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<br /> <br />City of Sunny Isles Beach <br />18070 Collins Avenue <br />Sunny Isles Beach, Florida 33160 <br /> <br />(305) 947-0606 City Hall <br />(305) 949-3 I I 3 Fax <br />(305) 947-2150 Building Department <br />(305) 947-5107 Fax <br /> <br />City Commission <br />Norman S. Edelcup, Mayor <br />Lewis J. Thaler, Vice Mayor <br />Roslyn Brezin, Commissioner <br />Gerry Goodman, Commissioner <br />Danny Iglesias, Commissioner <br /> <br />A. John Szerlag, City Manager <br />Hans Ottinot, City Attorney <br />Jane A. Hines, City Clerk <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />TO: The Honorable City Commission <br /> <br />Via: A. John Szerlag, City Manager <br /> <br />FROM: Douglas Haag, Assistant City Manager-Finance <br /> <br />DATE: April 19, 2007 <br /> <br />RE: Opposition to House Bill 529 - ....... <br /> <br />RECOMMENDATION: <br />Concur with the City of North Miami Resolution R-2007-43, expressing opposition to house bill <br />529, known as the "Consumer Choice Act of2007" and other related bills as annotated. <br /> <br />BACKGROUND: <br />The Florida League of Cities CFLC) has also gone on record in opposition to this legislation, <br />which is deemed to be another move by telephone companies to undercut local authority when it <br />comes to cable franchise agreements. In the words of John Thomas, FLC legislative director, <br />House Bill 529 resurrects legislation the telecommunications companies have tried but failed to <br />get approved in the past. The companies want to get into the profitable video/cable business and <br />are willing to deny virtually any consumer protection to city and county residents in order to <br />achieve their goal. <br /> <br />Per FLC research, House bill 529 weakens cities by: <br /> <br />1) Repealing the role of local government in franchising cable television and transferring <br />that role to a statewide permitting system that gives preferential treatment to <br />telecommunications firms. <br />2) Allowing the new companies to avoid serving neighborhoods they deem undesirable so <br />they can target customers living in upscale areas or new developments, a practice called <br />"cherry-picking" . <br />3) Repealing the role of local. governments that would normally ensure new <br />telecommunications/video providers abide by enforceable customer service standards <br />imposed by the communities they serve <br /> <br />MEMO 04-19-07 HB52lJ OPI'OSITIONDoc <br /> <br />Agenda Item i 0 0L- <br />~-=-l3 - 07 <br /> <br />Date <br />