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Home My WebLink AboutICTC Agenda and Packet 2020-06-01TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Monday, June 1, 2020 Electronic Regular Meeting – 5:30 PM Zoom Meeting Platform Electronic Meeting (Pursuant to Iowa Code section 21.8) An electronic meeting is being held because a meeting in person is impossible or impractical due to concerns for the health and safety of Commission members, staff and the public presented by COVID-19. You can participate in the meeting and can comment on an agenda item by going to https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJApcOqvrTIsGdd-c8RDazIaAwYIS3C_jDJ- via the internet to visit the Zoom meeting’s registration page and submit the required information. Once approved, you will receive an email message with a link to join the meeting. If you are asked for a meeting or webinar ID, enter the ID number found in the email. A meeting password may also be included in the email. Enter the password when prompted. If you have no computer or smartphone, or a computer without a microphone, you may call in by telephone by dialing (312) 626-6799. When prompted, enter the meeting ID. The ID number for this meeting is: 944 7373 9633. Once connected, you may dial *9 or click the “raise hand” button to “raise your hand,” letting the meeting host know you would like to speak. Providing comments in person is not an option. Agenda 1. Call to order 2. Approval of minutes 3. Announcements of Commissioners 4. Short public announcements 5. Municipal broadband research and report 6. REPORTS Consumer Issues City Cable TV Office Report 7. Adjournment If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate in this program/event, please contact Ty Coleman at 319-356-5454 or ty-coleman@iowa-city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. PRELIMINARY Iowa City Telecommunications Commission 04/27/2020 Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 4 Electronic Meeting (Pursuant to Iowa Code section 21.8) An electronic meeting was held because a meeting in person was impossible or impractical due to concerns for the health and safety of council members, staff and the public presented by COVID-19. Minutes Iowa City Telecommunications Commission April 27, 2020– 5:30 P.M. Via the Zoom remote meeting platform Call to Order:Meeting called to order at 5:30 P.M. Members Present (via Zoom):Matthew Brenton, Adam Stockman, Gina Reyes Members Absent:Andrew Austin, Kyla Paterson Staff Present:Ty Coleman Others Present:none Recommendations to Council: None Approval of Minutes: Stockman moved and Reyes seconded a motion to approve the February 24, 2020 minutes as presented. The motion passed unanimously. Announcements of Commissioners: None. Short Public Announcements: None. Municipal broadband research: Brenton said he had put together an outline for a report on the group’s research to present to the City Council. He said they would start with an executive summary then follow with a section on why broadband matters. He said the report could emphasize the impact of broadband availability on economic development and school performance. Next, Brenton said, would be the current state of broadband in Iowa City and he noted that Reyes had done some research related to this. Reyes referred to the broadband availability map she found and the data set used for it. Brenton said the next section in the report could provide a summary of information found about other municipal broadband deployments in Iowa and could include some form of the survey responses Stockman received from other municipalities. Brenton said the next portion could talk about municipal broadband deployment options. He suggested breaking the current technology options into the categories of wired and wireless. Wired would focus on fiber technology and wireless would focus on wireless mesh network technology that had been researched by Austin. Brenton said that more research could be conducted regarding fiber technology, but that most of the information could come from information from the responses of other municipalities that had used fiber in their broadband deployments. Brenton also said he had included future PRELIMINARY Iowa City Telecommunications Commission 04/27/2020 Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 4 technologies of 5G wireless and low earth orbit satellite-based options in his outline. Brenton said that while the group may not come to a conclusion about the options, providing the information they found to the City Council was the primary goal. He said that if the evidence strongly points in one direction or another, the group could identify what it determines to be the best option. Reyes mentioned some Iowa initiatives she found related to opportunities for grant money. She said she would consider that such information could be presented as an option to get funding to access broadband that already exists. Reyes said that there are some options for low-income residents to get discounted rates on internet service, although discounts are typically small. Brenton noted that broadband access during the COVID-19 pandemic has grown even more important than it previously was, citing virtual meetings and online classes as examples of activities benefiting greatly from a reliable connection. Reyes noted that her fourth grade child’s school is not doing required online learning because of the inequity issue of some not having equal access to broadband. Brenton mentioned that another impact of the pandemic is that costs to create a municipal network would likely increase significantly and that the City Council would have other important matters to consider when deciding how to appropriate funds. Brenton said he would put the COVID-19 impact under the “why broadband matters” section of the outline, focusing on how the pandemic is increasing the demand for broadband. Brenton said that the report would not