At Monday night's city council meeting, officials described JetBroadband as unresponsive and owing the city nearly $50,000. Council set a public hearing Aug. 24 to consider revoking the company's exclusive license.

When the company took over cable operations in Radford in June 2007, it failed to reach a required agreement under which it must pay the city for use of its existing utility poles and equipment, officials said.

Since then, the city has asked JetBroadband to sign the proper agreement and pay its debt, but the company has failed to comply. Although JetBroadband in May paid $6,000 of the $53,000 owed, according to city officials, city attorney Jim Guynn said Monday night that he has been unable to reach the company through e-mail.

At the Aug. 24 public hearing, JetBroadband officials will have another chance to state why it should be allowed to keep its license in Radford.

Officials with JetBroadband, which is based in Rustburg, were not available for comment Tuesday afternoon.

The council may still choose to revoke the company's license even if JetBroadband pays its debt.

Council member Robert Nicholson said at the meeting that he hopes the city can make a smooth transition to another cable company, since cable is valued by the city's residents.

"It's not a luxury. It becomes a necessity," Nicholson said.

Also at Monday's meeting, council:

n Discussed whether city-owned vehicles should be allowed to be taken home by employees who live outside the Radford city limits.

Mayor Tom Starnes supports a restriction stating that these vehicles cannot be taken home. Nicholson said, however, that these vehicles should be available for emergencies.

Vice Mayor Richard Harshberger suggested that policies should be left in the hands of the various department heads. No motion was made.

n Approved an ordinance to allow grant funding through the state to purchase two ToughBook data computers for use by the EMS. The computers will allow electronic charting.

n Approve a resolution in support of the 2010 U.S. Census.

Council members pointed out that Radford's concern in the census should be ensuring that college students are counted as residents. Students must be counted in Radford, rather than their hometowns, if they are present during the census.

"There's going to be quite a bit of effort," Starnes said.