By Philip Gambini
The Niagara Gazette
LEWISTON, N.Y. — Residents in the town and village are debating over the inclusion of public entities in the town’s new cable franchise agreement with Time Warner Cable.
Discussion arose at last month’s town board meeting, when Councilwoman Beth Ceretto noted the inclusion of Sanborn Fire Hall, Upper Mountain Fire Co., Lewiston No. 1 Fire Company sub-station on Swann Road and the exclusion of Lewiston No, 2 Fire Company, of which she is the vice president. Eligible public institutions made part of the agreement will be provided access to free, basic cable television.
Ceretto and Supervisor Dennis J. Brochey later questioned provisions that granted access to the Lewiston-Porter and Niagara-Wheatfield school districts, while not offering the same benefit to Stella Niagara schools. Brochey also noted the omission of the highway, police and sewer departments in the town
“Any other of the private schools and the fire companies, if they benefit from it, should be included,” Ceretto said.
Brochey added that many calls from residents in the village appealing for the benefits’ extension to qualified entities do not fall under the town’s agreement.
Councilman William Conrad, the liaison to the cable commission that negotiated and finalized the contract with Time Warner, said that applicable organizations will be serviced next year, when the village’s own cable franchise agreement is due for renegotiation. Conrad, who is a former board of education member in Niagara-Wheatfield, said that the cable commission’s chairman, James M. Abbondanza, would assist the village negotiations.
“To my knowledge, he’ll offer to address those locations next year when they go to redo the contract,” Conrad said.
A public hearing has been scheduled to vet the agreement on April 23 at 6 p.m. in Lewiston Town Hall at 1375 Ridge Road.
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(c)2015 the Niagara Gazette (Niagara Falls, N.Y.)
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