Public records/ordinance
Reviewed public record
Source-Ord-1601 A1-0982
The viewer displays the reviewed public copy. The restricted source file is not available through this page.
Accessible text transcription
Reviewed text from the public copy. Consult the displayed document and custodian for authoritative wording.
Page 1
oe
f
ne
ORDINANCE NO. 1601
AN ORDINANCE GRANTING A FRANCHISE To ‘i
ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS, TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN A COMMUNITY TELEVISION
SYSTEM IN THE CITY OF PRICHARD, ALABAMA, SETTING FORTH CONDITIONS ACCOMPANYING
THE GRANT OF FRANCEISE:
PROVIDING FOR CITY REGULATIONS AND USE OF THE SYSTEM: AND PRESCRIBING PENALTIES
FOR THE VIOLATION OF ITS PROVISTONS. —— oo
° BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PRICHARD,
ALABAMA, AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Short Title This Ordinance shall be known and may be cited
as the Prichard
5 1 9 1 2 4 443 669 89 23 96.169907 Cable
5 1 9 1 2 5 551 669 179 26 96.279144 Television
5 1 9 1 2 6 748 671 162 25 96.547241 Franchise
5 1 9 1 2 7 929 672 193 26 82.130356 Ordinance.
Section'2, Definitions. For the purpose of this Ordinance the following
terms, phrases, words ‘and their derivations shall have the meaning given herein,
When not inconsistent with the context, words used in the present tense include. the
future, words in the plural number include the singular number, and words in the
singular number include the plural number. The word shall is always mandatory
and not merely directory. .
(1) “City is the City af Prichard, Alabama.
(2) Company is the grantee of rights under this Franchise,
qr - PRICHARD CARLEVISTON TNC 0
(3) Gouncil”
5 1 10 2 3 3 679 1098 31 23 96.330376 is
5 1 10 2 3 4 733 1098 48 23 96.143761 the
5 1 10 2 3 5 801 1099 125 24 96.089851 Council
5 1 10 2 3 6 945 1101 33 23 96.089851 of
5 1 10 2 3 7 1001 1101 49 23 96.145065 the
5 1 10 2 3 8 1070 1102 70 29 96.112274 City
5 1 10 2 3 9 1159 1102 33 23 96.112274 of
5 1 10 2 3 10 1212 1103 152 26 84.227234 Prichard.
4 1 10 2 4 0 411 1130 1080 39 -1
5 1 10 2 4 1 411 1131 43 30 72.024712 (4)
5 1 10 2 4 2 499 1130 140 26 84.099762 Person"
is any person, firm, organization, partnership,
association, corporation, company or organization of any kind,
(5) Systems shall mean the entire installation.
Section 3. Grant of Authority. There is hereby granted by the City to
the Company the right and privilege to construct, erect, operate and maintain in,
upon, along, across, above, over and under the streets, alleys, public ways and
public places now laid out or dedicated, and all extensions thereof, and additions
thereto, in the City, poles, wires, cables, underground conduits, manholes and other
television conductors and fixtures necessary for the maintenance and operation in
the City of a community television system for the interception, sale and distribution
of television signals.
(1) Non-Exclusive Grant. The right to use and occupy said streets,
alleys, public ways and places for the purposes herein set forth
shall. be non-exclusive with the grantee herein.
Section 4. Compliance with Applicable Laws and Ordinances. The Company
shall, at all times during. the life of this Franchise, be subject to all lawful
exercise of the police power by the City, and to such reasonable regulation as the
City shall hereafter by resolution or ordinance provide.
Section 5. Company Liability ~_Indemnification. It is expressly understoa
and agreed by and between the Company and the City that the Company shall save the
City harmless from all loss sustained by the City on account of arly suit, judgement,
execution, claim or demand whatsoever, resulting from the construction, operation or
maintenance on the part of the Company of its television system in the City. The
City shall notify the Company immediately after the presentation of any claim or dena
either by suit or otherwise, made against the City on account of any activity as afore-
Page 2
ve ee
2
cS
Page -2-
'
said on the part of the Company. The Conran: shall carry and pay the cost of
the following insurance, in at least the exounts incicated below for each injury
to or death or persons and injury to or destruction of property as a result of
any accident arising out of the conduct of business or use of premises or any
operations which are necessary or incidental thereto, the sane to include the City
as a named insured.
(I) $100,000.00 for property damage to any one person
(2) $200,000.00 for property damage in any one accident
(3) $100,900.00 for persenal injury to any one person
cd (4) $300,000.09 for personal injury in any one accident
Section 6. Service Standards. The Company shall maintain and operate its
system and‘render efficient service in accordance with the rules and regulations as
are, or may be, set forth by the City and es provided for in Section Il of this
Ordinance.
