Willmar City Council to consider fourth public access channel Monday

WILLMAR - The Willmar City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Monday in the chambers at the Municipal Utilities Building, 700 Litchfield Ave. S.W.
The council will consider adding a fourth channel to the Willmar Regional Access Channels. According to Ross Smeby, information systems coordinator, WRAC would like to request the addition of a fourth channel due to a high volume of programming and recent additions of recordings of community events. The channel would be slated as an “events and local programming’’ channel. It would eventually become a high-definition channel on the Charter cable system and remain in the current format on Windstream cable.
In related business, the council will consider Windstream’s notice of its intent to close its Willmar office. City ordinance requires Windstream to maintain the office. WRAC staff recommended the council modify city ordinance to allow Windstream to close the office, based on what the company said was the low number of customer visits to the office.
According to minutes of the July 8 Citizens Cable Advisory Committee, Windstream will provide an alternative bill drop site, access to technical support, and will donate $12,000 to the city to be allowed to close the local office. The committee voted to accept the Windstream offer and to direct staff to modify the ordinance.
Also, the council will consider revising WRAC’s 15-year-old rules and procedures. According to Smeby, WRAC was advised by the city’s cable law firm Moss and Barnett to update the rules and procedures before the cable franchise with Charter Communications expires.
Smeby will also ask the council to consider retaining Moss and Barnett to assist with drafting and negotiating a new cable television franchise with Charter.
In other business, the council will receive reports from the Finance Committee, Public Works/Safety Committee, and the Labor Relations Committee.