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Department of Public Utilities budget hearing highlights radio upgrade, Channel 20 investments and billing changes
Summary
Director Martin J. Kane and CFO Catherine M. Troy presented the DPU operating budgets. The department plans investments in telecom and radio infrastructure (Motorola/800 MHz upgrades), expects larger chargebacks to user divisions, and described Channel 20 equipment and truck purchases funded by cable franchise fees.
Cleveland — The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) presented its general administration, fiscal-control and radio-communications budgets to the council finance committee, with focus on a citywide radio-modernization program, Channel 20 equipment and planned technology investments.
Director Martin J. Kane and Chief Financial Officer Catherine M. Troy said DPU administration supports multiple internal services — public affairs, Channel 20, call-center operations, translation services and scanning efforts — and that some line items in the 2025 budget reflect corrected position titles and head count changes. Kane noted green-sheet staffing clarifications were circulated to the committee.
Troy and department staff described three notable items:
- Radio/800 MHz upgrade: The city is implementing Motorola system upgrades and new consoles, mobile-unit replacements and site improvements for the 800 MHz public-safety radio network. DPU’s Office of Radio Communications will manage installation, and the up-front capital and equipment costs will be charged back to user divisions (public safety, airport, public works and others). The budget shows large increases in contractual and capital line items tied to that work; staff said miscellaneous revenue will reflect chargebacks from the user divisions once projects are invoiced.
- Channel 20 and cable-franchise revenue: The budget reflects continued funding for Channel 20 capital needs and equipment. Staff said the city’s general fund received roughly $2.3 million in cable franchise fees in 2024, and that Channel 20 equipment purchases (including a new outside-broadcast truck budgeted earlier) are reimbursed via franchise fees in the enterprise accounting shown in DPU’s book. Channel 20 leaders told council the truck has been ordered and the department expects delivery and final outfitting in the second quarter of 2025.
- Administrative services and client-facing programs: DPU administration budgeted for scanning of records (a state-term contract), translation services for customer-facing materials and training for risk-management software. These lines reflect a department-wide effort to modernize records, improve language access and centralize certain administrative functions.
CFO Troy explained that interest and investment income lines can shift based on where cash is held across operating divisions (DPU aims to keep funds working in user divisions rather than sitting in administrative accounts). Council members asked for more detail on telephone-exchange chargebacks and internal service allocations; finance staff and the DPU team said telecommunications and telecom-exchange chargeback amounts would be explained when IT and Finance present their budgets.
The Office of Radio Communications (Administrative Manager Brad Hanke) detailed equipment and material increases tied to the Motorola program and said the work includes console replacements and mobile installations and that the office will rely on a mix of in-house staff and contracted inspection and installation services to complete the upgrade.
Council members asked DPU for a breakdown of franchise-fee accounting and for a technology/telecom strategic plan; DPU staff agreed to provide the requested detail.
