Each franchisee shall comply with all federal, state and local
laws and regulations heretofore and hereafter adopted or established
during the entire term of its franchise.
Without limiting such immunities as the Town or other persons
may have under applicable law, a franchisee shall have no recourse
whatsoever against the Town or its officials, boards, commissions,
agents or employees for any loss, costs, expense or damage arising
out of any provision or requirement of this chapter or because of
the enforcement of this chapter or the Town's exercise of its
authority pursuant to this chapter, a franchise agreement or other
applicable law, unless the same shall be caused by criminal acts or
by willful or gross negligence.
Notwithstanding any other provision in this chapter or a franchise
agreement, nothing in this chapter or a franchise agreement shall
preclude the Town from exercising its police powers to enact, amend
or supplement any law or regulation governing cable communications
within the Town.
In the event of a major public emergency or disaster as determined
by the County Executive of Prince George's County, a franchisee
shall immediately make the entire cable system, employees and property,
as may be necessary, available for use by the Town or other civil
defense or governmental agency designated by the Town to operate the
system for the term of such emergency or disaster for the emergency
purposes. In the event of such use, a franchisee shall waive any claim
that such use by the Town constitutes a use of eminent domain, provided
that the Town shall return use of the entire system, employees and
property to the franchisee after the emergency or disaster has ended
or has been dealt with.
Unless otherwise indicated, when the performance or doing of
any act, duty, matter or payment is required under this chapter or
any franchise agreement, and a period of time or duration for the
fulfillment of doing thereof is prescribed and is fixed herein, the
time shall be computed so as to exclude the first and include the
last day of the prescribed or fixed period of duration time.