2564 ORD GRANTING LONE STAR GAS COMPANY A FRANCHISE TO FURNISH AND SUPPLY GAS TO GENERAL PUBLIC IN COP AND ENVIRONS THEREOF
ORDINANCE N0. 2564 .
AN ORDINANCE GRANTING TO LONE STAR GAS COMPANY,
A CORPORATION, ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS, A FRANCHISE
TO FURNISH AND SUPPLY GAS TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN THE
CITY OF PARIS, LAMAR COUNTY, TEXAS, AND THE ENVIRONS
THEREOF; PROVIDING FOR THE PAYMENT OF A FEE OR
CHARGE FOR THE USE OF THE STREETS, ALLEYS AND PUBLIC
WAYS, AND PROVIDING THAT IT SHALL BE IN LIEU OF OTHER
FEES AND CHARGES, EXCEP7-ING AD VALOREM TAXES,
BE IT ORDA INED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
PARIS:
Section l. That the C.ity of Paris, Paris, Texas, hereinafter
called "City", hereby grants to Lone Star Gas Company, hereinafter
called "Company", its successors and assigns, consent to use and
occupy the present and future streets, alleys, highways, public
places, public thoroughfares and grounds of C.ity for the purpose of
laying, maintaining, constructing, operating and replacing therein
and thereon pipelines and all other appurtenant equipment needed
and necessary to deliver and sell gas to persons, firms and cor-
porations, including all the general public, within the City's cor-
porate limits and the environs thereof, sa.id consent being granted
for a term of twenty-five (25) years from and after the date of the
final passage and approval of this ordinance.
Section 2. For the purpose of erecting, laying, extending
and maintaining its gas lines and appurtenant equipment, said
Company shall have the right and be permitted to dig up the pave-
ments, parkways between sidewalks and street curb, streets, alleys
or other public highways within the City of Paris, after due written
notice of such intended work is given to the City Manager, and said
Company shall replace and repair the same and be responsible for
any and all damage that may arise therefrom to adjo.ining property,
or owners thereof, or for personal injury inflicted on any person
or member of the general public caused by or resulting from its
negligence in the performance of said work, and any and all damage
that may arise from failure to place the same in as good repair as
when dug up, and for unreasonable delay in replacing the same.
All repairing or replacing of said pavements shall be done in
accordance with provisions of City ordinances under the supervi-
sion and to the satisfaction of the City Manager end City Engineer.
Section 3. Said Company expressly agrees, covenants and
guarantees to sa.id City of Paris that its present gas lines and
appurtenant equipment, as now erected and in use in said City
under previous grants, are equipped and constructed with the most
modern safety appliances in general use .in this State for the safety
and protection of its employees, the customers of said Company
and all members of the general public in their ordinary use of any
of the premises named in Sections 1 and 2 of this ordinance, and
that sa.id Company will so maintain them and all additional or new
works constructed during the life of this ordinance; if not so
equipped, Company will so equip with.in ninety (90) days after
passage of this ordinance, and thereafter so maintain.
Said Company further expressly agrees to defend at its cost
any suit or suits that may be filed against the City of Paris for
negligence of saidCompany orany of its employees in the main-
tenance, erection, use or repair of its plant, gas lines or work
done on or in connection therewith, or any work described in
Sections 1 to 3, inclusive, of this ordinance, and pay any judgment
that may be finally rendered against said City in any sLch suit or
suits.
Failure or refusal to comply with either or both of the fore-
going provisions of this section shall constitute good and sufficient
cause for forfeiture of this fra.nchise and same may be forfeited
by City, if, after thirty days' written notice to Company of City's
intention to forfeit, compliance is still refused.
S°ction 4. In addition to the rates charged for gas supplied,
Company may make and enforce reasonable charges, rules and
regulations for service rendered in the conduct of its business
including a charge for services rendered in the inauguration of
natural gas service, and may r.equire, before furnishing service,
the execution of a contract therefor. Company shall have the
right to contract with each customer with reference to the in-
stallation of, and payment for, any and all of the gas piping from
the connection thereaf with the Company's main in the streets or
alleys to and throughout the consumer's premises. Company
shall own, operate and maintain all service lines, which are de-
fined as the supply lines extending from the Company's main to
the customer's meter where gas is measured by Company. The
consumer shall own, operate, and maintain all yard lines and
house piping. Yard lines are defined as the underground supply
lines extending from the point of connection with Company's custo-
mer meter to the point of connection with consumer's house
piping.
Section 5. Company shall not be reguired to extend mains
longitudinally on any street more than one hundred (100) feet for
any one consumer of gas, nor shall Company be required to
connect consumer to high-pressure lines.
Section 6. Company sha.ll be entitled to require from each
and every consumer of gas, before gas service is commenced, a
deposit of twice the amount of an estimated average monzhly bill,
which said deposit may be retained by Company until service is
discontinued and all bills therefor have been paid. Company shall
then return said deposit to the consumer, together with six percent
(6%) interest thereon from the date of said deposit up to the date
of discontinuance of service. Company shall be entitled to apply
said deposit, with accrued interest, to any indebtedness owed
Company by the consumer making the deposit.
Section 7. The rights, privileges and franchises granted by
this ordinance are not to be considered exclusive, and City hereby
expressly reserves the right to grant, at any time, like privileges,
rights and franchises as it may see fit to any other person or
corporation for the purpose of furnishing gas Eor light, heat and
power to and for City and the inhabitants thereof.
