Spectrum franchise approved as company says it will look into cable safety issues

Spectrum/Charter Cable promised to work with citizens and other utilities to clean up open cable junction boxes and cables dangling from utility poles during a public hearing June 13.

The public hearing was held as part of the Selma City Council meeting before the Council voted to renew the company’s franchise. Spectrum/Charter has a nonexclusive franchise with the city, which means another company could enter the market “if someone wanted to make the investment to provide the service,” said Robert Smith, state president for Spectrum Cable.

Spectrum pays the city a 5% franchise fee for the right to run their wires along power lines and telephone lines.

Lemarkus Snow, who maintains the grounds of about two dozen apartment complexes and housing projects in Selma, brought blown up photographs of what he called “straight-out hazards” caused by Spectrum.

“There are junction boxes open with wire everywhere where children play” and cable lines laying on streets and sidewalks, Snow said. He said the cables could lead to injuries and lawsuits.

Snow said that these conditions have been around long before Hurricane Zeta and the January tornado. He said he brought these issues up to the Darrio Melton administration.

Smith said some of the cables may belong to other utilities, but he said Spectrum would look into the situation if Snow gave them addresses to check out. “It’s all over the city,” Snow responded.

“I paid $100 for these pictures,” Snow said of his blow ups. “That’s what this means to me.”

Smith also fielded questions about pricing for cable and the reliability of service, especially at night. Smith said they do maintenance overnight when there are fewer viewers.

The City Council voted unanimously to renew Spectrum’s franchise.