Loading...
83-8-Ordinance-CATV Investment Corp Franchise Agreement-07/05/1983ORDINANCE NO. 83-8 AN ORDINANCE GRANTING STAR CATV INVESTMENT CORP., ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS, A PERMIT TO LOCATE, CONSTRUCT, MAINTAIN AND OPERATE A TELEVISION ANTENNA SERVICE IN THE CITY OF SANGER, TEXAS; AUTHORIZING THE USE, RIGHT, PRIVILEGE, POWER AND AUTHORITY TO CONSTRUCT, MAINTAIN, OPERATE AND REMOVE IN, OVER AND ACROSS THE STREETS, AVENUES, PARKWAYS AND PUBLIC PLACES THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT FOR THE OPERATION OF A TELEVISION ANTENNA SERVICE AND ELECTRONIC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM IN THE CITY OF SANGER, TEXAS; BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANGER, TEXAS: SECTION 1. The word "City" as hereinafter used shall mean and designate the City of Sanger, and the words "Company" or "Franchisee" as hereinafter used shall mean and designate Star CATV Investment Corp. "Cable System" or "Cable Communication System" or "CATV" or "System" as hereinafter used shall mean a system of coaxial cables or other electrical conductors and equipment used or to be used to originate or receive television or radio signals directly or indirectly off the air and to transmit them via cable to subscribers for a fixed or variable Fee, including the originations, receipt, transmission and distribution of voices, sound signals, pictures, visual images, digital signals, telemetry, or any other type of closed circuit transmission by means of electrical impulses, whether or not directed to originating signals or receiving signals off the air. The word "Property" as hereinafter used shall mean and designate all rights and contracts of whatever kind, and all poles, wires, cables, apparatus and other appliances, appur- tenances and fixtures owned by the Franchisee and located within the corporate limits of said City. SECTION 2. There is hereby granted to the Franchisee, upon the approval of the City of Sanger the right, privilege and authority to construct, lay, maintain and operate, and remove a system of poles, wires, conduits and other fixtures across, along, under and over streets, alleys, parkways, public grounds and other places in said City for the purpose of construction, maintaining and operating a cable television service and electronic distribution system in the City of Sanger. SECTION 3. The franchise hereby granted shall be effective from and after the date hereof and shall remain in full force and effect for a period of fifteen (15) years upon payment of the annual fee and tax as hereinafter provided and the said Company shall have a right or option to negotiate the terms of this lease for an additional fifteen (15) years after the expiration of the primary term. SECTION 4. The Company shall defend the City against all lawful claims for injury to any person or property caused by the installation and operation of the Company in the construction or operation of its property; and the Company does hereby agree to indemnify and hold harmless the City from any injury to any person or property as a result of installation and operation on the part of the Company, its successors and assigns hereunder, in whole or in part, arising out of construction, repair, extension, maintenance or operation of its equipment of any kind or character used in connection with its business. SECTION 5. The Company shall at all times make and keep full and complete plats, maps and records showing the exact location of all cable television service and electronic tribution system equipment and shall provide such plats to the City of Sanger. All such installations of equipment shall be of a'`permanent nature, durable and of a location not to interfere in any manner with the rights of the public or individual property owners, and shall not interfere with the travel and use of public places by the public. The City reserves the right to regulate the erection and construction of any work by the Company, and to designate where such works and construction shall be placed. The Company agrees, when requested by the City, to make changes in its distribution system, in wires, poles, or apparatus to conform to the requirements of small localized areas, such changes to be effected when so requested within a reasonable time, and further agrees to comply with such ordi- nances as the City may now have or may hereafter pass regulating the installation and maintenance of such equipment. SECTION 7. The Company shall have the right to operate a cable television service and electronic distribution system during the existence of this franchise, and have the right to extend its distribution system upon the streets, alleys and public grounds of any addition or additions hereafter made to the City's territory and to use the streets, alleys and public grounds to continue to points beyond the corporate limits of said City. SECTION 8. The Company shall at all times during existence of this franchise, maintain and require its tractors to maintain insurance as follows: (a) Workman's Compensation Insurance in accor- dance with the laws of the State of Texas. (b) The Franchisee shall be required to main- tain insurance in such forms and in such companies as shall be approved by the City, such approval not to be unreasonably with- held, to protect the City and the Fran- chisee from and against any and all claims, injury and damage to person or property, both real and personal, caused by the con- struction, erection, operation or mainte- nance of any aspect of the System. The amount of such insurance shall not be less than the following: General Liability Insurance Bodily injury per