During last week’s New Paltz Village Board meeting the idea of a grand plan for public access television was framed in terms of freedoms, such as for the press and speech, and the pitch came with a price that was broken down to 38 cents per cable television bill, but trustees were not in favor of a plan to make state-of-the-art improvements to local public access television.
Public access committee member Joseph Davis laid out the vision, which would retool space in the community center as a studio that residents could be trained to use, similar to facilities in some other communities around the state. This would include green screen technology, and interns who would be able to help with tasks such as editing, streaming and audio production. Longer term, a network of local cameras could provide pinpoint weather and traffic information. Partnerships with other organizations such as the Rosendale Theater and Elting Memorial Library would be developed or expanded. This would all make it possible to take better advantage of the high definition equipment that will be provided, should the new franchise agreements be approved.
As part of that approval, committee members desire to fund this vision by raising the franchise fee by 38 cents per household, and to secure an agreement that this additional money would be dedicated specifically to public access television, for an estimated total of $16,000. Otherwise, that money goes into the general fund, and historically it’s been difficult to get any of it back for what committee members believe should be its intended purpose, public access television. For example, Mayor Tim Rogers was asked about funds in the village budget that have been set aside for public access, and the mayor asked if an invoice had ever been sent to the treasurer.
Committee members negotiated new franchise agreements between both the town and the village governments and Spectrum, the local cable provider, which is one of the committee’s responsibilities. Part of the deal for these new ten-year franchises doesn’t sit well with Rogers and the trustees of the village: a program providing a free month of service to senior citizens with accounts in good standing is not included. According to Anton Stewart, chair of the committee, that’s because its requirements make it extremely difficult to automate. While it’s possible to secure that free month after paying 12 months on time by going to the Spectrum store in person, Stewart said that it’s not practical to program it in to automatically apply that credit after those 12 months pass. Additionally, it’s only now being used by less than a dozen residents, for whom the program would continue unabated. Residents reaching that vaunted age, if the agreement is approved as written, will not be eligible.
The mayor was not prepared to accept that easily, asking, “Why would we give up that benefit for our seniors?”
“The village doesn’t even have a franchise agreement right now,” Stewart pointed out, inferring that at the moment any discounts being applied are not required at all.
“That is not how we run this village,” the mayor said. “We do not throw $16,000 around.”
Trustees supported that position. Alex Wojcik said that some residents — who presumably subscribe to cable television — struggle to make ends meet. Stana Weisburd spoke about having to balance needs and wants, adding, “That’s a lot of money for us.”
“It’s 38 cents for a subscriber,” Stewart reiterated.
Rogers spoke about fiduciary responsibility, and expressed a desire not to raise fees any more than taxes have been raised in recent years, which is not at all. When committee member Bob Fagan asked how this would be different than raising parking fees, Rogers said, “That’s different,” and did not appear to appreciate that as a comparison point.
Weisburd asked about the lack of village meetings on the existing public access platform. Viewing through channel 23 is “unwatchable” due to the outdated technology, Stewart had explained, but there remain online options, including youtube. All local meetings were at one time on the “New Paltz public access” youtube channel, but for reasons that were not discussed at this meeting on November 29, a “village of New Paltz” youtube channel was created in 2015 and has been the host site for village meetings since. Village meetings would be included among the public access materials, Weisburd was told, if they would be provided to the committee for upload. Fagan noted that emails to the board are never even returned.
Committee members expressed a certain amount of displeasure with what they took as a combative tone. “I do not feel supported at this time,” said Stewart. Davis expressed discouragement, and that members of the public would likely be in support if a hearing on the franchise agreement could be scheduled.
“Not without our senior discount,” Rogers said.
“I think it’s fairly clear that you’re not keen on supporting public access,” Stewart said to the mayor.
“You can use any sound bite you like,” said the mayor.
