There are stories about how difficult it is to get a senior-citizen discount for cable service in New Paltz, despite the fact that it’s required according to the franchise agreement. Senior citizens are supposed to get a month free after paying for eleven months on time, but it’s not automatically granted. It seems that all one has to do is threaten to file a complaint with the New York State Public Service Commission. That’s what Village of New Paltz trustees decided to do in January, and less than two months later there’s a company representative who “seems motivated to sort it out,” according to Mayor Tim Rogers. Kevin Egan, the government affairs director at Charter Communications, has been in close contact with the mayor about this issue.
Senior citizens who live anywhere in New Paltz are eligible for this discount, and Rogers wants to know about problems getting it, even for Town residents who are not also Village residents, because it’s a community issue. This is one wheel that’s gotten squeaky enough to get some grease.