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Home My WebLink AboutMN-AOC-2022-04-05 1 MINUTES Access Oversight Committee (AOC) (as approved May 3, 2022). Tuesday, April 5, 2022 at 5 PM The AOC held its meeting by ZOOM conferencing. Present: chair Rich DePaolo, secretary Wayles Browne, vice chair Wies van Leuken; Access Studio Coordinator Lauren Stefanelli; member of the public Patrick Pinney. Excused: City of Ithaca Common Council liaison Jorge DeFendini. 01. Call to Order by DePaolo, 5:01. 02. Agenda Additions and/or Deletions: None. 03. Public Comments. Pinney: Update on streaming the Channel 13 signal: we have to see if Jim Blizzard's planned successor is interested in doing it. A PEG producer friend of Pinney's has problems with Filezilla when uploading programs for channel 13; requiring Filezilla seems like a policy that needs updating. Stefanelli: It's an SFTP client [Secure FTP, or Secure File Transfer Protocol, required by Charter's server]. Other producers have reported problems with uploading to the PEG Server. DePaolo: the PEGASYS Manual does not limit media submissions to Filezilla uploads. AOC's purview should include means of uploading. We'll make a note of it. 04. Comments by AOC members. Van Leuken thanks Pinney: we need reports of producers' experiences. Van Leuken asks: who writes announcements on the Government channel (15)? Stefanelli: According to Jim Blizzard, the County Clerk manages the content on Channel 15; I don't. DePaolo: I will find out who receives and processes Bulletin Board requests on the Government and Education channels. He will ask if the County Clerk can announce AOC meetings on Channel 15. 05. Approval of Minutes of the March 1, 2022 Meeting. Approved 3-0 without change. 06. Access Studio Coordinator Report: submitted by Stefanelli in writing [attached]. Re the broken camera: van Leuken suggests giving it to Blizzard, who can do miracles with equipment. Stefanelli: the button is on a foldout, i.e. goes through a hinge. There is one producer who can use the camera as it is now, so let's give it to him. (Browne and van Leuken concur.) Stefanelli will ask if this producer wants to keep it. AOC will have a resolution at the next meeting to give it to him. The report lists that the balance of the Usage Fee fund is $434.01. Van Leuken: what the report refers to as the “Non-Resident Summary” and “PEGASYS Fees” is actually the “Usage Fee Fund". Could we start using that name? Browne would like reports to be submitted in .doc or .docx format; Stefanelli advises asking Mike Montesano for this. a. Charter's recommendations for 2023 Budgets. Charter reports that, as reported last year, $30,000 is still needed to replace the playback system. For 2023, $20,000 will be needed for upgrading the mini-studio or replacing the JVC field cameras, which will be 9 years old. DePaolo: We won't pay $30K to replace the playback system because the equipment is also for the iNet. We need to reach a cost-sharing agreement with Charter. This will be in the City of Ithaca's communication to Charter. 2 DePaolo: The $20K is for next year? Stefanelli: Yes, we need new equipment. DePaolo: that is not iNet equipment, so we are on the hook for that. Stefanelli: $20K is a ballpark estimate. DePaolo suggests we plug in a number for the mini-studio in the resolution and include a contingency fund too. Van Leuken: Can we have an itemized budget for the $20K? Will we need competitive bids? DePaolo: We'll ask the attorneys of the 3 municipalities if bids are needed. Let's meanwhile put in a contingency. Stefanelli on the JVC field cameras: they were bought in 2014. They record in several formats, could be used for High Definition. Of the 6, 4 are very good; 2 have problems. There are 2 Sony cameras, which some producers prefer. DePaolo: So the mini-studio is more pressing than the cameras for 2023. Stefanelli: The present playback system is from the City; old; will need replacing. DePaolo: AOC decides after Charter recommends. It's clear that Charter owes for the I- net costs. 07. Member Reports a. 2023 Budget – a resolution with recommendations for the 2023 Budget was moved by Browne, seconded by van Leuken. The proposal for a website was discussed. There might be volunteers willing to assist. Van Leuken would like to get explicit approval from the municipalities for it, so we include it in the resolution. AOC Recommendations for 2023 Budget WHEREAS, Section 15.12 of the Franchise Agreement of January 2003 between the City of Ithaca and the franchisee Time Warner Entertainment-Advance/Newhouse Partnership (TWC) (“Franchise Agreement”), subsequently assigned to Charter Communications, Inc. d/b/a Spectrum Networks (Charter) after Charter's 2016 acquisition of TWC, requires the participating municipalities (City of Ithaca, Town of Ithaca, Village of Cayuga Heights) to provide the franchisee with an annual written budget for Public, Educational and Governmental access operations (PEG) by June 30 of each calendar year; and WHEREAS, Section 15.12 of the Franchise Agreement requires that PEG Access Staff