City adds cable woes to agend

Lolita Harper

COSTA MESA -- Residents who are frustrated with a lack of

communication with AT&T; Broadband may get a chance to voice their

opinions in person, as the cable company will be asked to come before the

City Council to try to resolve customer service problems.

Steve Hayman, director of administrative services for the city, said

he and the city attorney are taking the necessary steps to get the issue

on an upcoming City Council agenda.

“The council can then decide what action should be taken, according to

the franchise agreement,” Hayman said.

The 15-year agreement authorizes the construction, operation and

maintenance of a cable system throughout the city. The terms of that

contract limit the actions a city can take, short of terminating the

deal, Hayman said. Those limitations have frustrated Hayman and his

colleagues as resident complaints continue to mount.

People reported problems communicating with AT&T; Broadband customer

service agents, saying hold times were excessive -- more than an hour --

if they got through at all. Many residents said they got a busy signal

when they dialed the toll-free number.

City officials demanded performance information from the company in

January and received a report confirming what they already knew: Customer

service is unsatisfactory.

The next step is to let the local politicians take action.

Councilman Gary Monahan said he is happy to act on behalf of the

residents but realizes he is also bound by the limitations of the

contract.

“We can apply pressure, but there aren’t many alternatives for us

either,” Monahan said.

Del Heintz, AT&T; Broadband’s director of local government affairs for

Southern California, said he was unaware that his company would go before

the council. Heintz has met with city officials in the past and

consistently said the cable company is willing to work toward a solution.

Monahan wondered what incentive AT&T; Broadband has to improve as it is

involved in a $72-billion merger with Comcast.

After the merger, it remains to be seen if Comcast -- which has

already pulled its business out of California -- chooses to keep a

contract with Costa Mesa, Monahan said. If not, Costa Mesa service will

go up for bid and Monahan thinks Adelphia -- Newport Beach’s cable

provider -- is the most likely bidder.

But that still wouldn’t solve the problem, he said.

“Adelphia is in just as much trouble in Newport Beach,” Monahan said.

Heintz said the merger will not be complete until the end of the year.

AT&T; Broadband also previously outlined a number of remedies to raise

the level of customer service in Costa Mesa. Heintz said the cable

company will reroute billing calls to a specific billing center -- so as

not to tie up the line for service-related calls -- as well as direct

people to call delinquent account holders before they are disconnected.

An additional 160 call center employees will also be hired, he said.

Mayor Linda Dixon’s response to the dilemma was short but concise.

“They better come to the meeting with real plans for improvement in

Costa Mesa, not just Band-Aid solutions,” Dixon said.

* Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at o7 lolita.harper@latimes.comf7 .