person $100,000 Bodily injury per occurrence $300,000 Property damage per occurrence $ 50,000 Property damage, aggregate $100,000 (c) Automobile Liability Insurance with the limits of not less than $25,000.00 to any person and $50,000.00 as to any one ac- cident and automobile property damage in- surance with a limit of not less than $1O,000.00 to cover all automobile equip- ment. (d) Property damage insurance with a limit of not less than $5,000.00. the con - The Company is and shall be considered an independent contractor hereunder for all things. SECTION 9. Failure or refusal> to :observe the terms and provisions of this franchise by the Company, its successors and assigns, shall entitle the City to cancel and terminate this franchise and all rights hereunder. The City may exercise such right ninety ( 90 ) days after serving notice upon the Company of failure to observe the terms thereof, and upon refusal by the Company during the said ninety ( 90 ) day period to perform or act as required by said notice, this franchise shall be subject to cancellation as hereinabove provided. SECTION 10. All provisions of law provided and prescribed for the granting of this franchise and authority are hereby declared to have been fully complied with and the franchise shall be in full force and effect from and after its execution and approval. The Company's rate shall be as follows: (a) A schedule of the maximum rates to be charged by Franchisee for their services to subscribers shall be as specified in Appendix "A" attached hereto and incorporated herein for all purposes. (b) All subsequent changes in said rates shall be subject to the prior approval of the City Commission of the City of Sanger, Texas, after an appropriate public hearing is held thereon affording due process to all interested parties. The Company shall pay the City as a franchise fee, and as compensation for the rights and privileges enjoyed hereunder, three percent (3%) of its gross subscriptions receipts, less state sales tax, federal excise tax and copyright received by the Company from all its connections to said cable television service and electronic distribution system in said City. The said gross subscription shall be computed quarterly and the amounts due to City shall be computed quarterly and the amounts due to City shall be paid on or before the 10th day of January, 10th day of April, loth day of July, and loth day of October. SECTION 11. The Sanger Public School System will be fur- nished one (1) connection each to the designated school bu ings and each connection will be placed in a readily accessible location, and the schools will be responsible for service beyond the said free connection, and by requesting said free con- nection, the school will hold said Company free of liability. SECTION 12. The Cable Communication System Company (the Franchisee) will maintain adequate personnel necessary to per- form all duties. SECTION 13. Provisions of the current requirements for the system shall be and shall remain in accordance with the sped fications and requirements promulgated by the Federal Communi- cations Commission, and Franchisee will: (a) Limit failures to a minimum by locating and correcting malfunctions promptly, but in no event longer than forty-eight (46) hours after notice, unless such failures are caused by the acts of God or circumstances beyond the control of the Franchisee. (b) Demonstrate by instruments and otherwise to subscribers that a signal of adequate strength and quality is being delivered and meets all relevant specifications of the Federal Communi- cations Commission and other applicable federal, state and local regulations. The commission may require proof of calibration of such test instruments if deemed necessary in order to arbitrate a specific complaint. SECTION 14. The franchise granted by this ordinance cannot in any event be sold, transferred, leased, assigned or disposed of as a whole or in part, or otherwise, without prior consent of the City expressed by Resolution, and then only under such conditions as may be prescribed in the consenting Resolution; provided, however, that no such consent shall be unreasonably withheld, and further provided that no such consent shall be required for any transfer in trust, mortgage or other hy- pothecation, as a whole or in part, to secure an indebtedness. There shall be no restriction upon the transfer of this franchise to a controlled subsidiary or to a parent corporation. SECTION 15. All installation costs of the Cable Com- munications System Company shall be paid by the Company itself and not by the City. SECTION 16. Community antenna television service shall be available to all areas within the corporate limits of the City of Sanger, having a minimum of twenty-eight (28) homes per cable mile. All applicants desiring community antenna service in- stalled at a location greater than three hundred (300) feet from the nearest distribution line shall pay to Franchisee, as a condition for the installation of such service, the actual costs of labor and materials for the additional distance above 300 feet. SECTION 17. The rights, privileges and franchise granted hereunder shall automatically terminate if Franchisee has not diligently pursued and made all reasonable efforts to secure approval of its applications With the Federal Communications Commission to bring cable television to Sanger, Texas. SECTION 18. The Franchisee will, upon seventy-two (72)hours request and payment in advance of a reasonable charge, which charge shall be subject to review at any time by the City Council, adjust, raise or lower its wires temporarily to permit the moving of houses or other bulky structures. The minimum heightof all wires shall be eighteen (18) feet over streets and alleys and public places or conform to all applicable codes which may now be in effect or become effective hereafter. The Franchisee may trim trees upon and overhanging the said streets, alleys, sidewalks and public places to the extent reasonably necessary to prevent the branches from coming into contact with the wires or cables of the Franchisee, under the supervision of the City Manager of the City of Sanger, Texas, at the expense of the Franchisee. SECTION 19. Severability Clause. If any word, phrase, sentence, paragraph or section is found to be illegal, invalid, or unconstitutional, the remaining portion of this ordinance shall remain in full force and effect. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this the day of 1983. ATTEST: {TY SECRETARY �F�ICIN L COPY APPENDIX "A" Basle Service Cost: $8.95 per month Tier 1: Basic Service plus 1 premium cliannel Cost: $19.95 per month Tier 2: Basic Service plus 2 premium channels Cost: $26.95 per month Tier 3: Basic Service plus 3 premium channels Cost: $29.95 per month Installation charge per houseriold - $25.00 Installation charge, additional outlet - $7.50 Charge for extra set, per month, each - $2.00 Charge to move connection - $15.00 Motel Rates: APPENDIX "A" - CONTINUED Per Month Per Month 1 Premium Channel lst Set - Basic only $12.95 2nd Set - and up $ 3.00 $4.00 Installation of rental of housing unit will be charged at our cost for the material plus 20% Lock boxes available on request. in cost of material. Example: This will be included Motel with 12 rooms - 1 Premium Channel in all rooms (cannot be installed in restaurant or lounge) lst set (Manager's quarters or first set $19.95 ll other sets or rooms $77.00 $96.95 ItaffIrEd THE STATE OF TEXAS I COUNTY OF DENTON X KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: THIS AGREEMENT made and entered into by and between the CITY OF SANGER, TEXAS, a municipal corporation, hereinafter called "CITY". Party of.the First Part, and STAR CATV INVESTMENT CORPORATION, hereinafter called "TV CABLE", Party of the Second Part, W I T N E S S E T H WHEREAS, TV Cable of Sanger, has been granted a franchise by the City to operate.a community antenna television system within the City of Sanger, and there is a desire and a necessity for TV Cable to utilize the poles of the municipal power distribution system of the City to attach and suspend wires and/or cables to said poles for the distribution and servicing of the said community antenna television system to the subscribers and customers of TV Cable within the City Limits of Sanger. NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and covenants herein contained, the parties hereto for themselves, their successors and assigns, do hereby covenant and agree as follows: 1. This contract shall only cover the poles owned by the City within the City Limits of the City of Sanger, and there is no intent to grant TV Cable the right to utilize those poles within the City Limits of Sanger owned by the Central Telephone Company; and it being further covenanted and agreed by the parties herein that the space on the poles owned by the City and which this contract contemplates shall be the uppermost ten (10) feet measured from the top of the said poles. Z . The terms of this lease shall be for a period of five (5) years, automatically renewable at the end of that period, for additional five (5) year periods, for a total possible duration of this lease of fifteen (15) years, beginning the day of 1983, unless said lease is terminated by one (1) year's written notice by lease hereto, prior to the end of any of the said five year periods. -1- CITY SECRETARY ORIGINAL COPY 3. It being further understood and agreed by the parties herein that the City and the Central Telephone Company have exe- cuted a joint pole contract for which the telephone company has the right to use the space c, forty (40) inches at a distance below the space occupied by the City, and there is no intent by the City to limit or restrict the use of the space allocated to the,Central Telephone Company under the said pole contract. TV Cable acknowledges notice of the said pole contract with the Central Telephone Company and covenants to stay within the upper- most ten (10) feet measured from the top of the pole, being that portion reserved by the City in its contract with the Central Telephone Company, and to maintain clearance as required by speci- fications for such clearance as hereinafter set forth from both the City's wires and the wires of the Central Telephone Company and to not interfere with the Central Telephone Company's use of said poles. 4. TV Cable covenants to comply with national standard requirements in installation and maintenance of its wires, cables and attachments on the City's poles, said standards being set forth in the Current National Electrical -Code, adopted by the National Fire Protection Association, and to further cooperate with the City and the Central Telephone Company in proper utili- z ation of the right-of-way and easements owned or held by the City for its power line installations. TV Cable further covenants that in addition to the requirements set out in the herein referred to National Electrical Code, to use good engineering standards and techniques as are recognized within the electrical engineering, communications and community antenna television system fields. 