After an emergency meeting on Sept. 7, members of the Orion Community Cable Communications Commission agreed they needed a lawyer.
They’re considering taking action, which may include court proceedings, against Comcast, Orion Township’s/Lake Orion’s cable provider.
Comcast closed its office in this area in July and opened one in Independence Township.
OCCCC Chairperson Douglas Corliss said the franchise agreement that the village and township jointly entered into with Comcast calls for the cable company to have a local customer service office in the community.
Both communities made the establishment and maintenance of such a local office a part of their laws governing the issue of cable franchise.
Village council members on Sept. 8 adopted a resolution which calls for the commission to retain attorney Neil Lehto. Township officials are expected to discuss the resolution at their Sept. 15 meting.
“Can you force them to come back?” council president Bill Siver asked Corliss at the council meeting.
“No, we can’t force them,” he said. “Maybe we can’t get full service centers, but maybe some bill paying centers.”
According to Corliss, Comcast’s original plan was to open a mega service center in the Great Lakes Shopping Center in Auburn Hills, but that didn’t happen.
“We told them they just had to cross the street and they would be in Orion Township,” he added.
Corliss indicated the company had looked into opening a center in Waldon Ponds on Baldiwin Road, but couldn’t come to any agreement.
Both the village and township use the attorney services of the same firm — Secret, Wardle, Lynch, Hampton, Truex and Morley.
No firm attorneys will be able to represent either community in the action because the firm represented Independence Township in dealings with Comcast to relocate its office to that community.