Cable Television Advisory Committee Meeting Aug 14, 2026

of the Okay, now we're recording. So, seeing a quorum of members for the Ammeris uh cable television advisory committee present on this virtual call, I will call us to order at 11:33 a.m. on August 14th, 2026. Um, as mentioned, this meeting is being conducted um completely virtually. Members of the public have been um the link has been posted for members of the public to join via Zoom and via phone. This is also being recorded um and will be posted on the town's YouTube channel. We'll do a roll call of attendance of membership now given our virtual um medium and I will get that started now. Uh, Peter Beric >> here, >> Fred Civian >> here, >> Sean Hannon >> here, >> Briana Sunrid, present. Um, let the record reflect we are missing at this moment members John Milis and Rachel Fura Smith. Um, if they end up coming into the meeting, we can adjust that record. Um so to get things started I will point everyone's attention to our agenda. Our agenda is also posted online uh with this meeting posting um in case anybody would like to follow along. So let me get to that. All right. So the first the first order of business typically for us and the next thing after calling us to order is um saving time for public comment. I will pause um and ask my colleague Sean here to see if he notes any members of the public wishing to speak at this time. >> We have no members of the public present. >> Okay. Well, we're a little lonely today. Uh so we'll we'll move past that public comment uh period. We'll we'll get right into discussing the ascertainment process steps. Um on the agenda, we we do have a placeholder to speak about the survey, uh the public survey that was conducted over the last several weeks. Um as well as um placeholders for Ammeris media updates, updates from the town's IT director. Um any updates on the on the draft license agreement, etc. Any other steps on the ascertainment process? So, I'll I'll start with the the survey if there's no objection there just to give a recap for the for the record and then I can invite members to um share any thoughts or questions that they might have. Um so, this committee conducted a survey um roughly uh I would say just it was just under a month um between mid July and mid August. Um this survey was conducted virtually via an online um platform Microsoft forms and the town disseminated this link um on their website via social media press releases etc. as well as um members of this committee distributing it through their networks and um Amoris Media sharing it through their networks. So, just a a quick recap again for the record and all of this material will be in the uh materials folder. Um if if they've not been posted already, they they should be there shortly. Um all meeting materials that we referenced, created, reviewed will be um can be found at ammersta.gov/cable, including this um these survey details. So, we received 208 responses. Um, which was quite, you know, I was surprised by that. I was pleasantly surprised that we saw that. Um, I'll give a a quick recap and then I I'll want to um ask members if if they have any questions or things they want to add. Um, so the majority of our responses came from uh residents who live in Ammeris for 5 years or more. Um we had a a broad age distribution um with the highest participation coming from those aged 75 and older. Um with the next category being um most responses from 65 to 74 age range. Um roughly a little over half of the respondents currently subscribe to both Comcast cable and internet services according to the respondents. Um, and only six respondents subscribed only to Comcast cable TV. Just a interesting interesting point there. Um, and significant portions of respondents had never subscribed to Comcast cable opting instead for other streaming providers. Um, we we were able to collect feedback and concerns as well as um some some positive feedback. We will have a detailed section in our ascertainment report to um which we'll talk about a little bit later that will um that will go through some of this in more detail should people want to see that. And again the raw materials, the raw responses, everything like that will end up as part of the record. Um so I'll pause quickly there. I'd love to invite um Peter or Fred um Sean if there's any questions, anything that they found from the survey they want to bring to the the attention for the sake of the public. >> Anything from anyone? >> Yeah, I'm I'm trying to >> Oh, hi Peter. I didn't see you. >> That's okay. I've lo lost my raise hand button. Uh the thing that I was most interested in as you all know is uh the degree of satisfaction with Comcast service uh as in customer service and it seemed to me that the survey suggested that there was a very low degree of satisfaction uh with Comcast customer service. I'm saying that uh as a a prompt to to to get Brianna and Fred and Sean to to either agree with me or or to say that that that I was blinded by my own uh preconceptions. But it it seems to me that the uh the what we what we learned about customer service was that there is enough dissatisfaction so that uh it would be a good idea for us to try to respond to that in some measure uh by trying to get Comcast to improve its performance. >> Uh Peter, yeah, I I agree with that. But I think what we saw in our uh in the in the kind of straightforward more quantitative or scale questions we see that and then of course if we dug deeper into the um the open-ended responses we had even more um example of that kind of presence of that um sentiment I guess I would say. >> Yeah. And it was also possible because of of the skill with which Fred designed the survey uh to see uh to to to sort that out. So we had some sense of how people felt about responses by telephone, how people felt by responses on the internet. Uh and the answer was they didn't they didn't like either. uh so that uh both the both the systems that Comcast is using seem inadequate uh in the in the view of their customers in Ammerst. >> Fred, go ahead, please. Um what I was doing was using the survey um information Peter was just referencing to look back at the draft agreement and noticing that the draft agreement already has some metrics uh for response times, things like that for phone calls. It doesn't have any information in it about any metrics for internet responses. So those both of those areas could be uh places where the town of Amherst asks for um additional information from Comcast. Um Sean Hannon provided me copies of the form 500s that are uh these are u complaints that are made to state regulators about the um um service. And just by looking at those numbers of complaints, it's quite small. 