Christopher Caskey / The Citizen

AUBURN - City officials are working on an agreement that could give Auburn residents another choice for cable television, Auburn Mayor Michael Quill said Monday.

But the terms of any contract would need to be fair for all parties involved, Quill said during a town hall meeting.

The issue of local cable television providers was the first and longest to be discussed Thursday during Quill's second public forum since August.

Though the event at the Booker T. Washington Community Center was short, attendees addressed a number of local issues.

A Verizon official and a resident asked Quill why the city is taking so long to allow the company to sell cable television in Auburn. Some Cayuga County towns offer the television service, but phone and Internet are the only Verizon products available in the city.

Jerry Oliver, of Verizon, told Quill he is hearing every day from Auburn residents who want to take advantage of current specials and offers.

“I'd just hate to see Auburn miss out,” said Oliver.

Auburn resident Craig Ward also touched on the issue, saying it's better to have two providers than one.

“I just think we should have a choice,” Ward said.

Verizon launched Fios TV in 2005, laying fiber optic lines over their existing copper phone cables. The company is making a push to expand its coverage to Auburn, and city officials are currently talking with company representatives.

Quill said these talks have taken place over the summer, as the city is trying to get the best “bang for the buck.”

Currently, Time Warner is the sole cable provider in Auburn. The network also airs the city's cable access channel.

“We're just trying to be fair with everyone,” Quill said.

Residents who attended brought up several other concerns as well during the town hall meeting, which was considerably shorter than the last forum on Aug. 10. Parks, a major topic in August, came up again.

Quill said he has met recently with residents advocating for improvements to the Clifford Field clubhouse, and the city is moving toward resolving the issue.

He also said during the meeting that the methane generation project at the landfill should be up and running by the end of the year. But the digester is still on the back burner.

Despite a small crowd Monday (about 10 people, not counting city officials or department heads), Quill said his town hall meetings have been successful. He expects to hold more in the near future, though he has not set a date for an upcoming forum.

Quill said many of the questions that have come up at the meetings are similar to those he gets every day at city hall. But he wants to keep this atmosphere available for those who want to raise concerns.

“There are a lot of people who want their voices heard, but they are not comfortable coming to a city council meeting,” Quill said.

Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net.