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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1961ORDINANCE NO. 1961 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, REAUTHORIZING THE PUBLIC, EDUCATIONAL, AND GOVERNMENTAL FEE ON STATE VIDEO FRANCHISEES OPERATING WITHIN THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS WHEREAS, Section 5870(n) of the California Public Utilities Code ("Section 5870(n)") was enacted as part of the Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act of 2006 and authorized the City of Palm Springs ("City") to adopt an ordinance establishing a fee on state-franchised video service providers to support public, educational, and governmental ("PEG") channel facilities; and WHEREAS, on April 1, 2009, the City adopted Ordinance No. 1759, establishing a one percent (1%) fee for the support of PEG channel facilities and activities within the City ("PEG Fee"), which is codified in Section 5.79 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code; and WHEREAS, Ordinance No. 1759 has never been repealed and did not include any expiration date, but was intended to apply to and regulate all current and future franchisees, through 2017 and beyond; and WHEREAS, Section 5870(n) states that such ordinance shall expire, and may be reauthorized, upon the expiration of the state franchise, and therefore it could be argued that the City's ordinance has lapsed; and WHEREAS, Charter Communications operates within the City under a state video franchise that expired on December 20, 2017 and has renewed. NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Reauthorization. The City's PEG Fee imposed in Section 5.79 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code is reauthorized to the extent required by California Public Utilities Code section 5870(n). All state-franchised video service providers operating within the City, including but not limited to those operating pursuant to the Charter Communications Franchise, shall continue to be subject to the PEG Fee required by Section 5.79 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code, which fee shall remain unchanged and in full effect as to all state-franchised video service providers operating within the City. SECTION 2. Automatic Reauthorization. Commencing from, and after, the effective date of this Ordinance, the City's PEG fee set forth in Section 5.79 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code shall continue to apply to any new or existing franchisee operating in the City and shall automatically be reauthorized upon the expiration of any existing or future state video franchise(s) held by any state-franchised video service provider operating within the City. This Ordinance shall so renew until such time that the City Council takes formal affirmative action to cease the renewals. Ordinance No. 1961 Page 2 SECTION 3. Compliance with CEQA. Adoption of this Ordinance is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") under CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the Ordinance may have a significant effect on the environment. SECTION 4. Inconsistencies. Any provision of the Palm Springs Municipal Code or appendices thereto inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance, to the extent of such inconsistencies and no further, is hereby repealed or modified to that extent necessary to effect the provisions of this Ordinance. SECTION 5. Severabilitv. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or portion of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance. The City Council of the City of Palm Springs hereby declares that it would have adopted this Ordinance and each section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses, phrases or portions be declared invalid or unconstitutional. SECTION 6. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after its final passage. SECTION 7. Certification. The City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this Ordinance and shall cause the same to be published or posted in the manner required by law. PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED BY THE PALM SPRINGS CITY COUNCIL THIS 20TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2018. ROBERT MOON, MAYOR ATTEST: HONY CITY CLE Ordinance No, 1961 Page 3 CERTIFICATION STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss. CITY OF PALM SPRINGS ) I, ANTHONY J. MEJIA, City Clerk of the City of Palm Springs, do hereby certify that Ordinance No. 1961 is a full, true, and correct copy, and was introduced at a regular meeting of the Palm Springs City Council held on September 5, 2018, and adopted at a regular meeting held on September 20, 2018, by the following vote: AYES: Councilmembers Holstege, Kors, Middleton, Mayor Pro Tem Roberts, and Mayor Moon NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Palm Springs, California, this day of . CITY CLER