Sparta May Call State on Service Electric

The Sparta Township Mayor and Council are tired of waiting.

And if they don't get a response from Service Electric Cable Television soon they might step up their plan of attack.

The Township Council on Tuesday directed its attorney Thomas Ryan to ratchet up the pressure on the utility to meet in public with the local governing body, including the possibility that the township could file a complaint with the state Bureau of Public Utilities.

The Township Council has been requesting since last fall a meeting in public with a representative from the cable company. Ryan has made that request several times in telephone calls and letters to the company.

The township was without cable service for a week or more following Hurricane Sandy and the council has been seeking a meeting to discuss  how such situation could be avoided and a possible refund for Sparta residents.

Service Electric has a 10-year contract with Sparta. Ryan said the contract calls for the company to meet with township officials to discuss performance issues, but does not specify whether that meeting could be with a single council member, the township manger or a  committee of the council.

He said cable officials have said they would be willing to meet with township officials in a private session.

Mayor Gilbert Gibbs insisted again that the discussion will take place in a public council meeting.

“This is getting old,” he said.

Gibbs instructed Ryan to contact the cable company again and insist on such a meeting. He suggested that the company be told that if it persists in refusing to meet in public with them, the council could consider filing a complaint with the BPU claiming a breach of contract for failing to agree to a meeting to discuss the company‘s performance.

Ryan previously said a meeting to discuss the company’s performance does not quality as a topic for an executive session.