FAYETTEVILLE CITY16
GOVERNMENT CHANNEL PROGRAM GUIDE
June 29- July 5, 2008
SUNDAY, June 29
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Special Sidewalks & Trails Task Force: June 18
7:45 a.m. Become An Animal Service Volunteer
Three Bridge Scull Creek Crossing
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. David Lashley Park
9:00 a.m. Planning Commission: June 23
10:00 a.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Ribbon Cutting
Swedish Moving Floor Press Conference And Demonstration
11:00 a.m. Snowbirds 2005 Air Show
12:00 p.m. Harry & The Potters @ FPL
1:00 p.m. Conference On Renewable Energy & Efficiency
2:15 p.m. Sustainability Pioneer Amory Lovins @ FPL
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Walton Arts Council: June 24
5:30 p.m. City Council Agenda: June 24
7:30 p.m. Street Committee: June 23
10:30 p.m. Telecommunications Board: June 19
MONDAY, June 30
1:30 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Addiction & Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Combating Co-
Occurring Disorders
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Animals That Need Homes Now!
8:45 a.m. Three Bridge Scull Creek Crossing
9:00 a.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Ribbon Cutting
10:00 a.m. Sustainability Pioneer Amory Lovins @ FPL
11:45 a.m. Special Sidewalks & Trails Task Force: June 18
12:30 p.m. Cars, Kids, and Sun: A Deadly Combination
1:15 p.m. Library 2nd Tuesday: Unsung Valor: A GI's Story of WWII
2:45 p.m. Dr.Keith Booker: Books, Bombs & Business As Usual:
Fahrenheit 451 In The 1950's
3:45 p.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Fire Training Video
5:30 p.m. City View: USGS Stream Flow Monitoring In Fayetteville
Three Bridge Scull Creek Crossing
6:15 p.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
6:30 p.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Ribbon Cutting
7:30 p.m. Sustainability Pioneer Amory Lovins @ FPL
9:15 p.m. Animals That Need Homes Now!
9:30 p.m. Special Sidewalks & Trails Task Force: June 18
10:30 p.m. FFD Training Division House Burn
11:15 p.m. Gulley Park Bioswale Ribbon Cutting
City View: USGS Stream Flow Monitoring In Fayetteville
TUESDAY, July 1
12:00 a.m. Governor's Conference 2004: America In Transition
12:30 a.m. David Lashley Park
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. The Dangerous Frontiers Of Substance Abuse: A Look At Alcohol
& Drug Use Trends
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. 2008 Housing Fair Plus
Become An Animal Service Volunteer
8:45 a.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
9:00 a.m. City Council Agenda: June 24
11:00 a.m. Ward 4 Meeting : June 30
1:00 p.m. Sustainability Pioneer Amory Lovins @ FPL
2:45 p.m. FPL Womens Health Series: Stress Management
3:45 p.m. Three Bridge Scull Creek Crossing
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Conference On Renewable Energy & Efficiency
5:45 p.m. City View: Parks & Recreation
6:00 p.m. City Council-LIVE
10:00 p.m. American Legion Retires Flags
Clarence Craft -- Medal of Honor Recipient
10:30 p.m. City View: USGS Stream Flow Monitoring In Fayetteville
City View: Trails
11:30 p.m. Conference On Renewable Energy & Efficiency
WEDNESDAY, July 2
12:45 a.m. Three Bridge Scull Creek Crossing
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Road To Recovery: Financial & Medical Benefits Of Treatment
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Animals That Need Homes Now!
Farmers Market
9:00 a.m. City Council: July 1
1:00 p.m. Sustainability Pioneer Amory Lovins @ FPL
2:30 p.m. Fallen Heroes Memorial
3:45 p.m. Clarence Craft -- Medal of Honor Recipient
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Fire Training Video
5:30 p.m. College Avenue Construction Update
City View: Trails
6:00 p.m. Animals That Need Homes Now!
Farmers Market
6:30 p.m. City Council: July 1
10:30 p.m. City View: USGS Stream Flow Monitoring In Fayetteville
2008 Housing Fair Plus
11:15 p.m. USGBC: LEED For Schools: Beyond The Financial Benefit
THURSDAY, July 3
12:00 a.m. City View: New Urbanism
12:30 a.m. Centennial Flight Day (100 Years of Flight)
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Recovery & The Family: Extending Treatment To Everyone
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. David Lashley Park
9:00 a.m. Clarence Craft -- Medal of Honor Recipient
9:15 a.m. Sustainability Pioneer Amory Lovins @ FPL
11:00 a.m. Best Management Practices Plan Training
12:30 p.m. Veteran's Memorial Park Dedication
2:00 p.m. City View: USGS Stream Flow Monitoring In Fayetteville
Mayor Coody's Press Conference On Bottled Water
2:45 p.m. Library 2nd Tuesday: Unsung Valor: A GI's Story of WWII
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. USGBC: LEED For Schools: Beyond The Financial Benefit
2008 Housing Fair Plus
6:00 p.m. CAT Board-LIVE
7:00 p.m. Ward 4 Meeting: June 30
9:00 p.m. Library 2nd Tuesday: Unsung Valor: A GI's Story of WWII
10:30 p.m. Sustainability Pioneer Amory Lovins @ FPL
FRIDAY, July 4
12:15 a.m. City View: USGS Stream Flow Monitoring In Fayetteville
Become An Animal Service Volunteer
College Avenue Construction Update
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Dr. Jay Barth Presents Diane Blair's Book: Arkansas Politics
And Government
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Become An Animal Service Volunteer
College Avenue Construction Update
Animals That Need Homes Now!
9:00 a.m. CAT Board: July 3
10:00 a.m. Subdivision Committee: July 3
12:30 p.m. Red, White And Boom: Chase Missy
1:15 p.m. Clarence Craft -- Medal of Honor Recipient
American Legion Retires Flags
1:45 p.m. Animals That Need Homes Now!
2:00 p.m. Sustainability Pioneer Amory Lovins @ FPL
3:45 p.m. Become An Animal Service Volunteer
College Avenue Construction Update
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Fire Training Video
5:30 p.m. Conference On Renewable Energy & Efficiency
6:45 p.m. Become An Animal Service Volunteer
College Avenue Construction Update
7:00 p.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
8:00 p.m. City View
8:30 p.m. Clarence Craft -- Medal of Honor Recipient
8:45 p.m. Sustainability Pioneer Amory Lovins @ FPL
10:30 p.m. Red, White And Boom: Oreo Blue
11:15 p.m. Farmers Market Horticulture Show
11:45p.m Library 2nd Tuesday: Unsung Valor: A GI's Story of WWII
SATURDAY, July 5
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. USGBC: LEED For Schools: Beyond The Financial Benefit
2008 Housing Fair Plus
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Kid's Bike Safety Rodeo 2008
9:00 a.m. City Council: July 1
1:00 p.m. CAT Board: July 3
2:00 p.m. Subdivision Committee: July 3
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Ribbon Cutting
6:30 p.m. Sustainability Pioneer Amory Lovins @ FPL
8:15 p.m. Telecommunications Board: June 19
11:15 p.m. Special Sidewalks & Trails Task Force: June 18
12:00 a.m. Arkansas Rock Art
Look for the updated program guide in the Cable Administration section at
http://www.accessfayetteville.org
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Telecom Board's recommendation to council doesn't please administration
Please click on images to read Susan Thomas' letter and Richard Drake's letter to the Fayetteville City Council.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Letter to editor of Democrat-Gazette outlines role of goverenment channel
Channel has mandate to inform public
Folks think of local TV and radio as a joke more than anything else. The big guys-ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox-are the "important"ones with the "real"news. But the big guys don't know and don't care what's going on in Fayetteville. Oh, they give us a few sound bites in their local division, but there's no in-depth stuff on what's going on with the mayor's office, the city council, planning-the many local governmental groups whose actions can so affect our lives. That's where CATV and the Government Channel come in. CATV is good, but it has no need to present a topic from any other point of view than that of the program producer. Government Channel has the mandate to give forums showing multiple points of view on anything local government is planning. Or Government Channel had the mandate to give forums showing multiple points of view on anything local government is up to. In the last few weeks, a major change has occurred. Citizen-requested local forums are now limited to whatever the local administration wishes to air. Neither the founders of this nation nor the founders of Government Channel had in mind making the press a government mouthpiece, but that's what this does. Contact Richard Drake, chair of the Telecom Committee, or your Fayetteville City Council representative. Either let Government Channel do its job or shut it down. We don't need propaganda machines in Fayetteville.
BARBARA FITZPATRICK
Fayetteville
Folks think of local TV and radio as a joke more than anything else. The big guys-ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox-are the "important"ones with the "real"news. But the big guys don't know and don't care what's going on in Fayetteville. Oh, they give us a few sound bites in their local division, but there's no in-depth stuff on what's going on with the mayor's office, the city council, planning-the many local governmental groups whose actions can so affect our lives. That's where CATV and the Government Channel come in. CATV is good, but it has no need to present a topic from any other point of view than that of the program producer. Government Channel has the mandate to give forums showing multiple points of view on anything local government is planning. Or Government Channel had the mandate to give forums showing multiple points of view on anything local government is up to. In the last few weeks, a major change has occurred. Citizen-requested local forums are now limited to whatever the local administration wishes to air. Neither the founders of this nation nor the founders of Government Channel had in mind making the press a government mouthpiece, but that's what this does. Contact Richard Drake, chair of the Telecom Committee, or your Fayetteville City Council representative. Either let Government Channel do its job or shut it down. We don't need propaganda machines in Fayetteville.
BARBARA FITZPATRICK
Fayetteville
Petition to protect council-, citizen-initiated forums on government channel
PLEASE KEEP OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT CHANNEL ISSUE FORUMS OPEN!
The City Administration recently cancelled issue forums about Fayetteville High School and Walton Arts Center, although the forums were requested by a City Council member. The City has arbitrarily decided that they will not allow such forums, although they have served our community for over 15 years. Please keep television Channel 16 open to requests by city council members and citizens, so that the channel can continue to help create an open and participatory city government, as called for in Fayetteville Ordinance 4504 and current Government Channel policy.
SIGN HERE TO ENSURE THAT OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND ALL CITIZENS
CAN CONTINUE TO REQUEST LOCAL ISSUE FORUMS ON CITY 16 TV:
I, being a registered voter, living within the city limits of Fayetteville, ask that the Telecommunications Board and City Council continue the current policy and procedures of allowing City Council members and citizens to request forums, about issues faced by local governments, to be produced and shown on the Government Channel.
Printed Name Signature Address Telephone and/or E-mail¬¬¬¬¬
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The City Administration recently cancelled issue forums about Fayetteville High School and Walton Arts Center, although the forums were requested by a City Council member. The City has arbitrarily decided that they will not allow such forums, although they have served our community for over 15 years. Please keep television Channel 16 open to requests by city council members and citizens, so that the channel can continue to help create an open and participatory city government, as called for in Fayetteville Ordinance 4504 and current Government Channel policy.
SIGN HERE TO ENSURE THAT OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND ALL CITIZENS
CAN CONTINUE TO REQUEST LOCAL ISSUE FORUMS ON CITY 16 TV:
I, being a registered voter, living within the city limits of Fayetteville, ask that the Telecommunications Board and City Council continue the current policy and procedures of allowing City Council members and citizens to request forums, about issues faced by local governments, to be produced and shown on the Government Channel.
Printed Name Signature Address Telephone and/or E-mail¬¬¬¬¬
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Thursday, June 26, 2008
Telecom Board chairman asks Fayetteville City Council to allow forum on future of FHS and a forum on the future of the Walton Arts Center
To the members of the Fayetteville City Council, Mayor Dan Coody.
In May of 2008, following the termination of Cable Administrator Marvin Hilton, two issue forums that had already been given the green light for production on the Fayetteville Government Channel were unceremoniously yanked from the planning stages.
One issue forum dealt with the future of Fayetteville High School, and the other was to deal with the future of the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville.
Given that at the time these programs were removed from the planning stages, both of them were fully permissible under the long-standing policies Fayetteville Government Channel had been operating under, at our June meeting the Fayetteville Telecommunications Board voted unanimously to urge the City Council to allow these two forums to take place.
Sincerely,
Richard S. Drake
Chairman
Telecommunications Board
City of Fayetteville
In May of 2008, following the termination of Cable Administrator Marvin Hilton, two issue forums that had already been given the green light for production on the Fayetteville Government Channel were unceremoniously yanked from the planning stages.
One issue forum dealt with the future of Fayetteville High School, and the other was to deal with the future of the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville.
