Mount Clemens officials mourn end of cable commission

MOUNT CLEMENS — Members of the Mount Clemens City Commission took on a sorrowful tone at the June 17 meeting as the first round of votes to end the Cable Communications Commission were cast.

The cable commission was formed in 1991 as an agreement between the city and Mount Clemens Community Schools to produce and provide programming for public, educational and governmental channels. The commission oversaw the operation under the agreement and met at Mount Clemens High School on a bimonthly basis. Shows produced under the commission’s watch, including city and school board meeting broadcasts, were aired on the Mount Clemens Community Schools “Bath City Beat” YouTube channel.

According to supporting documents from the meeting packet, the school district decided to end the agreement effective June 30. The end of the agreement comes about 10 months after the commission approved a digital communications contract with Hunch Free, a contract that was renegotiated and approved on May 6 to include broadcasting City Commission meetings. The end of the cable commission is slated for July 1. Hunch Free has been broadcasting and uploading city commission meetings to the new “City of Mount Clemens” YouTube channel, @cityofmountclemens, for about a month.

Commissioners voted unanimously, if unenthusiastically, to begin the process of ending the 33-year-old communications commission during the first reading of an ordinance. The second reading will occur at the City Commission’s meeting on July 1 and the ordinance will take effect immediately.

After City Manager Gregg Shipman read the memo for the agenda, each commissioner took time during the discussion period to thank the commission’s members and eulogize the programing.

“As Macomb Cable Network’s first student producer, I would like to thank you all for your decades of service,” City Commissioner Erik Rick said to cable communications commissioners in attendance. “You guys gave us so much support through the years and supported such an awesome program that I know all of the alumni of it are grateful for. And most of them never know all the time you put into it, but thank you.”

City Commissioner Theresa McGarity noted how some of the agreement’s alumni were able to obtain careers in broadcasting and media production.

“There are Mount Clemens Bathers that are now working, as stated earlier, for CNN,” McGarity said. “My son, that is his heart. And it gave the children energy and pushed them forward because some of them have a business in doing what you stood for. Thank you for everything that you have done for the students.”

City Commissioner Barbara Dempsey argued the cable commission was kept out of the loop during the process.

“I’m sorry it ended the way it ended,” Dempsey said. “There should have been more input, I feel, but I personally want to thank you very much for all your service.”

Mayor Laura Kropp expressed hope that even though this agreement with the school was over, future collaboration with the district to the benefit of students could occur.

“Programs like this one are what bring kids (to school) and fuel kids to do well in everything else,” Kropp said. “And so, I hope that we can be a part of that as a partner and I know that Superintendent (Julian) Roper is also committed to that. I feel good that the legacy of the Mount Clemens Cable Network will live through a new program and be helpful to students. We will make sure that we are good stewards of that.”

Roper spoke briefly at the end of the meeting during public comments and expressed the need to uphold the legacy of the cable programs.

“We look to bring those types of efforts and opportunities for our kids back to the school district,” Roper said. “And I hope we make you all proud because you’re a part of something and that legacy is important.”

Board of education meetings have since been moved to a new district-specific YouTube channel, @MountClemensCommunitySchools.

Members of the cable commission were presented with service recognition awards at the start of the meeting for their time as volunteers.