Bloomington approves Comcast cable franchise renewal deal
The Bloomington City Council unanimously approved a 10-year cable franchise renewal with Comcast on January 27, strengthening the city's ability to regulate the company's use of public rights-of-way and increasing financial support for local programming.
The council voted 6-0 to approve two motions related to the franchise renewal, which allows Comcast to continue providing cable television service in Bloomington. The deal strengthens the city's hand by clarifying what counts as cable revenue (generating a 5% fee for the city), ensuring city code governs how the company uses streets and public property, and providing stronger financial backing for Public, Educational, and Governmental programming—local content that serves the community.
Cable attorney Brian Grogan explained that while broadband and telephone services fall outside local regulation, the cable franchise itself is valuable because it grants the company the right to use city streets and infrastructure. "When you grant, you're not just giving a company the right to provide plain old cable television service," Grogan said. "It's a very valuable asset."
The renewal faced criticism from resident Bobby Kataria, who expressed frustration with Comcast's service quality. "If you poll the waters of Bloomington about Comcast, you'll get more voters that will vote against Comcast than they'll vote in your elections," he said, calling for competition. Councilmember Lowman acknowledged the revenue benefits, saying the city appreciated staff's work to improve municipal finances through the deal.
In other business, the council heard updates on Metro Transit's "Network Now" plan, which aims to increase service hours by 35% by 2027, and reviewed proposed standards for co-living and single-room occupancy housing to address the shortage of deeply affordable units. No votes were taken on those items, but staff will refine the housing ordinance for future consideration.
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Votes (3)
Update from Metro Transit
Dissent: None
Moved by None · Seconded by None
Metro Transit officials provided an overview of their operations, key initiatives, and future plans. Highlights included a 6% increase in ridership in 2024, implementation of the 'Safety and Security Action Plan' focusing on increasing official presence (Police, Community Service Officers, TRIP Agents, Supplemental Security, Transit Service Intervention), and the 'Network Now' project to update the transit system by 2027. Network Now aims for a 35% increase in service hours, improved frequency, all-day express service, and new 'Metro Micro' zones. Council members raised concerns about light rail safety, the lack of bus service west of Normandale, changes to the 546 route affecting Normandale Community College access, and the overall frequency and later night/weekend service.
Cable Franchise Renewal Ordinance
Dissent: None
Moved by Councilmember Lowman [1:17:00] · Seconded by Councilmember Dallessandro [1:17:00]
The council considered the renewal of the cable franchise for Comcast for a 10-year term. Brian Grogan, the city's cable attorney, clarified that the franchise regulates cable television (generating a 5% fee) but not broadband or telephone services. Key terms included strengthening the definition of gross revenues for cable, ensuring city code governs right-of-way management, and providing stronger financial support for Public, Educational, Governmental (PEG) programming. A resident expressed strong dissatisfaction with Comcast's service and asked about competition. The council emphasized the importance of municipal revenue and transparency in reporting.
Co-Living Single Room Occupancy (SRO) Standards Review
Dissent: None
Moved by None · Seconded by None
City staff presented an overview of their progress on developing an ordinance for co-living and SRO projects. The primary goal is to address the lack of deeply affordable housing (30% AMI) by providing a regulatory pathway that requires less deep subsidy. Key proposals included amending the 'family' definition in the zoning code to allow for more unrelated individuals to live together, creating new definitions for 'Co-Living Development' and allowing it as a permitted use in high-density residential and commercial districts. Staff recommended a parking requirement of 0.5 spaces per co-living unit, and discussed whether to establish minimum floor area or common space requirements per unit, generally deferring to market forces and state building codes. Council members expressed support for flexibility in standards to encourage development and requested a future summary of all ongoing housing initiatives.
Notable Quotes (12)
As Metro Transit General Manager, there isn't a topic I am asked about more from people in the public, our riders, our own employees than public safety on transit. A top priority of ours.
It's my understanding that they don't include other agencies' numbers of police activity... So if our police officers had to intervene in a situation that would not get counted in those numbers, is that accurate? ... My daughter lives in South Minneapolis... She won't ride light rail. She's had too many negative experiences on there and frankly until security is really seriously addressed, I don't know how we get people back riding and feeling safe about that.
Metro Micro Zone, what we're aiming at is to deliver a same-day app-enabled... similar to Uber, Lyft. You go to book your ride on your app. Our goal is that that vehicle would be able to pick you up within 20 minutes of your booking.
There's being safe and I'm glad to hear crime numbers are coming down and then there's feeling and the feeling safe I think is is exponentially more.
Cable Television is the only thing that's regulated at the local level. For all practical purposes, you decide who gets a franchise and who gets into your rights of way.
When you grant you're not just giving a company the right to provide plain old cable television service. It is much more than that. It's very valuable asset that you're giving because it is the right to use your streets put in their facilities and then deliver these services.
If you pull the waters of Bloomington about Comcast, you'll get more waters that will vote against Comcast than they'll vote in your elections. I guarantee you. We are so mad at Comcast the way the service that they provide and I wish we had another alternative.
I just appreciated the the the work that staff has done to try to improve the revenues that are coming into the city. It's always a pertinent question that that's on our minds and I appreciate the hard work that was done to get us to where we're at today.
The why of why we're here is really that co-living or SROs offer cities a regulatory pathway to allow for the development of affordable housing that doesn't necessitate as much deep subsidy as some of the other forms of development.
One of the easiest things that cities can do to make housing more available and more affordable to people is just to or remove some of these occupancy restrictions that exist within dwellings.
If we did make it higher [parking requirement], that would still provide the opportunity for a developer to come and say, 'Hey, I can't meet that. That's not going to work for me.' They they could do that. But if we make it lower because a permitted use, we'd then have no discretion about what they did.
I'm comfortable with half stall per unit and I would request that... a year after we've had something developed or repurposed... that we do some kind of evaluation and and figure out, you know, what are we hearing from developers? Is it is it still too much?
Ordinances & Resolutions (11)
Ordinance for renewing Comcast's cable franchise in Bloomington.
Metro Transit's plan endorsed by the Metropolitan Council to improve public safety on transit.
2023 State Legislature bill that initiated the Transit Service Intervention pilot.
Metro Transit's vision for improving and updating its transit system to current travel needs through 2027.
City ordinance related to affordable housing initiatives and goals.
City code containing definitions and regulations for land use and development, including family definition and co-living standards.
Part of the city code related to the regulation of rental housing.
City's long-term plan guiding development, including affordable housing goals.
State-level regulations for building construction, including minimum living space requirements.
City Code sections amended to designate uncodified ordinances as special ordinances related to the cable franchise.
New appendix created for uncodified special ordinances, including the cable franchise.
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Other Topics from This Document
Black History Month Proclamation
Winter Salt Week Proclamation & Responsible Salt Use
Metro Transit Service Update
Co-Living and Single Room Occupancy (SRO) Standards Review
Small Business Programing Update
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