Given that at the time these programs were removed from the planning stages, both of them were fully permissible under the long-standing policies Fayetteville Government Channel had been operating under, at our June meeting the Fayetteville Telecommunications Board voted unanimously to urge the City Council to allow these two forums to take place.
Sincerely,
Richard S. Drake
Chairman
Telecommunications Board
City of Fayetteville
Monday, June 23, 2008
City manager denies request to complete forum preparation
Mr. Bemis - The Fayetteville Government Channel will not proceed with the development or production of any issue forum until the City Council makes final determination on any proposed changes to the policy as recommended by the Telecom Board.
I have been very clear and open on my interpretation of the current Government Channel Policy (recommended by the Telecom Board and approved by the City Council). At the June 3 meeting of the City Council, the City Council supported this interpretation and requested a recommendation from the Telecom Board on any proposed policy changes.
As I understand it, the Telecom Board will not make that recommendation until after their July meeting, which means it will be the August 5 or August 19 City Council meeting before Council hears the matter. In the meantime, I would encourage you and your fellow requesters to produce your public issues forum on the public access channel.
Susan Thomas
Susan B. Thomas, Ph.D.
Public Information and Policy Advisor
City of Fayetteville
113 W. Mountain
Fayetteville, AR 72701
479-575-8330
>>> Jim Bemis 6/23/2008 3:55 PM >>>
To: Cable Administration Office
Attn: Dr. Susan Thomas, Ric Delahoussaye
Based on the Telecommunications Board's recommendations at their June 19 meeting, the citizens' requester team is requesting a formal response and guidance from your Office in producing the FGC Issue Forum Request Form that was hand-delivered to the PEG Center on June 18, 2008. As spokesperson, I repeated our request at the June 19 Board meeting, and I will deliver an original of this current request to the PEG Center on June 24.
Our understanding of the Board's June 19th response to our request is that production of the FGC Issue Forums will continue under the current FGC policy and procedures. These current policies and procedures provide for citizen requests for issue forums on matters that impact the City of Fayetteville. Therefore, in moving forward with the next steps of the production process for the forum that we requested on June 18, we are asking for your guidance in producing the forum , which also is provided for in the FGC policies and procedures.
As with the April 30 citizen-requested forum, we are asking for a similar forum format, which includes the formation of an ad hoc subcommittee to oversee the initial development and choice of issue forum panel members, questions, and moderator. As previously, I would serve as spokesperson for the citizen requesters.
Also, as mentioned at the Board meeting, we citizens are agreed that the proposal prepared by Board Member Shelli Bell would provide an appropriate basis for the forum, since it also will serve for future Telecommunications Board and City Council discussion. We would also like to see full discussion of the FGC " Informational" programs, which were addressed by the Board Subcommittee on FGC policy and procedures over the past two years.
It seems appropriate to us that Board members Bell and Drake might serve on this ad hoc subcommittee, which also might include other board members, council members, and/or City staff of their choice.
We anticipate that the Forum would be held previous to the July Telecommunications Board meeting.
Please advise as to the next steps to be taken by our citizens team in scheduling and developing this forum.
Thank you,
Jim Bemis
Spokesperson
Citizen-Requester Team
cc Telecom Board
I have been very clear and open on my interpretation of the current Government Channel Policy (recommended by the Telecom Board and approved by the City Council). At the June 3 meeting of the City Council, the City Council supported this interpretation and requested a recommendation from the Telecom Board on any proposed policy changes.
As I understand it, the Telecom Board will not make that recommendation until after their July meeting, which means it will be the August 5 or August 19 City Council meeting before Council hears the matter. In the meantime, I would encourage you and your fellow requesters to produce your public issues forum on the public access channel.
Susan Thomas
Susan B. Thomas, Ph.D.
Public Information and Policy Advisor
City of Fayetteville
113 W. Mountain
Fayetteville, AR 72701
479-575-8330
>>> Jim Bemis
To: Cable Administration Office
Attn: Dr. Susan Thomas, Ric Delahoussaye
Based on the Telecommunications Board's recommendations at their June 19 meeting, the citizens' requester team is requesting a formal response and guidance from your Office in producing the FGC Issue Forum Request Form that was hand-delivered to the PEG Center on June 18, 2008. As spokesperson, I repeated our request at the June 19 Board meeting, and I will deliver an original of this current request to the PEG Center on June 24.
Our understanding of the Board's June 19th response to our request is that production of the FGC Issue Forums will continue under the current FGC policy and procedures. These current policies and procedures provide for citizen requests for issue forums on matters that impact the City of Fayetteville. Therefore, in moving forward with the next steps of the production process for the forum that we requested on June 18, we are asking for your guidance in producing the forum , which also is provided for in the FGC policies and procedures.
As with the April 30 citizen-requested forum, we are asking for a similar forum format, which includes the formation of an ad hoc subcommittee to oversee the initial development and choice of issue forum panel members, questions, and moderator. As previously, I would serve as spokesperson for the citizen requesters.
Also, as mentioned at the Board meeting, we citizens are agreed that the proposal prepared by Board Member Shelli Bell would provide an appropriate basis for the forum, since it also will serve for future Telecommunications Board and City Council discussion. We would also like to see full discussion of the FGC " Informational" programs, which were addressed by the Board Subcommittee on FGC policy and procedures over the past two years.
It seems appropriate to us that Board members Bell and Drake might serve on this ad hoc subcommittee, which also might include other board members, council members, and/or City staff of their choice.
We anticipate that the Forum would be held previous to the July Telecommunications Board meeting.
Please advise as to the next steps to be taken by our citizens team in scheduling and developing this forum.
Thank you,
Jim Bemis
Spokesperson
Citizen-Requester Team
cc Telecom Board
Saturday, June 21, 2008
City residents petition City Council and Telecom Board to keep citizen-initiated issue-forums on City 16
Please click on image to ENLARGE petition for reading.
Government channel schedule for June 22-28
FAYETTEVILLE CITY16
GOVERNMENT CHANNEL PROGRAM GUIDE
June 22-28, 2008
SUNDAY, June 22
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Treatment/Recovery: Reducing The Burden On Justice System & Society
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. ICLEI Climate Conference: How One Local Leader Is Making International Economic Impact
9:00 a.m. Housing Authority Board: June 17
10:00 a.m. Partners For Housing Committee: June 17
11:00 a.m. Council Of Neighborhoods: June 19
12:00 p.m. Teen Parenting: Anxiety, Stress, Eating Disorders and Other Mental Health Issues
2:15 p.m. Swedish Asbestos Firm Comes To Fayetteville
2:30 p.m. FPL Kids' Lab: Archeology
3:15 p.m. Library: Fractured Fairy Tales
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. City Council: June 17
8:30 p.m. Telecommunications Board: June 19
10:00 p.m. Public Meeting On Parks Needs & Priorities For 2009: June 18
11:15 p.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Ribbon Cutting
MONDAY, June 23
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Substance Abuse: Treatment Approaches For Women
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Swedish Asbestos Firm Comes To Fayetteville
Troops, Trains & Planes 2008
9:00 a.m. Public Meeting On Parks Needs & Priorities For 2009: June 18
10:15 a.m. Special Sidewalk & Trails Task Force: June 18
11:30 a.m. Charles Banks Wilson At FPL
12:30 p.m. Mayor's Concert Featuring Concert Pianist Jura Margulis
1:45 p.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Ribbon Cutting
2:45 p.m. College Avenue Construction Update
3:00 p.m. Amanda Adams Concert At Gulley Park
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Fire Training Video
5:30 p.m. Planning Commission-LIVE
8:30 p.m. Swedish Asbestos Firm Comes To Fayetteville
Mayor Coody's Press Conference On Bottled Water
9:00 p.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Ribbon Cutting????
11:15 p.m. Gulley Park 2008 Concert Series: Chase Missy
TUESDAY, June 24
12:45 a.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Investing In Treatment: Policy Makers Positive Impact On Their Community
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Mayor Coody's Press Conference On Bottled Water
8:45 a.m. Brice Davis Park Celebration
9:00 a.m. Planning Commission: June 23
12:00 p.m. Street Committee: June 23
1:00 p.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Ribbon Cutting
3:30 a.m. Mayor Coody's Press Conference On Bottled Water
3:45 a.m. 3 Bridge Scull Creek Crossing
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
4:45 p.m. Community Room At FPL: The Art of Travel Writing
6:00 p.m. Swedish Asbestos Firm Comes To Fayetteville
Brice Davis Park Celebration
6:30 p.m. Planning Commission: June 23
9:30 p.m. Street Committee: June 23
10:45 p.m. Public Meeting On Parks Needs & Priorities For 2009: June 18
WEDNESDAY, June 25
12:00 a.m. Identity Theft Solutions
12:45 a.m. 3 Bridge Scull Creek Crossing
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Road To Recovery: Improving the Bottom Line
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Animals That Need Homes Now!
Farmers Market
9:00 a.m. City Council Agenda: June 24
11:00 a.m. Understanding Energy Consumption In Multi-Family Housing
12:15 p.m. Jazz Time: A Brief History Of America's Original Art Form
1:30 p.m. Noon AT FPL: Plants Suited For Fayetteville With Jon Lindstrom
2:30 p.m. Mayor Coody's Press Conference On Bottled Water
2:45 p.m. Sweet Briar Park Celebration
College Avenue Construction Update
3:00 p.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
3:15 p.m. Brice Davis Park Celebration
3:30 p.m. Mayor Coody's Press Conference On Bottled Water
3:45 p.m. 3 Bridge Scull Creek Crossing
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Fire Training Video
5:30 p.m. Swedish Asbestos Firm Comes To Fayetteville
5:45 p.m. Sweet Briar Park Celebration
6:00 p.m. Animals That Need Homes Now!
Farmers Market
6:30 p.m. City Council Agenda: June 24
8:30 p.m. Walton Arts Council: June 24
9:30 p.m. Special Sidewalk & Trails Task Force: June 18
10:15 p.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Ribbon Cutting
THURSDAY, June 26
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Examining The Intersections Of Care For Persons With Mental & Substance Use Conditions
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Swedish Asbestos Firm Comes To Fayetteville
Sweet Briar Park Celebration
9:00 a.m. Walton Arts Council: June 24
10:00 a.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Ribbon Cutting
11:30 a.m. Animals That Need Homes Now!
12:00 p.m. Four Million Gallons Of Music
1:00 p.m. Law Day 2008
2:15 p.m. Swedish “Moving Floor” Demonstration
2:30 p.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
3:00 p.m. Brice Davis Park Celebration
3:15 p.m. Mayor Coody's Press Conference On Bottled Water
3:30 p.m. 3 Bridge Scull Creek Crossing
3:45 p.m. College Avenue Construction Update
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Gulley Park 2008 Concert Series: Chase Missy
6:30 p.m. Telecommunications Board: June 19
8:00 p.m. Swedish Asbestos Firm Comes To Fayetteville
College Avenue Construction Update
8:30 p.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Ribbon Cutting
10:00 p.m. Sweet Briar Park Celebration
10:15 p.m. Swedish “Moving Floor” Demonstration
10:30 p.m. FPL Kids Lab: Kinesiology
11:30 p.m. Mayor Coody's Press Conference On Bottled Water
11:45 p.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
FRIDAY, June 27
12:00 a.m. Law Day 2008
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Addiction & Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Combating Co- Occurring Disorders
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Mayor Coody's Press Conference On Bottled Water
8:45 a.m. 3 Bridge Scull Creek Crossing
9:00 a.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Ribbon Cutting
10:30 a.m. Brice Davis Park Celebration
10:45 a.m. BGSO: Possibilities For Backyard Gardens
11:30 a.m. College Avenue Construction Update
11:45 a.m. Swedish Asbestos Firm Comes To Fayetteville
12:00 p.m. Planning A Physically Active Community
1:00 p.m. Sweet Briar Park Celebration
1:15 p.m. Swedish “Moving Floor” Demonstration
1:30 p.m. Dog Days of Summer: How to Choose a Pet
2:30 p.m. Arborist Service Day
3:00 p.m. Watershed Awareness
3:30 p.m. Anthony Bourdain Visits FPL
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Fire Training Video
5:30 p.m. Understanding Energy Consumption In Multi-Family Housing
6:45 p.m. Sweet Briar Park Celebration
Gulley Park Bioswale Ribbon Cutting
7:00 p.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
8:00 p.m. City View
8:30 p.m. Swedish Asbestos Firm Comes To Fayetteville
8:45 p.m. Four Million Gallons Of Music
9:45 p.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Ribbon Cutting
11:15 p.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
11:30 p.m. Swedish “Moving Floor” Demonstration
11:45 p.m. Brice Davis Park Celebration
College Avenue Construction Update
SATURDAY, June 28
12:00 a.m. Parks & Recreation Summer Concert: A Touch of Class
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Medication Assisted Therapies Providing A Whole Patient Approach
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Swedish Asbestos Firm Comes To Fayetteville
Animals That Need Homes Now!