likely get into specific costs for implementing the broadband options mentioned, but suggested the group add in a separate section about funding options in relation to grant opportunities. Brenton said that Reyes could provide information about grant opportunities and broadband access in Iowa City. He said that Stockman could provide information about municipal broadband deployments in Iowa as well as information about wired broadband. Brenton said he would reach out to Austin (not present at the meeting) to get information about wireless mesh options. Coleman referred to the message Brenton had drafted to send to the City Council regarding the Telecommunications Commission’s intention to provide information in the next few months. Other Commission members present were in agreement that the message was ready to send. Coleman said he would get this message to the City Council. Consumer Issues: Brenton noted one issue presented in the monthly report that dealt with a resident’s gate being damaged by work being done related to ImOn’s fiber deployment in Iowa City. Coleman said that ImOn had visited the property and was told they would get in touch with the resident. He said ImOn reported they did not find any damage. Coleman said he had not received any further information from the resident. Brenton also referred to the issue in the report regarding fraudulent Mediacom charges. Coleman said there was not much that could be done and said the issues appeared to go much further than Mediacom charges, noting that a wider issue of identity theft was involved. Coleman said Mediacom’s recommendation for such cases is for those suspecting identity fraud to contact the authorities. City Cable TV Office Report: Coleman mentioned a press release Mediacom had released in mid-March that identified some lower-cost and faster-service options they were offering to customers during the COVID-19 crisis. He said the press release also included a pledge that the company would not disconnect or assess late fees to any customers who call and inform Mediacom that they are unable to pay their bills during this period. PRELIMINARY Iowa City Telecommunications Commission 04/27/2020 Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 4 Coleman referred to the report the Cable TV Office had submitted in the meeting packet and emphasized that his office had been offering a lot of support related to the COVID-19 response - from bringing the Johnson County Public Health press conferences to a live, online audience to producing a studio interview program with Mayor Bruce Teague two times a week, presenting conversations with officials and organizations (participating via Zoom) and discussing various responses to the crisis. Coleman said he was proud of how his team has been able to step up and contribute to and highlight the City’s efforts. Coleman said that while there are fewer community lectures and other events taking place, the Cable TV Office had been working with organizations to come up with solutions to create and distribute content out to the public, including use of video conferencing and live streaming. Adjournment: Stockman moved and Reyes seconded a motion to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously. Adjournment was at 6:08 p.m. PRELIMINARY Iowa City Telecommunications Commission 04/27/2020 Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 4 TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 12-MONTH ATTENDANCE RECORD Reyes Brenton Stockman Pierce 04/22/2019 vacant x x x o/c 06/03/2019 Meeting not held due to lack of quorum. vacant - - - - 06/24/2019 vacant x x x o Austin 07/22/2019 x x x x resignation 08/26/2019 o/c x x x vacant Paterson 09/23/2019 x x x x o 10/28/2019 x x o/c x o 11/25/2019 o/c x x x o 12/16/2019 o/c x x x o 01/27/2020 x o/c x x o 02/24/2020 x x x x o 03/23/2020 Meeting not held due to COVID-19 pandemic. - - - - - 04/27/2020 o/c x x x o (x) = Present (o) = Absent (o/c) = Absent/Called (Excused) ICTC Municipal Broadband Research Executive Summary TBD, ICTC recommendation (if we have consensus) Why Broadband Matters Andrew/Matt – research indicating broadband access is tied to economic and scholastic success, and COVID-19 impact (increased need for access due to social distancing measures, inequality issues related to moving education to virtual setting). Current State of Broadband in Iowa City Gina – Based off of map, metrics, and underlying data. Other Municipal Broadband Deployments in Iowa Adam – Prose summary of results, highlight significant findings. Full survey results attached as appendix. Funding and Grant Options Gina – including low income options, COVID-19 specific options if any. Municipal Broadband Deployment Options Relative comparison. Discuss anything that could potentially impact the cost/feasibility, but we don’t have information to provide actual expected costs. Current Technologies Wired Adam – based off other municipal deployments in Iowa, other information if available. Wireless Mesh Andrew/Matt – based off of other municipal broadband/community wireless projects. Future Technologies 5G Wireless Matt – based off of reporting. Low Earth Orbit Satellite Matt – based off of reporting. Conclusion TBD, ICTC recommendation (if we have consensus) Wired internet research/summary Provided by Adam Stockman Copper – the greatest advantage of copper is that the infrastructure is already largely in place throughout Iowa City. Copper’s main disadvantage is the long term maintenance costs associated with it. Copper also relies on electricity to function, leaving it vulnerable to outages if the flow of electricity is interrupted. Fiber – the potential internet speeds achievable with fiber and overall reliability are its greatest advantages. Fiber is able to better handle high bandwidth demand compared to copper, something that is increasingly important as internet becomes more and more vital to daily life. May 29, 2020 To: Iowa City