All contracts that the City has at the time of the adoption of this Charter shall remain in full force and effect. This provision shall include, but not be limited to, all bonded indebtedness, franchises, contracts for professional services, contracts for improvements, lease contracts, or any other agreement binding upon the City of Richland Hills, Texas, immediately prior to the adoption of this Charter.
(a) 
The City Council may, by ordinance, give the City Manager general authority to contract for expenditures without further approval of the City Council for all budgeted items not exceeding limits set by the City Council within the ordinance.
(b) 
All contracts for expenditures or purchases involving more than the set limits must be expressly approved in advance by the City Council.
(c) 
All contracts or purchases involving more than the limits set by Council shall be awarded by the City Council in accordance with state law.
State law reference–Purchases and contracts, V.T.C.A., Local Government Code § 252.001, et seq.
[Ordinance 1473-23 adopted 5/16/2023]
(a) 
The right to control, easement, use, and ownership and title to the streets, highways, public thoroughfares, and property of the City, its avenues, parks, bridges, and all other public places and property, are hereby declared to be inalienable. No franchise on any City property shall be granted except by ordinance duly passed by five-sevenths (5/7) affirmative votes of the entire City Council.
(b) 
No grant of any franchise or lease, or right to use the same, either on, through, along, across, under, or over the same, by any private corporation, association, or individual shall be granted by the City Council for a longer period than twenty-five (25) years, unless submitted to the vote of the legally qualified voters of the City in the manner provided for in Section 282.003 of the Texas Local Government Code in conjunction with Chapter 311, Subchapter D of the Texas Transportation Code, the expense of such election to be borne by the applicant.
(c) 
The City Council may, of its own motion, submit all of such applications, to an election at which the people shall vote upon the proposition therein submitted, the expense of such election in all cases to be borne by the applicant.
(d) 
No franchise shall ever be granted until it has been approved by majority of the City Council, nor shall any such franchise, grant, or privilege ever be made unless it provides for adequate compensation or consideration therefor to be paid to the City.
(e) 
Every such franchise or grant shall make adequate provision, by way of forfeiture of the grant or otherwise, to secure efficiency of public service at reasonable rate and to maintain the property devoted to the public service in good repair throughout the term of grant of said franchise.
(f) 
No franchise grant shall ever be exclusive.
(g) 
The City Council may prescribe the forms and methods of the keeping of accounts of any grantees under franchise, provided that the forms and methods of keeping such accounts have not already been prescribed by a State or Federal law or agency.
[Ordinance 1473-23 adopted 5/16/2023]