10 or 12 complaints on on a customer base of anywhere from 2500 to 3,000. But I think the the uh draft agreement itself that talks about um uh phone calls for example needing shall not exceed 30 seconds. Be grateful if we started getting information from Comcast about how they are performing in relation to the requirements of the existing agreement. And then we should also consider recommending putting additional similar requirements in for internet responses. Ideally, if we get both of those, then we'd have some better idea of uh precisely how Comcast is not um providing the kind of customer service that we think a customer should have. That that's a great point, Fred, and I think I'm I'm glad that you called those out because in a in a few moments, we're going to talk about getting things organized into that ascertainment report, which will be the the document that guides the town manager um and others in that negotiation. And I think those are great things for us to add on this section um at least that I've envisioned, and we'll look at it in a few moments where we catalog all of these requests so that it's all in one spot. Um and and Peter had sent a document as well. So, I think those are great additions to to that section where we're um really putting down to paper all of the things that we're um thoughtfully requesting be added. >> The other thing that was interesting uh was the question that that Peter suggested we add at the end of the survey about interest in a town-owned um internet provider. And I noted that a a plurality of people were thought that that should be a high priority. Most people didn't think it would should be a high priority. Um and perhaps we can talk about this a little bit more. I was um a little bit familiar with some of the other towns that are providing the internet service. The most interesting thing to me is that those town those town internet services are appear to be mostly provided by an existing town department that's already provided some kind of providing some kind of townwide service, town power, town light, and that adding internet to that wasn't that heavy a lift. I'm a little bit hesitant about us advocating for the town to in essence start a new department that u for town services whatever those infrastructure services are utilities but that was an interesting set of responses. So thanks Peter for um having us put that question in. >> Very welcome. But let let me supplement what you said again. Please check me if I'm uh recalling incorrectly, but it seemed to me that uh the way the question was formulated, we got a a plurality but not a majority saying that they would like to see the town uh move towards town provided internet. And then if you uh if the the the next category of uh you know moderate priority uh if you add those two together then you got a very large majority of people saying that they would like to see a town operated internet. >> Yeah, I think we should spend some time looking at the specific questions maybe at the next meeting. Yeah, >> I didn't get the same impression from the wording of the question, but definitely there's some sentiment for u having the town at some point looking at providing this service through the town. >> Yeah. Yeah. I mean, uh I think that uh the town manager earlier on made it pretty clear to us uh particularly to me that he he did not see making recommendations about town operated internet as part of our business. uh and uh that that's that's fair enough. It it isn't. Uh but uh but nonetheless, this does give give him some information about the the sentiment of Comcast subscribers. Uh that uh I I hope he will take into account uh I I not not looking for us to follow up, but looking for him and perhaps town council at some point to follow up. Yeah. And I and I think you know we we saw the the fit to include it and I think what I what I propose for us to do so you know acknowledging that it might not be under our purview as part of the ascertainment report. I do think since we we did go through the um the effort to ask and poll community members of that and they did respond um I'd suggest we put something in the ascertainment report that is a section titled other future considerations and we can put that document that there um so that the the town manager has that moving forward and at least we've um carried that forward from the people who did take the time to to respond on that and and and give their opinions. in in the open-ended questions so that it has uh so that it lives someplace as part of the record. So >> that that sounds terrific to me, Brianna. That sounds just right. >> And and there may be other things that we um that that with that in mind, if there were um you saw the the survey analysis document, there were several things that I highlighted that were maybe pertinent to our work, we might go do the reverse. And if there's any other things again that don't fit into the ascertainment steps but we feel should be documented and pushed forward for the consideration of the town, we can put them in that section as well. >> Great. Sounds good. >> Okay. Um, so the survey against uh we we have the the raw survey data, the kind of uh summary response sheet, the open-ended responses and then the analysis. Those will all be documents that we have at as part of the public record and parts of those will make it into the ascertainment report. Um so any other things that we want to talk about specifically on the survey? Um I do feel that we should mention and this did make its way into one of the documents and will make its way into the report is just the limitations of the survey. Um considering the tools we had and timeline we had available to us. Um, and just acknowledging that because of our our our methods and our distribution uh capabilities, we um, you know, obviously potentially missed um, certain people in our community. Um, so th those limitations I have documented. I'm willing, you know, if anybody has anything we should add to that, um, I'm happy to to entertain that. I do think it's worth us mentioning that as part of the record, um, as well. And you'll see the notes that I made on that in the analysis document. >> Thank you, Brian. I appreciate your careful analysis of the the survey. My experience generally people take from surveys what they want to see. There's an um a science to being able to tease out what surveys really tell us and I appreciate your attention to that. >> Great. Thank you and I thank you for for the team effort everybody here. Um, if there's nothing more on survey, Sean, did you have anything that you wanted to um add in, maybe something different from the the last process? I don't want to I want to make sure you get a chance if there's Okay. >> No. >> All right. So, um, one of the next things that I'd like to do, and um, let me just get to the to the screen that I need to be at. Um, we Rachel's not here today. Um Rachel did share the the 10-year forecast and the list of needs from Ammeris Media. Um that has been shared with this committee. It has also been added to the materials folder that's publicly available online. Um all to say that that will also make its way into the appendices um of the ascertainment report. I I wasn't planning on pausing to to go deeper into that right now, but I do want to give members the ability to if they did have a question or a comment on any of the Ammeris media documents, um, we can pause and do that now. Okay. I'm not seeing any. Let me just double check, Peter. No. Okay. >> I can't I have so many screens up that I can't actually see people's hands. So if if I if you are raising your hand then I am not calling you then just >> pop in there. Um >> okay so we will carry those forward into the ascertainment report process. They are um again available and they're in the last communication that I sent out in case anybody needs to go back and reference them between now and the next meeting. Um, the next thing on our agenda, and we don't have to unpack this today, but I know that was something that the IT director Sean was working on was the lists of needs andor any other components that the town um wanted to bring forth as part of the negotiations or part of the the license agreement, any changes. Um, Sean, do you have a quick update on that? Do you have um any anything you want to share at this time? just that I have the list of our needs most of the way done. I just trying to finish off some dollar amounts to it. Um and the list of locations is I I'll have that to you