Minneapolis Telecommunications Network

Board of Directors Meeting

Thursday, December 13, 2001

Board Members Present: Mark Engebretson, Michael Rainville, , Julie Wallace, Vusi Zulu, Joan Higinbotham, Floyd Child, Christina Stoeckel, Tomas Gonda

Board Members Absent: none

Ex-Officio Present: Lance Leupold, Edie French, Leo McCafferty

Others Present: Pam Colby, John Akre, Jim Derks

Meeting called to order at 5:35 by Mark Engebretson

  1. Opening Business
    1. Comments from public, staff, and board - no comments
    2. Approval of agenda, MSP Zulu, Rainville
    3. Approval of Minutes from the November board meeting, MSP Rainville, Zulu
  2. Reports
    1. Minneapolis Public Schools - Leo McCafferty presented for Colleen Koslowski

      2. The schools are presenting programming from schools and Board meetings. They may have extra live meetings in January about budget issues. They are working with Time Warner to get digital equipment in schools.

    2. Time Warner Cable - Lance Leupold presented

      3. The current statistics: 79,887 subscribers. In the matter of consolidation: the plan is still in effect and they are still trying to move it forward. Eric Brown is the new division President. He has a marketing background and is moving from the Los Angeles office. When asked, Leupold said that Time Warner presented a check for $50,000 to the city though they did not agree that they were required to pay it.

    3. Executive Director's Report - Pamela Colby presented

      4. Colby handed out a hard copy of her report - the report included information on the Community Television Celebration, during which Board Member Michael Rainville will be honored. There is an open board seat - a candidate has applied. MTN's target cut was restored at the City Council - it will be approved formally tomorrow.

      The MTN Production Truck has many repair needs - the tires have been blowing out. There was discussion about replacing truck Board members talked about the possibility of replacing it with a used vehicle. Board members discussed the truck generators, which will be replaced soon. Colby said that they are budgeted into this year's budget.

      It was moved to refer this matter to the Executive Committee so that the committee and staff can determine a long range plan for the production truck, MSP Zulu, Stoeckel

      There followed some discussion about generators - if they are purchased for the current truck, they could be reused in a new truck.

    4. City of Minneapolis - Edie French

    French showed a copy of the Time Warner payment of the 2001 equipment fund required in the franchise agreement; she asked Pam to invoice her for it. She announced that the $24,000 reduction for MTN was put back in during city budget deliberations, and Joan Campbell made the motion. MTN did not get a cut and got more funds than last year.

  3. Priority Items
    1. Channel Use Policy

    Edie French presented. Some time back the schools got a satellite for delivering materials via the Annenberg channel, while presenting Deutsche Welle on other channels. When the cable upgrade was going on they put Deutsche Welle on the channel they had reserved for Annenberg because the Annenberg satellite was out for repair. Recently the schools took Deutsche Welle off and replaced it with Annenberg. Deutsche Welle had a great following. French showed a list of 60 callers to her office who wanted it returned. French explained that MTN contracts with the city to manage the channels. French met with Colleen Koslowski of Minneapolis Schools and suggested the idea of presenting Annenberg during day and Deutsche Welle at night, but Colleen rejected this idea. French said that Time Warner is required to give subscribers 30 day notice when they make channel changes - subscribers were given no notice to this switch. She said that the point in bringing this up is to remind the board that channel management is MTN's role.

    Colby presented a proposal to clarify MTN's role in channel management.

    Colby said that she feels that what happened was unfair to Time Warner and their work servicing subscribers - she apologized on behalf of MTN and asked to bring this proposal forward so that such a thing does not happen again. Zulu moved the proposal, Higinbotham 2nded.

    There followed discussion about the specifics of the proposal. Questioned was the requirement for 90 days notice, and how notice would be made to the MTN board or to customers. Child suggested that the word "must" in the third paragraph be changed to "shall endeavor." Wallace suggested that it may not cover all contingencies. Leupold said that this matter might have something to do with entities applying and reapplying for channel use to MTN. There was discussion about the necessity of the second paragraph.

    Zulu withdrew his motion so the proposal can be worked on. Colby said she would reissue channel applications next year. Engebretson directed that staff bring this matter back to the board.

  4. Adjourn

Meeting adjourned 6:44 p.m. MSP Zulu, Child.