9:00 a.m. City Council Agenda: June 24
11:00 a.m. Street Committee: June 23
12:00 p.m. Walton Arts Council: June 24
1:00 p.m. Public Meeting On Parks Needs & Priorities For 2009: June 18
2:15 p.m. 3 Bridge Scull Creek Crossing
2:30 p.m. Sweet Briar Park Celebration
2:45 p.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
3:00 p.m. Mayor Coody's Press Conference On Bottled Water
3:15 p.m. Swedish Asbestos Firm Comes To Fayetteville
3:30 p.m. Brice Davis Park Celebration
College Avenue Construction Update
3:45 p.m. Swedish “Moving Floor” Demonstration
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Planning Commission: June 23
7:30 p.m. Special Sidewalk & Trails Task Force: June 18
8:45 p.m. Gulley Park 2008 Concert Series: Chase Missy
10:45 p.m. Fire Station 7's Solar Water Heater
11:45 p.m. Snowbirds 2005 Air Show
Look for the updated program guide in the Cable Administration section at
http://www.accessfayetteville.org
GOVERNMENT CHANNEL PROGRAM GUIDE
June 22-28, 2008
SUNDAY, June 22
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Treatment/Recovery: Reducing The Burden On Justice System & Society
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. ICLEI Climate Conference: How One Local Leader Is Making International Economic Impact
9:00 a.m. Housing Authority Board: June 17
10:00 a.m. Partners For Housing Committee: June 17
11:00 a.m. Council Of Neighborhoods: June 19
12:00 p.m. Teen Parenting: Anxiety, Stress, Eating Disorders and Other Mental Health Issues
2:15 p.m. Swedish Asbestos Firm Comes To Fayetteville
2:30 p.m. FPL Kids' Lab: Archeology
3:15 p.m. Library: Fractured Fairy Tales
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. City Council: June 17
8:30 p.m. Telecommunications Board: June 19
10:00 p.m. Public Meeting On Parks Needs & Priorities For 2009: June 18
11:15 p.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Ribbon Cutting
MONDAY, June 23
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Substance Abuse: Treatment Approaches For Women
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Swedish Asbestos Firm Comes To Fayetteville
Troops, Trains & Planes 2008
9:00 a.m. Public Meeting On Parks Needs & Priorities For 2009: June 18
10:15 a.m. Special Sidewalk & Trails Task Force: June 18
11:30 a.m. Charles Banks Wilson At FPL
12:30 p.m. Mayor's Concert Featuring Concert Pianist Jura Margulis
1:45 p.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Ribbon Cutting
2:45 p.m. College Avenue Construction Update
3:00 p.m. Amanda Adams Concert At Gulley Park
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Fire Training Video
5:30 p.m. Planning Commission-LIVE
8:30 p.m. Swedish Asbestos Firm Comes To Fayetteville
Mayor Coody's Press Conference On Bottled Water
9:00 p.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Ribbon Cutting????
11:15 p.m. Gulley Park 2008 Concert Series: Chase Missy
TUESDAY, June 24
12:45 a.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Investing In Treatment: Policy Makers Positive Impact On Their Community
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Mayor Coody's Press Conference On Bottled Water
8:45 a.m. Brice Davis Park Celebration
9:00 a.m. Planning Commission: June 23
12:00 p.m. Street Committee: June 23
1:00 p.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Ribbon Cutting
3:30 a.m. Mayor Coody's Press Conference On Bottled Water
3:45 a.m. 3 Bridge Scull Creek Crossing
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
4:45 p.m. Community Room At FPL: The Art of Travel Writing
6:00 p.m. Swedish Asbestos Firm Comes To Fayetteville
Brice Davis Park Celebration
6:30 p.m. Planning Commission: June 23
9:30 p.m. Street Committee: June 23
10:45 p.m. Public Meeting On Parks Needs & Priorities For 2009: June 18
WEDNESDAY, June 25
12:00 a.m. Identity Theft Solutions
12:45 a.m. 3 Bridge Scull Creek Crossing
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Road To Recovery: Improving the Bottom Line
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Animals That Need Homes Now!
Farmers Market
9:00 a.m. City Council Agenda: June 24
11:00 a.m. Understanding Energy Consumption In Multi-Family Housing
12:15 p.m. Jazz Time: A Brief History Of America's Original Art Form
1:30 p.m. Noon AT FPL: Plants Suited For Fayetteville With Jon Lindstrom
2:30 p.m. Mayor Coody's Press Conference On Bottled Water
2:45 p.m. Sweet Briar Park Celebration
College Avenue Construction Update
3:00 p.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
3:15 p.m. Brice Davis Park Celebration
3:30 p.m. Mayor Coody's Press Conference On Bottled Water
3:45 p.m. 3 Bridge Scull Creek Crossing
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Fire Training Video
5:30 p.m. Swedish Asbestos Firm Comes To Fayetteville
5:45 p.m. Sweet Briar Park Celebration
6:00 p.m. Animals That Need Homes Now!
Farmers Market
6:30 p.m. City Council Agenda: June 24
8:30 p.m. Walton Arts Council: June 24
9:30 p.m. Special Sidewalk & Trails Task Force: June 18
10:15 p.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Ribbon Cutting
THURSDAY, June 26
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Examining The Intersections Of Care For Persons With Mental & Substance Use Conditions
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Swedish Asbestos Firm Comes To Fayetteville
Sweet Briar Park Celebration
9:00 a.m. Walton Arts Council: June 24
10:00 a.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Ribbon Cutting
11:30 a.m. Animals That Need Homes Now!
12:00 p.m. Four Million Gallons Of Music
1:00 p.m. Law Day 2008
2:15 p.m. Swedish “Moving Floor” Demonstration
2:30 p.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
3:00 p.m. Brice Davis Park Celebration
3:15 p.m. Mayor Coody's Press Conference On Bottled Water
3:30 p.m. 3 Bridge Scull Creek Crossing
3:45 p.m. College Avenue Construction Update
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Gulley Park 2008 Concert Series: Chase Missy
6:30 p.m. Telecommunications Board: June 19
8:00 p.m. Swedish Asbestos Firm Comes To Fayetteville
College Avenue Construction Update
8:30 p.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Ribbon Cutting
10:00 p.m. Sweet Briar Park Celebration
10:15 p.m. Swedish “Moving Floor” Demonstration
10:30 p.m. FPL Kids Lab: Kinesiology
11:30 p.m. Mayor Coody's Press Conference On Bottled Water
11:45 p.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
FRIDAY, June 27
12:00 a.m. Law Day 2008
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Addiction & Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Combating Co- Occurring Disorders
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Mayor Coody's Press Conference On Bottled Water
8:45 a.m. 3 Bridge Scull Creek Crossing
9:00 a.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Ribbon Cutting
10:30 a.m. Brice Davis Park Celebration
10:45 a.m. BGSO: Possibilities For Backyard Gardens
11:30 a.m. College Avenue Construction Update
11:45 a.m. Swedish Asbestos Firm Comes To Fayetteville
12:00 p.m. Planning A Physically Active Community
1:00 p.m. Sweet Briar Park Celebration
1:15 p.m. Swedish “Moving Floor” Demonstration
1:30 p.m. Dog Days of Summer: How to Choose a Pet
2:30 p.m. Arborist Service Day
3:00 p.m. Watershed Awareness
3:30 p.m. Anthony Bourdain Visits FPL
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Fire Training Video
5:30 p.m. Understanding Energy Consumption In Multi-Family Housing
6:45 p.m. Sweet Briar Park Celebration
Gulley Park Bioswale Ribbon Cutting
7:00 p.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
8:00 p.m. City View
8:30 p.m. Swedish Asbestos Firm Comes To Fayetteville
8:45 p.m. Four Million Gallons Of Music
9:45 p.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Ribbon Cutting
11:15 p.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
11:30 p.m. Swedish “Moving Floor” Demonstration
11:45 p.m. Brice Davis Park Celebration
College Avenue Construction Update
SATURDAY, June 28
12:00 a.m. Parks & Recreation Summer Concert: A Touch of Class
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Medication Assisted Therapies Providing A Whole Patient Approach
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Swedish Asbestos Firm Comes To Fayetteville
Animals That Need Homes Now!
9:00 a.m. City Council Agenda: June 24
11:00 a.m. Street Committee: June 23
12:00 p.m. Walton Arts Council: June 24
1:00 p.m. Public Meeting On Parks Needs & Priorities For 2009: June 18
2:15 p.m. 3 Bridge Scull Creek Crossing
2:30 p.m. Sweet Briar Park Celebration
2:45 p.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
3:00 p.m. Mayor Coody's Press Conference On Bottled Water
3:15 p.m. Swedish Asbestos Firm Comes To Fayetteville
3:30 p.m. Brice Davis Park Celebration
College Avenue Construction Update
3:45 p.m. Swedish “Moving Floor” Demonstration
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Planning Commission: June 23
7:30 p.m. Special Sidewalk & Trails Task Force: June 18
8:45 p.m. Gulley Park 2008 Concert Series: Chase Missy
10:45 p.m. Fire Station 7's Solar Water Heater
11:45 p.m. Snowbirds 2005 Air Show
Look for the updated program guide in the Cable Administration section at
http://www.accessfayetteville.org
Friday, June 20, 2008
Telecom Board recommends change in forum policy
Telecom Board recommends changes to forum policy
BY MARSHA L. MELNICHAK Northwest Arkansas Times
Posted on Friday, June 20, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/66362
The Fayetteville City Council should honor its current policy and show two “ yanked” forums, according to the Telecommunications Board.
“ We are recommending that, until new policies and procedures are accepted by the council, that the current policy and procedures be honored, ” said Shelli Bell, a board member.
The board will also recommend at least two changes in policy directly related to the ongoing question of whether forums and roundtable discussions should be shown on the city’s Government Channel.
Board Chairman Richard Drake said he will write a letter to the council telling aldermen that, in the board’s opinion, the city “ essentially violated existing policy ” when two issue forums were “ unceremoniously” halted.
In that letter, he said, he will also “ respectfully request” that the council direct city staff to proceed with production of the forums about the location of Fayetteville High School and the future of the Walton Arts Center.
“ This was all set to go, and they pulled the plug on it, ” Drake said during discussion of a complaint by Fayetteville resident Jim Bemis.
Bemis charged that the city administration has influenced Government Channel programming in violation of city policy.
Drake said he wanted to keep the motion and his letter short and to the point and just say, “ You shouldn’t have done it. ”
Government Channel procedure states that a council member can request a forum, Bemis and former cable administrator Marvin Hilton told the Telecom Board. Ward 2 Alderman Nancy Allen requested the forums.
The vote establishing the communication with the council on the issue was an apparently unanimous, simultaneous voice vote.
Board member Aubrey Shepherd said that, when the council sent the forum policy decision back to the Telecom Board, it did not speak specifically to the forums that were stopped.
He said the council “ couldn’t be expected to take a very serious look” at the question coming, as it did, at the end of a three-and-a-half-hour meeting.
Bell proposed two policy changes, both of which were accepted by the Telecom Board. Together the two changes would allow issue forums and round-table discussions on the Government Channel if they are part of a government meeting rather than a separate program or event.
“The important thing here is that it is indeed a meeting, ”Bell said, explaining that there is no reason for the Telecom Board to tell boards, commissions or government bodies how to have meetings.
With a 4-2 voice vote, the board approved recommending a policy change that, if approved by the council, will change the words “limited public forums” to “moderated public forums.”
Bell said that clarification would ensure that moderated issue forums are limited to candidate and ballot issues and ensure that the Government Channel is specific to government activity.
On the second change Bell proposed, the board seemed to accept unanimously. It makes all city government meetings the first level of priority for showing on the Government Channel (Blogger's note: Actual vote was 5-0-1, with Shepherd abstaining).
The intent is to clarify that any government meeting can be televised on the Government Channel “regardless of the format chosen by that government body,” she said.
Agreeing with City Attorney Kit Williams and Susan Thomas, public information officer and policy adviser, Bell said Government Channel programming should be limited to candidate and ballot issues. She said anything not a government meeting would be shown on the city’s public access channel to ensure that programming on the Government Channel is specific to government activity.
Under the policy changes being recommended to the council, any government meeting would be eligible to be televised on the Government Channel, even if the governmental body chooses to conduct the meeting in a round-table or forum format. The policy would not limit the type of meeting that can be televised.
Drake indicated that the board is open to other policy suggestions to take to the City Council. Those proposals will be discussed at the board’s July meeting for presentation to the council in August.
The Telecom Board meeting Thursday was not shown as a live broadcast because of technical difficulties. It will be broadcast on the Government Channel and can be viewed on the city’s Web site, www. accessfayetteville. org.
Copyright © 2001-2008 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved. Contact: webmaster@nwanews.com
BY MARSHA L. MELNICHAK Northwest Arkansas Times
Posted on Friday, June 20, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/66362
The Fayetteville City Council should honor its current policy and show two “ yanked” forums, according to the Telecommunications Board.
“ We are recommending that, until new policies and procedures are accepted by the council, that the current policy and procedures be honored, ” said Shelli Bell, a board member.
The board will also recommend at least two changes in policy directly related to the ongoing question of whether forums and roundtable discussions should be shown on the city’s Government Channel.
Board Chairman Richard Drake said he will write a letter to the council telling aldermen that, in the board’s opinion, the city “ essentially violated existing policy ” when two issue forums were “ unceremoniously” halted.
In that letter, he said, he will also “ respectfully request” that the council direct city staff to proceed with production of the forums about the location of Fayetteville High School and the future of the Walton Arts Center.
“ This was all set to go, and they pulled the plug on it, ” Drake said during discussion of a complaint by Fayetteville resident Jim Bemis.
Bemis charged that the city administration has influenced Government Channel programming in violation of city policy.
Drake said he wanted to keep the motion and his letter short and to the point and just say, “ You shouldn’t have done it. ”
Government Channel procedure states that a council member can request a forum, Bemis and former cable administrator Marvin Hilton told the Telecom Board. Ward 2 Alderman Nancy Allen requested the forums.
The vote establishing the communication with the council on the issue was an apparently unanimous, simultaneous voice vote.
Board member Aubrey Shepherd said that, when the council sent the forum policy decision back to the Telecom Board, it did not speak specifically to the forums that were stopped.
He said the council “ couldn’t be expected to take a very serious look” at the question coming, as it did, at the end of a three-and-a-half-hour meeting.
Bell proposed two policy changes, both of which were accepted by the Telecom Board. Together the two changes would allow issue forums and round-table discussions on the Government Channel if they are part of a government meeting rather than a separate program or event.
“The important thing here is that it is indeed a meeting, ”Bell said, explaining that there is no reason for the Telecom Board to tell boards, commissions or government bodies how to have meetings.
With a 4-2 voice vote, the board approved recommending a policy change that, if approved by the council, will change the words “limited public forums” to “moderated public forums.”
Bell said that clarification would ensure that moderated issue forums are limited to candidate and ballot issues and ensure that the Government Channel is specific to government activity.
On the second change Bell proposed, the board seemed to accept unanimously. It makes all city government meetings the first level of priority for showing on the Government Channel (Blogger's note: Actual vote was 5-0-1, with Shepherd abstaining).
The intent is to clarify that any government meeting can be televised on the Government Channel “regardless of the format chosen by that government body,” she said.
Agreeing with City Attorney Kit Williams and Susan Thomas, public information officer and policy adviser, Bell said Government Channel programming should be limited to candidate and ballot issues. She said anything not a government meeting would be shown on the city’s public access channel to ensure that programming on the Government Channel is specific to government activity.
Under the policy changes being recommended to the council, any government meeting would be eligible to be televised on the Government Channel, even if the governmental body chooses to conduct the meeting in a round-table or forum format. The policy would not limit the type of meeting that can be televised.
Drake indicated that the board is open to other policy suggestions to take to the City Council. Those proposals will be discussed at the board’s July meeting for presentation to the council in August.
The Telecom Board meeting Thursday was not shown as a live broadcast because of technical difficulties. It will be broadcast on the Government Channel and can be viewed on the city’s Web site, www. accessfayetteville. org.
Copyright © 2001-2008 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved. Contact: webmaster@nwanews.com
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Please attend or watch Telecom Board tonight. It may not be live at 5:30 but is to be run immediately afterward and may be found live on the city site
Watch Telecom Board live or archived later at this link
Although the local media harshly criticized the City's recent denial of a Council Member’s scheduled issue forum on the government channel, you probably haven’t heard about a Telecom Board member’s proposal to totally eliminate such forums. The Board will hear the proposal today at their “live” meeting at City Hall (5:30 p.m.)..
Board Member Bell will present the proposal as a slide show, after consulting privately with the City Attorney Kit Williams and Susan Thomas, Policy and Information Officer. Kit has said that the forums are legal and constitutional, and both he and Ms. Thomas have said they thing the forums are great, so it’s hard to figure their decision to nix the forums and completely bypass the Telecommunications Board in the process of denying the earlier forum request..
As I see it, the City Hall folks have presented only opinions and conjecture as their reasons for denying the forums, and I have filed a complaint to the Board that also should be considered at tonight’s Board meeting. In addition, several local citizens have followed current channel policy to request an issue forum to discuss Board Member Bell’s proposal, as well as to provide more public iinput into how the government channel is used and programmed.
Please tune in to the Board Meeting tonight on Channel 16. You can also call in or send an email during the meeting.
__._
A citizen's draft of a potential government channel policy
FACTORS IN DECIDING WHAT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE GOVERNMENT CHANNEL POLICY:
a. ORDINANCE 4504: “The goal is to create an informed and involved citizenry.” & “…provide information about… issues faced by local governments.”
b. RESOLUTION 2746 “…is intended to…help create an open and participatory local government.”
c. TWO TYPES OF GOVERNMENT CHANNELS: Government channels across the country tend to be of two types. One type has its programming ultimately controlled by the City Administration. The other type has its policy written by a body somewhat removed form the City Administration, in order to maintain some independence from the City Administration. The Fayetteville Government Channel, up to this point in time, clearly has the latter intention.
d. GOVERNMENT ONLY: All programming is intended to be an expression of or about local government concerns. Up to this point in time, this has been adhered to with few problems.
e. ISSUE FORUMS SINCE 1992: The Fayetteville government channel policy, since its inception in 1992 has included a provision for issue forums.
f. ULTIMATE AUTHORITY: The City of Fayetteville, as the local franchising authority, is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the programming is unbiased and nonpartisan on the government channel and that the programming on the public access channel is an unfettered expression of citizen’s first amendment rights. Therefore the government can ensure that issue forums only on the government channel are unbiased.
g. PUBLIC ACCESS AND ISSUE FORUMS: One of the reasons for having a policy that enables citizens to request Issue Forums to be produced is that it will enable every citizen, regardless of their skills or resources, to see certain issues discussed/and or debated concerning government issues. Not everyone has the ability and /or money to pay CAT to have an issue forum produced. Equal opportunity is not the same as equal capability. People can speak on public access “short takes” and similar programs, but that is entirely different than speaking on a balanced issue forum with planned questions, a moderator and speakers of differing viewpoints.
h. CITY REQUESTS: Issue forums were originally specified by the government channel policy to give citizens the opportunity to request discussion of government issues at city hall that elected officials otherwise would not want to discuss.
i. UNBIASED: Issue forums are required to be unbiased and balanced on the government channel and there have been no citizen complaints in this regard. In fact there has been a greater tendency for partisan and nongovernmental elements to creep into “informational” programs.
j. ADVERSARIAL ELEMENT: As witnessed by the Arkansas FOIA, there is a natural tendency for some adversarial element to exist between government and the media. For this reason the decision for which FOIA meetings are to be televised should never lie solely with the government, but always have the possibility of decisions by citizens. This has been borne out by several instances where committees and boards have decided at some point that there was “no good reason” to televise their meeting and they have, in effect, “unrequested” them. This is the reason for the “citizen’s request” clause in the policy.
k. CONTROL OF PROGRAMMING CONTENT: If the City staff makes the decisions on which programs will be produced, based on a long list of priorities, it will effectively give control of the programming content to the City Administration.
l. STAFF FOLLOWS POLICY: It should be made sufficiently clear that the telecom board will recommend a policy to the City Council for their approval. And that the City Administration and the Government Channel staff will operate the channel by following the policy just as other ordinances and resolutions are followed.
ITEMS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE GOVERNMENT CHANNEL POLICY TO ENCOURAGE AN OPEN AND PARTICIPATORY LOCAL GOVERNMENT:
1. DEFINITION OF PROCEDURES: All items that are policy will be included in the policy as apposed to arbitrarily calling them “procedures.” “Procedures are only those items that can be changed without significantly affecting the programming content.
2. WHO IS AUTHORIZED TO REQUEST: How all types of programs are requested (initiated) and who is authorized to request them shall be clearly specified in the policy with no exceptions.
3. CITIZEN PETITION REQUEST: Included in the “requesting” policy will be a provision for a certain number of citizens, perhaps 20, to request issue forums on subjects pertinent to the local government.
4. CITIZENS CAN REQUEST ANY FOIA MEETING: Citizens shall be enabled to request coverage of any FOIA criteria meeting of any governmental entity with jurisdiction which includes Fayetteville.
5. REPLAYS: Citizens shall be enabled to request replays of any FOIA meeting or Issue Forum.
6. DELINEATION OF COORDINATION: The policy shall clearly delineate the coordination of informational programs which allow citizen participation. This will recognize that “round table” discussions and meetings are, at present, most effectively and efficiently produced at the PEG center studio. It will also recognize that citizen discussions that take place at the library, Council of Neighborhood meetings and other venues are already being televised on the Government Channel.
7. FAIRNESS COMMITTEE: A “fairness” committee will monitor all Government Channel programming for adherence to the policy, especially to see that forums are balanced and “informational” programs are free from partisan elements. Provisions will be made that will allow any citizen, whether elected official, staff or committee member, to submit any Government Channel program to the committee and receive a prompt fairness determination. In the event that it is determined that a program was improperly biased, proper action will be taken, such as allowing the “opposition” to have equal time for a rebuttal.
8. POLICY POSTED: The Government Channel policy shall be posted where all citizens can readily access it.
a. ORDINANCE 4504: “The goal is to create an informed and involved citizenry.” & “…provide information about… issues faced by local governments.”
b. RESOLUTION 2746 “…is intended to…help create an open and participatory local government.”
c. TWO TYPES OF GOVERNMENT CHANNELS: Government channels across the country tend to be of two types. One type has its programming ultimately controlled by the City Administration. The other type has its policy written by a body somewhat removed form the City Administration, in order to maintain some independence from the City Administration. The Fayetteville Government Channel, up to this point in time, clearly has the latter intention.
d. GOVERNMENT ONLY: All programming is intended to be an expression of or about local government concerns. Up to this point in time, this has been adhered to with few problems.
e. ISSUE FORUMS SINCE 1992: The Fayetteville government channel policy, since its inception in 1992 has included a provision for issue forums.
f. ULTIMATE AUTHORITY: The City of Fayetteville, as the local franchising authority, is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the programming is unbiased and nonpartisan on the government channel and that the programming on the public access channel is an unfettered expression of citizen’s first amendment rights. Therefore the government can ensure that issue forums only on the government channel are unbiased.
g. PUBLIC ACCESS AND ISSUE FORUMS: One of the reasons for having a policy that enables citizens to request Issue Forums to be produced is that it will enable every citizen, regardless of their skills or resources, to see certain issues discussed/and or debated concerning government issues. Not everyone has the ability and /or money to pay CAT to have an issue forum produced. Equal opportunity is not the same as equal capability. People can speak on public access “short takes” and similar programs, but that is entirely different than speaking on a balanced issue forum with planned questions, a moderator and speakers of differing viewpoints.
h. CITY REQUESTS: Issue forums were originally specified by the government channel policy to give citizens the opportunity to request discussion of government issues at city hall that elected officials otherwise would not want to discuss.
i. UNBIASED: Issue forums are required to be unbiased and balanced on the government channel and there have been no citizen complaints in this regard. In fact there has been a greater tendency for partisan and nongovernmental elements to creep into “informational” programs.
j. ADVERSARIAL ELEMENT: As witnessed by the Arkansas FOIA, there is a natural tendency for some adversarial element to exist between government and the media. For this reason the decision for which FOIA meetings are to be televised should never lie solely with the government, but always have the possibility of decisions by citizens. This has been borne out by several instances where committees and boards have decided at some point that there was “no good reason” to televise their meeting and they have, in effect, “unrequested” them. This is the reason for the “citizen’s request” clause in the policy.
k. CONTROL OF PROGRAMMING CONTENT: If the City staff makes the decisions on which programs will be produced, based on a long list of priorities, it will effectively give control of the programming content to the City Administration.
l. STAFF FOLLOWS POLICY: It should be made sufficiently clear that the telecom board will recommend a policy to the City Council for their approval. And that the City Administration and the Government Channel staff will operate the channel by following the policy just as other ordinances and resolutions are followed.
