Selectmen approve cable television contract

Northborough - Town Administrator Barry Brenner's last Board of Selectmen meeting was one to remember, as Brenner recommended at that July 21 meeting - and the board unanimously approved - the town entering into a 10-year cable franchise license contract with Verizon.

Northborough becomes the 78th community in the state to enter a cable television agreement with Verizon. The company already offers phone and computer service to the town, but will now also bring its fiber-optic television service, FIOS.

"We're very pleased to be getting the opportunity to bring our FIOS service to Northborough," said Verizon representative Jim McGrail. "We have hundreds of service representatives ready to take calls from Northborough residents who want our service, and for a lot of them we will be able to provide that service within a week of their making the order."

The agreement with Verizon will create competition in Northborough for residents' cable television business. Prior to the Board of Selectmen's July 21 action, Charter Communications had been the sole cable provider in Northborough.

"The mission has always been competition," said Bill August of Epstein & August, LLP. August, who specializes in cable franchising law, served Northborough as its town counsel during the negotiations.

"When Verizon first came to Massachusetts offering its cable television services, Barry and Kathleen [Dalgliesh, Northborough Cable Access Television Director] made it clear that giving the residents of Northborough a choice for the cable television dollar was something that they wanted to do," he said.

While specific per-month cost of the cable service wasn't mentioned, McGrail said Verizon has service packages starting as low as $13.

As part of the agreement, Verizon is committed to pay the town $185,000 for equipment and studio improvements for Northborough Cable Access Television - $92,500 of which is due within 90 days. There will also be payments of $46,250 on the fourth and eighth anniversaries of the contract.

In addition, Verizon will pay the town four percent of its gross revenues, money that will be earmarked for Northborough's public, educational and government (PEG) channels.

The 4 percent of gross revenues agreement is in effect until February 2009, at which time Verizon has agreed to match the percentage level of gross revenues agreed to by Charter, which is in the process of renewing its contract with the town.

The signing of the contract with Verizon brings to a close a 22-month period in which either the town or Verizon has been interested in having Verizon in Northborough. Negotiations regarding the contract have only been going on in earnest for about six months.

Under the terms of the agreement Verizon will offer cable television service to every household in Northborough. Some businesses may also be eligible for Verizon cable television service, but August made it clear that service to businesses is not part of the agreement.

Also under the terms of the agreement, Verizon has agreed to provide cable service free of charge to several public buildings in town, including Town Hall, the police station, the fire station, the library, the senior center, the historical society building, Melican Middle School and Algonquin Regional High School.

Brenner said that he and the selectmen have been contacted by residents about bringing Verizon to town ever since the media giant first opened shop in the state.

"We've gotten lots of calls, letters and e-mails," Brenner said. "The town wanted this competition and we wanted to give it to them."

Brenner, who is officiall y retiring in September but won't be present at any board meetings before his retirement becomes official , thanke d th e tow n and the selectmen for all the support he has received throughout the years.