For the purpose of this ordinance, the following
terms, phrases and words shall have the meaning given herein:
MCI WORLDCOM
The grantee of rights under this ordinance and is known as
MCI Worldcom, it servants, employees, agents, officers, directors
and contractors.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE
The offering of telecommunications for a fee directly to
the public, or to such classes of users as to be effectively available
directly to the public, regardless of the facilities used.
TOWNSHIP
The Township of Franklin, County of Somerset, State of New
Jersey, and its government, including the Township Council and its
administrative personnel.
The Township has reviewed all documentation
regarding MCI Worldcom's request for use of the municipality's public
road rights-of-way and feels that it is in the best interest of the
residents of Franklin Township to grant said request.
The Township Council of the Township of Franklin hereby consents to the nonexclusive use of its rights-of-way for a period of five years. The conditions for the parameters of said use are set forth in §
A401-24 below. Said period shall begin on September 1, 1999 and shall expire five years from said date on August 31, 2004. This consent shall permit MCI Worldcom to place and maintain in, upon, along, across, above, over and under the public highways and streets in Franklin Township, poles, wires, cable, underground conduits, manholes and fiber optic cables and fixtures necessary for the maintenance and operation of the proposed use. The consent, however, is subject to the provisions of this ordinance. In the event that MCI Worldcom violates any provision of this ordinance, the Township will give notice of such violation and allow MCI Worldcom 30 days to cure the violation unless additional time is granted by the Township Council. In the event that MCI Worldcom does not cure the violation in the prescribed time, appropriate action will be taken on behalf of the Township which may include, but is not limited to, court intervention and the voidance of this ordinance and the termination of any and all relationships between the Township and MCI Worldcom.
The grant of the above public street rights-of-way
shall be for the purpose of providing Telecommunications Service.
The needs of the Township and the public to
minimize interruption in street and sidewalk traffic and public and
private business, to avoid congestion, environmental degradation,
undue cost, inconvenience, reduction in property values, private interests
and the like, frustration or burdening of Township planning for future
utility installations and operations, maintenance of current utilities
and general planning for development by the Township, shall be respected
by MCI Worldcom and MCI Worldcom will notify the Township of the location
of any cable or other fixtures permitted to be installed pursuant
to this ordinance prior to such installation.
The consent granted by this ordinance shall
apply to the entirety of Franklin Township. All questions of municipal
boundary location, rights and interest in property, federal, state,
county and/or other governmental or quasi-governmental rights, privileges
and/or interests in real estate shall be investigated and researched
at MCI Worldcom's own cost and expense; procedures necessary to gather
relevant information and to resolve every such question shall be pursued
in MCI Worldcom's own name and the Township shall never be under any
obligation to perform investigations or research, conduct or prosecute
proceedings, expend legal fees or pay the charge of engineers, surveyors,
title searchers or others, or otherwise take any steps to define,
delineate, establish or clarify the boundaries or rights of the Township.
The foregoing consent is and at all times shall be subject to full and complete compliance with the Township Development Ordinance, Chapter
112 of the Code of the Township of Franklin, all other Township Ordinances and regulations, and all rules, regulations and laws of the applicable jurisdictions as to all aspects of location, operation, and maintenance of the fiber optic cables and fixtures necessary thereto. Any fixture other than wires, cable, underground conduits, terminating equipment and electronics and fiber optic cables shall be subject to the Township's prior written approval before their installation.
No easement, title in fee, leasehold or other
interest in real estate, nor any other interest in property of the
Township, is hereby granted to MCI Worldcom.
MCI Worldcom shall respond when requested to
mark out underground lines, within 48 hours of the request.
To secure the faithful performance by MCI Worldcom
of all of its obligations to the Township, MCI Worldcom shall deliver
to the Township and maintain in force throughout the duration of the
use of the Township's said rights-of-way a surety bond in the penal
sum of not less than $50,000, conditioned on the faithful performance
by MCI Worldcom of all of its undertakings pursuant to this ordinance.
Said bond must be acceptable in form and content to the Township Attorney.
The bonding company shall be authorized to do business in the State
of New Jersey.
Should any provision of this ordinance be determined
invalid by a court or administrative tribunal of competent jurisdiction,
such determination shall not affect the remaining provisions hereof.
The captions and titles assigned to the sections
of this ordinance are for convenience and reference only, and are
in no way to be construed as defining, limiting or modifying the scope
or intent of the various provisions of this ordinance.
This ordinance shall take effect immediately
upon final passage and publication according to law and upon receipt
by the Township of MCI Worldcom's written acceptance of the terms
hereof. If such acceptance is not received by the Township Clerk within
30 days of the final passage of the ordinance, the same will automatically
expire and be of no further effect.