ITEMS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE GOVERNMENT CHANNEL POLICY TO ENCOURAGE AN OPEN AND PARTICIPATORY LOCAL GOVERNMENT:
1. DEFINITION OF PROCEDURES: All items that are policy will be included in the policy as apposed to arbitrarily calling them “procedures.” “Procedures are only those items that can be changed without significantly affecting the programming content.
2. WHO IS AUTHORIZED TO REQUEST: How all types of programs are requested (initiated) and who is authorized to request them shall be clearly specified in the policy with no exceptions.
3. CITIZEN PETITION REQUEST: Included in the “requesting” policy will be a provision for a certain number of citizens, perhaps 20, to request issue forums on subjects pertinent to the local government.
4. CITIZENS CAN REQUEST ANY FOIA MEETING: Citizens shall be enabled to request coverage of any FOIA criteria meeting of any governmental entity with jurisdiction which includes Fayetteville.
5. REPLAYS: Citizens shall be enabled to request replays of any FOIA meeting or Issue Forum.
6. DELINEATION OF COORDINATION: The policy shall clearly delineate the coordination of informational programs which allow citizen participation. This will recognize that “round table” discussions and meetings are, at present, most effectively and efficiently produced at the PEG center studio. It will also recognize that citizen discussions that take place at the library, Council of Neighborhood meetings and other venues are already being televised on the Government Channel.
7. FAIRNESS COMMITTEE: A “fairness” committee will monitor all Government Channel programming for adherence to the policy, especially to see that forums are balanced and “informational” programs are free from partisan elements. Provisions will be made that will allow any citizen, whether elected official, staff or committee member, to submit any Government Channel program to the committee and receive a prompt fairness determination. In the event that it is determined that a program was improperly biased, proper action will be taken, such as allowing the “opposition” to have equal time for a rebuttal.
8. POLICY POSTED: The Government Channel policy shall be posted where all citizens can readily access it.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Plug-pulling after council meeting stirs debate over telecom policy
Please click on image to ENLARGE story from 2000 after meeting coverage canceled by city administrator.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Eight-year-old news report displays past forum decisions at Government Channel
Please click on image to enlarge:
Sunday, June 15, 2008
June 15-21 schedule for government channel City 16 on Cox Cable
http://www.accessfayetteville.org/government/cable/documents/20080615.pdf
http://www.accessfayetteville.org/government/cable
June 15-21 schedule Gov Channel
Government Channel
FAYETTEVILLE CITY16
GOVERNMENT CHANNEL PROGRAM GUIDE
June 15-21, 2008
SUNDAY, June 15
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Treatment 101: The Science And Methodology of Treating
Alcohol & Drug Use Disorders
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Gulley Park Bioswale Ribbon Cutting
College Avenue Construction Update
Become An Animal Service Volunteer
Troops, Trains & Planes 2008
9:00 a.m. Quorum Court: June 12
12:00 p.m. Boston Mt. Solid Waste : June 9
1:00 p.m. Subdivision Committee: June 12
3:00 p.m. Sidewalks & Trails Task Force Tour: June 11
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. City Council Agenda: June 10
5:00 p.m. Planning Commission: June 9
6:15 p.m. Water & Sewer Committee: June 10
8:00 p.m. Airport Board: June 11
9:45 p.m. Sidewalks & Trails Task Force Tour: June 11
10:45 p.m. 3 Bridges: Scull Creek Crossing
11:45 p.m. City View: Parks & Recreation
MONDAY, June 16
12:00 a.m. Donald Harington Reads from Thirteen Albatrosses
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. U.S. Conference Of Mayors: Green Technology Challenge
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Troops, Trains & Planes 2008
8:45 a.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
9:00 a.m. Energy Efficient Construction: June 11
9:45 a.m. The Dollars and Sense of Protecting Community Character
11:00 a.m. ICLEI Climate Conference: Climate & Sustainability Synergies
12:30 p.m. City View: New Urbanism
1:00 p.m. Gulley Park 2006 Concert Series: Jason D. Williams
3:00 p.m. Library 1st Tuesday: Poets & Writers: Poetic Monologues of
Michael Hefferman & Miller Williams
3:45 p.m. Swedish Asbestos Firm Comes To Fayetteville
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Fire Training Video
5:30 p.m. Troops, Trains & Planes 2008
5:43 p.m. Fire Wise Communities USA
6:00 p.m. Gulley Park Bioswale Ribbon Cutting
Become An Animal Service Volunteer
College Avenue Construction Update
Park Gazebos
6:30 p.m. Quorum Court: June 12
9:30 p.m. Energy Efficient Construction: June 11
10:30 p.m. ICLEI Climate Conference: Building Performance Management &
Cost Savings
11:45 p.m. City View: Bioswale Demonstration
TUESDAY, June 17
12:00 a.m. Gulley Park Summer Concert Series 02: Earl's Garage
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Medication Assisted Therapies For Substance Abuse
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. 3 Bridges: Scull Creek Crossing
9:00 a.m. City Council Agenda: June 10
11:00 a.m. Sidewalks & Trails Task Force Tour: June 11
12:00 p.m. Troops, Trains & Planes 2008
12:15 p.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
12:30 p.m. College Avenue Construction Update
Gulley Park Bioswale Ribbon Cutting
Become An Animal Service Volunteer
1:00 p.m. 3 Bridges: Scull Creek Crossing
1:30 p.m. Natural Resource Management
3:00 p.m. Saving for School - 4 Ways to Finance College
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. 3 Bridges: Scull Creek Crossing
5:00 p.m. Tim Ernst; Buffalo Wilderness
6:00 p.m. City Council-LIVE
10:00 p.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
Troops, Trains & Planes 2008
10:30 p.m. City View: Rain Gardens
11:00 p.m. 3 Bridges: Scull Creek Crossing
11:30 p.m. Washington. County Historical Society Lecture Series: Public Art
& The Courthouse Mural
WEDNESDAY, June 18
12:30 a.m. BGO: Carl A. Totemeier Horticulture Center Dedication
Celebration
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Addiction & The Justice System: Deciphering The Maze
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Animals That Need Homes Now!
Farmers Market
9:00 a.m. City Council: June 17
1:00 p.m. Energy Efficient Construction: June 11
2:00 p.m. Housing Authority Board: June 17
3:00 p.m. Partners For Housing Committee: June 17
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Fire Training Video
5:30 p.m. College Avenue Construction Update
Become An Animal Service Volunteer
Gulley Park Bioswale Ribbon Cutting
Troops, Trains & Planes 2008
6:00 p.m. Animals That Need Homes Now!
Farmers Market
6:30 p.m. City Council: June 17
10:30 p.m. Sidewalks & Trails Task Force Tour: June 11
11:30 p.m. 3 Bridges: Scull Creek Crossing
THURSDAY, June 19
12:00 a.m. Tim Ernst; Buffalo Wilderness
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. The Addiction Treatment Workforce: Where We Are, Why We’re
Here, Where We Need To Be
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Troops, Trains & Planes 2008
Trinity Wind Power Project
9:00 a.m. Creating Value: Developing Livable Communities
11:54 a.m. Eagle Park Concept Design Public Meeting
12:32 p.m. Watershed Awareness
12:54 p.m. Large Scale Wind Power: A Good Fit For Arkansas?
2:08 p.m. Roy Reed At Ozark Writers Live
2:57 p.m. El Alcohol En La Comuidad Latina Producio En Espanol
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. City View: Sustainability In The City
5:15 p.m. Gulley Park Concert Series: Darren & Russ
5:30 p.m. Telecommunications Board-LIVE
7:00 p.m. Subdivision Committee: June 12
10:00 p.m. Housing Authority Board: June 17
11:00 p.m. Partners For Housing Committee: June 17
FRIDAY, June 20
12:00 a.m. The Dollars and Sense of Protecting Community Character
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Be Cool About Fire Safety
7:49 a.m. Gulley Park Bioswale Ribbon Cutting
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Perils For Pedestrians
9:00 a.m. Telecommunications Board: June 19
10:30 a.m. Council Of Neighborhoods: June 19
11:30 p.m. 3 Bridges: Scull Creek Crossing
12:00 p.m. ICLEI Climate Conference: US EPA State & Local Government
Climate Tools & Resources
1:00 p.m. Gulley Park Concert: Still On The Hill
2:45 p.m. Poets & Writers: Grif Stockley & Louise Mann
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Fire Training Video
5:30 p.m. Close The Loop: Buy Recycled
5:44 p.m. Gulley Park Bioswale Ribbon Cutting
5:52 p.m. Become An Animal Service Volunteer
5:57 a.m. ICLEI Climate Conference: Creating Economic Value Through
Effective Climate Action Planning
7:00 p.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
8:00 p.m. City View: Trails
8:30 p.m. Environmental Concerns: June 12
9:30 p.m. Council Of Neighborhoods: June 19
10:30 p.m. 3 Bridges: Scull Creek Crossing
11:00 p.m. Gulley Park Concert Series 2004: Cherry Brook & Pulse
SATURDAY, June 21
12:15 a.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
12:30 a.m. Troops, Trains & Planes 2008
12:45 a.m. College Avenue Construction Update
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Addiction & Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Combating Co-
Occurring Disorders
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Water Infrastructure: Successful Strategies For Local Leadership
8:45 a.m. Become An Animal Service Volunteer
College Avenue Construction Update
Troops, Trains & Planes 2008
9:00 a.m. City Council: June 17
1:00 p.m. Telecommunications Board: June 19
2:30 p.m. Environmental Concerns: June 12
3:30 p.m. 3 Bridges: Scull Creek Crossing
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Boston Mt. Solid Waste: June 9
5:30 p.m. Energy Efficient Construction: June 11
6:30 p.m. Housing Authority Board: June 17
7:30 p.m. Partners For Housing Committee: June 17
8:30 p.m. Council Of Neighborhoods: June 19
9:30 p.m. Gulley Park Concert: Patrice Pike and the Black Box Rebellion
10:45 p.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
11:00 p.m. Troops, Trains & Planes 2008
11:15 p.m. ICLEI Climate Conference: Leadership By Example: Creating
Savings Through Local Government Climate Action
12:15 p.m. City View: Sustainability Initiative
12:45 p.m. Fayetteville Executive Airport Honors Dr. Noah Fields Drake
http://www.accessfayetteville.org/government/cable
June 15-21 schedule Gov Channel
Government Channel
FAYETTEVILLE CITY16
GOVERNMENT CHANNEL PROGRAM GUIDE
June 15-21, 2008
SUNDAY, June 15
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Treatment 101: The Science And Methodology of Treating
Alcohol & Drug Use Disorders
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Gulley Park Bioswale Ribbon Cutting
College Avenue Construction Update
Become An Animal Service Volunteer
Troops, Trains & Planes 2008
9:00 a.m. Quorum Court: June 12
12:00 p.m. Boston Mt. Solid Waste : June 9
1:00 p.m. Subdivision Committee: June 12
3:00 p.m. Sidewalks & Trails Task Force Tour: June 11
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. City Council Agenda: June 10
5:00 p.m. Planning Commission: June 9
6:15 p.m. Water & Sewer Committee: June 10
8:00 p.m. Airport Board: June 11
9:45 p.m. Sidewalks & Trails Task Force Tour: June 11
10:45 p.m. 3 Bridges: Scull Creek Crossing
11:45 p.m. City View: Parks & Recreation
MONDAY, June 16
12:00 a.m. Donald Harington Reads from Thirteen Albatrosses
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. U.S. Conference Of Mayors: Green Technology Challenge
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Troops, Trains & Planes 2008
8:45 a.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
9:00 a.m. Energy Efficient Construction: June 11
9:45 a.m. The Dollars and Sense of Protecting Community Character
11:00 a.m. ICLEI Climate Conference: Climate & Sustainability Synergies
12:30 p.m. City View: New Urbanism
1:00 p.m. Gulley Park 2006 Concert Series: Jason D. Williams
3:00 p.m. Library 1st Tuesday: Poets & Writers: Poetic Monologues of
Michael Hefferman & Miller Williams
3:45 p.m. Swedish Asbestos Firm Comes To Fayetteville
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Fire Training Video
5:30 p.m. Troops, Trains & Planes 2008
5:43 p.m. Fire Wise Communities USA
6:00 p.m. Gulley Park Bioswale Ribbon Cutting
Become An Animal Service Volunteer
College Avenue Construction Update
Park Gazebos
6:30 p.m. Quorum Court: June 12
9:30 p.m. Energy Efficient Construction: June 11
10:30 p.m. ICLEI Climate Conference: Building Performance Management &
Cost Savings
11:45 p.m. City View: Bioswale Demonstration
TUESDAY, June 17
12:00 a.m. Gulley Park Summer Concert Series 02: Earl's Garage
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Medication Assisted Therapies For Substance Abuse
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. 3 Bridges: Scull Creek Crossing
9:00 a.m. City Council Agenda: June 10
11:00 a.m. Sidewalks & Trails Task Force Tour: June 11
12:00 p.m. Troops, Trains & Planes 2008
12:15 p.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
12:30 p.m. College Avenue Construction Update
Gulley Park Bioswale Ribbon Cutting
Become An Animal Service Volunteer
1:00 p.m. 3 Bridges: Scull Creek Crossing
1:30 p.m. Natural Resource Management
3:00 p.m. Saving for School - 4 Ways to Finance College
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. 3 Bridges: Scull Creek Crossing
5:00 p.m. Tim Ernst; Buffalo Wilderness
6:00 p.m. City Council-LIVE
10:00 p.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
Troops, Trains & Planes 2008
10:30 p.m. City View: Rain Gardens
11:00 p.m. 3 Bridges: Scull Creek Crossing
11:30 p.m. Washington. County Historical Society Lecture Series: Public Art
& The Courthouse Mural
WEDNESDAY, June 18
12:30 a.m. BGO: Carl A. Totemeier Horticulture Center Dedication
Celebration
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Addiction & The Justice System: Deciphering The Maze
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Animals That Need Homes Now!
