City of San Antonio - File #: 19-3646

• File #: 19-3646
• Type: Misc - Interlocal Agreement
• In control: City Council A Session
• On agenda: 5/16/2019
• Posting Language: Ordinance approving a five-year Interlocal Agreement with Alamo Community College District for Educational Access Channel operation and capital improvements for the Educational Access Channel studio facility in an amount up to $200,000.00, with an option to extend. [Carlos Contreras, Assistance City Manager; Jeff Coyle, Director, Government & Public Affairs]

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
5/16/2019	1	City Council A Session	Motion to Approve	Pass

DEPARTMENT: Government & Public Affairs

DEPARTMENT HEAD: Jeff Coyle

COUNCIL DISTRICT(S) IMPACTED: City Wide

SUBJECT: Alamo Community College District Interlocal Agreement for Education Channel

SUMMARY:
The purpose of this Ordinance is to approve an Interlocal Agreement between the City of San Antonio and Alamo Colleges (San Antonio College) establishing regulations under which Alamo Colleges agrees to continue operating the City's Educational Access Channel, and will receive funds from the City for capital improvements consistent with Chapter 66 of the Public Utilities Regulatory Act (PURA).

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The Educational Access Channel's mission is to provide the San Antonio community with quality educational programming and enhanced educational opportunities. The educational programming includes distance learning courses offered by local private and public colleges and universities, original programming from universities and K-12 schools, as well as arts, news, weather, and local information (electronic bulletin board). The point of origin for the Educational Access Channel is located on the San Antonio College (SAC) campus on the sixth floor of the Moody Learning Center.

Prior to 2005, cable operators were required to negotiate municipal franchise agreements with local governments in order to have access to public rights-of-way used for the installation of their cable systems. In exchange for such access, the cable operators paid municipal franchise fees and other financial assistance to operate Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) access channels. In San Antonio, PEG access channels were operated with the technical, financial and personnel support from Time Warner Cable (TWC), the incumbent cable operator.

In September 2005, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 5, which was codified as Chapter 66 of PURA. Under this legislation, local governments were stripped of their authority to negotiate cable franchise agreements and the Texas Pub...