this afternoon. So, um >> great list of all the potential locations. >> Excellent. Um thank you for that. And I think for the rest of the committee, and I'm kind of working backwards, maybe maybe I should have started with the the draft outline of the report that I envision that I plan to share with you. That will also be a section. Um the materials that Sean is working on will'll bring that into the ascertainment report as well. Um so again, the the the negotiation team has everything in one spot. Um, so Sean will get those over to me and then you'll get to review them in in advance of the next meeting. Um, so that when we do come back to to look at a a report or that you'll have had time to consume that information. So thank you Sean. >> Yeah. >> Any questions for Sean on town related equipment needs or anything while we're on the on the topic from Fred or Peter? >> No. >> Okay. All right, great. So, the next um thing I think is the most logical would be to look at um and I didn't send this to the group in advance quite honestly because um it just materialized uh today. So, this will be something that's added as part of the record and I will share around for the sake of um being able to see it all at the same time. I'm going to share my screen right now. Um, if I do that, will anybody have any issues um, consuming the information that way as a first step? Is that amendable to Peter Fred if I share my screen? Okay, >> it's fine. Thanks. >> All right. So, let me let me get that window open. Just a second. Okay. So, this is what I'm calling um the Ammerst Cable Television Advisory Committee's 2026 ascertainment report draft outline. Um it might be on the smaller side for for folks. Now, I'm going to share the document with you with you um after our our call today so that you can see it and review it in depth. So, if there's something that you didn't get a chance to call out now because you didn't have the proper time to reflect on it, we can uh we can, you know, work some of those elements um individually offline back back to me as feedback. So, um I'll just go through what I envisioned the sections and then we can go back and say, okay, we maybe we should be having this section. We completely forgot about this, etc. Um, if that works for folks, I'll just kind of cruise through quickly. So, the title we just went through, um, I envision having a short executive summary, um, about what this document is, um, and a quick kind of highlight of our key findings. Um, one of the sections that would follow would be about the committee where I would um, where we would talk about our charge, who the membership is, what the work of the committee has been, And um what I see fitting into that section, for example, would be a description of our regular meetings, our public hearings, um a a listing of some of the the documents, the key documents that we've used um to inform our review. We would talk about the results of the survey. Um and then, you know, we would obviously mention the document itself. It's kind of a meta um inclusion there, but we'll talk about the ascertainment report as kind of our last um formal group activity, so to speak. Um and I'm not tied to any of these these orders, so I I definitely want feedback. I just want to get us something for us to react to. Um the next section is kind of where I would envision including some of the materials that Shawn is working on, the needs of town government. So, um, that's, you know, specific equipment or or the locations that we want to come off or online on some of those lists I see including the materials for our PEG access provider who is currently um, Ammerst Media, although um, for the life of the the Comcast contract, that's not never a guarantee that it would be the same provider. So, um I'm open to maybe particularly Sean even has some feedback on how we frame that. At the very least, um I anticipate us including Ammerst Media's materials in the appendices to to pull everything together. Um the committee recommendations to the town manager. I en envision um us pulling maybe if there's some general recommendations but then kind of as Fred pointed out kind of speaking back to what's what's part of the contract that you know we would be requesting amended changes. So the customer service provisions uh the future community cable related needs and interests um other sections if applicable then we could put those here. Um, as I mentioned with Peter's question that we included on the survey, I did include a section for other future considerations that could leave the space for things that we heard throughout our process that aren't specifically relevant to our purview to include and carry forward um for the for the town to consider in the future. And then lastly, a series of appendices. Um, materials that this this committee has created, perhaps the public hearing slides, um, the public survey instrument itself, the public survey full results and raw responses, and any other documents created, reviewed, or referenced by this committee. So, that's the the quick overview. I'm going to pause um for the for the group to share any thoughts, questions, suggestions, ideas. All right. Here. Um, these look good. Really good. I have some ideas for editing, using different words, and putting things in different orders. This is great to start out with a um with an outline and then we can start writing different parts of it. Um the um thing that that I I first saw a review of documents the form 500 I I'd strike that the form 500s are um to me mostly useless. Um so wouldn't call them out specifically but oh look the change got made already. >> Um >> I'm quick. >> That's good. But I um for the recommendations um perhaps organizing them by whether they're uh recom the the document or actions that would need need to be order to make them occur. We could it could be recommendations in the draft agreement. there could be uh future changes in policy or future changes in the agreement. Reason I'm thinking about that is that I don't know that um personally I'd like to see some something spec some metrics specifically addressing internet customer response in the draft agreement before we sign it. But that's a lot to do in a really short amount of time. So I was imagining a recommendation going to the town manager saying including something in the agreement that says within the next year Comcast and the town will develop and amend the agreement to put in internetbased metrics that sort of thing. So um um that um gosh you're making these changes right now. Thank you. I appreciate this. I might do it for a living or something. I don't know. >> That's just encourages me to keep talking, but also >> that's dangerous. No, I think those are great um great ways to frame it. And for the for the recommendations as well, I hadn't, you know, we hadn't, we've had lots of conversations, but we hadn't gotten so much to page yet. So, I was struggling. This is that's probably the the part of the document I was like how do we organize this? So any feedback on that or suggestions is most welcome. >> Also um I I hope you will say yes to this question. Um would you like help writing this thing? >> Yes, I would. Um, and I will say, um, there's been I did have a let's a catch up with the town manager yesterday because we we know that we're going backwards from a timeline of October for this contract uh, the current contract to be expired. Um I was going to talk a little bit about this with the group um in terms of timeline and just see what's realistic because in large part we have most of the materials I think in order to start filling this