Virginia § 15.2-2108.6 - Feasibility study on providing cable television services

§ 15.2-2108.6. Feasibility study on providing cable television services

A. Upon the hiring of a feasibility consultant under § 15.2-2108.5, the governing body of the municipality shall require the feasibility consultant to:

1. Complete the feasibility study in accordance with this section;

2. Submit to the governing body by no later than 180 days from the date the feasibility consultant is hired to conduct the feasibility study the full written results of the feasibility study, and a summary of the results that is no longer than one page in length; and

3. Attend the public hearings required by § 15.2-2108.7, if held, to: (i) present the feasibility study results and (ii) respond to questions from the public.

B. The feasibility study described in subsection A shall at a minimum consider:

1. If the municipality is proposing to provide cable television services to subscribers, whether the municipality providing cable television services in the manner proposed by the municipality will hinder or advance competition for cable television services in the municipality;

2. Whether but for the municipality any person would provide the proposed cable television services;

3. The fiscal impact on the municipality of: (i) the capital investment in facilities that will be used to provide the proposed cable television services or (ii) the expenditure of funds for labor, financing, and administering the proposed cable television services;

4. The projected growth in demand in the municipality for the proposed cable television services;

5. The projections at the time of the feasibility study, and for the five years immediately thereafter, of a full-cost accounting for a municipality to purchase, lease, construct, maintain, or operate the facilities necessary to provide the proposed cable television services; and

6. The projections at the time of the feasibility study and for the five years immediately thereafter of the revenues to be generated from the proposed cable television services.

C. For purposes of the financial projections required under subdivisions B 5 and B 6 of this section, the feasibility consultant shall assume that the municipality will price the proposed cable television services consistent with subsection E of § 15.2-2108.11.

D. The governing body of the municipality shall determine whether the average annual revenues under subdivision B 6 exceed the average annual costs under subdivision B 5 by at least the amount necessary to meet the bond obligations of any bonds issued to fund the proposed cable television services based on the feasibility study's analysis for the first year of the study and the five-year projection, and separately stated with respect to the proposed cable television services.

2003, c. 677.