Telecommunications Commission From: Ty Coleman, Media Production Services Coordinator (MPSC) Re: Cable Complaints April 2020 1.) Date: 04/21/20 Method of contact: Email to City of Iowa City Cable TV Office Complaint/Comment Summary: Resident inquired about the availability of residential fiber-based internet service in Iowa City, claiming that while nearby towns offered residential fiber, Iowa City’s providers used older technology such as coaxial and DSL. Resolution Summary: MPSC informed the resident that Mediacom had undergone an infrastructure transition to fiber in the last couple of years and, although coaxial cable was still used for parts of Mediacom’s service, it may be worth checking with existing providers about options for fiber-to-the-home. MPSC also informed the resident that ImOn had recently entered the Iowa City market and was starting to build its infrastructure for residential internet services. MPSC suggested that the resident may want to reach out to ImOn for information. No further communication was received from the resident. Date of Resolution: 04/22/20 No additional comments or complaints were received during the month of April 2020. Date: May 26, 2020 To: The Iowa City Telecommunications Commission From: Ty Coleman, Media Production Services Coordinator, City of Iowa City Cable TV Office Re: City of Iowa City Cable TV Office report for the May 2020 meeting Media Production Services Submitted by Jack Brooks, Special Projects Assistant, and Lillie Ostwinkle, Media Production Assistant Recent production activities: ●Created two PSAs about staying safe in your home during the COVID-19 pandemic. ●Live-streamed three candidate forums for the League of Women Voters of Johnson County. ●Recorded footage for a virtual tour of a new UniverCity home. ●Provided live streaming for COVID-19 press conferences by Johnson County Public Health (JCPH). ●Produced two new Community Connection episodes a week with Mayor Bruce Teague. ●Created PSA videos on how to participate in the Contact-Free Farmers Market, how to vote absentee during the Primary Election, and virtual messaging for the 2020 Peace Officers Memorial Day. Upcoming productions: ●Recording concert performances for a virtual Arts Fest presentation. ●Live streaming virtual Friday Night Concert Series concerts at the Iowa City Public Library. ●Creating a PSA about how to stay safe at nature trails, parks, etc. during the COVID-19 pandemic. ●Continue creating Community Connection episodes. ●Resume production of weekly episodes of Iowa City Update. Programming and Interactive Services Submitted by Kevin Crawley, Communications Technician Recent and Upcoming Projects: April was entirely a work-from-home month for me, and by the end of the month, I was actually caught up enough to work on my scheduling app project. I now set-up and/or run three or four Zoom meetings each week, and we moved the City Council from Zoom meetings to Zoom webinars to keep the meetings secure while also allowing easy access for public comments. Our office was producing two press conferences and two episodes of Community Connection per week, so I was spending more time on daily scheduling, along with the Friday weekly schedule. Website: In April, there were 2,977 users accessing 5,316 pages in 3,931 sessions. Our most popular pages were Mediacom's channel lineup page, our live video page, home page, Mediacom's rates, our program schedule and video library pages, and the City Council meeting of April 7. On YouTube, we had 10,460 video views account for 781.5 hours of watch time, and we added 61 more subscribers. Our most-watched videos by views were the Arabic translation of our CDC COVID-19 recommendations, the Community Connection episode on grocery stores, the Guide to understanding service animals, and the JCPH Press Conference of April 7, followed by Community Connection episodes on the downtown district, the City's response, Johnson County Public Health, and Shelter House. Our most-watched videos by total time were the Arabic translation of the CDC guidelines, the City Council Meeting of April 7, the JCPH Press Conference of April 7, and the Community Connection episodes on grocery stores, JCPH and the City. Programming: In April, we cablecast 158 programs produced in-house 769 times for 538 hours of programming, 29 locally-produced programs (Senior Center, Hoover Library, and meetings of the JC Board of Supervisors, Coralville, North Liberty, University Heights, and ICCSD School Board) 97 times for 87 hours of programming, and 45 imported programs 139 times for 78 hours of programming. We also showed 96 PSAs 778 times for 14 hours of programming. See below for a list of the programs completed by the Cable TV Office in April 2020. Programs Completed by the Cable TV Office in April 2020 ●Community Connection with Mayor Bruce Teague ○Series playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeu1kpwYwId5ADkb9cklW2hb2J7BfcG-b ○CommUnity Crisis Services and Food Bank ○City Response Efforts ○United Way of Johnson and Washington Counties ○Shelter House ○Iowa Grocery Industry Association ○Johnson County Public Health ○Johnson County Auditor's Office ○Preventing Domestic Violence During a Pandemic ○University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics ●Public Service Announcements ○Reach Out to Seniors During COVID-19 ○Use Zoom to Participate in the Next City Council Meeting ○Safe at Home - Roommate ●Happy at Home ○Series playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeu1kpwYwId5Ycr7wCZW-b7pV8hwY6C qj ○Making T-Shirt Yarn ○Weaving with T-Shirt Yarn ○Dry-land Swimming Workout for Arm & Legs ○Taekwondo - Part 1 ●Johnson County Emergency Management Updates on COVID-19 ○April 3, 2020 ○April 7, 2020 ○April 14, 2020 ○April 21, 2020 ○April 28, 2020 ●Iowa City City Council Meetings ○April 7, 2020 ○April 21, 2020 ●Iowa City City Council Work Sessions ○April 7, 2020 ○April 21, 2020 ●NAMI Walks 2020 Kick-off Luncheon