provide the Access Oversight Committee (AOC) with budget recommendations for the following year by April 30; and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca's Ordinance #2003-17, Par 18-4-G, requires the Access Oversight Committee (AOC) to provide the Participating Municipalities with a recommended budget for the following year by May 31; and WHEREAS, the Franchise Agreement authorizes Charter to collect $0.15 per subscriber per month to be used for the purchase of PEG equipment and facilities; and WHEREAS, the AOC has reviewed PEG’s current equipment and facilities and anticipates that new or replacement equipment and facilities will likely be needed, including the “mini studio,” and certain playback equipment; now therefore be it RESOLVED, that the AOC recommends earmarking up to $1,000.00 to facilitate a new PEG website, and be it further 3 RESOLVED, that the AOC recommends a $50,000.00 contingency to purchase equipment as needed for the functioning of PEG operations, pending receipt and AOC approval of line-item estimates, and be it further RESOLVED, that the AOC forwards its recommendations for approval by the Common Council of the City of Ithaca, the Town of Ithaca Board and the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees, so that they may meet their obligation to provide Charter Communications with an annual written budget for Public, Educational and Governmental access operations no later than June 30, 2022. Approved unanimously, 3-0. DePaolo will send the text to the Town of Ithaca and to Charter, DeFendini to the City of Ithaca, and van Leuken to the Village of Cayuga Heights. The equipment fund balance on 12/31/21 was $57,791.40. b. AOC Vacancy. AOC will ask DeFendini to have the City of Ithaca publicize the vacancy. c. Covid Guidelines. Lauren Kelly forwarded Charter’s updated Covid guidelines on March 28, that lifted some of the mask requirements. They also include requirements that are contrary to the PEGASYS Manual. After review, AOC considered a revised text for section IX of the Manual. The resolution was moved by DePaolo, seconded by Browne: Resolution to amend Section IX,3-c of the PEGASYS Policies and Procedures Manual WHEREAS, the AOC wishes to amend Section IX of the current Policies and Procedures Manual for the PEGASYS Community Media Center ("PEGASYS"); now therefore be it RESOLVED, that Section IX.3-c of the Manual shall read as follows: “All individuals accessing the PEGASYS facility MUST wear acceptable face coverings and, where practicable, maintain social distancing at all times during hours of operation. However, producers and talent may remove their face covering while in the Edit Suite, Control Room, Mini Studio and Main Studio. Approved unanimously, 3-0. d. PEGASYS’ operations. AOC's concerns will be included in the City's letter; DePaolo will share a draft. Van Leuken suggests establishing a File-upload Kiosk in the studio, so that a producer can upload files with the studio coordinator present. DePaolo: Why is there no technical assistance in the studio? Stefanelli: a producer must check out a laptop and take it off the premises to upload programs. If there are problems, help can come from the PEG Server’s administrator. DePaolo: how is this different from getting your help with anything else? He questions the need for a dedicated kiosk but will communicate with Charter on it. Stefanelli: there is Wi-Fi in the building, available without a password. A producer could simply check out a laptop. DePaolo: maybe we could add the equipment 4 room to the spaces where producers can work, so as to upload shows from there. Staff assistance should be provided: although a Charter employee, participating municipalities contribute payroll funds. Let's put this on the agenda next month. e. Website. DePaolo: Charter responded March 28 to our inquiry about a website, but not very explicitly. [The e-mail correspondence is attached below.] It makes sense to us that the Studio Coordinator should be able to spend the same amount of time on a future website as she does on the present one. But for a new site, there would be startup time, so it's one question who is going to build it and another question who will maintain it. Once we had built an archive of programs for the site, it wouldn't be much work to add new ones. The present site lets producers add links to programs of their own. Ideally every show would have its own channel on the site, containing back files of programs. 08. Old Business: none. 09. New Business: none. 10. Next meeting: Tuesday, May 3 at 5:00 PM, place and mode TBA. 11. Adjournment 6:51. ================ Authority: City of Ithaca code Chapter 18, "Cable Access Oversight Committee". Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Ithaca 11-5-2003 by Ord. No. 2003-17. Available at https://ecode360.com/8386207. Contact information for AOC members: City of Ithaca: Wayles Browne, secretary <ewb2@cornell.edu>. City of Ithaca: Common Council liaison 2022- Jorge (George) DeFendini <gdefendini@cityofithaca.org>. City of Ithaca: (vacancy) Town of Ithaca: Rich DePaolo, chair <rd@richdepaolo.com>, <RDePaolo@town.ithaca.ny.us>. Village of Cayuga Heights: Wies van Leuken, vice chair <pmv4@cornell.edu>. Web site for the PEGASYS Community Media Center studio, with program schedules: https://pegasys.webstarts.com/index.html studio location, mailing address: 612 West Green Street, Ithaca, New York 14850 phone (607) 272-7272 fax (607) 277-5404 e-mail PEG.NY@charter.com PEGASYS staff: studio manager Lauren Stefanelli Lauren.Stefanelli@charter.com until April 28, 2022. 5 Lauren Stefanelli COMMUNICATIONS PEG Coordinator Access Oversight Committee Meeting Ithaca, NY Coordinator Report 4/5/2022 PEGASYS Operations: • COVID rules have been updated to allow removal of masks for talent in closed studios and editors in closed edit rooms. Masks will still be required in common areas. • PEGASYS now receives postal service at 612 W. Green St. instead of 519 W. State St. A new mailbox has been installed and activated for this address. We recommend the policy manual be updated with this information. Equipment Issues: • A JVC field camera was returned with a non-working menu button. Due to camera age [almost 8 years], this is uneconomical to repair. However, there are still 4 working JVC field cameras plus 2 higher-end Sony field cameras available. Equipment Recommendations: • 2022: $30,000 needed for replacement of playback system. The NEXUS playback system previously quoted has been discontinued. Vendor advises that new quote must wait for Leightronix, who produces the NEXUS playback system, to release their new product line. We have been warned that there will be price hikes for some items, due to supply chain issues. • 2023: $20,000 needed for upgrading the mini-studio or replacing the JVC field cameras, which will be 9 years old. Non-Resident Summary: 519 W. State St. | Ithaca, NY P (607) 272-7272 Lauren.Stefanelli@charter.com 2022 March PEGASYS Fees Report Name Municipality Description Amount Total 2022 Beginning Total $441.81 Andy Finkle Dryden Membership Jan - Jun 2022 $20.00 $20.00 Erin Leidy Ithaca Equipment Rental 1/27/22 $10.00 $10.00 Wies Van Leuken Cayuga Heights Reimbursed for Battery Purchase -$37.80 -$37.80 Current Total $434.01 6 From: Rich DePaolo [mailto:RDePaolo@town.ithaca.ny.us]  Sent: Tuesday, March 1, 2022 7:04 PM  To: Kelly, Lauren E <Lauren.Kelly@charter.com> Cc: E Wayles Browne <ewb2@cornell.edu>; Paul M Van Leuken <pmv4@cornell.edu>; George DeFendini <gdefendini@cityofithaca.org>; Stefanelli, Lauren M <Lauren.Stefanelli@charter.com>  Subject: [EXTERNAL] AOC requests, re COVID policy, website Hi, Lauren- There were two items discussed at tonight's AOC meeting about which the committee requests your attention and assistance. COVID Policy Given changes to COVID masking policy at the State and County levels, AOC thought it would be appropriate for Charter to revisit its COVID policy for the PEGASYS facility. For example, AOC believes that producers should not be required to wear masks in the “mini studio” and “editing suite,” as they are not in proximity with others. Masking in shared spaces, such as the lobby, Control Room and large studio could be required if social distancing can not be maintained. Other COVID-related matters could also be reviewed. Website Update AOC would like to elevate the visibility of the PEGASYS facility and the works of its producers. Currently, Lauren Stefanelli maintains a “free” website with limited functionality and an antiquated interface. The site does not even allow for embedded (linked) video content. AOC proposes that a new, template-base, web provider be utilized, and that the time Lauren is currently allocating to maintain the old site be spent administering the new. Presumably, Charter will have questions regarding ownership, content liability, etc., and AOC looks forward to addressing those in collaboration with you. A more modern and interactive web interface could also enhance the visibility and community-oriented nature of the Charter / PEG partnership. A rising tide lifts all boats. Thank you, Rich ___________________________ Rich DePaolo Deputy Supervisor, Town of Ithaca 215 North Tioga Street Ithaca, NY 14850 607.273.1721 (office) 607.351.6512 (cell) 7 From: "Kelly, Lauren E" <Lauren.Kelly@charter.com> Subject: RE: [EXTERNAL] AOC requests, re COVID policy, website Date: March 28, 2022 at 2:32:34 PM EDT To: Rich DePaolo <RDePaolo@town.ithaca.ny.us> Cc: E Wayles Browne <ewb2@cornell.edu>, Paul M Van Leuken <pmv4@cornell.edu>, George DeFendini <gdefendini@cityofithaca.org>, "Stefanelli, Lauren M" <Lauren.Stefanelli@charter.com> Rich, Thank you for your patience and I hope that you had a nice weekend. Attached, you will find our updated COVID policy. In response to your question regarding a new website, Charter’s only obligation is for linear service, this per the current franchise agreement. The AOC is welcome to explore other options, with the understanding that Charter is not responsible for managing the website. Please let me know if you have any questions, and have a great afternoon. Best, Lauren