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Cable controls could move to county
By SAUNDRA AMRHEIN, Times Staff Writer Have a problem with your cable bill? You might soon be able to take it to the county administrator. A proposed update to the county's cable ordinance would grant County Administrator John Gallagher the ability to order fines and refunds against cable companies for service problems. The ordinance also would allow customers to file complaints in court against the cable company instead of relying on mandatory out-of-state arbitration hearings for disputes. The proposals say the cable company could be charged $20 for a late or missed appointment for service or complaints and would prohibit exclusive contracts as a condition for service in a multifamily building. The changes are part of the consumer protection provisions the federal government allows local governments to enact and are measures that nearby counties use, said Gary Resnick, the county's consultant. The proposed changes will be discussed during the County Commission meeting at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Historic County Courthouse in Dade City. The cable ordinance hasn't been updated since 1980, and the county wants to do so now because its franchise agreements with cable companies are up for renewal this year. Time Warner Cable has told the county it objects to the changes. Both Time Warner and Shaw Communications are trying to delay them until they transfer their cable franchises in Pasco to other companies. That way, they would not have to abide by the new rules and the new franchise holders would have a say on agreements with the county. County attorneys want the changes now, having given the companies months to respond to proposals, assistant county attorney Barbara Wilhite wrote in a letter to county commissioners. Shaw is in the process of selling its system. Representatives were not available for comment Friday. AOL Time Warner announced in late June that the management of its cable systems would transfer to Advance/Newhouse, part of a complex partnership formed in 1995. AOL Time Warner has 2.1-million cable customers, including 900,000 in the Tampa Bay area. There are 70,000 in Pasco. Kevin Hyman, Time Warner's vice president of operations for the area covering Pasco, Polk, Hernando and Citrus counties, said the transfer to Advance/Newhouse is expected to take until the end of the year. He did not know if rate or programming changes would follow. Regarding the county ordinance, he refused to discuss specific proposed changes. "I don't know what kind of meaning it has under federal law because we haven't had time to negotiate the provisions," Hyman said. But if the county adopts the changes, Resnick said, they would not be negotiable unless a company shows it causes a hardship. When called Friday, Gallagher said he had not known about the proposal to shift customer complaints to his office. He said he wants to check how many complaints the company receives from the area before commenting. -- Saundra Amrhein covers Pasco County government. She can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6244, or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6244. Her e-mail address is amrhein@sptimes.com.
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