(1) Notice of Interruption for Repairs. Whenever it is necessary
to shut off or interrupt service for the purpose of making repairs,
adjustments <r installations, the Company shall do so at such times
as will cause the least amount of inconvenience to its customers,
ae and unless such interruption is unforseen and immediately necessary
it shall give resonable notice therof to its customers,
Section 7. Company Rules. The Company shall have the authority to promul-
gate such rules, regulations, terms and conditions governing the conduct of its busin-
ess as shall be resonably necessary to enatle the Company to exercise its rights and
perform its obligations under this Franchise an¢c te assure uninterrupted service to
each and all of its customers. Provided, however, that such rules, regulations, terms
and conditions shall not be in conflict with the provisions hereof or of laws or rules
of the State of Alabama, the United States, and the City. ——
Section 8. Condition on Street Occupancy.
(1) The Company shall enter into a separate contract with the Electric
Power Board and/or Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company as
to the use of their poles or posts within the City and also comply
with the City Ordinance, so far as street occupancy is concerned,
(2) The Company system, poles, wires and appurtenances shall be located
erected and maintained so that none of it shall endanger or inter~
fere with the lives eZ persons, or interfere with any improvements
the City may deem prezer te make, or hinder unnecessarily or obstru
the free use of the street, ellavs, bridges or other public propert
(3) Construction and meintenance cf the transrission distribution syste
including house connections, shail be in accordance with the provis
tons of the National Electric Safety Code of the National Board of
Fire Underwriters, prepered ty the National Bureau of Standards, th
National Electric Code of the National Soard of Fire Underwriters é
such applicable Ordinances and regulations of the City, affecting
electrical installations which may be presently in effect or nay be
enacted by the City. Installations and house drop hardware shall ¢
uniform throughout the City, ¢ he Licensees shall be free to
ion procedure as the art progres
et
Page 3
at
}
Page -3-,
(4) Whenever the activities of the Company shall darage any surface,
Payments or Sidewalks, the Company shall at its expense restore
all such surface, pavement or sidewalks to the satisfaction of the
City. In the event any street or way is altered by the City re-
quiring the alteration or removal of any part of the Company's
system, the Company shall bear the cost of such alteration or remo.
Seetion 9;- Original Installation. The Company shall, unless additional
time is granted, state the original installation for cable television service within
twenty-four (24) months from the effective date of this Franchise,
Section 10. Approval of Transfer, The Company shall not sell or transfer
its plant or system to another, nor transfer any rights under this Franchise to anothe
without Council approval. Provided, that no sale or transfer shall be effective until
the vendec, assignee, or lessee has filed in the office of the City an instrument,
duly executed, reouting the fact of such sale, assignment or lease, accepting the term
of the Franchise, and agreeing to perform all the conditions thereof,
Section 11. City Rights in Franchise. ”
(1) Gity Rules. The right is hereby reserved to the City to adopt, in
addition to the provisions herein contained and existing applicable
ordinances, such additional regulations as it shall find necessary
in the exercise of the police power, provided thet such regulations
by ordinance or otherwise, shall be resonable, and not in conflict
with the rights herein granted, and shall not be in conflict with t
laws of the State of Alabama.
(2) Picture Quality, The antenna, receiving and distribution equipment
shall be installed and maintained so as to provide pictures on sub-
scribed receivers throughout the system essentially of the: same que
ity as those received at the antenna site,
(3) Supervision and Insnection. The City shall have the right to super
vise all construction or installation work performed subject to the
provisions of this Ordinance and to make such inspections as it
shall. find necessary to insure compliance with governing ordinances
(4) Procedure after Termination, At the end of the term of this Franch
the City shall have the right to determine whether this Franehise
shall be extended for an additional period.
Section 12. Payments to the City. The Company shall pay to the City, in
addition to any and ail privilege licenses and ad valorém taxes or other charges here-
after levied by the City, a sum of 5% percent of the annual gross operating revenues
received by it within the City during each year of operation under this Franchise.
“Operating Revenues” shall include all receipts from sales of TV signals within the
City_and all receipts from installation charges within the City. Said payments shall
be made semi-annually at intervals of from six to twelve months of the date of the
grant of this Franchise. An annual summary report showing gross revenues received by
the Company from its operations within the City during the preceding year and such
other information as the City shall request with respect to operations hereunder shall
be furnished on or before February 1 of each year or at anv other time upon request of
the City and thirty days notice.
Page 4
ms,
est ceed
Page -4-
mo Section 13. Rates. Rates charged by the Company for service hereunder
shall be fair and resonable and designed to meet all necessary cost of the service,
including a fair rate of return on the set valuation of its properties devoted thereto,
under efficient and economical management. The Company agrees that it shall be subject
to all authority now or hereafter possessed by the City, ar any other regulatory body
having competent jurisdiction, to fix just, resonable and compensatory television
signal distribution rates. . When this Franchise takes effect the Company shall have
authority te charge and collect not to exceed the following schedule of rates, which.
shall remain in effect until changed or modified in accordance with the general standard
set our in this Section. .
