request and cooperate with Grantee in opposing such request
to the extent permitted by law and at Grantee's expense. Grantee shall indemnify and defend the
Village from and against any claims arising from the Village's opposition to disclosure of any
information Grantee designates as proprietary or confidential.
SECTION 6 — Transfer of Cable System or Franchise or Control of Grantee
6.1. Neither the Grantee nor any other Person may transfer the Cable System or the Franchise
without the prior written consent of the Village, which consent shall not be unreasonably
withheld or delayed. No transfer of control of the Grantee, defined as an acquisition of fifty one
percent (51 %) or greater ownership interest in Grantee, shall take place without the prior written
consent of the Village, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. No consent
shall be required, however, for (i) a transfer in trust, by mortgage, hypothecation, or by
assignment of any rights, title, or interest of the Grantee in the Franchise or in the Cable System
in order to secure indebtedness, or (ii) a transfer to an entity directly or indirectly owned or
controlled by Comcast Corporation. Within thirty (30) days of receiving a request for consent,
the Village shall, in accordance with FCC rules and regulations, notify the Grantee in writing of
the additional information, if any, it requires to determine the legal, financial and technical
qualifications of the transferee or new controlling party. If the Village has not taken final action
on the Grantee's request for consent within one hundred twenty (120) days after receiving such
request, consent shall be deemed granted. As a condition to granting of any consent, the Village
may require the transferee to agree in writing to assume the obligations of the Grantee under this
Franchise Agreement.
6.2. Insolvency. Any transfer of control resulting from or after the appointment of a receive or
receivers or trustee or trustees, however denominated, designated to take over and conduct the
business of the Grantee, whether in receivership, reorganization, bankruptcy or other action or
proceeding, unless such receivership or trusteeship shall have been vacated prior to the
expiration of a one hundred twenty (120) day period, shall be treated as a transfer of control
pursuant to 47 U.S.C. Section 537 and require the Village's consent thereto in the manner
described in Section 6.1.
SECTION 7 — Insurance and Indemnity
7.1. Insurance. Throughout the term of this Franchise Agreement, the Grantee shall, at its own
cost and expense, maintain Comprehensive General Liability Insurance and provide the Village
certificates of insurance in accordance with the Village's generally applicable Right of Way
Ordinance.
7.2. Indemnification. The Grantee shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Village, in
accordance with the Village's generally applicable Right of Way Ordinance.
7.2.1. The Grantee shall not indemnify the Village for any liabilities, damages, costs or
expense resulting from the willful misconduct or negligence of the Village, its officers,
employees and agents.
7.2.2. Nothing herein shall be construed to limit the Grantee's duty to indemnify the
Village by reference to the insurance coverage described in this Agreement.
SECTION 8 - System Description
8.1. Technical Standards. The Grantee shall comply with all applicable technical standards of the
FCC as published in 47 C.F.R., Part 76, Subpart K. Upon written request, the Grantee shall
provide the Village with proof of its continuing performance in accordance with said
specifications in order to determine compliance with the FCC technical standards.
SECTION 9 - Enforcement of Franchise
9.1. Notice of Violation or Default. In the event the Village believes that the Grantee has not
complied with the material terms of the Franchise, it shall notify the Grantee in writing with
specific details regarding the exact nature of the alleged noncompliance or default.
9.2. Grantee's Right to Cure or Respond. The Grantee shall have thirty (30) days from the receipt
of the Village's written notice: (i) to respond to the Village, contesting the assertion of
noncompliance or default; or (ii) to cure such default; or (iii) in the event that, by nature of the
default, such default cannot be cured within the thirty (30) day period, initiate reasonable steps to
remedy such default and notify the Village of the steps being taken and the projected date that
the cure will be completed and request additional time from the Village to complete the cure.
9.3. Enforcement. Subject to applicable federal and state law, in the event the Village determines
that the Grantee is in default of any material provision of the Franchise, the Village may:
9.3.1. seek specific performance of any provision that reasonably lends itself to such
remedy as an alternative to damages, or seek other relief available at law including declaratory or
injunctive relief.
9.3.2. in the case of a substantial default of a material provision of the Franchise, declare
the Franchise Agreement to be revoked in accordance with the following:
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(i) The Village shall give written notice to the Grantee of its intent to revoke the
Franchise on the basis of a pattern of noncompliance by the Grantee. The notice
shall set forth with specificity the exact nature of the noncompliance. The Grantee
shall have ninety (90) days from the receipt of such notice to object in writing and
to state its reasons for such objection. In the event the Village has not received a
response from the Grantee or upon receipt of the response does not agree that the
Grantee's proposed remedy will resolve the alleged noncompliance, it may then
seek termination of the Franchise at a public hearing. The Village shall cause to
be served upon the Grantee, at least ten (10) days prior to such public hearing, a
written notice specifying the time and place of such hearing and stating its intent
to request termination of the Franchise.