5. TV Cable shall pay a rental of per annum per pole to the City for each pole utilized by TV Cable in its distribution system. Rental payments hereunder shall cover rentals assuring during the calendar year and as occupied on the 31st day of December, and an accounting shall be made by a representative of each party herein during the month of December to determine the total poles utilized by TV Cable and the annual payment therefor. -2- TV Cable covenants to.pay the City by the 15th day of January the annual installment due for the prior year; however, it being further understood and agreed by the parties herein that should TV Cable not utilize said poles for a complete year, then said cost shall be prorated for that portion of the year which TV Cable used said poles. .6. It being further provided and understood that the City is not obligated to install or construct additional facilities or poles for the benefit of TV Cable, but that TV Cable accepts the City's installation as is. However, should the City install additional poles at the request of TV Cable, reimbursement and payment for the cost of said installation shall be further negotiated or charges made by the City based upon the cost of material and installation or construction in place. 7. TV Cable further covenants to not interfere with the City's use of the said poles and acknowledges that the predominate use of the said. poles is for the City's power line distribution system and TV Cable's use of the same is subordinate and second to the City's in the uppermost ten (10) feet of the said poles and as provided for heretofore in this contract. 8. It being further understood, provided and agreed by the parties herein that should it become necessary for TV Cable to secure additional right-of-way and/or easements or to clear same, that it will be TV Cable's responsibility in both securing and maintaining said right-of-way and easements, paying for same as necessary and maintaining said right-of-way and easements, and that the City shall not be responsible for any cost or liability concerning same. 9. TV CAble covenants to hold the City harmless for any damages or claims for injuries, either to employees, subscribers, or for any injury to property, or to any other person or persons arising out of the joint use by TV CAble of the poles owned by the City and utilized under this agreement or due to the proximity of the wires, cables or fixtures owned or utilized by TV Cable as contemplated within this contract. 10. It being further understood and agreed by the parties herein that TV CAble shall not sell, assign or dispose of this -3- agreement or any rights or interest thereunder without the written consent of the City, however, that nothing herein shall prevent or limit the right of TV CAble to mortgage. any or all of its rights, property or franchise. However, any collusion by TV Cable in an attempt to assign or otherwise dispose of this contract or any rights or interest thereunder by any sham or fraudulent mortgage shall automatically cancel this contract as to the City, but shall not relieve TV CAble of all liability thereunder. 11. This contract shall not limit or affect TV Cable's liability for assessment and payment of taxes lawfully levied on its property or for payments as provided for in the franchise between said parties. It being further understood and agreed that this pole contract is likewise in contemplation and in connection with the franchise granted by the City to TV Cable. 12. It being further understood and agreed that the cancel- lation or termination of the franchise granted by the City to TV Cable, reference hereto made for all intent and purposed, shall automatically cancel this pole contract except to all liability owed by TV Cable to the City for claims or pole rentals due the City on the termination of said _ordinance and pole contract; however, it being further understood and agreed that during the term of the franchise that should it become undesirable because of engineering requirements for TV Cable tb have its wires, cables and attachments on the City's poles, or that TV Cable has violated this contract and/or its franchise, that TV Cable shall remove said wires, cables and attachments from said poles within six (6) months after written notice by the City to TV Cable of Sanger, at its registered post office address at Texas. WITNESS OUR HANDS, this the �L��� day of 1983. ATTEST: ATTEST: ecretary Ralph i�i� G . Cole, Mayor TV Cable of Sanger BY: President -4- ITS` ECT'� THE STATE OF TEXAS �(' COUNTY OF DENTON � BEFORE ME, the undersigned, a Notary Public in and for said County and State, on this day personally appeared Ralph B. Cole, Mayor of the City of Sanger, Texas, known to me to be the person and officer whose name is subscribed to the foregoing instrument, and acknowledged to me that the same was the act of the said CITY OF BANGER, TEXAS, a municipal corporation, and that he executed the same as the act of such corporation for the purposes and consideration therein expressed, and in the capacity therein stated. GIVEN UNDER MY HAND AND SEAL OF OFFICE, this the � _ day of 1983. THE STATE OF TEXAS COUNTY OF DENTON BEFORE ME, the County and State, o Denton County, Texas. My Commission Expires:-3/-�� MARY :10. STOVER Notary Public My Commission Expired March 31,.�9�� I� undersigned, a Notary n this day personally Public in appeared_ and for said President of TV Cable of Sanger, known to me to be the person and officer whose name is subscribed to the foregoing instrument, and acknowledged to me that the same was the act of the said TV CABLE OF SANGER, a Texas Corporation, for the purposed and consideration therein expressed, and in the capacity therein stated. GIVEN day of UNDER MY HAND AND SEAL OF OFFICE, this the . 1983. Notary Public in and for Denton County, Texas. My Commission Expires