17
May
2022

February 2, 2022 Minutes

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Minutes from the Cable Television Advisory Council

ZOOM Meeting for February 2, 2022

Advisors Present:                                                     

Peaches Quinn (New Haven) – Chair
George Alexander (Hamden) – Treasurer
Laurel Coleman (Hamden) – Vice-Chair
Yvonne Manning Jones (New Haven)
Tom Costa (New Haven Library System)
Johnes Ruta (New Haven) – Secretary
Melissa Canham-Clyne   (Hamden)

Advisor absent:
Anthony Cardo (Hamden) – Assistant Secretary

Providers:
Joe Schofield      – CTV Representative   – Present

Sharon Codeane – Comcast Representative

I.   Call to Order & Roll Call: 6:05 P.M Peaches Quinn presiding.

II. Giovanni Zinn – New Haven City Engineer – CTAC Guest

a. CTAC members self-introductions by Peaches.

b.   Giovanni Zinn (GZ), originally from Hamden, lives in New Haven.
(1) GZ talks about the community need for internet access, and how Comcast’s
provision of the Internet Essentials plan has helped low-income families who
qualify. He further discusses the so-called “Digital Divide” – the inequities
of internet technologies as they’ve been wired in different neighborhoods,
the wiring density and problems with electrical interference.

(2) GZ talks about economic opportunities in the New Haven/ Hamden/ West
Haven district.

(3)   FIOS – Fiber Optic Operating System implementation. GZ talks about issues
regarding installation of FIOS wiring to all sections of New Haven, and issues
around in-ground or above ground lines.

 (4)   George Alexander raises questions about the status of the geographic                                         connections of the New Haven / Hamden cable borders. Giovanni
Zinn replies: “We need to work together for this implementation.”

(5)   Melissa Canham-Clyne asks about Infrastructure access for the public,
especially the connectivity in Senior housing. The elements are:
1. why people connect
2. what is the affordability of plans
3. are there Grants available, such as the Human IT plan in Califirnia?

(6) Internet as Infrastructure
(a) Peaches Quinn question: “Doe Infrastructure provide monetary funds for
internet training ?” GZ: “We will determine how to create Teaching                                    Centers.” Peaches asks if we can involve Boards of Education to
develop digital literacy ? GZ: “We are developing ways to ‘plug’ the
digital gap [pun intended].”

(7) Tom Costa asks about the time frame for the funding of Fiber Optics
implementation. GZ: “Soon.”

(8) GZ talks about the need for digital literacy in order to help cable subscribers
with connectivity problems and how to describe them to cable technical                             support.

III.   November Minutes

a. George Alexander says that requested corrections had not been made to the
documents, but then explains that his email had not received the corrected
Minutes that were sent to him.

  1. George Alexander’s Treasurer’s Report: CTAC Fund Balance is $6,364.93.
    There was one expense in 2022 so far” Yvonne paid for GoDaddy SSL
    Certificate $95.94.

    IV.   CTV Community Television   – Joe Schofield’s report.

    a. Joe Schofiled says that the cut in CTV Funding during the pandemic has caused
    CTV to lay-off all their Production Staff, as independent producers was totally
    off during the pandemic, and the CTV facility closed (but for skeleton programming                    staff).

    b. Joe reports that CT-New Haven State Senator (Pro Tem) has joined support for
    CT Senate Bill (yet unnamed) to benefit CTV.

    V.   Old Business A. – CTAC Community Award

    a. Peaches Quinn makes Motion to form an Award Committee in CTAC to be tasked
    with writing two or three proposals as what to do to develop an award protocol?

  2. Specifically, what is meant by each idea? Example: How to improve Digital
    Literacy knowledge and access.

    c. George seconds this Motion. Vote unanimous. Laurel Coleman, Yvonne Manning-
    Jones, and Melissa Canham-Clyne volunteer for this committee.

    VI.   Old Business B. – CTAC Paper Archives from the 1990s

                (There are two medium-size boxes of paper archive records that were transferred
    at the October meeting at Luce’s Restaurant from the possession of George Alexander
    to Johnes Ruta. The issue is where these records can be stored for safe-keeping?)

    Tom Costa gives Johnes the contact info for the Local History Room at New Haven
    Ives Library, to be inquired as a location: Allison Botelho   203-946-8130 x 245.

    2/3/2022 – Johnes reporting: his contact with Ms. Botelho, but her question as to the
    potential horizontal size of records to be stored and sorted and filed by subject would
    be much more width than available in the Local History shelves…. Request denied.
    Recommends contact to New Haven Museum.

    VII.   Meeting Adjournment

    Next CTAC meeting set for Zoom call, Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022, 6:00 PM.

    7:30 PM, Peaches Quinn makes Motion to adjourn the meeting. Johnes Ruta seconds.
    Motion unanimous.

    Minutes Submitted 2/22/2022 by: _Johnes Ruta ______________________________
    Johnes Ruta, Secretary

(Anthony Cardo, Assistant Secretary)