City council voted yesterday to accept a $1-million legal settlement from Rogers Communications over access fees for the use of overhead and underground wires on city streets.
The city had filed a breach of contract lawsuit against the cable company in 2007, claiming over $1.2 million in unpaid fees. Rogers countersued for $1 million for the return of fees it said it had paid in previous years.
Coun. Gord Hunter, who wanted to decline the settlement offer, compared the access fees to permits for street entertainers.
“It makes no sense to me that we’re charging … people to busk in these road right-of-ways and yet we can’t charge Rogers for carrying their entertainment in these same road right-of-ways,” he said.
Councillors voted 14-10 to take the advice of city solicitor Rick O’Connor to accept the $1-million settlement and a new 10-year agreement with Rogers, which will pay $30,000 annually.
