GILROY
– Talk about shattered expectations.
GILROY – Talk about shattered expectations.
On a recent Friday evening, Gilroy Mayor Tom Springer joined other dignitaries at a ceremony to officially launch the Community Media Access Partnership or CMAP, the city’s long-awaited public access television network.
After coming home from the event that night, Springer switched on his television to see what was playing on the new community network, made possible in part by a major cable system rebuild the city negotiated with Charter Communications.
But what popped up on Springer’s screen wasn’t programming created and produced by other Gilroyans or Gavilan College students – it was QVC, the home-shopping network.
Armed with horror stories like these, Springer and the rest of the City Council brought their full verbal weight to bear on Charter representatives Tuesday, blasting the company over ongoing delays in the cable system rebuild project, a chronic lack of accountability from officials and complaints about service.
And although Charter officials promised to sew up the work within two months’ time, Councilmembers remained skeptical the company would follow through. Springer even threatened to dump the service if it doesn’t shape up.
“The last few grains of sand are trickling through the hourglass for me as a Charter customer,” he said.
When complete, the approximately $6 million rebuild and enhancement of the city’s cable system will offer Gilroyans options for expanded service over the 29-channel basic cable package, including 78 digital-quality channels, broadband Internet service and premium movie packages.
The work was originally due to be complete about a year ago, but that deadline came and went with Charter and the city locked in a dispute over the undergrounding of equipment that almost reached the legal arena.
The company received a deadline extension to Dec. 31, 2002 as part of a negotiated resolution of the dispute. But with the New Year come and gone – and the work still not complete – angry Councilmembers demanded a full report from the company.
Tuesday, Charter Area Vice President John Adams told Council the company is “very close” to completing the rebuild work. Approximately 7,400 or 55 percent of homes in the project are fully operational, he said, while construction is complete for another 2,700 homes that the company expects to test and certify within the week.
Adams estimated it would take another four to six weeks to certify another group of 2,600 homes. And while construction has not begun on a group of remaining homes, work should start in the next two to three weeks and wrap up about three weeks after it starts, he said.
“We anticipate 100 percent completion in five to eight weeks,” Adams said.
Councilman Craig Gartman noted he hadn’t received notice the service was available in his area, and hadn’t been able to get a straight answer from the company’s customer-service hotline about whether – and when – it would come online.
Adams apologized and said he was “at a loss,” noting he is standing in as interim general manager for the long-departed Dan McGough. He vowed to check into the hotline and ensure the information in his report was correct.
That didn’t sit too well either.
“The word ‘credibility’ has gotten a little bit murky to me when it comes to Charter,” said Councilman Al Pinheiro. “Each time it’s like whoever comes up here can’t give us answers about what’s going on.”
The city has seen a parade of company officials present construction timelines in the past, only to see the dates come and go, Pinheiro said.
He also noted complaints that the company did not offer some citizens a choice of aesthetic covers for above-ground equipment, as it was supposed to. Meanwhile, Councilman Charlie Morales complained of changes to a senior-citizen discount.
Adams promised 100 percent of the work would be done within eight weeks, with the possible exception of some “minor cleanup” or “a home here or there.”
“We are this close,” Adams said, pinching his fingers. “This has been a very long, arduous and expensive process. No one wants to get it done more than I do …
“As far as I’m concerned, in eight weeks we’re done.”
Councilman Bob Dillon, who lambasted Charter officials during the dispute a year ago, said he almost felt sorry for Adams – but still doubted the accuracy of his information.
“If it’s eight weeks, I’d be amazed,” he said.
Adams, who said he is based in Sacramento, noted the company is going through reorganization and financial problems, and said he expects to have hired a local general manager within a month’s time.
