SCHOOL DISTRICT REQUEST FOR GRANT FUNDS COLLECTED PER THE CABLE TELEVISION FRANCHISE AGREEMENT

Recommendation

It is recommended by the former Cable Television Advisory Board and staff that Council approve an allocation of $50,000 from Grant funds received from Century Communications to the School District to pay for multimedia laboratory equipment.

Background

Per the City's franchise agreement, the City received a total of $225,000 from Century Communications on June 11, 1996. Funds were deposited to a General Fund revenue account and are now part of the fund balance.

These funds can be used for a variety of purposes (see Attachment B: Exhibit E) but were negotiated with anticipated needs that were assessed both from the City and the Hermosa Beach School District. Specifically, the City wished to renovate the Council Chambers and to upgrade the equipment used to transmit meetings over cable television. In addition, the School District presented the Board with a Multimedia plan which they implemented in FY 95-96 (see Attachment A).

Analysis

Prior to the completion of their duties, the Cable Television Advisory Board provided Council with a wrap-up report which encouraged the City to provide the District with the funds as requested (Attachment C).

In anticipation of the City's reimbursement, the School District has completed their local area network at a total cost of $73,782 and have requested $50,000 from the cable grant funds to help offset that cost.

With this approval, the City will fulfill one of the original objectives of the grant funds with the remaining $175,000 to be allocated to the Council Chamber upgrade project.

Fiscal Impact: Expenditure of $50,000 from the $225,000 Cable Franchise Transfer Funds. Balance remaining: $175,000.