Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Fayetteville Public Schools' report for July 2011 meeting of the Telecom Board: Thanks to Susan Norton

Report to Telecommunications Board 
July 21, 2011 

Information on TV & Multimedia Services 

Fayetteville Public Schools’ TV & Multimedia Services department produces a broad range of media including: community interest stories, coverage of school events, student performances, athletics, professional development for teachers, and school board meetings. FPS has a state-of-the-art television studio used both by students in broadcast classes and by professional staff. Fayar.tv is the official broadcast station for the Fayetteville Public Schools. 

Fayar.tv, is made possible by an agreement with the City of Fayetteville under its franchise agreements which provide for the cable companies to host an Education Channel as well as a Government and Public Access Channel.  Fayar.tv is broadcast on Cox Channel 217 and Uverse 99.  The district also serves up this programming via web stream on its home page: www.fayar.net 

The symbol [Picture]on the far bottom right of the home page will activate the stream.   


Information on TV Programming Guidelines 
 
Per specifications for broadcast content on the Fayetteville COX and AT&T U-Verse PEG channel use agreement with the city, the Fayetteville Public School District utilizes our educational channels to publish locally-produced content relating to the district, its student population and their parents. We broadcast athletic events and competitions, academic events and competitions, district and citywide social events, school specific events including theatrical, musical and academic events. We emphasize activities and events designed to engender familial and community interest and participation in the education of our youth. Additionally, we broadcast the monthly school board meetings to update community awareness of the decisions and directions of the district’s governing body.  

We maintain an interstitial bulletin board and RSS feed from the district’s community web-blog to announce upcoming events, commendations awarded and other items of general interest to our community. 

Also included in our daily offering are early programs, now in the public domain, for their historic content. These programs range from early motion pictures by Charlie Chaplin, screen plays produced from literary classics like Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, Ernest Hemmingway’s A Farewell to Arms, Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book to name a few. We’ve also included a few cartoons like early Popeye and Betty Boop for their cinematic historical value. All selections are age appropriate and can be related to studies of World and American History, cinema and Americana. 

Today's Schedule (July 20, 2011) 
11:40 AM - Sight 
11:55 AM - Take Me Home 



We invite the Telecommunications Board to offer feedback and guidance! 
Next month, I will show you the new web pages we are launching to better showcase the work of the students and staff.  For now, thanks! 

Susan Norton 
Chief Information Officer 
Fayetteville Public Schools 

Draft of complaint procedure compiled by city staff members

Complaint and Feedback Procedure for
The City of Fayetteville
Telecommunications Board
June 2011



The Telecommunications Board, through assistance of City Staff, will manage a process whereby residents can communicate their comments, complaints or feedback regarding:

a. The activity of the Telecommunications Board
b. The programming or operations of The Fayetteville Government Channel
c. The programming or operations of Fayetteville Public Access Television
d. The programming or operations of the Education Channel
e. The operations of the City of Fayetteville Television Center
f. Any other issue involving telecommunications or telecommunications services providers that have an impact on the residents of Fayetteville

Individuals may communicate comments, complaints or feedback by:

1. Contacting the Mayor’s designated City Staff liaison to the Telecommunications Board
2. Contacting a member of the Telecommunications Board
3. Communicating directly with the Board in a Board meeting

Complaints

Complaints regarding the operations or programming of The Government Channel or Fayetteville Public Access Television will be initially investigated and responded to by the respective management of each channel following currently established procedure. Each procedure provides for an appeal process.

It is the responsibility of the City Staff liaison to initially document, investigate and respond to any complaints communicated to the Telecommunications Board. A complaint will only be investigated and responded to if it is the desire of the complainant to file a formal complaint. To qualify as a formal complaint, the complaint must be submitted in writing with the complainant providing their name and contact information. The Staff liaison will make available a form that can be used to submit a formal complaint to the Telecommunications Board, and provide assistance to those requiring help in completing the form.

1. Complaints communicated to the City Staff liaison will be immediately investigated by the City Staff liaison in accordance with the procedure described herein.
2. For complaints communicated to a member of the Telecommunications Board, the complainant will be referred to the City Staff liaison for follow up.
3. Complaints that are presented directly to the Telecommunications Board at a Board meeting will be documented by the City Staff liaison for follow up. The complainant will be advised that the City Staff liaison will investigate the complaint and present findings to the complainant and the Telecommunications Board at its next regular meeting.