um these sections perhaps as they are right now in um it's kind of the people power of it Fred. So I'm glad that you that you said that. Um, one thing and and I'd love to have feedback from you and Peter about this. One thing that was discussed because there are deadlines with the attorney and we want to get these things um started was for us between now and the next meeting to have a draft that can be shared with the town manager and the town attorney and with the full membership of the board with the understanding that in between that time there would be time for everybody to review it and perhaps at our next meeting even let's say it's not two weeks out. Let's say it's 3 weeks out, the board might entertain a vote on approving or finalizing a report and or saying that they don't have enough time and we need we need to expand that. So, in my mind and I think in the town managers and the town attorney's mind that timeline was something that they were uh very hopeful that could be accommodated by this group. But I want to be realistic um and and and mention that to the the team here and see what what people thought. >> Go ahead, Peter. >> Uh first, let me say that I'm I'm willing to pitch in and and help with some drafting on the on the report. Uh the one of my questions about the drafting is that on some of the stipulations that Fred and I have both talked about, you know, I and the document uh that you circulated to the committee and Fred in his comments today would involve uh specific language in the licensing agreement with the town. uh and that strikes me as language which would need to be drafted by the lawyer. Uh not not not language that we are capable at least not that I am capable of of producing myself. Uh and the the timeline you describe leaves me somewhat confused. In other words, uh I I would like our final report to to include the kind of language that we are recommending uh rather than including a suggestion that the lawyer draft such language >> uh but I but I don't know whether whether that's possible. So, it's my understanding, you know, that the the ascertainment report is going to advise the town manager on on how he approaches the negotiations with Comcast. Um, and those negotiations usually are alongside the the town council. Um, I think it might be a high burden for this group to put our recommendations in language that will be uh that could withstand the legal process. Um, so I don't know if if if the burden for us is to to have our recommendations be, you know, docu uh agreement ready or lawyer ready. Um, I it's my understanding that from the the recommendations and the things that we report then through the negotiation process, those things are going to be fine-tuned and and put into the language that's agreeable to both parties. Um, if it's something that you would like to have more detail about the process, um, or have the town manager respond to, you know, what would be most helpful for him in that report. in our conversations, it was, you know, referencing the specific documents obviously um and not just open-ended saying what we want, but that the expectation is not that we have them in that quite that shape. Um although I do understand why, you know, the intent of what you're what you're saying. Um, and so for that reason, I thought we uh had thought we we we might be able to proceed with that timeline knowing that there are going to be these nuanced conversations within the negotiations that take place using our ascertainment uh report as kind of a a guiding document. >> That that's very helpful, Brianna. Uh, one of the things that I think confused me is that some weeks ago we got a draft final agreement. Uh, which led me to think that maybe we were supposed to be reviewing draft final agreements. Uh, and that that to be honest does not seem to me like a good use of of our time because we're because we're not lawyers. Mhm. >> But uh but and so if we don't if the if the town manager doesn't expect us to do that then then I'm much more relaxed about the question of specific language. But but one of but I still have one remaining question. Uh the when we met with the lawyer uh I perceived a fair amount of resistance to the idea of doing anything to to to try to impose additional burdens on Comcast. Uh and I hope I was mistaken in perceiving that. Uh, and it would be of interest to me to know whether the town attorney and the town manager uh were sympathetic to the ideas of modifications in the agreement of the kind that Fred's talked about that I've talked about. Uh, and if if they if they say, "Yeah, we we we want to hear what you think. Go ahead with that. We'll work on it." Uh, that's great. if they if their attitude is uh we don't think it's our business to make life hard for Comcast since there's basically no room for us to reject an agreement with them. Uh then then I guess I would like our committee to have another chance to lobby them to try to persuade them to change their mind. >> Well, Peter, I'm really glad that you brought that up and I um I maybe I should have included this. So, I specifically did ask uh when I met with the town manager, you know, you how do you want us to be you include everything that we're thinking or do you you know, do you want us to whittle it down to some certain, you know, boundaries? And the town manager expressed to me that he wants to hear everything from the committee, all of their recommendations. Okay. Um, I don't want to say pie in the sky, but you know, if we have a high standard of, you know, things that we're asking all the way down to some other things, we shouldn't limit ourselves based off of um likelihood of inclusion. He wants to see everything. At the same time, obviously, we're not going to, you know, >> then ask for all these things that maybe didn't organically come up through our process. But I think um he expressed to me and I'm I'm glad you asked that question so I can express it to the the group here that he wants to see all of it, all of the work, all of the things that we've gone through. So I think rest assured there um that we we should be inclusive rather than restrictive in what we include. >> Okay, that thank you that that's really helpful. >> Yeah, great question. Thank you for bringing that up. Um and if it helps I'll just say this last thing. If it helps I I can I can follow up with Paul just to say a couple of questions came up. You know, we wanted to make sure that like that the language is, you know, as helpful as possible. Are you expecting it to be kind of ready to to to hit the floor for the negotiations or is there going to be that period of um you know, downloading what we've what we've provided and and kind of putting that into whatever their strategy is for negotiating. So, I I'll follow up on that and let you know because it didn't come up specifically and I think it's a great question to ask. So, I'll find that out. >> Ju just to pursue this one step further, if if we follow the route that I suggested in the document that you circulated uh of uh imposing on Comcast uh the burden of creating a way of of recording of of receiving and recording complaints and reporting them to the town. that creates not just a burden on Comcast, but a burden on the town because the town has to have someone who receives those complaints and and follow up on them. I I look at Shawn nervously because my guess is that some of that work would would fall to him. Uh so uh you know this is it's it's important that if we go this route that the town buy into it as as well as as Comcast. I might have frozen for a second there. >> Oh okay. >> Sorry. Yeah. So