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Medford considers imposing monthly fee for cable users By JIM DAVIS Medford cable users could see their rates go up if the Medford City Council decides next week to impose a new monthly fee. The council is considering a 65 cents-per-month fee per subscriber on Falcon Cable, which holds the cable franchise for the city, said Medford Councilman Skip Knight. "We have to get geared up and stay with the electronic age," Knight said. "And this is one of the revenue sources that we can use to do that." The issue came up at a council study session Tuesday. The council will decide the matter after a public hearing on Dec. 17. The proposed fee would be for each of the city's 15,400 subscribers and would raise $120,120 a year. That would cost cable users $7.80 more each year. Several City Council members expressed concern about the costs for cable users -- especially for seniors. "There's always the consumer and we should think about them," said Councilman Bill Moore. Under federal law, Medford has been able to tax the city's cable franchise since 1992 and can raise up to $150,000 through what are known as Public, Education and Government Cable Access Fees, said Preston Polasek, assistant to the city manager. The city has never chosen to levy the fee until now, Polasek said. Council members decided to consider 65 cents per subscriber because Jackson County is considering a 65-cent fee for county residents and council members wanted the fees to match, Polasek said. The only other community in Jackson County now collecting this fee is Ashland, which charges 60 cents per month per subscriber. If council members do impose the fee, the city needs to give Falcon 90 days notice. Falcon Cable could choose to pay the fee itself, but federal law allows cable companies to pass the fee on to subscribers. Polasek said the city expects the cable franchise to pass the fee on. The city can use the money only for facilities and equipment for public, education and government access on cable. The city shows its meetings on cable-access Channel 30. With the money, the city could pay for better cameras, audio equipment or for a future studio, Polasek said. The money also could be used to renovate the council chambers. Polasek said plans for remodeling the chambers are already under way, at an estimated cost of $350,000. Other money raised by the fee could be pigeonholed for future projects, Polasek said. The city has already paid for the equipment -- about $300,000 -- to put city meetings on cable, Polasek said. That money came from the general fund, but could have been paid for by the cable fee. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA