Council approves transition services agreement in municipal cable sale to Charter Communications

The council on June 2 approved a transition services agreement (TSA) tied to the sale and closing of the town's municipal cable system to Charter Communications, authorizing town staff to operate the system under a short-term contract while subscribers are migrated to Charter.

Mr. Dan, who introduced the TSA, said the agreement is the final document to be executed before the official closing scheduled for the next morning and described the TSA as having three parts: legal and term provisions, Schedule A (operational steps for the near term) and Schedule B (a monthly operating charge that the transcript records as "81,32 a month"). He said town staff will act as independent contractors during the transition, continuing to collect and bill subscribers and to work with Charter on migrating accounts and billing systems.

"I think the important thing is communication, communication, communication," Mr. Dan said, urging staff to notify subscribers about the change and prepare for inevitable cutover problems. He and other speakers warned the transfer will likely produce service interruptions during equipment swaps and staged cutover dates, as occurred in a prior Iron River sale where mailed gear and staggered plug-in dates were used.

An attendee who identified themself as a Norway internet customer said, "I pay about 135 a month for 250 gig down ... I could go to Charter and get gig speed ... triple the speed for $40 less," noting that many customers are moving toward streaming apps rather than large cable channel lineups.

Council members and staff discussed channel lineup changes that will occur under Charter's offerings; one concern highlighted on the record was that the local Green Bay Fox affiliate (Fox 11) will not be carried on the same channel lineup as before, though other regional Fox affiliates or streaming options remain available. Officials said written notices will be mailed to subscribers with instructions and that the town will have contact numbers to assist customers after the transfer.

A motion to approve the TSA was made and supported on the record; the motion passed with recorded 'yes' votes from Mrs. Stigerwald, Miss Langless, Mr. Managini and Mr. Moraro. Council members thanked staff for their lengthy work on the sale and noted the transaction will free capital for infrastructure reinvestment, which officials said should improve service over time.

The council also noted the town will retain some escrowed funds tied to the sale and referenced a projected net figure discussed in the meeting. Specific dollar figures cited in the discussion were recorded in the transcript but were not clarified or read back in legislative form during the meeting.

The council adjourned after brief comments and a reminder about the next regular meeting scheduled for the following Wednesday.