I think I get your point. You know what what are the things that we're recommending? are they going to be implementable by the town if if they do make its way into the contract? And I think that's something um I think that's a great thing for us to think through. We can even >> acknowledge that in the recommendation that we know that this might create a um an additional burden or task on the town. And then um of course we can if that makes its way through um the implementation then you know luckily we've got folks like the town manager and the IT director to to work through those um implementation hurdles. So I don't think that should stop us. But I think you're right. It might be worth acknowledging if we do foresee it adding some sort of demand to the town. We can we can for the sake of transparency we can note that. Okay. And let let me uh while I'm yakking add one thing that might be part of of of our looking to the future part of the report. Uh we've all acknowledged as we go through this process that the the the legislation that governs our work both federal and state is absolutely cockeyed in terms of the realities of today's television service and internet service. uh and we might want to include something that uh recommends both to uh our state legislature legislators and and to our representatives in Congress uh that they get get to work on fixing that. I mean that that is not something that we we can do by ourselves. uh and it may be pie in the sky, but it seems to be worth registering uh that that we know that we're working with with a a legislative framework, a legal framework that is ridiculously obsolete. >> I I love that. I I just added that to the draft under other future considerations as a placeholder for us to have uh like a legislative consideration or a legislative call to action, if you will. Um I think that's a great because even in our >> um communications we were trying to get updates from our legislators and you know we I think I shared that or Paul had shared that around that >> you know we tried but it got you know kaibosed or or whatever technical term. >> Um >> and I do think it's important especially since that's come up many times that we impart the fact that we we do we want our legislators to keep working on that. Um, and and some language on that will be welcome in the report, I think. So, I put a placeholder for that one. >> Great. Great. >> Great. >> My my guess is the legislators on this need all help they can get because I I I rather suspect that Comcast is more active in working with our state legislators uh than any of the towns are on the subject of this legislation. Uh, and so it it's, you know, it's going to be a heavy lift for them. uh and and they should know that they've got community support and that it's conceivably an issue they could run on. >> Yeah, I think that's a great addition to round things out for sure. Okay, so I've added that and you'll see that when I share the draft with with you all um later after our call. Um Fred, >> if I could, I'm a little less enamored about us proposing specific language than I think uh Peter is. Um I think there's a there's a missing part here um in between what's in the existing what we see in the existing agreement and what we think should be good things to to uh recommend specific things to recommend and that's the Comcast the organization is already doing a lot of work to be able to track itself in various different ways what I was uh interested in is section 12.6 six of the draft agreement talks about licency shall establish procedure for resolution of complaints by subscribers. Now, I think that that's the form 500 that they've done for us, but I also think that Comcast has its own procedures, its own internal corporate procedures for um tracking complaints. Likewise for section 12.1, my guess is they already have information about uh whether these specific metrics are being made and they probably already have their own additional metrics used corporately to be able to um track how well their customer service representatives doing or resolving problems. So I was thinking one of our main recommendations could be for the town manager to be able to explore with Comcast about what their existing internal corporate metrics and reporting requirements can be used in order to meet the requirements for uh good customer service. Um I think we we're inventive people and we can come up with specific language. Um at the same time I think that using the Comcast's existing processes so they don't really have to do more work. they can just start reporting what they already gather would be helpful for us and helpful for the town. To the extent that this agreement also is part of a a statewide um set of agreements, um it might we might want to have a section in here that that talks about statewide agreement improvements. So for example, the having customer service metrics end agreements that speak to internet responses. I don't see that at all in this agreement. It may or may not be in other agreements with other towns, but it may be useful for Amoris to be able to share with other towns the kind of improvements that can be done to for tracking uh customer service from Comcast's own information for their phone um responses, from Comcast's own information for their internet responses, and that those can become parts of agreements statewide, not just here. So, um, I just wanted to explain my thinking about that. >> Yeah, >> Fred, I am I am not as nice a person as you are and and and, uh, and therefore I am more skeptical than you are about, uh, the degree to which Comcast is in fact tracking these customer satisfaction metrics. I hope I hope you're right. Uh but but it's hard for me to believe that things would have gotten so as bad as they are if they were actually tracking them and trying to respond to them. >> Well, I think the specific language you just used, tracking these responses, I think is accurate. They have their own way of checking to see how well their people are doing and responding. >> Um and we don't I don't know what those are. >> Yeah. >> Okay. the account manager may be interested in having a further discussion with Comcast. >> Okay. >> To be able to provide that. Um this is a like an art artificially this grand draft agreement is an artificially closed book right now. >> Yeah. No, I I I agree with you that the the ideal goal is is a is final contractual agreement uh that works both with the town's procedures and with Comcast's procedures. You know there there there's we not if we if we propose language that looks elegant to me but that has that is completely unworkable in terms of of the internal operations of a national organization uh then then we've accomplished nothing. So so that to in that respect I'm with you. Uh but but forgive my skepticism that Comcast is going to be as responsive as we hope they would they'll be. >> Yeah. In in reading the uh draft agreement, there is some language in there that says that we can't ask them to do additional survey work. So, if we're asking them to do something that they are already not doing, I guess I have to go back and look and see what they >> There may be some limitations in the draft agreement that keep us keep the town manager from being able to implement our recommendations. >> Yeah, >> we need to >> be flexible enough to provide the town manager as wide a pallet of um um things to talk to Comcast about. No, I I definitely >> Yeah, I I I agree about that. >> Thank you. >> Okay. So, what I'm thinking is um maybe I'll have to go back with the the town manager about the kind of the initial