In addition to the City’s power to buy, own, construct, maintain and operate utilities and to manufacture and distribute electricity, gas or anything else that may be needed or used by the public, the City shall have further powers as may now or hereafter be granted under the constitution and laws of the State of Texas.
The City Commission shall have power by ordinance to grant, amend, renew and extend all franchises of all public utilities of every character operating within the City, and for such purpose is granted full power. All ordinances granting, amending, renewing, or extending franchises for public utilities shall be read at three separate regular meetings of the City Commission, and shall not be finally passed until 30 days after the first reading, and no such ordinance shall take effect until 60 days after its final passage, and pending such time, the full text of such ordinance shall be published once each week for four consecutive weeks in one or more newspapers of general circulation in the City, and the expense of such publication shall be borne by the proponent of the franchise. No public utility franchise shall be transferable except with the approval of the City Commission by ordinance.
Any public utility franchise may be terminated by ordinance at specified intervals of not more than five (5) years after the beginning of operation, whenever the City shall determine to acquire by condemnation or otherwise the property of such utility necessarily used in or conveniently useful for the operation thereof within the City limits.
All grants, renewals, extensions, or amendments of public utility franchises, whether it be so provided in the ordinance or not, shall be subject to the right of the City:
(A.) 
To repeal the same by ordinance at any time for failure to begin construction or operation within the time prescribed or otherwise to comply with the terms of the franchise, such power to be exercised only after due notice and hearing.
(B.) 
To require proper and adequate extension of plant and service, and the maintenance of the plant and fixtures at the highest reasonable standard of efficiency.
(C.) 
To establish reasonable standards of service and quality of products and prevent unjust discrimination in service or rate.
(D.) 
At any time to examine and audit the accounts and other records of any such utility and to require annual and other reports on local operations by each public utility.
(E.) 
To impose such reasonable regulations and restrictions as may be deemed desirable or conductive to the safety, welfare, and accommodation of the public.
(F.) 
To at any time require such compensation and rental as may be permitted by the laws of the State of Texas.
To [The] consent of abutting and adjacent property owners shall not be required for the construction, extension, maintenance or operation of any public utility, but nothing in this Charter or in any franchise granted thereunder shall be construed to deprive any right of action for damage or injury to his property as now or hereafter provided by law.
All extensions of public utilities within the City limits shall become a part of the aggregate property of the public utility, shall be operated as such, and shall be subject to all the obligations and reserved rights contained in this charter and in any original grant hereafter made. The right to use and maintain any extension shall terminate with the original grant and shall be terminable as provided in Section 9.04. In case of an extension of a public utility operated under a franchise hereafter granted, such right shall be terminable at the same time and under the same conditions as the original grant.
All franchises heretofore granted are recognized as contracts between the City, and the grantee, and the contractual rights as contained in any such franchise shall not be impaired by the provisions of this charter, except that the power of the City to exercise the right of eminent domain in the acquisition of any utility property is in all things reserved, and except the general power of the City heretofore existing and provided for to regulate the rates and services of a grantee which shall include the right to require proper and adequate extension of plant service and the maintenance of the plant and fixtures at the highest reasonable standard of efficiency. Every public utility franchise hereafter granted shall be held and subject to all terms and conditions contained in the various sections of this article whether or not such terms are specifically mentioned in the franchise. Nothing in this charter shall operate to limit in any way as specifically stated the discretion of the City Commission or the electors of the City in imposing terms and conditions as may be reasonable in connection with any franchise grant.
Within six (6) months after this charter takes effect every public utility and every owner of a public utility franchise shall file with the City, as may be prescribed by ordinance, certified copies of all franchises owned or claimed, or under which such utility is operated. The City shall compile and maintain a public record of public utility franchises.
Accounts shall be kept for each public utility owned or operated by the City, in such manner as to show the true and complete financial results of such City ownership and operation, including all assets, appropriately subdivided into different classes, all liabilities subdivided by classes, depreciation reserve, other reserves, and surplus; also revenue, operating expenses including depreciation, interest payments, rental, and other deposition of annual income. The accounts shall show the actual capital cost to the City of each public utility owned, also the cost of all extensions, additions and improvements, and the source of funds expended for such capital purposes. They shall show as nearly as possible the cost of any service furnished to or rendered by any such utility to any other City or governmental department. The City Commission shall annually cause to be made and published a report showing the financial results of such City ownership and operation, giving the information specified in this section, such data as the City Commission shall require, and the information specified elsewhere in this Charter.