Farmers Market
9:00 a.m. City Council: June 17
1:00 p.m. Energy Efficient Construction: June 11
2:00 p.m. Housing Authority Board: June 17
3:00 p.m. Partners For Housing Committee: June 17
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Fire Training Video
5:30 p.m. College Avenue Construction Update
Become An Animal Service Volunteer
Gulley Park Bioswale Ribbon Cutting
Troops, Trains & Planes 2008
6:00 p.m. Animals That Need Homes Now!
Farmers Market
6:30 p.m. City Council: June 17
10:30 p.m. Sidewalks & Trails Task Force Tour: June 11
11:30 p.m. 3 Bridges: Scull Creek Crossing
THURSDAY, June 19
12:00 a.m. Tim Ernst; Buffalo Wilderness
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. The Addiction Treatment Workforce: Where We Are, Why We’re
Here, Where We Need To Be
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Troops, Trains & Planes 2008
Trinity Wind Power Project
9:00 a.m. Creating Value: Developing Livable Communities
11:54 a.m. Eagle Park Concept Design Public Meeting
12:32 p.m. Watershed Awareness
12:54 p.m. Large Scale Wind Power: A Good Fit For Arkansas?
2:08 p.m. Roy Reed At Ozark Writers Live
2:57 p.m. El Alcohol En La Comuidad Latina Producio En Espanol
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. City View: Sustainability In The City
5:15 p.m. Gulley Park Concert Series: Darren & Russ
5:30 p.m. Telecommunications Board-LIVE
7:00 p.m. Subdivision Committee: June 12
10:00 p.m. Housing Authority Board: June 17
11:00 p.m. Partners For Housing Committee: June 17
FRIDAY, June 20
12:00 a.m. The Dollars and Sense of Protecting Community Character
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Be Cool About Fire Safety
7:49 a.m. Gulley Park Bioswale Ribbon Cutting
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Perils For Pedestrians
9:00 a.m. Telecommunications Board: June 19
10:30 a.m. Council Of Neighborhoods: June 19
11:30 p.m. 3 Bridges: Scull Creek Crossing
12:00 p.m. ICLEI Climate Conference: US EPA State & Local Government
Climate Tools & Resources
1:00 p.m. Gulley Park Concert: Still On The Hill
2:45 p.m. Poets & Writers: Grif Stockley & Louise Mann
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Fire Training Video
5:30 p.m. Close The Loop: Buy Recycled
5:44 p.m. Gulley Park Bioswale Ribbon Cutting
5:52 p.m. Become An Animal Service Volunteer
5:57 a.m. ICLEI Climate Conference: Creating Economic Value Through
Effective Climate Action Planning
7:00 p.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
8:00 p.m. City View: Trails
8:30 p.m. Environmental Concerns: June 12
9:30 p.m. Council Of Neighborhoods: June 19
10:30 p.m. 3 Bridges: Scull Creek Crossing
11:00 p.m. Gulley Park Concert Series 2004: Cherry Brook & Pulse
SATURDAY, June 21
12:15 a.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
12:30 a.m. Troops, Trains & Planes 2008
12:45 a.m. College Avenue Construction Update
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Addiction & Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Combating Co-
Occurring Disorders
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Water Infrastructure: Successful Strategies For Local Leadership
8:45 a.m. Become An Animal Service Volunteer
College Avenue Construction Update
Troops, Trains & Planes 2008
9:00 a.m. City Council: June 17
1:00 p.m. Telecommunications Board: June 19
2:30 p.m. Environmental Concerns: June 12
3:30 p.m. 3 Bridges: Scull Creek Crossing
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Boston Mt. Solid Waste: June 9
5:30 p.m. Energy Efficient Construction: June 11
6:30 p.m. Housing Authority Board: June 17
7:30 p.m. Partners For Housing Committee: June 17
8:30 p.m. Council Of Neighborhoods: June 19
9:30 p.m. Gulley Park Concert: Patrice Pike and the Black Box Rebellion
10:45 p.m. American Waste Water Backflow Prevention
11:00 p.m. Troops, Trains & Planes 2008
11:15 p.m. ICLEI Climate Conference: Leadership By Example: Creating
Savings Through Local Government Climate Action
12:15 p.m. City View: Sustainability Initiative
12:45 p.m. Fayetteville Executive Airport Honors Dr. Noah Fields Drake
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Nominating committee declines to recommend appointment of Marvin Hilton to Telecom Board
Committee won’t support Hilton for Telecom Board
BY MARSHA L. MELNICHAK Northwest Arkansas Times
Posted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/66055/
Committee declines Hilton's offer to serve on Telecom Board
Marvin Hilton, who was recently fired as Fayetteville cable administrator, will not be recommended as the newest member of the Telecommunications Board to which he previously reported.
He was the only applicant for the board’s vacant position.
The Fayetteville City Council Nominating Committee, headed by Ward 2 Alderman Kyle Cook, agreed Monday to recommend to the full council that the position remain open.
“ I would say it was the fact that he was laid off by the city of Fayetteville and we’re discussing appointing him to a board for the city of Fayetteville, ” Cook said. “ It wasn’t the fact that he was the cable administrator. It was the fact that he just got laid off. It seemed kind of odd. ”
“ I think we just felt conflicted about it at this time in view of all that’s happened, ” said Adella Gray, the Ward 1 representative on the committee. “ We just didn’t feel like it was a good fit. ”
Ward 4 Alderman Shirley Lucas agreed.
“ We just didn’t feel comfortable making a recom- mendation, ” she said.
The City Council could still appoint Hilton on Tuesday when it votes on other committee recommendations.
“ The full council could say, ‘ We think there ought to be someone in there, ’” Ward 3 Alderman Robert Rhoads said.
“ I think there’ll still be some debate, ” Cook said. “ I kind of hope so. ”
He told committee members that there was no doubt Hilton knows about the telecommunications industry.
“ I’m a little queasy about what’s happened, but like I said, I think he could do some good work, certainly, if you took out what happened and just looked at his resume, ” Cook said. “ It makes it difficult. ”
Having only one applicant for a position is not a guarantee of approval, Cook said prior to the meeting.
“ Typically, though, I will say that if we only have one applicant, that person usually does get on, ” he said.
Hilton’s contract was terminated May 9. He applied to be on the board May 30. Ironically it was Hilton, in his former role as cable administrator, who notified the city clerk’s office of the need to fill the position after Jon Zimmer resigned.
Hilton has, so far, declined to talk about his termination or the events leading up to it. On Monday, he declined to comment on his application until after a council vote.
He said in his application that he wanted to contribute his knowledge and experience to the board, help keep the council informed of communication matters and lend some continuity to the process.
Hilton’s application indicates he is a 16-year resident of Fayetteville and a registered voter. Residency and being a registered voter are the only requirements for the board appointment, according to city code.
The first qualification Hilton listed for the Telecom Board position was his 13 years of experience as city staff support for that board.
He also cited his experience managing the Government Channel, monitoring the public access contract and handling cable franchise matters.
Hilton has 20 years of program production experience for access television, according to his application, which also cited memberships, conferences he attended and a degree in communications from the University of Kansas.
Last on his list of qualifications is “ extensive experience in interpreting and / or writing Public, Education and Government Access policies and / or contracts. ”
Whether the city was following existing policy for the Government Channel regarding forums and ongoing efforts to revise policies for that channel under Hilton’s leadership as cable administrator are issues recently brought to the City Council for consideration.
Lucas said if Hilton had a better relationship with the board, possibly “ things could have moved along better. ”
“ I’ve certainly watched a few meetings where he got in it with them, ” Cook concurred.
According to city code, the Telecom Board’s purpose is to advise the City Council on telecommunications issues and to coordinate and oversee telecommunications franchise systems and use of the public rights of way for public, educational and governmental channels.
“ I think he’s like the number one advocate for public access and citizens’ access for what’s going on in the city, ” said Jeff Waits, one of Hilton’s references for the city board. “ He believes in open government and all of that as much as anybody else that you’ll find anywhere. ”
Copyright © 2001-2008 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved. Contact: webmaster@nwanews.com
Monday, June 9, 2008
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Government channel schedule for Sunday June 8 through Saturday June 14
FAYETTEVILLE CITY16
GOVERNMENT CHANNEL PROGRAM GUIDE
June 8-14, 2008
SUNDAY, June 8
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Message Board
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Road To Recovery: Helping Families Find Recovery
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Fayetteville Executive Airport Honors Dr. Noah Fields Drake
8:42 a.m. Park Gazebos
8:50 a.m. Gulley Park Bioswale Ribbon Cutting
9:00 a.m. Four Million Gallons Of Music
10:00 a.m. Parks & Recreation Advisory Board: June 2
11:30 a.m. Public Hearing On Washington County Courthouse
Expansion: May 28
Noon City Council Agenda: May 27
1:30 p.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Tour
2:00 p.m. Arkansas Birds
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. City Council: June 3
7:45 p.m. Board Of Adjustments: June 2
9:17 p.m. City Council Agenda: May 27
10:45 p.m. Ultra Suede 2008 Concert @ Gulley Park
MONDAY, June 9
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Message Board
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Tour
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. David Lashley Park
9:00 a.m. Public Hearing On Washington County Courthouse
Expansion: May 28
9:30 a.m. Ultra Suede 2008 Concert @ Gulley Park
Noon The Greatest Good: A Forest Service Centennial Film
2:15 p.m. Blair Library: David Renfroe And His Prototype Automobile
3:00 p.m. Together We Make A Difference: Volunteering In Fayetteville
3:15 p.m. Fayetteville Fire Dept.: Burn Prevention Education
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Fire Training Video
5:30 p.m. Planning Commission-LIVE
8:30 p.m. Four Million Gallons Of Music
9:30 p.m. Public Hearing On Washington County Courthouse
Expansion: May 28
10:00 p.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Tour
11:00 p.m. Fayetteville Executive Airport Honors Dr. Noah Fields Drake
Park Gazebos
11:30 p.m. Arkansas Birds
TUESDAY, June 10
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Message Board
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Improving Addiction Treatment Services: Taking Action Now
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Animals That Need Homes Now!
Water Infrastructure: Successful Strategies For Local Leadership
9:00 a.m. Planning Commission: June 9
12:00 p.m. Boston Mt. Solid Waste : June 10
1:00 p.m. Ultra Suede 2008 Concert @ Gulley Park
3:30 p.m. Grinders Skate Park
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. David Lashley Park
5:00 p.m. Affordable "Green" Homes: Yes It's True
6:15 p.m. Farmers' Market
6:30 p.m. Planning Commission: June 9
9:30 p.m. Boston Mt. Solid Waste : June 10
10:30 p.m. Gulley Park Summer Concert Series 2007: Big Uns
WEDNESDAY, June 11
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Message Board
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Road To Recovery: Financial & Medical Benefits Of Treatment
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Animals That Need Homes Now!
