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12 <br /> <br /> Mr. Schilling asked why the fee is being added if public access is being provided <br />now. <br /> <br /> Ms. Richards said the fee is now coming out of the City's franchise fees and in the <br />future i t is being broken out as a separate fee. <br /> <br /> Mr. Schilling said he would like more specific information about this proposal to <br />help him understand it more fully. <br /> <br /> Ms. Richards said Adelphia customers are paying now for public access, but that <br />amount may inc rease as it expands. <br /> <br /> Ms. Knake said that the phone survey showed support for public access. <br /> <br /> Mr. Schilling said that the survey did not ask if people would support public <br />access if they had to pay more for it. <br /> <br /> Mr. Lynch made a motion to authorize staf f to proceed with negotiations with <br />Adelphia, and Ms. Richards seconded the motion. <br /> <br /> Ms. Knake noted that Adelphia may request an extension of the current franchise <br />in order to have more time to negotiate the new franchise. She said this is not an <br />uncomm on occurrence. <br /> <br /> Staff was authorized to proceed with negotiations with Adelphia by the following <br />vote. Ayes: Mr. Caravati, Mr. Cox, Mr. Lynch, Ms. Richards, Mr. Schilling. Noes: <br />None. <br /> <br />REPORT <br />: PROSPECT AVENUE HOUSING <br /> <br /> Mr. O'Connell said that the pro posal is to buy, renovate and sell houses on <br />Prospect Avenue for homeownership, and Council is being asked to approve using <br />$100,000 of housing initiative funding to leverage funds from other sources. <br /> <br /> Mr. Satyendra Huja, Director of Strategic Planning, s aid that the project is <br />proposed to be voluntary only and no condemnations are proposed. He said the proposal <br />is to acquire eight to ten rental properties in the 700 block of Prospect Avenue. Piedmont <br />Housing Alliance is proposed to acquire the propertie s and rehabilitate them and sell <br />them for homeownership. Mr. Huja said the current renters could be included in the <br />program. He said there have been safety concerns in this area, and this proposal is seen <br />as a way to enhance the neighborhood, not demolis h it. <br /> <br /> Responding to a question from Ms. Richards, Mr. Huja said he has not yet spoken <br />to any property owners on Prospect about the proposal. He said the project could be <br />expanded down an additional block to give more flexibility. <br /> <br /> Mr. Lynch said renter s on Prospect Avenue are wondering what the proposal <br />means to them, and said he feels that is a legitimate question. He said the down side of <br />what we have done with projects such as this is the impact on renters. He said we need to <br />make it easier for ren ters to become homeowners, through Piedmont Housing Alliance's <br />First Time Home Buyers Club or one of the City programs. <br /> <br /> Mr. Cox said one reason he is interested in the proposal is to try to find the kind <br />of housing to provide affordability to other group s. He said we need a better rental to <br />homeownership balance. <br /> <br /> Mr. Lynch said the perception is that crime in this area is being driven by a few <br />bad apples and a few bad properties. He said he would like to see the City be more <br />aggressive in making landl ords solve problems on their properties, or have the City take <br />properties that have habitual problems and give them to Piedmont Housing Alliance. He <br />