timeline we talked about. At the very least, maybe one more meeting is not enough. So when we do get to that section, um maybe we pick two additional dates so that we have some leeway to back into should we need more time with pieces of the report. Um and if that makes sense when we get to this section of the agenda for scheduling out, we maybe we pick two subsequent dates just to give us the room that we need. One other thing we might do too is concentrate initially on getting some draft recommendations down on paper and sharing those with the the town manager's office just to let them so they have advanced notice of what we're thinking about. Um concentrating on that first for the draft report and then filling in the other parts of the report a little bit later. >> Yeah. And and and Fred, I like that because as I mentioned earlier, I think that's the part that we haven't really gotten put to page yet. I think a lot of the other sections are things that I can put together from a lot of the existing content that we've created or or resources that we've consumed. I do Yeah, I agree with you. I think the focus should be the recommendations. Um and one thing so I did share Peter's customer service recommendations. Um, and I have been trying to make kind of a a, you know, a a master list of what all of those are so that we can start organizing them. So, I do think that is where we should focus work if there's going to be quote unquote homework. Um, Fred, if particularly you wanted to maybe take what Peter's um, done on his kind of list that he shared with the group and we can expand that. Um and then perhaps so you can tell me what you think about that as kind of like you know when you off when you volunteered um that I think would be like the next best most useful thing for us to start populating those those recommendation sections. Yeah, I can start. Excuse me, Peter. So, >> yeah. No, that that sounds absolutely right to me, Brianna. And uh what I think you're describing is a model in which we draft the best set of recommendations that we can knowing that at some point it may bump bump up against the limitations of what the town manager and the lawyer are capable of of asking for and that we give that to them. they tell us what's wrong with our recommendations and and and and we respond accordingly. Uh so that you know rather than trying to to guess what's on their mind, we give them a draft, they tell us what's on their mind and then we work together. >> What we could also do is come up with a draft to review at our next meeting and simultaneously give that draft to the town manager. >> Right. Chris, I think we're saying the same thing though. >> Yeah, he has a chance to weigh in >> and and he's a member of the committee. I mean, he he may want to come to the meeting and and respond there. >> I did uh you know, Peter, I did ask that the town manager be available at our next meeting. He couldn't join us today. So um whether our next meeting I think in our initial kind of more hopeful uh ambitious timeline that next meeting might have been where we are are working towards a vote but it sounds like we need a little bit more time get those two two subsequent meetings on the books that way we have time to get them the draft uh because the meat of what I would like them to review are the is the the recommendations because >> the executive summary the what the committee of what the committee has done, what the survey has said, those are all things that have happened and are fixed in stone and quite frankly we don't need feedback on. Um so I think what both of you are saying is absolutely right. Um I think to operationalize this what I I think you have access Fred to Peter's uh document whether you want to build off of that or work on something separate that I can then marry together. uh we we just don't want to be and it's tough in this in this space. We love to be able to collaborate in real time, but we have to limit the amount of us that are collaborating within a single document. So that's why I I say Fred, would that would you be amenable to taking Peter's document and then building off of that as the next step for the recommendations? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Yeah. And and I I and I would welcome that. I saw my document as a kind of pie in the sky memo for the committee uh to to get to get a discussion going and it seems to me absolutely appropriate that it it be turned into something else and better uh before it becomes part of uh of of of a report. >> Great. And and I think what's become clear is that Fred has a very good handle on the contract language and has >> spoken numerous times back to what it says. And I think that we we need your your skill on that next step, Fred. So, thank you for doing that. >> I I I agree. >> Um, >> so we'll talk Oh, sorry. Go ahead. >> Just saying I'm happy to help. I'm not an attorney by any means, but as an experienced ex-regulator, I really like looking at language. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Well, you're in the right place. Um, >> and as experienced as an experienced literary critic, uh, I like looking at language, but in a very different way, >> we need all of those >> skills here. So, um, okay. So, that's great. And so, we in a second, we'll when we get further down the rest of the agenda because we're getting we're getting close. This was the most substantive substantive item. Um, and we're we obviously need a date of the next meeting in order for you to work back from. However, without having that schedule just yet, do you have a sense of timeline, Fred, where where you might feasibly with all of your other life responsibilities, um, have kind of like a next iteration of that working list, putting your, you know, spin on that? >> Yeah, I can get that back to everyone in a week. >> Okay. In a week. Perfect. >> Yeah, maybe we can just start meeting every two weeks and until we're done. >> I like that. So, that would be Let me just put for the for the for my notes here that you'd be able to perhaps get us something again back that I can send through the the group in a week, which is next Friday, August 21st. Um, with that in mind, when we get to the scheduling, um, and I'm open, let's say, because I know back, you know, it's Labor Day is coming up in the end of summer. Um, I'm open if the groups, if the group wants to look outside of times of Friday at 11:30 in order to accommodate that. So, just when we get to that point, just know that I'm flexible. It's not something that I need to be on this specific timeline. >> Thank you. >> Um, okay. Okay. So, at the same time, I'm going to give myself homework then because if you're going to take a pass at the recommendations um section, I will start because I think I have much of this already kind of prepared and in my mind, filling out kind of those other sections that are more um established and more kind of talking about our methods, things that we've done and and get those in that same time frame. get that section ready as well because that's a lighter lift I think because we've we've talked about this we've done these things I'm going to be talking about the dates of the public hearings etc etc so I think I can simultaneously work around that core section that you're going to take the next stab at so that we are closer if if people agree with that then I will get started um >> that's how it's good with the addition that it's not as time sensitive I think as recommendations. >> Exactly. But then it will be done, right? So, um that being said, Peter, I want to um if there is a section, I know like the