Any franchise granted pursuant to this Cable Ordinance shall be nonexclusive.
Subject to applicable state and federal law the Township specifically reserves
the right to grant at any time such additional franchises for a cable, open
video, or other communications system as it deems to be in the public interest,
and/or to construct, purchase, operate, maintain, and own a cable, open video,
or other communications system or systems if the Township determines that
the public interest will be served by such a system or systems.
Any franchise granted by the Township is hereby made subject to the
police power provisions of general ordinances provisions now in effect and
hereafter made effective. Nothing in any franchise shall be interpreted to
prohibit or limit the Township from the proper exercise of its general regulatory
and police powers and/or powers of eminent domain. Nothing in any franchise
shall be deemed to waive the requirements of the various codes and ordinances
of the Township regarding permits, fees to be paid, or manner of construction.
The term of any franchise as granted pursuant to this chapter shall
be specified in the franchise agreement at the discretion of the Township.
Acceleration or termination of said franchise may commence or be required
as a penalty or remedy for noncompliance with provisions of this Cable Ordinance
or the franchise agreement.
No poles shall be erected by a grantee without prior approval of the
Township with regard to location, height, type and any other pertinent aspect.
However, no location of any pole of the grantee shall be a vested right and
such poles shall be removed or modified by the grantee at its own expense
whenever the Township determines that the public convenience would be enhanced
thereby. grantee shall utilize existing poles and conduits, where possible.
The Township shall have the right, during the life of the franchise, to install
and maintain free of charge upon the poles owned by the grantee, any wire
and pole fixtures that do not unreasonably interfere with the operations of
the grantee.
A grantee shall have no recourse against the Township or its officials,
boards, commissions, agents, or employees for any loss, costs, expenses, or
damage arising out of any provision or requirement of the franchise or because
of enforcement of the franchise. This section does not preclude recourse by
a grantee if the loss, costs, expenses, or damages arise from willful misconduct
by the Township.
The Township expressly reserves the right to exercise all governmental
powers consistent with state and federal law, except as expressly provided,
and expressly reserves the right to amend this chapter from time to time in
the exercise of its general legislative and police powers. No franchise, work
permit, or other grant of authority pertaining to use of the public rights-of-way
shall estop or limit the Township from the full exercise of its governmental
or regulatory powers, consistent with state and federal law, to adopt any
ordinance, by-law, rule or regulation necessary for the proper management,
care, and control of the Township and its finances and the maintenance of
peace, good government, health and welfare of the Township and its citizens,
trade, commerce and manufacture.
Because the Township finds that the streets of the county, state, and
Township to be used by the grantee in the operation of its system within the
boundaries of the franchise area are valuable public properties acquired and
maintained by the county, state, and Township at great expense to its taxpayers;
the grant to the grantee to the said streets is a valuable property right
without which the grantee would be required to invest substantial capital
in right-of-way costs and acquisitions; the administration of this chapter
and the franchise imposes upon the Township additional regulatory responsibility
and expense; and the presence of the grantee and its facilities places additional
burdens upon the Township police and road departments and the volunteer fire
company serving the area which is supported by the Township.
A. A grantee of a cable franchise hereunder shall pay to
the Township as a condition of right-of-way use a franchise fee in an amount
as designated in the franchise agreement up to the maximum amount permitted
under applicable federal, state, or local law.
B. A grantee of an OVS franchise hereunder shall pay to
the Township as a condition of right-of-way use a fee in lieu of a franchise
fee in an amount as designated in the franchise agreement up to the maximum
amount permitted to be required as a franchise fee from a cable system operator
under applicable federal, state, or local law. In the event that any franchise
fee payment or recomputed amount is not made on or before the dates specified
in the franchise agreement, grantee shall pay as additional compensation an
interest charge, computed from such due date, at the annual rate equal to
the commercial prime interest rate of the Township's primary depository bank
during the period that such unpaid amount is owed.
C. The franchise fee shall be payable as specified in the
franchise agreement and shall commence as of the effective date of the franchise.
The Township shall be furnished at the time of each payment with a statement
certified by the grantee's chief financial officer reflecting the total amounts
of gross revenues for the period conveyed by the payment.
D. The Township shall have the right to inspect the grantee's
income records and the right to audit and to recompute any amounts determined
to be payable under this chapter for a period of five years from the date
of payment. Audits shall be at the expense of the Township unless the audit
discloses an underpayment in any one year of 5% or more, in which case the
costs of the audit shall be borne by the grantee. Any additional amount due
the Township as a result of the audit shall be paid with accrued interest
within 30 days following written notice to the grantee by the Township which
notice shall include a copy of the audit report unless written notice of disagreement
is filed by the grantee with the Township within such time.
All notices from the grantee to the Township pursuant to this chapter
and the franchise agreement shall be to the Township Manager or his designee.
The grantee shall maintain with the Township, throughout the term of the franchise,
an address for service of notices by mail. The grantee shall also maintain
with the Township a local office and telephone number for the conduct of matters
related to the franchise during normal business hours. The grantee shall be
required to advise the Township of such address and telephone numbers and
any changes thereof.