(ii) At the designated hearing, the Village shall give the Grantee an opportunity to
state its position on the matter, present evidence and question witnesses, after
which it shall determine whether or not the Franchise shall be terminated. The
public hearing shall be on the record and an audio /video recording shall be made.
A copy of the recording shall be made available to the Grantee within ten (10)
business days after the public hearing. The Grantee may, at its own expense,
arrange for a written transcript of the public hearing. The decision of the Village
shall be in writing and shall be delivered to the Grantee in the manner authorized
in Section 11.3. The Grantee may appeal such determination to an appropriate
court in accordance with Section 11. 14, which shall have the power to review the
decision of the Village "de novo" and to modify or reverse such decision as
justice may require.
Section 9.4. Remedies Not Exclusive. In addition to the remedies set forth in this Section 9, the
Grantee acknowledges the Village's ability pursuant to Section 4.1 of this Franchise Agreement
to enforce the requirements and standards, and the penalties for non - compliance with such
standards, consistent with the Cable and Video Customer Protection Law; and, pursuant to
Section 3.1 of this Franchise Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this
Agreement shall be interpreted to permit the Village to exercise such rights and remedies in a
manner that permits duplicative recovery from, or payments by, the Grantee. Such remedies
may be exercise from time to time and as often and in such order as may be deemed expedient by
the Village.
SECTION 10 - Public, Educational and Governmental (PEG) Access
10.1. PEG Capacity. Grantee shall provide capacity, at no charge to the Village for the Village's
noncommercial public, educational and governmental ( "PEG ") access programming through
Grantee's Cable Service consistent with the requirements set forth herein. As of the Effective
Date of this Agreement, the Grantee provides three (3) channels ( "the PEG Channels ") for
utilization by the Village. Unless otherwise agreed to by the Village and the Grantee, and
consistent with applicable law, two (2) of the PEG Channels may be offered on the Grantee's
Basic Digital Tier of Service, which may include digital channels.
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10.2. Initial Channel Assimme . As of the effective date of this Agreement, the PEG channels
described in Section 10.1 above have been assigned by the Grantee to channel numbers 6, 18 and
19 on the basic service tier on the Grantee's Cable System.
10.3. Relocation. If during the term of this Franchise Agreement, the Grantee initiates a
channel line -up change that results in the relocation of PEG programming from channel 6, the
Grantee, in addition to providing the Village with at least thirty (30) days' advance notice of the
change, shall reimburse the Village for its reasonable and documented costs of changes to
"channel- marked items," such as logos, stationery, envelops and business cards necessitated by
such line -up change in an amount not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000.00). Further, the
Grantee agrees to cooperate with the Village to notify subscribers of the channel relocation
through reasonable promotional assistance (subject to the Grantee's operational requirements
applicable thereto) such as a message included on billing statements or the inclusion of an insert
in the Grantee's billing statements as may be provided by the Village to the Grantee's billing
services provider. The foregoing shall not apply to changes that are beyond Grantee's control,
such as a television station under federal law requiring carriage on a channel currently used by a
PEG channel.
10.4. Comcast Access Facility Usage. To the extent the Grantee operates and maintains public
access studio facilities and equipment in the metropolitan Chicago area, Grantee agrees that these
facilities and equipment will be available to residents of the Village on a first -come, non-
discriminatory basis for the production of public access programming consistent with the
Grantee's public access rules and procedures. Nothing herein shall be construed to require the
Grantee to operate or maintain any public access studios or equipment.
10.5. Enhancing PEG Access. The Grantee and the Village further agree to work in cooperation
to explore other economically and technically feasible means by which PEG access utilization
and programming can be delivered in a digital format.
10.6. Origination Point. At such time that the Village determines that it wants the capacity to
allow subscribers in the Village to receive PEG access programming which may originate from
Schools and /or Village facilities (other than those having a signal point of origination at the time
of the execution of this Agreement); or at such time that the Village determines that it wants to
establish or change a location from which PEG programming is originated; or in the event the
Village wants to upgrade the connection to the Grantee from an existing signal point of
origination, the Village will give the Grantee written notice detailing the point of origination and
the capability sought by the Village. The Grantee agrees to submit a cost estimate to implement
the Village's plan within a reasonable period of time, but in no event longer than sixty (60) days
from when Grantee receives all necessary information regarding the work sought. After an
agreement to reimburse the Grantee for its expenditure, the Grantee will implement any
necessary system changes within a reasonable period of time, but in no event longer than sixty
(60) days.
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10.7. PEG Access Funding.