After a formal complaint is submitted, the Staff liaison will follow this procedure:
1. Document the complaint, recording:
a. Date
b. Time
c. Nature of the complaint
d. Contact information of the complainant
e. As many details as possible to facilitate the investigation of the complaint
2. Immediately communicate to the complainant their complaint is being investigated, and they will receive a preliminary response, in writing, regarding their complaint within 3 business days.
3. Advise the City’s Director of Communication of the complaint.
4. Investigate the complaint to determine all pertinent information, documenting the process, the findings and the recommendations of City Staff to the Telecommunications Board.
5. Provide a written response to the complainant detailing the investigation of their complaint, any findings thereof, and any initial action taken in response to the complaint. The complainant will be advised their complaint will be included on the agenda to be considered by the full Telecommunications Board at their next regular meeting. If the complaint is received within 15 days of a regular meeting of the Board, it will be scheduled to be heard at the subsequent regular meeting.
6. Provide all information regarding the complaint to members of the Telecommunications Board via the meeting information packet.
7. Document all action taken and information regarding the complaint, including any pertinent meeting minutes, and keep such documentation in a file in the archives of the Telecommunications Board.

When considering a complaint at a full meeting of the Telecommunications Board, the following procedure will be followed:

1. A new complaint will be an individual item of new business on the meeting agenda.
2. The City Staff liaison will present the results of their investigation of the complaint, along with any information regarding applicable laws, regulations or ordinances, and any other information that may be pertinent or useful to the Telecommunications Board in making any determinations.
3. The complainant will be provided an opportunity to present any information and their position regarding the complaint.
4. The Telecommunications Board will discuss the complaint and ask any questions that may be necessary of either the City Staff liaison or the complainant.
5. The Board will present its determination and vote on the subsequent action.




In response to the complaint The Telecommunications Board may take one of the following actions:

1. The Board requires further information, or investigation of the complaint.
2. Determine the complaint is unfounded; no further action to be taken by the Telecommunications Board.
3. Determine the complaint is valid; no further action to be taken by the Telecommunications Board.
4. Determine the complaint is valid; The Telecommunications Board directs City Staff to present the complaint to the City Council. If this action is selected, the Telecommunications Board must state the action they are advising the City Council to take.
Consideration and response to complaints will follow all administrative and meeting conduct rules and procedures, including a formal motion and vote on the action to be taken. In all cases, the Board must provide supporting reasons and justifications for the determination and action taken.

After the Board has determined action, the City Staff liaison will provide a written response to the complainant within three (3) business days, detailing the complaint, the action taken by the Telecommunications Board, the justification and reasons for the action taken, and the process for appealing the action of the Telecommunications Board, should the complainant so desire.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Telecom Board agenda for Thursday, July 21, 2011

Staff Representatives

Don Marr
Chief of Staff

Lindsley Smith
Communications Director

Fritz Gisler
Government Channel Manager



Committee Members

Aubrey Shepherd, Chairman
Blake Pennington
Michael Spencer
Mike Ehrig
Mike Russell
Russ Davis
Steve Smith
Final Agenda
City of Fayetteville Arkansas
Telecommunication Board
July 21, 2011

A meeting of the Telecommunication Board will be held at 5:30 P.M. July 21, 2011, in Room 326 of the City Administration Building at 113 West Mountain Street, Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Call to Order

Call roll and WELCOME new members, Michael Ehrig and Steven Smith, to the board and thank previous members for service.

(1) Approval of May 2011 meeting minutes

(2) Adoption of July 21, 2011, agenda

(3) Government Channel Television Report

(4) Public Access Television Report from Fayetteville Public Access Television by Your Media Executive Director or  representative of Your Media Board.

(5) Education Channel Report from a representative of the Fayetteville Public School system.

(6) Report from complaint-subcommittee that met Wednesday.

(7) Invite new members to join the Internet sub-committee and complaint-policy committee

(8) Telecom Board discussion of Cox Cable's changes in channel lineup affecting PEG channels. How can we make the public more aware of where to find the public stations?

(9) Compliments, complaints and coverage-area residents’ comments*

(10)  Agenda suggestions for August 18, 2011,  meeting.  Election of chairman and vice chairman to be held in August.

(11) Announcements from Board Members

(12 ) Adjournment

*The public will be invited to speak after each presentation. but the comment period near the end of the meeting will offer the public time to speak about any previous item or to bring up questions, complaints,  complaints and suggestions for future agenda items considered important.