The Village of Mineola and Cablevision have reached an agreement, something the cable provider has been operating in the village without since 1991, when the first 10-year-agreement expired.

At last Wednesday night's public hearing Public Relations Manager for Cablevision Jeff Clark was on hand to point out some of the most interesting aspects, including a new cable channel expressly for the purposes of broadcasting Mineola and Williston Park related programming, of the new deal.

The deal is non-exclusive and if during the course of the first contract another cable operator offers the village a better deal, then the village is free to negotiate.

Mineola will also receive most favored nations status which means that if another municipality works out a deal in which Cablevision offers greater services, then Mineola can renegotiate their contract to include said services.

Franchise fees paid by Cablevision to the Village will go up from around 3 percent to 5 percent. The extra 2 percent will go into a dedicated fund to support a TV studio in the village hall.

According to the agreement Cablevision would assist in creating and maintaining a cable channel studio within the village hall that will carry programming supplied by and relevant to both Mineola and Williston Park.

"We saw a chance to enhance the lives of the people of Mineola," said John Collins, who assisted the village in the negotiations process, "We will be using cable technology to promote and enhance the cultural, social and political life of the community."

The studio will cost about $45,000 to build, will require at least one person to run it and will most probably be located in one of the classrooms of the community center, though there has been some discussion that it could be part of the new library facilities.

This will not be a public access channel, but instead programming will be regulated by a commission, made up of members from both communities, and centered around education, government or community events.

Public hearings may be subject to broadcast, but at this time there are no plans to broadcast open village meetings.

The term "A-political" was also bandied about at the hearing in order to waylay fears that the channel would become the platform for a political party.

According to both Collins and Clark within the terms of the contract there are stipulations defining what is appropriate programming.

"This was a long and arduous negotiation situation," said Village Attorney John Spellman.

It was lengthened, in part, due to the efforts of the Village Officials Association's attempt to negotiate a countywide deal. Mineola opted instead to hammer out its own deal.

"It is a reasonable agreement and it will be beneficial to Mineola," said Phyllis Ann Kalenka, an attorney who spearheaded the negotiations for Mineola.

In order to convince any differing opinions, Clark noted that Cablevision has given back to the community of Mineola in several ways including funding for the PAL Mineola Chiefs and the Mineola Fire Department, upgrading the Mineola system to a 750 megahertz system and offering an optional telephone system.

In October, Cablevision will offer Optimum Online services which will give subscribersInternet access 500 times faster than normal. They will provide five free hook-ups to each area school, both private and public, free of charge.

In November, Cablevision will sponsor the Mustang Run. Clark also announced that Mineola High School will be the site for a pilot program in which a journalism student will be selected to prepare stories fit for broadcast on News 12.

When all is said and done, the board has yet to give official approval of the deal, though all indications seem to say the deal will be approved.