Farmers Market
9:00 a.m. City Council Agenda: June 10
10:30 a.m. Water & Sewer Committee: June 10
11:30 a.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Tour
12:30 p.m. Fayetteville Executive Airport Honors Dr. Noah Fields Drake
Park Gazebos
1:00 p.m. Creating Value: Developing Livable Communities
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Fire Training Video
5:30 p.m. Lake Fayetteville Multi-Use Trail & Spillway Bridge
6:00 p.m. Animals That Need Homes Now!
Farmers Market
6:30 p.m. City Council Agenda: June 10
8:00 p.m. Water & Sewer Committee: June 10
9:00 p.m. Airport Board: June 11
10:00 p.m. Ultra Suede 2008 Concert @ Gulley Park
12:30 a.m. Grinders Skate Park
THURSDAY, June 12
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Message Board
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Be Cool About Fire Safety
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Governor's Conference 2004: Arkansas Appreciation
8:45 a.m. BGSO: Earth Day Is Every Day
9:00 a.m. Airport Board: June 11
10:00 a.m. Ultra Suede 2008 Concert @ Gulley Park
12:30 p.m. Planning A Physically Active Community
1:30 p.m. Tim Ernst; Buffalo Wilderness
2:30 p.m. David Lashley Park
3:00 p.m. Marc Brown, Arthur Creator, Visits FPL
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Tour
5:30 p.m. Fayetteville Executive Airport Honors Dr. Noah Fields Drake
Park Gazebos
6:30 p.m. Public Hearing On Washington County Courthouse
Expansion: May 28
7:00 p.m. Quorum Court-LIVE
10:00 p.m. David Lashley Park
10:30 p.m. Woolsey House: 19th Century Pioneer Farmstead Clean Up
Reenactment
11:30 p.m. Quantum Reality And A New View Of Evolution
12:45 p.m. Park Gazebos
FRIDAY, June 13
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Message Board
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Tour
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Fayetteville Executive Airport Honors Dr. Noah Fields Drake
Park Gazebos
9:00 a.m. Quorum Court: June 12
Noon Subdivision Committee: June 12
2:00 p.m. Environmental Concerns: June 12
3:00 p.m. Woolsey House: 19th Century Pioneer Farmstead Clean Up
Reenactment
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Fire Training Video
5:30 p.m. Arkansas Birds
7:00 p.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
8:00 p.m. City View
8:30 p.m. Historic District Commission: June 12
10:00 p.m. Water Gardens with Marcella Thompson.
11:00 p.m. Business Forecast 2008
SATURDAY, June 14
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Message Board
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Woolsey House: 19th Century Pioneer Farmstead Clean Up
Reenactment
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. David Lashley Park
9:00 a.m. City Council Agenda: June 10
10:30 a.m. Planning Commission: June 9
1:30 p.m. Water & Sewer Committee: June 10
2:30 p.m. Airport Board: June 11
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Quorum Court: June 12
7:30 p.m. Subdivision Committee: June 12
10:30 p.m. Environmental Concerns: June 12
Midnight Waste Water Treatment Plant Tour
GOVERNMENT CHANNEL PROGRAM GUIDE
June 8-14, 2008
SUNDAY, June 8
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Message Board
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Road To Recovery: Helping Families Find Recovery
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Fayetteville Executive Airport Honors Dr. Noah Fields Drake
8:42 a.m. Park Gazebos
8:50 a.m. Gulley Park Bioswale Ribbon Cutting
9:00 a.m. Four Million Gallons Of Music
10:00 a.m. Parks & Recreation Advisory Board: June 2
11:30 a.m. Public Hearing On Washington County Courthouse
Expansion: May 28
Noon City Council Agenda: May 27
1:30 p.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Tour
2:00 p.m. Arkansas Birds
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. City Council: June 3
7:45 p.m. Board Of Adjustments: June 2
9:17 p.m. City Council Agenda: May 27
10:45 p.m. Ultra Suede 2008 Concert @ Gulley Park
MONDAY, June 9
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Message Board
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Tour
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. David Lashley Park
9:00 a.m. Public Hearing On Washington County Courthouse
Expansion: May 28
9:30 a.m. Ultra Suede 2008 Concert @ Gulley Park
Noon The Greatest Good: A Forest Service Centennial Film
2:15 p.m. Blair Library: David Renfroe And His Prototype Automobile
3:00 p.m. Together We Make A Difference: Volunteering In Fayetteville
3:15 p.m. Fayetteville Fire Dept.: Burn Prevention Education
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Fire Training Video
5:30 p.m. Planning Commission-LIVE
8:30 p.m. Four Million Gallons Of Music
9:30 p.m. Public Hearing On Washington County Courthouse
Expansion: May 28
10:00 p.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Tour
11:00 p.m. Fayetteville Executive Airport Honors Dr. Noah Fields Drake
Park Gazebos
11:30 p.m. Arkansas Birds
TUESDAY, June 10
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Message Board
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Improving Addiction Treatment Services: Taking Action Now
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Animals That Need Homes Now!
Water Infrastructure: Successful Strategies For Local Leadership
9:00 a.m. Planning Commission: June 9
12:00 p.m. Boston Mt. Solid Waste : June 10
1:00 p.m. Ultra Suede 2008 Concert @ Gulley Park
3:30 p.m. Grinders Skate Park
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. David Lashley Park
5:00 p.m. Affordable "Green" Homes: Yes It's True
6:15 p.m. Farmers' Market
6:30 p.m. Planning Commission: June 9
9:30 p.m. Boston Mt. Solid Waste : June 10
10:30 p.m. Gulley Park Summer Concert Series 2007: Big Uns
WEDNESDAY, June 11
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Message Board
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Road To Recovery: Financial & Medical Benefits Of Treatment
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Animals That Need Homes Now!
Farmers Market
9:00 a.m. City Council Agenda: June 10
10:30 a.m. Water & Sewer Committee: June 10
11:30 a.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Tour
12:30 p.m. Fayetteville Executive Airport Honors Dr. Noah Fields Drake
Park Gazebos
1:00 p.m. Creating Value: Developing Livable Communities
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Fire Training Video
5:30 p.m. Lake Fayetteville Multi-Use Trail & Spillway Bridge
6:00 p.m. Animals That Need Homes Now!
Farmers Market
6:30 p.m. City Council Agenda: June 10
8:00 p.m. Water & Sewer Committee: June 10
9:00 p.m. Airport Board: June 11
10:00 p.m. Ultra Suede 2008 Concert @ Gulley Park
12:30 a.m. Grinders Skate Park
THURSDAY, June 12
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Message Board
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Be Cool About Fire Safety
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Governor's Conference 2004: Arkansas Appreciation
8:45 a.m. BGSO: Earth Day Is Every Day
9:00 a.m. Airport Board: June 11
10:00 a.m. Ultra Suede 2008 Concert @ Gulley Park
12:30 p.m. Planning A Physically Active Community
1:30 p.m. Tim Ernst; Buffalo Wilderness
2:30 p.m. David Lashley Park
3:00 p.m. Marc Brown, Arthur Creator, Visits FPL
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Tour
5:30 p.m. Fayetteville Executive Airport Honors Dr. Noah Fields Drake
Park Gazebos
6:30 p.m. Public Hearing On Washington County Courthouse
Expansion: May 28
7:00 p.m. Quorum Court-LIVE
10:00 p.m. David Lashley Park
10:30 p.m. Woolsey House: 19th Century Pioneer Farmstead Clean Up
Reenactment
11:30 p.m. Quantum Reality And A New View Of Evolution
12:45 p.m. Park Gazebos
FRIDAY, June 13
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Message Board
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Waste Water Treatment Plant Tour
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. Fayetteville Executive Airport Honors Dr. Noah Fields Drake
Park Gazebos
9:00 a.m. Quorum Court: June 12
Noon Subdivision Committee: June 12
2:00 p.m. Environmental Concerns: June 12
3:00 p.m. Woolsey House: 19th Century Pioneer Farmstead Clean Up
Reenactment
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Fire Training Video
5:30 p.m. Arkansas Birds
7:00 p.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
8:00 p.m. City View
8:30 p.m. Historic District Commission: June 12
10:00 p.m. Water Gardens with Marcella Thompson.
11:00 p.m. Business Forecast 2008
SATURDAY, June 14
1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Message Board
5:00 a.m. Fire Training Video
6:00 a.m. Washington/Madison County Drug Court
7:00 a.m. Woolsey House: 19th Century Pioneer Farmstead Clean Up
Reenactment
8:00 a.m. Community Events Calendar
8:30 a.m. David Lashley Park
9:00 a.m. City Council Agenda: June 10
10:30 a.m. Planning Commission: June 9
1:30 p.m. Water & Sewer Committee: June 10
2:30 p.m. Airport Board: June 11
4:00 p.m. Community Events Calendar
4:30 p.m. Quorum Court: June 12
7:30 p.m. Subdivision Committee: June 12
10:30 p.m. Environmental Concerns: June 12
Midnight Waste Water Treatment Plant Tour
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Fayetteville Council tells Telecom Board to come up with policy to manage forums
Council sends forum issue for Telecom Board advice, NWA Times says
June 3, 2008, City Council meeting archived video
Forum issue goes to Telecom Board
BY MARSHA L. MELNICHAK Northwest Arkansas Times
Posted on Thursday, June 5, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/65893
Any potential changes in policy regarding forums on the Fayetteville Government Channel moved to the Telecommunications Board this week.
“ We in the council decided if there ought to be a change, why not let the people closest to the issue, which is the Telecom Board, let them come up with the proposed changes they come up with and then we’ll act upon them, ” Ward 3 Alderman Robert Rhoads said Wednesday.
Richard Drake, Telecom Board chairman, told the Fayetteville City Council that he thought the board could make a policy recommendation in August.
Jim Bemis of Fayetteville, one of the speakers at the council meeting Tuesday and a strong proponent of forums on the Government Channel, hopes to speed that process along through complaint and appeals.
Bemis said Wednesday he will ask for written explanations of the opinions of Susan Thomas, public information officer and policy adviser; and Kit Williams, city attorney; that led to stopping production of new forums and the airing of earlier forums.
“ It is all opinion. It’s not law, ” Bemis said.
“ My interpretation was that what we were doing was outside of the scope of council-approved policy, that the forums we were conducting did not fit that definition, so we stopped, ” said Thomas, who told Bemis in an e-mail that the council affirmed her decision.
Bemis disagreed.
“ I think many people had the impression, at least I did, that they would not continue with Susan making decisions for the council and the Telecom Board, but she’s saying she will continue to make the decision that there will be no forums until the Telecom Board comes back with a recommendation, ” he said.
Rhoads confirmed Thomas’ understanding of the council’s direction regarding the forums.
“ The real issue is that there’s definitely a policy on these forums and it’s been in existence for several years, ” he said. “ Susan was just enforcing the policy. ”
Ward 1 Alderman Brenda Thiel said the council asked the Telecom Board to review the policy and make recommendations for changes if they were needed “ so we can actually follow what’s written because we’re doing one thing and the policy says something else. ”
Bemis said he plans to go back to the Telecom Board with his complaint based on Thomas’ responses to his earlier complaint about stopping the forums.
“(I will ) take my complaint all the way through to the council and make them make a decision at least on the forums, ” he said. “ Otherwise it’s going to take another two or three years. ”
At Tuesday’s meeting, the council agreed that the Telecom Board is an advisory board.
Agreement on the forums or what should happen next were not so easy to come by.
Thiel said she thought forums could be shown on the city’s public access channel, Cable Access Television. Acknowledging that there is an argument for only showing forums about government issues on the Government Channel, she said the issue then is who determines what are government issues.
“ That’s what needs to be clarified by the Telecom Board, ” she said. “ Who’s going to make the decision of whether or not it actually is a city government issue ?”
Ward 2 Alderman Nancy Allen said she thinks that shedding light on city government is one of the primary functions of the Government Channel.
“ The forums I have seen on the Government Channel have been well balanced and enlightening, ” she wrote in an e-mail to the Times. “ They are informative. It is hard for me to believe that an exchange of ideas could be anything other than a positive. ”
“ I think everybody would agree: Let’s have a fair and balanced forum, ” Williams said. “ Nobody’s going to argue with that. The problem is how can you get there. Who is going to be the designated decider of what viewpoints fit that and what viewpoints do not ?
“ When it says they have to be fair and balanced on the Government Channel, that means if that was actually true, that somebody from the government would be saying, ‘ OK, you’re fair and balanced, but you over there that want to speak, you’re not going to speak because you’re not fair and balanced. ’ That’s exactly what the government can’t do is choose between different viewpoints. ”
His advice is to keep all advocacy off the Government Channel and have it “ just be a purveyor of unvarnished information, just what the government is doing, whether it’s good, bad or indifferent. ”
Copyright © 2001-2008 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved. Contact: webmaster@nwanews.com
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Bemis asks City Council to form committee to study telecommunication roles
City Council, Telecommunication Board, City
Administration --
This Times article (below) ought to clear things up.