future considerations and the legislative recommendation are things that you kind of >> brought forth. If if you want to um have a a stab at those sections, happy to do that. But I also don't want to burden you with that if it's just not something that you have the time for. >> No, I'm I'm I'm happy if you want to. >> Yeah, I I'm I'm happy to do it. Uh what what I would be capable of doing would be quite brief >> because because I don't know enough to to be specific about what new legislation should look at, look like, and so on. But but I'm happy to, you know, do a paragraph or two, which is probably all we need. if it's something that you um feel like you you're able to do without it being a burden, I would have >> Yeah, I I I want to be helpful and so if >> I I'll be glad to do that. >> Okay. So, future considerations andor the legislative piece. Um, I wouldn't I wouldn't worry so much about the legislative piece if you feel like it is a very long background and then they had this bill and then they had this bill. It's something that I have a pretty good handle on. If if instead of you know putting yourself down that rabbit hole, you want to focus on the future considerations which are some of the elements from the the survey such as the municipal uh cable and internet and you want to focus your attention on that since that's kind of a passion for you. >> Feel free to do that. and I I can take the legislative piece. >> Okay. Okay. Uh and one other thing that it seems to me could be under future considerations which we have not talked about at all and I'm just going to drop this now and and this may be something we need to talk about in the future. Uh it seems to me that the the question of whether uh funding for Peg should come in the form of a a tax on cable TV subscribers. Uh it is a is a future consideration that we might want to express an opinion about. Uh to to me it it seems uh not a great idea to tie PEG funding if PEG is a valuable thing to a declining base of support that would have to become a voluntary base of support and that it may be time for the town to consider other means of of funding Peg, especially since the beneficiaries of PEG are all internet subscribers, not just cable TV subscribers. But there's no way of t under the current legislation of taxing all the internet subscribers. And so maybe the town should just treat this as a as a public service that the town supports. >> But that that spurs in me also is that for future considerations, Peter, is thinking about what you would like to see at the federal or state level. And that that seems to me the a good suggestion at the federal level is that Congress recognize that things have changed in the last 15 20 years, >> right? >> Change the model for everyone. So we're not just >> focusing on our own issue in our backyard, but everybody's backyards. >> Yeah. >> Really helpful. What would you like to see nationally? >> Yeah. Yeah. Well, >> okay. I well I will I will I will I will do something uh and it will either make sense or it won't and and you'll decide but but I'll it'll at least be something that we can that will be a starting point. >> Okay, great. And so anything that um that you end up working on, I guess over the let's call it the next week if if that's still a viable timeline, um if you want to um send send that directly to me, I can start incorporating that into the draft that we're going to use for the committee to review and for the town manager um and attorney to review. Um and that way we won't be necessarily collaborating on the same document just to be above board. So >> yeah. Great. >> Excellent. All right. So, anything else anybody has to say on any of the ascertainment steps? I mean, the kind of the the penultimate there is the is the ascertainment report, which I think is where we're going to start putting all of the the things together in. So, but any any other questions on any of those elements, sections, um, etc.? >> No. Ready to move on? >> Okay. U, the next item we had on our agenda, we're actually going to strike. Um, we had the the form 100 filing from Comcast. The town manager suggested that they come here and answer our questions about it. Um, that's an example of us getting a a legal document sent our way to to review. I think it was maybe more of a um tick the box than them asking us for any meaningful feedback on that particular document. Comcast was going to come here and answer our questions. They asked for those questions in advance. The committee did not have any questions. So I um let them know that and and let them know that their presence wasn't necessary at this particular uh juncture. So that's what that agenda item is. Um this happened, you know, within the 48 hours. So um it's still on the agenda, but we are going to strike that unless there's any objection from anyone because Comcast is not here. So, we can't really change it um at this moment. But, but that being said, if that sparked a a question or something that you did want to get to Comcast, you can still send that my way and I will work it through the channels appropriately. All right. If nothing there, we are going to um approve our minutes from the last two meetings that were prepared by Fred. Thank you very much for that, Fred. um that those were sent around to the group in advance. So hopefully people had a chance to look and review. Um I am going to pause and see um I guess we'll find out if if we go to vote, but are there any changes to any of those before we uh seek a vote to approve those minutes as part of the record? And that is uh let me just remind myself that is the June 26th uh meeting and the July 24th meeting of regular meetings of this committee. >> What as I in writing this I realized that I was paraphrasing what members of the committee have said. For example, there's some I described how Sean answered a particular question. Um, and so I'd urge each of the members to concentrate specifically on the parts of the minutes that reflect what their um, how they're being, uh, their words were being paraphrased because I may have got it wrong. So, um, hopefully have a minute or two for people able to do that. And I'm I'm thinking about you, Sean. There was one particular thing that I may have gotten wrong. So, >> yeah. >> Yeah, we can we can pause right now. Um, both of the draft minutes were sent around. They're also part of the meeting folder, the public meeting folder. So, they are um in that public facing folder that's on the cable TV. We can pause for you for folks to get a chance to look at that. That's no problem at all. Thank you, Fred, for that explainer. Are you able to find them, Sean? >> Yeah, I'm looking at it right now. >> Oh, you're looking at it now. Okay. >> Yep. Yep. >> I was going to say, let me know if you need the link. I can drop it in the Yeah. No, that looks looks good to me. >> Okay. If there are no edits from Fred, Peter >> or other members, >> everything looks okay to me. >> Okay. All right. So, I would entertain a motion to approve uh for this committee to approve the minutes of their regular meeting on June 26th and July 24th, 2026. Um, >> so moved. >> Second. >> Great. Um, I'm going to do a quick roll call again because we're virtual. Um, so the motion has been made and seconded. We'll go ahead and do a vote. Uh, Peter Bareric >> I. Fred Civian >> I >> Rihanna Sunred I the eyes have it and it the the minutes of 626 and 72426 have been approved. Um those approved minutes will uh get placed in the the record for this committee online after I send them over to um one of the town managers team members. All right. So next we