Whenever the city council, in a proceeding upon its own motion,
upon complaint, or upon application to it, shall deem it necessary
and proper, in order to carry out the powers and duties granted and
imposed upon it by the laws of the state and ordinances of the city,
to investigate the operations, services, practices, accounting records,
rates, charges, and regulations of a public utility, or to make valuations
or revaluations of the property of any public utility, and when such
finding of necessity and propriety by the city council shall be reasonable
and warranted by existing facts and conditions, such public utility
shall be charged with and pay to the city the actual cost of such
investigations, valuation, or regulation, including but not limited
to such fees and compensation of attorneys, experts, and persons employed
for such purposes as are reasonably attributable to such investigation,
valuation, or regulation.
(1977 Code, sec. 14-91)
The city auditor shall prepare and submit to the city council
an itemized statement of such actual cost of such investigation, valuation,
or regulation. The city council shall, either at the conclusion of
the investigation, valuation, or regulation, or from time to time
during its progress, cause notices to be served upon such public utility
of the submission and filing of such itemized statement, and of a
hearing to be held thereon, which notice shall state the time and
place of such hearing.
(1977 Code, sec. 14-92)
At such hearing, the city council shall examine the itemized
statement filed and submitted by the city auditor, and shall accord
the representatives of such utility a full and fair hearing concerning
the accuracy and reasonableness of such itemized statement, and shall
determine and fix by resolution the actual cost of such investigation,
valuation, or regulation to be paid by such public utility. Such public
utility shall pay the amount of such actual costs within 30 days from
the date of such resolution.
(1977 Code, sec. 14-93)
The total amount which may be charged by the city to any public
utility under authority of this article in any calendar year shall
not exceed 2 percent of such public utility’s gross operating
revenues derived from local, intrastate utility operations in the
last preceding calendar year.
(1977 Code, sec. 14-94)
The amount assessed against a public utility not paid within
30 days from date of the resolution fixing such assessment shall draw
interest at the rate of 6 percent per annum until paid.
(1977 Code, sec. 14-95)
