Adelphia contract renewed
By Jesse Phelps

Apparently technical difficulties and lack of reception during the world's premier sporting events can't dampen the enthusiasm of the Ojai City Council.

Despite a total drop in its service for much of the valley during last year's playoff series between the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs and, almost incomprehensibly, a similar snafu during the Super Bowl just two years earlier, Adelphia Communications' exclusive contract will be retained for another year by Ojai's lawmakers.

The city cited its ability to oversee the quality of service for Adelphia customers as the primary reason for renewing the contract. City Manager Dan Singer told the council that not renewing the contract would keep the city out of the loop in terms of "helping to control standards."

Singer said that Adelphia's recent bankruptcy shouldn't present any problems and that the company is upgrading its service levels. "As they come out of bankruptcy," Singer said, "they are working on some rapid upgrades for our system."

Citizen speaker Bill Miley came out in support of the city's action, saying he's seen the Adelphia trucks around quite a bit and is impressed with their service levels.

In another major action, the council elected unanimously to proceed with imminent domain hearings against landowner Denise Wizman, in order to take possession of land between Fox and Bryant Streets for the Ojai Valley bike trail extension project.

Wizman, who bought the property from the Union Pacific Railroad, has refused to sell at the city's offered price.

Apparently in an agreeable mood, the council voted unanimously on several other actions. A monetary release to boost library service hours, detailed here several weeks ago, was passed.

Also, bids were received and agreed upon for the 2003-2004 street maintenance project and the city manager was authorized to file a claim for transportation grant monies for the coming year.

But the big news remained the city's willingness to take land for the bike trail (see inset story) and it's eagerness to continue its contract with Adelphia, despite past service deficiencies.

Mayor Joe DeVito said he'd been given assurances that some of the problems of the past would stay in the past. "When we met with Adelphia," he said, "they promised we would get the Super Bowl, unlike a couple of years ago."

© 2003 The Ojai Valley News

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