APPRO-2025-2 : An appropriation in the amount of $244,658.24 from Peg Access to MMTV, Melrose Public Schools and for Legal Services and expenses related to cable-license renewal.

Transcript (~7 min @ 1:10:58)

Speakers identified by voice; unnamed voices are numbered within this recording. Auto-caption text — verify against the video.

▶ 1:10:28 Mark Garipay: Okay. Um, if there are no objections, I'll motion by unanimous consent to close the public, uh, comment portion of our meeting. Seeing none, we are now closed for public comment. Uh, moving on. Um, at this time, I'll motion by unanimous consent to approve without reading the minutes from our October 21st, 2024 meeting in our December 9th, 2024 meeting. Seeing no objections, those minutes are now approved, um, onto the agenda. Uh, next up we have item 1, 2, 2, 7, 3, and appropriation in the amount of two thou, $244,658 and 24 cents from PEG access to MMTV Melrose Public Schools and for legal services and expenses related to cable license renewal.

▶ 1:11:23 Mark Garipay: Um, I will, uh, we have, I believe, um, Ms. McAteer Margolis, uh, participating remotely. Um, if any counsels ha have any questions?

▶ 1:11:46 Speaker 6: Ms. Clark, have you been able to

▶ 1:11:54 Speaker 4: Hi, Mary Beth? Yes, I'm here. Okay. Can you, do you, can you put your video on at all?

▶ 1:12:01 Speaker 8: Um, I, I think I have it on. It does not seem to be linking to you.

▶ 1:12:07 Speaker 8: Well, maybe it'll, maybe it'll link now. Let's see. It's showing my name.

▶ 1:12:12 Speaker 4: Yeah, I see a name. We don't see you, but we see your name. Um,

▶ 1:12:18 Speaker 4: Uh, Let's see. Okay. We know. Okay, you're here. Okay.

▶ 1:12:21 Speaker 11: Sorry about that. Because she has just, uh, hooked up my internet.

▶ 1:12:24 Mark Garipay: We need to be seeing her. We need to be seeing her, uh, based on our rules. The Video.

▶ 1:12:31 Speaker 12: I'm sorry, what P of order Do we need

▶ 1:12:33 Ryan Williams: to be seeing people who are speaking based on our rules or

▶ 1:12:36 Mark Garipay: Counselors based? Correct. We got a ruling from that. Yes, that's correct.

▶ 1:12:40 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: Um, Uh, I can probably log on with my phone if you would rather I try to that

▶ 1:12:47 Speaker 4: Chair. I think it's because her hand is raised. She can't see the video if She takes her hand out.

▶ 1:12:53 Speaker 8: Okay. Let me actually, yeah, you just, you just stopped my video.

▶ 1:12:58 Speaker 7: Let's see. Uh, I better keep, Is There a, it's not on at the top or her laptop.

▶ 1:13:03 Speaker 8: It's kind of showing that it's not on, so

▶ 1:13:05 Speaker 4: She's saying that maybe if you, on, if you take your hand off from raising your hand, that maybe you could put your video on.

▶ 1:13:14 Speaker 8: I will try that. Although I also,

▶ 1:13:17 Speaker 8: Solicitor Was not on the video, wasn't showing before that either. And then This is figured out if we wanna recess after. Yeah.

▶ 1:13:25 Mark Garipay: Ridiculous. Um, Ms. McAteer Margolis, we're gonna have the city solicitor speak to this order. Okay.

▶ 1:13:33 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: I'll, uh, I'll, I'll go on. I'll zoom. I'll, um, I'll access through my camera, through my phone. It might work. It should work that way, I hope. Let's see.

▶ 1:13:39 Mark Garipay: Okay. Just, uh, raise your hand when you're, when you're ready. Um, go ahead. Uh, Ms. Solicitor. Thank you.

▶ 1:13:45 Speaker 8: Thank you. Thank you. So, through the chair. Uh, the order before you tonight is an appropriation, um, from the PEG Access Fund, uh, established in 2019 by counsel to MMTV Melrose Public Schools and for legal services and expenses related to cable license renewal. As of right now, the city has two cable licenses in effect. So Comcast runs from March 1st, 23 to February 28, 33. Verizon's license. Verizon's license runs from June 27 22 to June 26, 27. Um, currently we're undergoing, um, negotiations for the Verizon license. Uh, that's set to expire in 2027 as we're required to, um, by, by statute and under the FCC rules. The current order before use requesting three appropriations, as I mentioned, um, the first two to Melrose Public Schools and MMTV are ones that this council has seen twice a year, um, through the life of these agreements, uh, dating back at least 15 years. Um, it's in the same proportions that we normally do. Verizon and Comcast are required to give 5% of their gross revenues to the city, um, into the Special Revenue fund that council established in 2019. The money can only be spent after an appropriation by city council, which is why this request is here before you tonight. Um, and it can only be used to support cab, uh, cable peg access service or programming for city or town residents, which obviously is run by MMTV in Melrose. Um, monitor the cable operators compliance with the franchise agreement and prepare for renewal of the cable franchise license, which includes associated expert and legal fees. And that brings me to the third appropriation request, uh, for legal services. In the past, my predecessor, um, also used, uh, Epstein in August to a number of municipalities used in Massachusetts, uh, to negotiate these cable license proceedings. The money has historically just come from the legal department budget, but given the allowances, um, for the expenditures under this special revenue fund, we're requesting 8,000 of those monies collected go to pay for legal services. Uh, we don't think that will satisfy all of the money that will be needed, but we will just make any future appropriation requests with the other appropriations that come twice a year before council, um, if needed later on. Uh, but like I said, we're going to start the negotiations likely in the spring to summer of this coming year. Um, so we wanted to have that money available. If it's not used, it would revert back. My understanding is it would be a line within the PEG access fund, so it would just revert back to the PEG act, to the general peg access fund if the legal services money was not used. But we expect it will be.

▶ 1:16:10 Speaker 6: Okay. Thank you. Um, Ms.

▶ 1:16:12 Mark Garipay: McAfee Margolis, uh, the city solicitor just gave us an update on the order. Uh, do you have, uh, anything to add or would you like us just to open it to questions?

▶ 1:16:26 Speaker 8: Uh, open it to questions,

▶ 1:16:30 Mark Garipay: Uh, any, any questions from the council or councilors?

▶ 1:16:39 Mark Garipay: Seeing, uh, no questions. What's the will of the committee

▶ 1:16:44 Speaker 4: Make a motion for a passage or for recommendation?

▶ 1:16:51 Mark Garipay: I second that We have a motion for a passage by Council Fre seconded by Council of Vandiver on discussion discussion.

▶ 1:16:59 Mark Garipay: Madam Clerk, can you please call the role

▶ 1:17:06 Speaker 4: Council Occhio? Yes. Councilor Hamilton? Yes. Councilor Cameron Chetty? Yes. Councilor President Meli? Yes. Councilor Reky? Yes. Councilor Romanul? Yes. Councilor Stewart? Yes. Councilor Vandiver? Yes. Councilor Williams? Yes. Councilor Jamine? Yes. Council Gar Pay? Yes. Motion passes.

▶ 1:17:30 Mark Garipay: That order will get sent to the city council with the recommendation for passage. Uh, next. Thank you, Ms. McAteer. Margolis. Enjoy wherever you are.