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Label:
Ordinance
Authorize a Cable Franchise Fund for the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability to support the collection of Public, Education, and Government revenues and manage cable franchise work related to intergovernmental agreements with jurisdictions
Passed
The City of Portland ordains.
Section 1. The Council finds:
- City Comprehensive Financial Management Policy FIN-2.04 states that each fund in the City shall have a statement of purpose, adopted by ordinance of the City Council, which contains several required elements (outlined in FIN 2.04.01).
- City Comprehensive Financial Management Policy 2.06, consistent with City's overall revenue structure, states that the City's overall revenue structure shall be designed to recapture some of the financial benefits resulting from City economic and community development investments. Revenue collection efforts that produce positive net income for City service delivery shall be the highest budget priority.
- Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) is responsible for the collection of revenues associated with cable franchise agreements and the Public, Education, and Government (PEG) revenues paid under the cable franchises.
- The spending of PEG revenues must comply with federal law and the categories of spending as identified in cable franchise agreements between the City and cable franchisees. The City's only current cable franchise is with Comcast.
- To facilitate the collection and distribution of PEG revenues, creating a new accounting fund would help the City track PEG revenues and comply with PEG legal compliance requirements. The fund would also give the City flexibility to engage with other jurisdictions on cable services.
- Additionally, this fund will assist BPS in managing the outstanding Community Technology Grants approved by the Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory (MHCRC) until those grants are completed in 2029.
- The fund will also help BPS administer resources derived from any future IGA for services with former MHCRC jurisdictions and allow BPS to continue allocating the City's PEG resources to fund capital operations of designated Community Media Center(s) and any future community technology grants.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs:
- The Cable Franchise Fund, Fund Number 234, is hereby created effective July 1, 2026.
- The Cable Franchise Fund will support capital costs related to PEG access consistent with applicable law, track costs associated with any subsequent Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) with partner jurisdictions, and facilitate the fulfilment of the Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory Commission's (MHCRC) outstanding obligations upon its dissolution. The source of funds for the Cable Franchise Fund will be the City's PEG revenues, IGA revenues for services provided to partner jurisdictions, and revenue transferred from the MHCRC's Fund 855 for its outstanding obligations.
- The Fund's Statement of Purpose included as Exhibit A for the Cable Franchise Fund is hereby adopted. The action to adopt the Fund Statement of Purpose contained in this ordinance is binding City policy.
Exhibits and attachments
An ordinance when passed by the Council shall be signed by the Auditor. It shall be carefully filed and preserved
in the custody of the Auditor (City Charter Chapter 2 Article 1 Section 2-122)
Passed by Council
Auditor of the City of Portland
Simone Rede
Impact Statement
Purpose of proposed legislation and background information
The formation of the accounting order allows the City and BPS to account for cable revenues and manage cable activities associated with IGAs after the Mt Hood Cable Regulatory Commission (MHCFC) fund 855 ends on June 30, 2026.
Financial and budgetary impacts
There are no budgetary impacts due to this ordinance because this new fund will replace the Mt Hood Cable Regulatory Commission (MHCFC) fund 855 once the MCHRC ends on June 30, 2026. At the start of the new fiscal year, MHCRC funds in Fund 855 will be transferred to the newly established fund for accounting of Portland's cable revenues associated with Public, Education, and Government along with any revenues associated with the dissolution of the MHCRC and any subsequent IGAs with former MHCRC member jurisdictions.
Economic and real estate development impacts
Not applicable.
Community impacts and community involvement
Not applicable.
100% renewable goal
Not applicable.
Economic and real estate development analysis
Analysis provided by Prosper Portland
An Economic and Real Estate Development Impact Analysis was not submitted for this proposed action. Pursuant to City Council Resolution 37664, Prosper Portland staff has reviewed the action and agree that it does not require an Economic and Real Estate Development Impact Analysis.
Document history
Document number: 2026-175
President's referral: City Life Committee