10.7.1. At its sole discretion, the Village may designate PEG access projects, including
the origination point described in Section 10.6 above, to be funded by the Village through pass
through funds collected by the Grantee as follows. The Village shall send written notice of the
Village's desire for Grantee to collect as an external charge a PEG Capital Fee of up to thirty -
five cents ($0.35) per customer per month charge to be passed on to each Subscriber pursuant
Section 622(g)(2)(C) of the Cable Act (47 U.S.C. §542(g)(2)(C)). The notice shall include a
description of the intended utilization of the PEG Capital Fee for PEG Access Channel facilities
and /or equipment. The Grantee shall collect the external charge over such period as is mutually
agreed upon by the Village and the Grantee, and shall make the PEG Capital Fee payments from
such sums at the same time and in the same manner as Franchise Fee payments. The payments
shall be expended only for costs associated with PEG access as permitted by applicable law.
Said PEG Capital Fee shall be imposed within one hundred twenty days (120) of the Village's
written request.
10.7.2. For any payments owed by Grantee in accordance with this Section 10.7 which
are not made on or before the due dates, Grantee shall make such payments including interest at
an annual rate of two (2) percent over prime lending rates as quoted by Chase Bank U.S.A. or its
successor, computed daily from time due until paid. Any undisputed overpayments made by the
Grantee to the Village shall be credited upon discovery of such overpayment until such time
when the full value of such credit has been applied to the Franchise Fee liability otherwise
accruing under this section.
10.7.3. Grantee and Village agree that the capital obligations set forth in this Section are
not "Franchise Fees" within the meaning of 47 U.S.C. § 542.
10.8. Rules and Procedures for Use of PEG Access Channels. The Village shall be responsible
for establishing and enforcing rules for the non - commercial use of public, educational and
governmental access channels and to promote the use and viewership of the channels.
10.9. Editorial Control. Grantee shall not exercise any editorial control over any use of PEG
channels, nor shall Grantee or its Affiliates incur any criminal or civil liability pursuant to the
federal, state or local laws of libel, slander, obscenity, incitement, invasions of privacy, false or
misleading advertising, or other similar laws for any programs carried on any PEG channel.
10.10. Allocation and Use of PEG Channel(s).
10.10.1. By Village. The PEG Channel(s) is(are), and shall be, operated by the
Village, and the Village may at any time allocate or reallocate the usage of the PEG Channel(s)
among and between different uses and users.
10.10.2. By Grantee. The Village shall adopt rules and procedures under which
the Grantee may use the PEG Channel(s) for the provision of Video Programming if the PEG
Channel(s) are not being used for their respective purposes pursuant to Section 611(d) of the
Cable Act, 47 U.S.C. §531.
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10.11. PEG Signal Quality. Provided PEG signal feeds are delivered by the Village to the
designated signal input point without material degradation, the PEG channel delivery system
from the designated signal input point shall meet the same technical standards as the remainder
of the Cable System set forth in this Agreement.
10.12. Emergency Alerts. At all times during the term of this Franchise Agreement, the Grantee
shall provide and maintain an "Emergency Alert System" (`BAS ") consistent with applicable
Federal law and regulation — including 47 C.F.R., Part 11 and the "State of Illinois Emergency
Alert System State Plan" — as may be amended from time to time. The Village agrees to
indemnify and hold the Grantee harmless from any damages or penalties arising out of the
negligence of the Village, its employees or agents in using such system.
SECTION 11 - Miscellaneous Provisions
11.1. Force Majeure. The Grantee shall not be held in default under, or in noncompliance with,
the provisions of the Franchise, nor suffer any enforcement or penalty relating to noncompliance
or default (including termination, cancellation or revocation of the Franchise), where such
noncompliance or alleged defaults occurred or were caused by strike, riot, war, earthquake,
flood, tidal wave, unusually severe rain or snow storm, hurricane, tornado or other catastrophic
act of nature, labor disputes, failure of utility service necessary to operate the Cable System,
governmental, administrative or judicial order or regulation or other event that is reasonably
beyond the Grantee's ability to anticipate or control. This provision also covers work delays
caused by waiting for utility providers to service or monitor their own utility poles on which the
Grantee's cable or equipment is attached, as well as unavailability of materials or qualified labor
to perform the work necessary.
11.2. Failure To Enforce Franchise. The Grantee shall not be excused from complying with any
of the terms and conditions of this Franchise by any failure of the Village upon any one or more
occasions, to insist upon the Grantee's performance or to seek Grantee's compliance with any one
or more of such terms or conditions.
11.3. Notice. All notices shall be in writing and shall be sufficiently given and served upon the
other party by hand delivery, first class mail, registered or certified, return receipt requested,
postage prepaid, or by reputable overnight courier service and addressed as follows:
To the Village: To the Grantee:
Village of Buffalo Grove Comcast
50 Raupp Blvd 1500 McConnor Parkway
Buffalo Grove, Illinois 60089 Schaumburg, Illinois 60173
ATTN: Village Manager ATTN: Director of Government Affairs
Either party may change its address and addressee for notice by notice to the other party under
this Section. Notice by hand delivery, and notice by overnight courier service shall be deemed
received when delivered, and notice by mail shall be deemed delivered three days after placing in
the United States Mail.
