The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Tiny rise in cable rates, a no vote on New Year's

By Natasha Collins

In less than an hour the City Council approved an increase in cable rates, voted down the sponsorship of a New Year's Eve celebration and set bylaws for the Onizuka realignment committee at its Aug. 5 meeting.

TCI cablevision's rates went up approximately 9 cents on June 1 to make up for increases in cost, said Shawn Hernandez, director of information technology for Sunnyvale. Because the increase met the Federal Communication Commission price guidelines and there had been no complaints filed by residents about the increases, the council had no choice but to approve the increase.

A nonalcoholic celebration for New Year's was voted down unanimously by the council because of the cost and community concern. Estimated cost of the event was more than $174,000.

Because the planned event site was near the downtown area, Chamber of Commerce Director Suzi Blackman was afraid the celebration would affect local merchants.

"Many of the businesses in the area are restaurants, and [New Year's Eve] is their busiest night of the year," she said. "It would be hard for them to support such an event."

The council also approved the bylaws of the Onizuka Realignment Authority. The group's purpose is to study what the effects would be if Onizuaka Airbase ever shut down.

The committee will be made up of six members, three from each city. Each of the members will serve for one year, and each city will have three alternates to fill in. The committe will also be co-chaired by a member from each city to allow each city to have equal power in the decision-making process.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, August 13, 1997.
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