Local municipalities are fighting back against proposed legislation that would give Qwest a statewide cable-franchise agreement to offer video services.
At a meeting with Denver Post editors and reporters Wednesday, Arvada Mayor Ken Fellman said legislators should oppose the upcoming bill because it takes too much authority away from local cities and towns.
“Some elements of municipal regulation will disappear,” Fellman said.
The bill, being sponsored by state Rep. David Balmer, is expected to be introduced next week. Balmer, a Centennial Republican, has said the goal of the legislation is to increase competition.
“The legislation is designed around streamlining the process around obtaining a franchise,” said Chuck Ward, Qwest’s state president. “This is a bill about bringing competition to the cable market in a faster manner than what we’ve been able to achieve so far.”
One of the most contentious issues surrounding the proposed franchise agreement is whether Qwest should be required to build a video network that can reach each resident of a given city. Some cities want to require Qwest to offer video services to all residents, but Qwest opposes such a requirement.
Regardless, the authority of individual municipalities to control permits and other matters related to any new video network should be respected, Fellman said.
“We’re not taking the position and saying that they need to build out,” he said. “But they must go through the cities.”
Comcast, the state’s leading cable provider, also has objected to the bill.
Geoff Wilson, general counsel for the Colorado Municipal League, said the needs of cities and towns will not be met with this bill and that legislators should focus on other technology issues, such bringing high- speed Internet services to rural areas.
“I don’t think this bill is any way to get competition,” he said.
Wilson added that municipalities have been criticized for stifling competition by supporting the requirements of the current franchising process.
“There’s no evidence of local elected officials abusing their authority,” he said. “We have a system in Colorado that works. There’s no way the local franchise process is prohibiting competition.”
Staff writer Kimberly S. Johnson can be reached at 303-954-1088 or kjohnson@denverpost.com.