have we're cruising right along. Um, next we have on our agenda to we had new business. Um, oh no, we you know what? I skipped our discuss and confirm upcoming meeting occurrences. So that's actually what's next. Um I I think what this group has discussed is that we we envision the next meeting happening perhaps in two weeks um and then getting a second meeting um on there as well just so that we have the time to to get all these items done. Um, I'm looking at calendars right now and if we follow our like typical um, meeting frequency, the next available would be Friday the 28th at 11:30. That being said, I'm very flexible that day if it needs to be out outside of that 11:30 time frame. What What What does the group think? >> I I have a medical appointment which will last 11. Uh, and uh, I could I could not I could not realistically meet at 11:30. I could meet at noon. >> Okay, Fred, >> that sounds fine to me. >> Okay, so let's put us down. Uh, Sean, does that work for you? >> Yes, it does. >> Okay, let's put ourselves down. Um, and I'll get this set up with town staff um, for Friday, August 28th. And I'm going to say from noon to to 1:30 just to give our give ourselves a buffer if we're going to be doing any reviewing um, of any documents. And if we finish sooner, then then great. Um, and I will get that posted with the town um to get links and whatnot. Does the group have any preference to to meet purely virtual or would would you like me to get a hybrid um situation set up? >> The the virtual meetings seem to me to work extremely well, but I'm I'm open to whatever you think is best. >> I probably would be virtual that day. Um so I'm happy to to keep it that way. um if if there's no issues. >> Okay. >> So, that will be the next meeting. I think it's worth us um while we have this group here at least looking at the the the a subsequent meeting. I um I think that this one might be tough for me to do in a two week clip. The the 11th I'll be out of town for work. I'm wondering if the group would entertain an outofsequence meeting perhaps on Monday or Tuesday. Monday, September 7th or Tuesday, September 8th. And that even that could even be an evening meeting as well. So, >> the 7th is Labor Day, I >> Okay, so let's not do that day. >> Yeah, it's the late one. Yeah, you're right. Labor Day. >> Well, let's strike that. Thank you, Sean. The >> the ace would be fine for me. I'm pretty pretty open that day. >> Fred, how about you? >> Looks good so far. >> Okay. Do you do you all want to stick with the 11:30 time frame just for the matter of consistency or do we have any conflicts? >> 11:30 is fine for me if that's good for everybody else. >> Okay. Sean, does that work for you? >> Yeah, works for me. >> Okay. So, I am going to propose that as the uh I guess in my head I'm penciling in as kind of like the terminal uh meeting of this group, but we will see if that's the case. Um that gives us I think that gives us u a timeline that's kind of consistent while still adding an additional meeting to to what I think the town manager and I had discussed. So, um I will get those both posted. Um, I think I'll do the last meeting as as hybrid. Um, if I'm thinking it's the last meeting. I think I'll make that a hybrid meeting. Um, so people can choose whether or not they want to come come into the the town hall for that one. >> That's great. Thank you. Appreciate that. >> Thank you. >> All righty. I'll send all this in in a recap um afterwards with kind of the homeworks that we discussed and all that all that good stuff. But if you just could please pencil those times into your calendar. Um then that would be great so that you don't we don't lose you to some other commitment. Um all right, excellent. And I'll let them committee members who weren't here know of those upcoming dates. Um, I'll pause now because I went a little bit out of sequence. Is there any new business or topics not anticipated by the chair at 48 hours in advance of this meeting? This would be a great time to to bring those up. >> And from me, >> Peter, >> can I can I ask a question about the financial stuff both from the town uh from Sean and from uh Rachel for uh for Amber's Community TV? Uh, am I right in thinking that we really have no role in assessing those except to reg but just to register their existence and pass them on? Is that right? >> That is my understanding. Um, Sean, did you have any anything to add to that? No, I think I think that I mean if if there was any input on I don't think it's more so much the technical side of it, but just kind of the the the spirit of what it is. So, um the stuff from the town side is is really guess it's all making sure that it it's related to PEG um purposes. Um, so for example, last time when we we when we outfitted the town room in anticipation of the the town council, we used PEG funding to fund the the broadcast side of outfitting that room and we use town um it funds for the um kind of the internal workings of that room if that makes sense. So the um you know for example the the um the networking equipment and the Wi-Fi in there that was put in there really just for the purpose of the the council meeting in that room that was funded out of town money. Whereas the cameras and the microphones and the the stuff that kind of all gets in falls under the broadcast category that was that was you that was um paid for with PEG funding. >> But but it's I just want to make sure that in that in draft in drafting this report uh that and and doing it under what is now a fairly compressed schedule. Uh we are not going to be neglecting our responsibilities by simply transmitting what Sean and Rachel present rather than by commenting on it extensively because it seems to be at least I personally know I have absolutely nothing to add to to to that material. Well, we we have had a chance and I think we talked about it at the last meeting with um with Rachel showing us and us getting a chance to ask questions. Um they will be in the the draft when we review it. So, I think we have another opportunity to to ask questions about those materials whether or not we can meaningfully contribute or alter them. Um, so I do think we'll have another opportunity and perhaps at the next meeting, um, Sean could take a few minutes to just go through what that list is rather than you just having to review it as part of the report. So if Sean would be okay with that, just go five minutes going through your documents and and you know, >> yeah, >> and and then that gives the committee a chance to say that doesn't make sense or did we think about this thing? Um, so Peter, I'm glad you brought that up. We'll we'll make sure that there's an opportunity to do that. Um, and with that in mind, I'll let Rachel know to just be ready for any questions that might come up for her piece as well. >> Okay. All right. So, if that works for anybody, any other new business, any other topics that we didn't anticipate? Okay. So, that would be the end of our agenda. Um, I would entertain a motion to adjurnn at this point. >> So moved. Second. >> Excellent. Uh we'll do a quick roll call vote just to uh make that official. So all those in favor of meeting uh adjourning this meeting, Peter Bareric, >> I >> Fred Civian, >> I >> Brianna Sun, I the eyes have it. Uh, this meeting of the Amoris Community Cable Television Advisory Committee um on August 14th, 2026 is adjourned at 12:47 p.m. Uh, this recording will be available from the town's website uh in not too long. So, I thank you all for your >> Thank you everybody. >> Thank you. >> All right. Good to see you all. Take care. >> Bye. >> Bye. Bye-bye.