But as mentioned in an earlier official
request/complaint to the Telecom Board , I've already
requested that the Council form an ad hoc subcommittee
to consider the various telecommunications roles
involved. That document should be coming to the
Council soon through the Board's regular appeal
process.
Thanks for your consideration --
Jim Bemis
CAT producer
---------------------------------------------------
Channel debate has little common ground
BY MARSHA L. MELNICHAK Northwest Arkansas Times
Posted on Tuesday, June 3, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/65835
Volatile words and phrases like “ censorship,” “government control” and “freedom of speech” rifle
through public discussion on the role of the
Fayetteville Government Channel.
Drawing the line between censorship and freedom of
speech on the channel was a Fayetteville City Council
topic in September 2000, was brought up again in 2005
during policy discussions and most recently came
before the council during budget discussions at the
end of 2007.
Jim Bemis of Fayetteville, a former cable board
member, will ask the City Council tonight to set up a
special committee to discuss the role of the
Government Channel rather than the council discussing
it as the last item of a potential- ly long meeting.
“ I just think it deserves special attention and not
being shoved off to new business as the last item, ”
he said.
Both sides in the discussion support gavel-to-gavel
coverage of city meetings on the channel. Spokesmen
for both sides also agree it should not air advocacy
or promotion of any idea or issue.
Similarities end there.
They don’t agree about what either a forum or an
informational program is, and they don’t agree about
the role of the City Council or the role of the
Telecommunications Board.
Further, both sides argue that freedom of speech and
upholding the First Amendment to the U. S.
Constitution is best-served by their point of view.
Take, for example, the differences seen in Mayor Dan
Coody’s televised walks around the Fayetteville Square
for the Government Channel.
“ I tell you what Fred Hanna used to do which I wish
Coody would do. Hanna used to do his own show on the
Government Channel, ” said Richard Drake, Telecom
Board chairman. “ I’m not talking about this silly
walking around the Square, look at the pretty flowers
crap. Hanna would get in the studio and he would talk
to different aldermen or department heads and they
would talk about the work they do. ”
“ Basically the Government Channel’s best and highest
use is for government meetings and expressing to the
public the work the government is doing, ” Coody said
Monday.
For him, that includes telling Fayetteville residents
about the work under way or being planned at the
Square.
“ If they’re concer ned about the mayor alerting the
public as to what kind of changes are going to take
place on public infrastructure, if people are
uncomfortable with that, that’s fine with me, ” he
said.
Coody said things that directly affect governmental
operations and policies are fair game, in his opinion,
for the Government Channel. He said he’s learned that
it is important to keep residents informed about how
city money is being spent.
Street improvements and programs on recycling fall
into his definition of informational programs.
“ In my view, the bigger problems (than forums ) are
the so-called informational programs the mayor has
requested, ” Bemis said.
“ I like the idea of debates on the Government
Channel, especially when you have issues coming up, ”
Drake said. “ Of course, these things can be done on
(Community Access Television ) as well as the
Government Channel. With the Government Channel, you
have this feature that all sides have to be
represented. ”
While Drake’s statements suggest the Government
Channel can promote fairness by making sure that all
sides of an argument are heard in a forum, that is
exactly what the Government Channel cannot do,
according to City Attorney Kit Williams and Katherine
Shurlds, media law instructor at the University of
Arkansas.
“ The First Amendment prevents government from
limiting the use of a public forum on the basis of the
viewpoint expressed, ” Williams wrote in a memo to the
mayor and council.
According to Shurlds, the public access channel is a
designated public forum, and therefore, the government
cannot control the content. However, content on the
educational and government channel can be controlled
under the First Amendment because they are not
designated public forums, she said.
“ Under most models for government access, we’re not
supposed to have that much say — for that matter any
say — over what goes on the city channel, ” she said.
“ That’s not for the public to decide, whereas on the
public access side, under the First Amendment, they
are designated public forums. They cannot make
decisions based on content. ”
“ The fear some of us have is if the Government
Channel is opened up to all uses, then anyone for any
purpose can use the Government Channel for their own
ends, ” Coody said. “ That includes elected officials;
it includes the KKK. At that point, you can’t stop
anyone from putting anything they want on the
Government Channel. ”
He said when the Government Channel is opened for
general community use, it loses its strength and “ you
just have two public access channels. ”
Shurlds, who has participated in some of the
roundtable discussions including the forum about
forums, said the Government Channel ought to be the
government voice.
“ One of the main reasons I think that’s true is that
when people tune into the Government Channel, if it is
just delivering government information, then they’ll
understand that’s the government speaking, ” she said.
She said it could be confusing to the public when
there are people on forums, for example, who are not
part of the government but who are talking about
things proposed by the city or being done by the city.
She said forums should be moved to Community Access
Television.
“ Then the people’s voice is on public access and the
government’s voice is on Government Channel, and we
know the difference when we tune in, ” she said. “ Let
me be clear: I think the forums and round tables are
terrific. I think the programming is excellent. It
just doesn’t belong on the Government Channel. ”
Shurlds said moving forums to the public access
channel is not censorship as has been suggested.
“ I do not see it as any kind of censorship at all, ”
she said. “ I see it as channeling information so that
it comes from a source that’s understandable. ”
Bemis said he thinks everything an alderman requests
should be on the Government Channel because it is city
business.
According to former Cable Administrator Marvin Hilton,
public forums have been part of the Government Channel
since 1992.
The two forums that were stopped recently were about
the location of Fayetteville High School and the
Walton Arts Center.
Bemis argued that the decision on whether to broadcast
the forums is that of the Telecom Board.
“ They have not made a case for taking the forums off
because they have not indicated what their criteria
are for a forum, ” he said. “ They simply said they’re
not going to show them until they get some direction
from the council. I don’t give them the authority to
do that. I think that’s the Telecom Board’s authority.
They send the ordinance that way and they send the
policy that way. ”
In contrast, Shurlds used a school site forum as an
example of why forums should not be on the Government
Channel.
“ If you are hiring government employees to run the
Government Channel and then they put a forum on that
says the high school ought to be located in Greenland
or something like that, then I’m going to be mad that
my taxpayer money is going to persuade people to do
something I don’t agree with, ” she said.
Copyright © 2001-2008 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc.
All rights reserved. Contact: webmaster@nwanews.com
Administration --
This Times article (below) ought to clear things up.
But as mentioned in an earlier official
request/complaint to the Telecom Board , I've already
requested that the Council form an ad hoc subcommittee
to consider the various telecommunications roles
involved. That document should be coming to the
Council soon through the Board's regular appeal
process.
Thanks for your consideration --
Jim Bemis
CAT producer
---------------------------------------------------
Channel debate has little common ground
BY MARSHA L. MELNICHAK Northwest Arkansas Times
Posted on Tuesday, June 3, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/65835
Volatile words and phrases like “ censorship,” “government control” and “freedom of speech” rifle
through public discussion on the role of the
Fayetteville Government Channel.
Drawing the line between censorship and freedom of
speech on the channel was a Fayetteville City Council
topic in September 2000, was brought up again in 2005
during policy discussions and most recently came
before the council during budget discussions at the
end of 2007.
Jim Bemis of Fayetteville, a former cable board
member, will ask the City Council tonight to set up a
special committee to discuss the role of the
Government Channel rather than the council discussing
it as the last item of a potential- ly long meeting.
“ I just think it deserves special attention and not
being shoved off to new business as the last item, ”
he said.
Both sides in the discussion support gavel-to-gavel
coverage of city meetings on the channel. Spokesmen
for both sides also agree it should not air advocacy
or promotion of any idea or issue.
Similarities end there.
They don’t agree about what either a forum or an
informational program is, and they don’t agree about
the role of the City Council or the role of the
Telecommunications Board.
Further, both sides argue that freedom of speech and
upholding the First Amendment to the U. S.
Constitution is best-served by their point of view.
Take, for example, the differences seen in Mayor Dan
Coody’s televised walks around the Fayetteville Square
for the Government Channel.
“ I tell you what Fred Hanna used to do which I wish
Coody would do. Hanna used to do his own show on the
Government Channel, ” said Richard Drake, Telecom
Board chairman. “ I’m not talking about this silly
walking around the Square, look at the pretty flowers
crap. Hanna would get in the studio and he would talk
to different aldermen or department heads and they
would talk about the work they do. ”
“ Basically the Government Channel’s best and highest
use is for government meetings and expressing to the
public the work the government is doing, ” Coody said
Monday.
For him, that includes telling Fayetteville residents
about the work under way or being planned at the
Square.
“ If they’re concer ned about the mayor alerting the
public as to what kind of changes are going to take
place on public infrastructure, if people are
uncomfortable with that, that’s fine with me, ” he
said.
Coody said things that directly affect governmental
operations and policies are fair game, in his opinion,
for the Government Channel. He said he’s learned that
it is important to keep residents informed about how
city money is being spent.
Street improvements and programs on recycling fall
into his definition of informational programs.
“ In my view, the bigger problems (than forums ) are
the so-called informational programs the mayor has
requested, ” Bemis said.
“ I like the idea of debates on the Government
Channel, especially when you have issues coming up, ”
Drake said. “ Of course, these things can be done on
(Community Access Television ) as well as the
Government Channel. With the Government Channel, you
have this feature that all sides have to be
represented. ”
While Drake’s statements suggest the Government
Channel can promote fairness by making sure that all
sides of an argument are heard in a forum, that is
exactly what the Government Channel cannot do,
according to City Attorney Kit Williams and Katherine
Shurlds, media law instructor at the University of
Arkansas.
“ The First Amendment prevents government from
limiting the use of a public forum on the basis of the
viewpoint expressed, ” Williams wrote in a memo to the
mayor and council.
According to Shurlds, the public access channel is a
designated public forum, and therefore, the government
cannot control the content. However, content on the
educational and government channel can be controlled
under the First Amendment because they are not
designated public forums, she said.
“ Under most models for government access, we’re not
supposed to have that much say — for that matter any
say — over what goes on the city channel, ” she said.
“ That’s not for the public to decide, whereas on the
public access side, under the First Amendment, they
are designated public forums. They cannot make
decisions based on content. ”
“ The fear some of us have is if the Government
Channel is opened up to all uses, then anyone for any
purpose can use the Government Channel for their own
ends, ” Coody said. “ That includes elected officials;
it includes the KKK. At that point, you can’t stop
anyone from putting anything they want on the
Government Channel. ”
He said when the Government Channel is opened for
general community use, it loses its strength and “ you
just have two public access channels. ”
Shurlds, who has participated in some of the
roundtable discussions including the forum about
forums, said the Government Channel ought to be the
government voice.
“ One of the main reasons I think that’s true is that
when people tune into the Government Channel, if it is
just delivering government information, then they’ll
understand that’s the government speaking, ” she said.
She said it could be confusing to the public when
there are people on forums, for example, who are not
part of the government but who are talking about
things proposed by the city or being done by the city.
She said forums should be moved to Community Access
Television.
“ Then the people’s voice is on public access and the
government’s voice is on Government Channel, and we
know the difference when we tune in, ” she said. “ Let
me be clear: I think the forums and round tables are
terrific. I think the programming is excellent. It
just doesn’t belong on the Government Channel. ”
Shurlds said moving forums to the public access
channel is not censorship as has been suggested.
“ I do not see it as any kind of censorship at all, ”
she said. “ I see it as channeling information so that
it comes from a source that’s understandable. ”
Bemis said he thinks everything an alderman requests
should be on the Government Channel because it is city
business.
According to former Cable Administrator Marvin Hilton,
public forums have been part of the Government Channel
since 1992.
The two forums that were stopped recently were about
the location of Fayetteville High School and the
Walton Arts Center.
Bemis argued that the decision on whether to broadcast
the forums is that of the Telecom Board.
“ They have not made a case for taking the forums off
because they have not indicated what their criteria
are for a forum, ” he said. “ They simply said they’re
not going to show them until they get some direction
from the council. I don’t give them the authority to
do that. I think that’s the Telecom Board’s authority.
They send the ordinance that way and they send the
policy that way. ”
In contrast, Shurlds used a school site forum as an
example of why forums should not be on the Government
Channel.
“ If you are hiring government employees to run the
Government Channel and then they put a forum on that
says the high school ought to be located in Greenland
or something like that, then I’m going to be mad that
my taxpayer money is going to persuade people to do
something I don’t agree with, ” she said.
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