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Council reviews Spectrum cable/IP agreement for new public safety building; staff say service is for cable, not core city broadband
Summary
The Common Council reviewed a three‑year agreement with Spectrum to supply cable TV set‑top boxes and IP delivery for the police department’s new facility at 1153 West Fayette Street; staff said city broadband and SurgeLink will provide Internet redundancy, while Spectrum will deliver cable services and franchise free‑service did not extend to the new site.
First Deputy Chief of Police Michelle told the Syracuse Common Council that the police department is requesting an agreement with Spectrum to provide 25 cable TV set‑top boxes at $7 per month with IP delivery and fiber‑based internet services for the department’s new facility at 1153 West Fayette Street.
Michelle said the arrangement would run three years at an estimated $387.50 per month with a one‑time installation fee of $625, and that the city’s procurement officer waived an RFP for this contract. Councilors asked why Spectrum is being used when the city has been investing in municipal fiber projects.
Joe Barry, first assistant corporation counsel, and Vinnie Scipione, director of digital services, explained that the Spectrum franchise’s free basic service covers 29 city locations but did not extend to the new West Fayette address when the franchise was renewed. Scipione said the Spectrum connection would be a separate physical route, and the city is also running fiber and deploying SurgeLink wireless redundancy so that if one route or provider fails, another can carry critical services.
"The intention there is redundancy," Scipione said, adding that the legislation under consideration is specific to cable services rather than general Internet provisioning. Council members pressed whether the city would begin paying for services before the building opens; Michelle said the city would not start paying until the move and service use began.
No final authorization vote was recorded during the study session; councilors asked staff to provide any missing technical details and clarified billing timing and redundancy plans before further action.
