June 2, 2021 Minutes
FINAL CTAC Meeting Minutes June 2, 2021 – ZOOM TELECONFERENCE
Attending members:
Peaches Quinn (New Haven) Acting Chairperson – ZOOM Host
Yvonne Manning-Jones – (New Haven) Advisor
Laurel Coleman (Hamden) Advisor
George Alexander (Hamden) Treasurer
Anthony Cardo (Hamden) Advisor
Johnes Ruta – (New Haven) – Acting Secretary
Joe Schofield – CTV Representative – not in attendance.
Sharon Codeanne – Comcast Representative – not in attendance
- Call to order 6:13pm.
II. May Minutes
_ Peaches requests the Comcast report to be attached to Minutes for May and subsequently
(if there was one) versus summarizing commentary.
_ Section #8 – Subscriber issues – Peaches will provide revisions. Vote Carried.
III. Treasurer’s Report
George Alexander reports “Balance remains the same.” (No expenditures)
Johnes reports that the Connex Credit Card that he was issued did not function when he
used it to pay for Grubhub dinners for CTAC members for this meeting, even though
he had recently verified its active status with the Connex Credit Union. Johnes paid for
all GrubHub orders via his own Credit Card, and was later reimbursed for the full amount
by the CTAC Treasurer. There has been no further resolution of this problem.
Treasurer’s report– Johnes makes Motion to accept. Yvonne seconded to accept. Vote -all yes,
IV. CTV Report – Joe Schofield is absent from the meeting.
Peaches asked whether Joe mentioned the progress of the PSA for CTAC that we all attended for video recording in early February 2020, before the pandemic was called. There was no mention. The Council expects that when the CTV opens in September 2021, that the recorded
PSA will get attention.
(Note from May Minutes: TV offices and studios have been closed since March 2020
due to Covid-19, but will reopen June 1st for staff only, not for producers. Then September 1st for producers. All persons who enter must show proof of vaccination (CT Vaccination
Card. Masks and Social Distancing will be required for all. Otherwise, persons
will not be allowed entry.)
-
COMCAST Report – None submitted to CTAC.
a. Subscribers’ issues: CTAC has only one Comcast contact – Sharon.
Peaches Quinn will distribute Sharon’s email contact so that we can all reach her.b. Yvonne Manning-Jones notes that Comcast subscriber contracts are known to expire
without notification or warning and subscribers’ bills will suddenly increase by
a large amount to the next higher subscription tier.
Peaces inquires if there was any alert to subscribers of immanent increases showing
on the Comcast website? None known.c. George added a post to the CTAC website (cableadisory.org): for “FAQ [Frequently
Asked Questions] published by PURA, including info about the Comcast app to view
the status of a subscriber’s data usage.VI Old Business
a. PSA. Laurel informs the council that, since the video PSA has not been completed,
CTV will put an announcement indicating CTAC is recruiting for new members on the community calendar. Peaches request Laurel submit the announcement to be posted on the CTAC website and Facebook page.b. Community Awards –
(1) Anthony Cardo reports on the progress of outreach from the Veterans Hospital
and veterans groups.
(2) Other ideas:
Senior Centers
Community rooms: usage for seniors – ? should the CTAC give grants for these
programs ?
A community award be provided to the Q-House once it reopens.
Discussion to continue.
c. CTAC Facebook page & website update:
George states that our site is presently reaching out to the public. No design changes needed.
d. Letters to Mayors (of towns of our jurisdiction) – Peaches has sent out request from
mayors on status of our request for city-wide WiFi. She reports that there have been
deferred actions now pending outcome of the CT General Assembly activity.
e. General Assembly – Focus on Gov’s Bill 6442 – Internet Equity —PQ
Joint Favorable in Approps, 05/03; Tabled for House Calendar, 05/04
https://cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?
selBillType=Bill&bill_num=HB6442&which_year=2021
Contact with Comment: Reps, Elliot, Horn and/or Candelaria (Appropriations);
Sen Gary Winfield, Energy and Tech Committee
-
Annual Report:
(1) George submitted all the monthly Minutes for the past fiscal year. Approved.
The inclusive report goes to PURA.(2) Financial Report of Expenditures. Peaches stresses that all expenditures
should be reported.
(3) George and Peaches debate on how to submit the Annual Report to PURA –
whether submission on the preset Form.
(4) Peaches Quinn stresses Community Outreach needs. George reminds that CTV
provides free meeting space for CTAC’s monthly meetings. Johnes agrees that
Community Outreach contributions by Comcast are essential to enabling CTAC’s
mission working with the cable subscriber public.
(5) George Alexander makes a Motion that major contributions made as one-time gifts from CTAC in 2020 for financial assistance to Hamden and. New Haven
be put into the Annual Report.. Johnes seconds this Motion.
All – Yes; Laurel abstains.
(6) Laurel suggested adding a financial footnote to the annual report financial section to
highlight the community awards which CTAC awarded the past year. However, the discission from members was not to include the footnotes.
(7) Johnes makes a Motion to approve the submission of the Annual Report to PURA
as prepared by the Treasurer through email, contingent on the the addition of
George’s point reference to the body of .the Minutes. Yvonne makes the Motion to
Second. Vote – all in favor,
VII. New Business
- a. CTAC Officers Nominating Committee – Not taken up.
CTAC By-Laws 1) Revision; 2) Review updating – Not taken up.
c. May Statewide Meeting – Not taken up.
7:10 pm, Johnes makes Motion to Adjourn. Yvonne seconds Motion. All Agreed.
Next CTAC Meeting: Wednesday, July 7th, 2021, 6:00pm, via Zoom.
June 2nd, 2021 Meeting Minutes respectfully submitted by Johnes Ruta, (New Haven) Acting Secretary.