Charter opens local office

By Staff
Tracy B. Cieniewicz, Hartselle Enquirer
Charter Communications, the city's only cable service provider, has opened a service and billing site at Railroad Bazaar, located at 1210 Highway 31 NW in Hartselle.
Railroad Bazaar General Manager Jamie Brown said the location has been operational for a couple of months, but business has increased since Charter placed a sign outside of Railroad Bazaar recently.
"It keeps people from having to drive to Decatur," Brown said. "We can do almost everything a Charter service center can, including payments and service changes."
Charter business can be handled during regular Railroad Bazaar business hours Monday-Saturday, 9 am.-7 p.m., and Sunday, 1-5 p.m.
In 2003, Charter closed its Hartselle office and some residents complained about the lack of local access, following concerns about the company's pricing and service.
Last July, the Hartselle City Council approved extending Charter Cable's contract for six months, with an end date of Jan. 26, 2005. This is the most recent of several extensions the city has provided during the contract negotiations.
Earlier this year, the city hired a consulting firm, Local Government Services, to negotiate its contract with Charter. Local Government Services found Charter owed the city back franchise fees and Charter agreed to reimburse city.