BALLOT TITLE:
Caption: Amends Charter: Deletes outdated, redundant requirements to approve utility franchises.
Question: Shall Charter be amended to streamline Council approval of utility franchise agreements and remove outdated, burdensome and redundant requirements?
Summary: The Charter Commission proposed a measure to streamline the approval of franchise agreements, which authorize a utility to use City streets to provide residents with utility services.
Currently, City Council must approve franchises using a lengthy and outdated process described in Chapter 10, Article 2 of the Charter.
If the measure is approved, the following requirements would be deleted:
- Redundant filing with Auditor
- Objection process
- Publication of lengthy franchise in newspaper
- Extended time between reading of ordinance to approve franchise
- Extended effective date
- Written acceptance by franchisee
Instead, Council would grant franchises by ordinance, in accordance with standard ordinance publication, public testimony, adoption and effective date provisions in Charter and code. Other provisions.
The City Budget Office determined the measure has no direct financial impact.
Explanatory Statement: The volunteer Charter Commission recommended amending the City Charter to streamline Council approval of utility franchise agreements by removing outdated, burdensome and redundant requirements. A utility franchise agreement authorizes a utility to use City streets to provide residents with utility services.
Currently, Chapter 10, Article 2 of the Charter requires City Council to use a lengthy and outdated process that can take over six months to complete. For example, the entire franchise – which can run 25 pages or longer – must be published in the newspaper.
Under the Commission’s recommendation, outdated and redundant requirements specific to franchise agreements would be deleted. Instead, Council would grant franchises using its standard ordinance process. The standard process includes ordinance publication, public testimony, and adoption and effective date provisions located in Charter and code.