Page 10 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • December 15, 2010 Ho-Ho-Kus Cablevision converts local agreement to state franchise by Jennifer Crusco Cablevision Systems Corporation recently advised the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and various New Jersey municipalities that the cable provider’s individual contracts with multiple towns are being converted to a system-wide/state franchise. The municipalities involved include Ho-Ho-Kus, Wyckoff, Maywood, North Caldwell, Passaic, WoodRidge, Clifton, Little Falls, Lodi, and North Haledon. The announcement came just three months after the HoHo-Kus Council had approved an ordinance to allow the borough to enter into a new, non-exclusive 10-year cable television service contract with Cablevision. The previous 10-year agreement between Cablevision and the municipality expired in November 2009. At a recent council meeting, Ho-Ho-Kus Borough Attorney David Bole advised the governing body that the company’s conversion to a state franchise effectively amounts to a seven-year agreement with no material changes in the contract. Bole later told Villadom TIMES that Cablevision is making the franchise conversion in various other municipalities, including in Allendale, where Bole also serves as borough attorney. He pointed out that the company’s move to a statewide franchise allows Cablevision to bypass negotiations with the individual municipalities. Under the agreement approved in August, Cablevision will provide Ho-Ho-Kus with a technology grant of $5,000 over the multi-year franchise. Cablevision representative Gary Shaw previously pointed out that the borough could use this grant to purchase equipment to add information to a local access channel. Cablevision currently provides Channels 76 and 77, which are dedicated to public, education, and governmental access. These PEG channels may be used by schools, libraries, governmental organizations, religious organizations, and other community groups. The agreement also allows the borough to “retain the five-year review clause, which mirrors the existing language in the previous franchise document for the 10-year franchise renewal with the borough’s right to review the agreement after the fifth year for material compliance.” The ordinance states that, if the borough conducts the review and finds the company has not substantially complied with its material obligations under the ordinance, the borough will be required to provide Cablevision with written notice of the instances of non-compliance and allow the company to remedy those instances within six months. If the company is still found to be in non-compliance after the six-month period, the borough will have the right to contact the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. The ordinance also states that Cablevision will provide one standard installation and free monthly cable to all state or locally accredited public schools, all municipal public libraries, and municipal buildings in the borough. (continued from page 6) Lake Aquarium and Science Center at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain. (ECHO is an acronym for ecology, culture, history, and opportunity.) He recently brought controversial keynote speaker Derrik Jensen to the university for Earth Day. While in Vermont, he became involved with the Global Justice Ecology Project, the group that that helped Keith and his girlfriend, Lindsey Gillies, earn credentials to attend The Conference of the Youth and many parts of the United Nations conference. “They decided that this is where they needed to be: following their instincts and being on the leading edge of the environmental movement,” Gail added. Visit his blog from the conference at http://springbreakthesystem.wordpress.com. 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