? (1) Rate Schedule. The following rates and charges are hereby authorized
for service under this Franchise and shall not be changed by the Company without the
prior approval by the Council and shall remain in effect until changed or modified in
accordance with the general standards and principles set out in this Section:
(a) Installation charges: $30.00
(b) Services charges:$9.95 per* month, for one set or outlet, and
$2.50 per month for each additional set or outlet in the same
building. **
The effective. date of the rate increase authorized hereby shall be the
first day of the calendar month next succeeding the date of the adoption of this amendin
ordianance.
Section 14. Free Connections and Service. Upon request, Licencees shall
furnish, free of charge, outside connections and service to all hospitals, parochial or
public schools located within the City, and to Municipal Buildings when other connection
are being made within the particular;$pfévided, however, any any and all inside wiring
or work shall be done at the expense of the hospital, school or City, as the case may be
and provided that a service cable runs a reasonable proximity to such buildings.
Section 15. Records and Reports. The City shall have access at all reasonable
hours to all of the Company's plans, contracts and engineering, accounting, financial,
statisti¢al, customer and service records relating to the property and the operation of
the Company and to all other records required to be kept’ hereunder, The following
records and reports shall be filed with the City and in the local office of the Company:
(1) Company Rules and Regulations. Copies of such rules, regubutions, te
and conditions adopted by the Company for the conduct of its business.
(2) Gross Revenue. An annual certified audit showing gross revenue and
depreciated plant value received by the Company from its operations within the City
during the preceding year and such other information as the City shall request with
respect to properties and expenses related -to the Company's service within the City.
Section 16. Terms of Franchise. Upon continuing and complete performance by
the Company of each and every term of this agreement, and the permission herein granted
shall continue for a term of twenty (20) years; and at the expiration of twenty (20) yea:
this permission shall renew itself automatically so long*éomplete performance of the te:
hereof is continued by the Company for successive periods of five (5) years each,
Section 17, Separability. If any one section, subsection, sentence, clause,
phrase or portion of this Crdinance is for any reason held invalid or unconstitutional
by any court of competent jurisdiction said portion shall te deemed > separate, distinc
and independent provision and such holding shall not affect the validity of the portion
thereof. .
Page 5
eee ee
ot
a a a aaa a ian
r Page -5-
Beye Secticn 18. Penalties, , :
. .
(1) The Company shall file a satisfactory construction bond with the City
in the amount of Dollars conditioned
upon the Company's satisfactory performance of its obligations hereunder to construct
the system.
(2) If the Company shall fail to comply with any of the provisions of this
Franchise, or default in any of its obligations in this agreement and shall fail within
thirty (30) days after written notice from the City to correct such default or non-
compliance, the City may, at its option, forthwith terminate the rights granted under
this Franchise. In the event that the City terminates this agreement, in whole or in
part, the Company shall within thirty (30) days remove its facilities within thirty (30
days, the City may do so, the removal costs to be borne, in any event, by the Company,
(3) Failure to enforce or insist upon compliance with any of the terms or
conditions of this agreement shall not constitute a general waiver or relinquishment
of any such terms or conditions, but bhe same shall be and remain at all times in full
force and effect.
Section 19. Channel's Available, The Company shall install a system capable
of distributing twelve channels. The Company shall carry a minimum of five (5)
commercial television channels, which shall include all of the major television network
and one educational channel provided that satisfactory reception of.such channel is
available. Channels for the community antenna television system as contained in, this
Franchise shall not be used for the transmission of Pay Television or any other commu-
nicatioas which are not broadcast programs. obtained off the air, except as specified as
follows:
(1) Fill-in music reproduced on the Company's equipment located at its
studio or received off the air on the Company's system and furnished
without additional charge.
(2) - Weather information furnished as an incidental part of community
antenna service to all subscribers without additional charge,
(3) Occassional local events of public interest and occassional closed
circuit television programs furnished as an incidental part of
community antenna service to all subscribers without additional
charge.
(4) One channel or band is to be reserved for the use of the City,
The City will pay for any special equipment to feed into the system,
such as TV cameras, fire alarm boxes, etc., and will pay for the ,
maintenance for such special equipment, These may be used by the
lessee until such time as the City requires its use,
Section 20. Activities Prohibited. The Company shall not allow its cable
or other operations to interfere with television reception of persons not served by
the cable, nor shall it interfere with, obstruct or hinder in any manner, the cperation
of the various utilities serving the residents of the City. The Company shall not
perform repair service to television sets and shali not pernit any of its employees,
installers or servicemen to perform such services on their ow,
Page 6
}
P . Page -6-
Py
Section 21. Non-Duplication Clause, The Company vill at all times .
carry all Tocal channels and in the event e progran is ¢ur
will black-out the out of town station carrying the dupli
gram will be carried solely over the local station provid
standing any provisions herein that such black out is ela
feasible.
icated, the Company
te program, The pro-
however not with-
ronically and practically
Section 22. Publication. This Ordinance shall be in full force and
effect upon its adoption and publication as provided by law, which publication
shall be at the expense of the Company.
eo
ADOPTED this day of) daly 1984.
APPROVED :
ATTEST:
LL

