[Adopted 11-20-2007 by Ord. No. 3724;
amended in its entirety 2-26-2013 by Ord. No. 4006]
For the purpose of this ordinance, the following
terms, phrases and words shall have the meaning given herein:
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.
The Township of Franklin, County of Somerset, State of New
Jersey, and its government, including the Township Council and its
administrative personnel.
The grantee of rights under this ordinance and is known as
Zayo Group, LLC, it servants, employees, agents, officers, directors
and contractors.
The Township has reviewed all documentation
regarding Zayo Group, LLC'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 § A401-62 below. Said period shall begin on March 18, 2013, and shall expire five years from said date on March 17, 2018. This consent shall permit Zayo Group, LLC to place and maintain in, upon, along, across, above, and over the public highways and streets in Franklin Township poles, wires, cable, and fiberoptic 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 Zayo Group, LLC violates any provision of this ordinance, the Township will give notice of such violation and allow Zayo Group, LLC 30 days to cure the violation unless additional time is granted by the Township Council. In the event that Zayo Group, LLC 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 Zayo Group, LLC.
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 Zayo Group, LLC, and Zayo Group, LLC 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 route set forth on the map entitled "Schedule A," and
attached to this ordinance.[1] 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 Zayo Group, LLC's own
cost and expense; procedures necessary to gather relevant information
and to resolve every such question shall be pursued in Zayo Group,
LLC'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.
[1]
Editor's Note: Said map is on file in the
Township offices.
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 fiberoptic cables and fixtures necessary thereto. Any fixture other than wires, cable, terminating equipment and electronics and fiberoptic 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 Zayo Group, LLC.
In consideration of the rights and privileges
granted to Zayo Group, LLC, Zayo Group, LLC agrees to pay the Township
on an annual basis the following fees:
A.
Two hundred dollars per mile of Zayo Group, LLC fiberoptic
cable located in the public road rights-of-way within the Township
with a minimum annual fee of $500.
B.
All payments due to the Township hereunder by Zayo
Group, LLC shall be made on or before October 1 of each year in which
access to the Township's public road rights-of-way is in effect. Any
failure to accurately make the payment called for on or before October
1 of each said year will result in the automatic revocation of the
nonexclusive franchise granted to such Zayo Group, LLC by the applicable
authorizing action.
A.
Restoration. In the event Zayo Group, LLC shall from
time to time disturb any public or private pavement, street surfaces,
curbs, gutters, sidewalks, driveways, above or below ground utilities,
lines, fixtures, equipment or other facilities or trees, shrubs or
other landscaping or surfaces in the natural topography or any other
matter whatsoever, Zayo Group, LLC shall, at its sole expense, reasonably
restore and replace such places and things so disturbed to and in
not less than as good condition as existed prior to each disturbance.
In doing so, Zayo Group, LLC shall comply with all applicable ordinances,
resolutions, laws, rulings and regulations. All restorations shall
be completed within 30 working days of the work requiring the same.
B.
Relocation. If at any time during the period of this
consent, the Township shall alter or change the grade of any public
street or highway, or alter or change the location of grade of any
public water or sewer facility or other utility facility, Zayo Group,
LLC, upon reasonable notice by the Township, shall at its own expense,
remove, relay and relocate its cables, equipment and other facilities.
C.
Temporary removal of cables. Zayo Group, LLC shall
for the purpose of and upon request of the Township, at Zayo Group,
LLC's expense, temporarily raise, lower or remove its cables and associated
facilities in order to facilitate the moving of buildings, equipment,
vehicles and machinery and to accommodate other like circumstances.
Zayo Group, LLC may suggest alternatives to the temporary removal
of cables where such temporary removal may cause a disruption of services
or otherwise interfere with the expectations of its customers. However,
the Township retains the right to make the final decision regarding
said cable removal.
Zayo Group, LLC shall respond when requested
to mark out underground lines within 48 hours of the request.
To secure the faithful performance by Zayo Group,
LLC of all of its obligations to the Township, Zayo Group, LLC 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 Zayo Group, LLC 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.
A.
During the term of the use of the Township's said
rights-of-way, Zayo Group, LLC shall deliver to the Township and maintain
in force, at its sole expense, sufficient combined automobile and
comprehensive general liability insurance naming the Township as an
additional insured and insuring against loss by any such claim, suit,
judgment, execution or demand in the minimum amounts of:
(1)
For bodily injury or death to one person: $1,000,000.
(2)
For bodily injury or death from any one accident:
$1,000,000.
(3)
For property damage resulting from any one accident:
$1,000,000.
(4)
Umbrella excess liability coverage for both bodily
injury and property damage for each occurrence and in the aggregate:
$5,000,000.
B.
The insurance carrier must be acceptable to the Township
Attorney and shall be authorized to do business in the State of New
Jersey. Zayo Group, LLC shall assure that no such policy of insurance
shall be canceled without a minimum of 30 days' notice to the Township
or greater notice if required by regulations of the New Jersey Department
of Insurance.
A.
Zayo Group, LLC shall hold and save the Township harmless
from and indemnify and defend the Township against every claim, loss
and liability of every kind, arising in any and every way directly
or indirectly, immediately or consequently from:
(1)
The grant or use of this municipal consent;
(2)
The acquisition of, or negotiation for the acquisition
of, any interest in real estate, rights or privileges within or without
the Township;
(3)
The making, prosecuting or processing of any application
for any governmental approval, permits or license, including all appeals;
(4)
All proceedings of every kind by or against Zayo Group,
LLC;
(5)
Any act or omission of Zayo Group, LLC or any of its
officers, directors, employees, agents, contractors, suppliers, materialmen
or affiliated companies;
(6)
The exercise or implementation, whether or not proper
or lawful, of any right of privilege expressed or implied hereunder,
by law or otherwise arising out of this municipal consent; or
(7)
Zayo Group, LLC's action, inaction, franchise, operation,
maintenance, construction or installation of the lines, cables and
fixtures described herein.
B.
"Loss" shall include all actual legal fees and court
costs.
A.
This ordinance is for Zayo Group, LLC's nonexclusive
use of the Township's said rights-of-way for telecommunications services.
When and if Zayo Group, LLC increases its scope offering to any business
or resident in the State of New Jersey and said increase in scope
passes through the Zayo Group, LLC cable lines located within the
Township, the within ordinance shall be null and void. Zayo Group,
LLC and the Township must then renegotiate the terms, conditions and
fees of the proposed increase in scope. If agreement cannot be reached,
this ordinance will be deemed terminated. The Township is not obligated
to accept any increase in scope proposed by Zayo Group, LLC.
B.
Any proposed increase of scope of this ordinance must
be duly authorized and accepted by the Township after good faith negotiations
and acceptance of the proposed change by the Township with the proper
ordinance and/or agreement in place prior to Zayo Group, LLC's use
of the Township's said rights-of-way for the increase in scope.
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.
A.
In the event applicable law shall, during the term
hereof, modify any provision of this ordinance, the ordinance shall
be automatically modified to incorporate the change.
B.
If at any time during the term hereof, Zayo Group,
LLC is deemed to be a public utility, as that term is defined in N.J.S.A.
48:2-13, by the appropriate governmental authority, then Zayo Group,
LLC shall no longer be subject to this ordinance except to the extent
that other public utilities providing telecommunications service are
subject to like requirements.
This ordinance shall take effect immediately
upon final passage and publication according to law and upon receipt
by the Township of Zayo Group, LLC'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.