HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-10-02 Cable TV Advisory Committee MinutesAd Hoc RCTV Subcommittee Meeting S
October 2, 2003
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The meeting convened at 7:30 p.m. in the Conference Room, 16 Lowell' §tr`eef,' Reading,
Massachusetts. Present were Chairman and Town Moderator Alan Foulds, Selectman Gail
Wood, T-TAC member Dom LaCava, RCTV President Dale Merrill, School Committee member
John Carpenter, T-TAC member Bill O'Halloran, RCTV Board member Richard Cohen
substituting for Marcel DuBois; also in attendance were Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner,
RCTV Board members Tom Ryan, Jim Keigley, Gordon Richardson, and RCTV Acting
Executive Director Phil Rushworth. McFadden and Schubert were absent.
The Town Manager reviewed the material presented to the subcommittee, as well as a copy of
the Wakefield and Stoneham agreements between the communities and their local access
corporation.
Dale Merrill raised a question as to whether or not this is a body of the Town and, if so, she
thought it would be contrary to the RCTV Board members fiduciary responsibilities to be
members of the Subcommittee - they would have divided loyalty. There was a great deal of
discussion as to how the ad hoc RCTV Subcommittee was developed and the Town Manager
indicated that it was set up by the Town Manager as a working group to try to find common
ground and reach an agreement between the RCTV Board and the Board of Selectmen on
various issues. Dale Merrill asked that Town Counsel be asked whether this is an "official
body", whether the RCTV Board members need to be sworn in as members of the Ad Hoc
RCTV Subcommittee and whether serving on both would violate any fiduciary responsibility
they have to RCTV. Additional discussion on this matter ensued. The Town Manager indicated
that it was important for this to be considered an "official body" so that all requirements of an
official body such as the Open Meeting law would be respected. The Subcommittee would like a
copy of Town Counsel's letter of June 21, 2003.
On motion by Gail Wood seconded by John Carpenter the members of the Ad Hoc
Subcommittee unanimously agreed that they would abide by the Open Meeting Law on a vote of
7-0-0.
On motion by Carpenter seconded by Wood the Ad Hoc Subcommittee agreed that they would
adopt "Roberts Rules of Orders Revised" as applicable, by a vote of 7-0-0.
The Committee agreed to the following meeting schedule:
♦ October 23, 2003 (Town Manager will not be available but will arrange for someone to
take the minutes
♦ November 6, 2003;
♦ November 20, 2003;
♦ December 4, 2003 and
♦ January 8, 2004.
the end of the day on October 19th' their outline of what their issues are, and what kind of clauses
- should be included in the contract between the Town and RCTV. There are sample contracts
j that have been given to the Subcommittee - Boulder, Colorado; and Stoneham and Wakefield,
Massachusetts. John Carpenter also found additional copies of contracts on various websites
including the website for the Alliance for Community Media.
On motion by Merrill seconded by Carpenter the Subcommittee voted to adjourn on a vote of 7-
0-0.
R sp lly submitted,
ecretary