Section 8. Company shall furnish reasonably adequate service
to the publ.ic at reasonable rates and charges therefor; and Company
shall maintain its property, equipment and appliances in good order
and condition.
Section 9. Company, its successors and ass.igns, agrees to
pay and City a.grees to accept, on or before the 15th day of June,
1982, a sum of money which shall be equivalent to two percent (2%)
of the gross receipts received by Company from the sale of all gas
within the corporate limits of said City from January 1, 1981
through June 30, 1981, and a sum of money which shall be equiva-
lent to three percent (370) of the gross receipts received by Com-
pany from the sale of all gas within the corporate limits of said
City from July 1, 1981 through December 31, 1981, and on or before
the 15th day of June, 1983 a sum of money which shall be equivalent
to three percent (3%) of the gross receipts received by Company
from the sale of all gas within the corporate limits of said C.ity
during the preced.ing calendar year, with a like payment being
made on or before the 15th day oE June of each succeeding year
during the life of this franchise up to and including the year 2006,
which annual payments shall be for the rights and privileges herein
granted to Company including expressly, without limitation, the
right to use the streets, alleys and public ways of said City.
It is also expressly agreed that the aforesa.id annual payments
shall be in lieu of any and all other and additional occupation
taxes, easement and franchise taxes, or charges (whether levied
as an ad valorem, special or other character of tax or charge),
in lieu of municipal license and inspection fees, street taxes and
street or alley rentals or charges, and all other and additional
municipal taxes, charges, levies, fees and rentals of whatsoever
kind and character which City may impose or hereafter be au-
thor.ized to levy and collect, excepting only the usual general or
special ad valorem taxes, which City is authorized to levy and im-
pose upon real and personal property. Should City not have the
legal power to agree that the payment of the foregoing sums of
money shall be in lieu of taxes, licenses, fees, street or alley
rentals or charges, easement or franchise taxes or charges
aforesaid, then City agrees that it will apply so much of said sums
of money pa.id as may be necessary to satisfy Company`s obliga-
tions, if any, to pay any such taxes, licenses, charges, fees,
rentals, easement or franchise taxes or charges.
In order to determine the gross receipts received by Company
from the sale of gas within the corporate limits of City, Company
agrees that on the same date that payments are made as provided
in the preceding paragraph of this Section 9, it will file with the
City Clerk a sworn report showing the gross receipts received
from the sale of all gas w.ithin said corporate lim.its for the ca-
lendar year preceding the date of payment. City may, if .it sees
fit, have the books and records of Company examined by a repre-
sentative of said City to ascerta.in the correctness of the sworn re-
ports agreed to be ffled herein.
Section 10. The franchise granted herein shall be subject to
the valid provisions of Section 122 of the Charter of the City of
Paris and other applicable valid sections therein, which are hereby
incorporated by reference and expressly made a part hereof, the
same as if copied verbatim.
Section 11. This franchise ordinance shall not change the
Company's rate or charge curr.ently in effect within the city limits
of Paris, Texas. The rates currently charged by Company may be
changed and amended at any time by either the City or Company
furni5hing gas in the manner provided by law.
Section 12. This franchi.se ordinance shall be considered
effective sixty (60) days from and after the date of its final passage
and approval by the City Counci.l and the Mayor of the City of Paris
and shall cancel, repeal, supersede, nullify, take the place and be
in lieu of that certain franchise ordinance No. 1832 passed and
approved on July 10, 1967, recorded in Ordinance Book 7, Pages
218, 219 and 220, of the City of Paris, and being styled:
"AN ORDINANCE GRANTING TO LONE STAR GAS
COMPA NY, A CORPORA TION, ITS SUC CESSOR S.A ND
ASSIGNS, A FRANCHISE TO FURNISH AND SUPPLY
GAS TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN THE CITY OF
PARIS, LAMAR COUNTY, TEXAS, AND THE EN-
VIRONS THEREOF; PROVIDING FOR THE PAYMENT
OF A FEE OR CHARGE FOR THE USE OF THE
STREETS, ALLEYS AND PUBLIC WAYS, AND PRO-
VIDING THAT IT SHALL BE IN LIEU OF OTHER
FEES AND CHARGES, EXCEPTING AD VALOREM
TAXES. "
Section 13. Company shall file its written acceptance of this
franchise ordinance within sixty (60) days after the effective date
of this ordinance as provided in the Charter of the City of Paris,
Paris, Texas.
Section 14. This ordinance shall become effective sixty (60)
days after third and final reading at three separate regular meet-
ings of the City Council of the City of Paris, the last of which shall
take place not less than thirty (30) days from the first.
INTRODUCED AND READ at a regular meeting of the City
Council of the City of Paris at the Council Chambers thereof on
the 9th day of February, 1981; read at a regular meeting of the
City Council of the City of Paris at the Council Chambers thereof
on the 9th day of March, 1981; and third and final reading at a
regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Paris at the
Council Chambers thereof on the 13th day of April, 1981, the last
reading being not less than thirty (30) days from the First.
FINALLY passed, adopted and approved by the City Council of
the City of Paris, at a regular meeting, this the 13th day of April,
1981.
.
Mic ael E. Malone, Mayor
A TTEST: -10Mes Wilkins, cting City Clerk
APP OVED FORM:
T. K. Haynes, City Attorney