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11.4. Entire Agreement. This Franchise Agreement embodies the entire understanding and
agreement of the Village and the Grantee with respect to the subject matter hereof and
supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, ordinances, understandings, negotiations
and communications, whether written or oral, and there are no representations or agreements
among the parties except as specifically set forth herein. All ordinances or parts of ordinances
that are in conflict with or otherwise impose obligations different from the provisions of this
Franchise Agreement are superseded by this Franchise Agreement.
11.4.1. The Village may adopt a cable television/video service provider regulatory
ordinance that complies with applicable law, provided the provisions of any such ordinance
adopted subsequent to the Effective Date of this Franchise Agreement shall not apply to the
Grantee during the term of this Franchise Agreement.
11.5. Severability. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or other portion of this
Franchise Agreement is, for any reason, declared invalid, in whole or in part, by any court,
agency, commission, legislative body, or other authority of competent jurisdiction, such portion
shall be deemed a separate, distinct, and independent portion. Such declaration shall not affect
the validity of the remaining portions hereof, which other portions shall continue in full force and
effect. If any material provision of this Agreement is found to be unenforceable in a final
judicial or administrative proceeding, either party may notify the other in writing that the
Franchise has been materially altered by the finding of unenforceability and elect to begin the
franchise renewal process provided by the Cable Act, 47 U.S.C. Section 546, with the franchise
expiring thirty -six (36) months from the date of service of the written notice.
11.6. Governing Law. This Franchise Agreement shall be deemed to be executed in the State of
Illinois, and shall be governed in all respects, including validity, interpretation and effect, and
construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Illinois and /or federal law, as applicable.
11.7. Modification. Except as provided in Section 5.1.1, no provision of this Franchise
Agreement shall be amended or otherwise modified, in whole or in part, except by an instrument,
in writing, duly executed by the Village and the Grantee, which amendment shall be authorized
on behalf of the Village through the adoption of an appropriate resolution/ordinance by the
Village, as required by applicable law.
11.8. No Third -Party Beneficiaries. Nothing in this Franchise Agreement is intended to confer
third -party beneficiary status on any person, individual, corporation or member of the public to
enforce the terms of this Franchise Agreement.
11.9. No Waiver of Rights. Nothing in this Franchise Agreement shall be construed as a waiver
of any rights, substantive or procedural, that the Village or Grantee may have under federal or
state law unless such waiver is expressly stated herein.
11.10. Validity of Franchise Agreement. The Parties acknowledge and agree on the validity of
the terms and conditions of this Franchise Agreement, in their entirety, and that the Parties shall
not, at any time, challenge any provision, term, or condition of this Franchise Agreement as
unreasonable, arbitrary, or void, or that the Parties had no power or authority to make such
provision, term, or condition as part of, or pursuant to this Franchise Agreement, except as to
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those matters which are hereafter preempted by new or amended federal or state law or judicial
or administrative orders or decrees.
11.11. Validity of Law. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 11.10, this Franchise
Agreement shall not preclude Grantee from challenging the validity of the Cable and Video
Competition Law of 2007 (220 ILCS 5/21 -100 et seq.) or the Cable and Video Customer
Protection Law (220 ILCS 22/501 et seq.).
11.12. Performance. The Village and the Grantee agree to be bound by, and to timely and fully
perform and fulfill all of the terms, conditions, and representations of this Franchise Agreement.
All provisions of this Franchise Agreement shall be binding upon the parties and their
successors, lessees, delegees, or assignees, subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein.
11.13. Successor Franchise Agreement. Upon passage and approval of this Franchise Agreement,
the Parties acknowledge that this Franchise Agreement is intended to replace all existing
franchise agreements, including the Prior Franchise, with the Grantee, regardless of whether said
franchise agreements are in effect.
11.14. Venue. Except as to any matter within the jurisdiction of the federal courts or the FCC,
all judicial actions, relating to any interpretation, enforcement, dispute resolution or any other
aspect of this Agreement shall be brought in the Circuit Court of the State of Illinois, Cook
County, Illinois. Any matter brought pursuant to the jurisdiction of the federal court shall be
brought in the United States District Court of the Northern District of Illinois.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Franchise Agreement has been executed by the duly authorized
representatives of the parties as set forth below, as of the date set forth below:
For the Village of Buffalo Grove:
Name: Elliott Hartstein
Title: Village President
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For Comcast of Illinois VI, LLC:
By: 2rA/P�C/k61
Name:
Title: Area Vice President