This second cancelled meeting means the Cable Review Board has NOT MET for a half a year now. If you remember, the last time this Board met was in July of 2017. That’s the meeting where Jay Spillum(former president who resigned recently) stated he had no idea the board was obligated to review the GRA TV policies and procedures AND hear tv users complaints if there was a dispute. He stated if the board had to hear complaints and show up more than 4 times per year, there wouldn’t be a Board much longer. Shortly after that meeting, Norm Sandburg resigned and soon to follow, so did Jay. The city charter states they are to meet every 3 month... 4 times per year. It is an ordinance, as it involves public money. More than 120k per year. Mayor Greg Zylka must be having diffulty finding replacents for those 2 empty seats. Remember, Little Falls still does not have the REQUIRED BY LAW franchise agreement with Charter/Spectrum in order to allow them to operate in the city and use the public Right of Way. They are in violation of Mn Statute 238 AND the Federal Communications Act of 1934 and 1984. They have been in violation since the last contract expired May 2015. Charter is illegally collected franchise fees and peg fees from all Little Falls consumers. Without the required by law Franchise agreement, how do they DARE collect those fees every month, totaling more than 10K?
This is a repeat of the Golf Advisory Board that was required to meet once per month(which they NEVER did) in all the decades of years it was in force. Sometimes they only met once every 2-4 YEARS ! When I pointed out to the public they were not meeting their requirements, instead of meeting regularly, the City DELETED the committee. It was an ordinance. Huge taxpayer funds are involved, this is why they are required to provide an oversight committee.
Just as the Sister City was, until that group was defunded and the City deleted it, because there was NO tangible PUBLIC INTEREST. (The City was giving $3,000.00 per year to host a FOREIGNERS travel perks package.
Shame on Mayor Greg Zylka, City Administrator Jon Radermacher, Councilor Leif Hanson, Cable board members Thor Lundquist, Al Stencil, former president Jay Spillum, and former member Norm Sandburg for failing to uphold their duties.
Theresa Skorseth and I requested a meeting with the Cable Review Board on March 4, 2017,per GRA TV policies and procedures that were in place at the time. Mark Slupe has illegally aired 3 commercials for profit making companies, even though it is prohibited in those rules. Mark has also treated Theresa and my shows quite different than other shows. So instead of GRAA abiding by their own policies, they CHANGED their policies, so that now the Cable Review board of the city, no longer is REQUIRED to hear complaints. We have NEVER been able to air our grievances with the whole Board.
On Wednesday Jan. 10, 2018, Mark Slupe admitted adding extra video, photos, music and graphics to the Ripley Reporter show, after telling Theresa and I, two years ago, he would no longer even zoom the camera in for any of OUR shows. He seems to completely lack understanding of the meaning of Free Speech, or fairness. He said the Ripley Reporter is not a show on free speech but ours IS. NOTHING could be further from the truth. He also stated that religious speech is NOT free speech. He is setting up a future lawsuit, with Great River Arts Association and City of Little Falls help. City has a contract WITH GRAA to operate channel 180 public access tv. So if GRA TV is sued, so will the City, Mark Slupe and GRAA be.....maybe even former and present Board members.
As you all should know by now, I won’ t stand for injustice against anyone.
I have given them enough warning. They can expect a legal challenge. It’s only a matter of time.
This city has a corrupt history of operating below the Board. In other words ..... ILLEGALLY. in almost all areas of governance. Pathetic, criminal operation.
