0029 (Franchise)ORDINANCE
Granting certain rights, franchises and
privileges to the Okeechobee Telephone
Company, a Florida copern, having its
principal office and place of business
in Okeechobee City, St. Lucie County,
Florida.
B IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF
OKEECHOBEE CITY:
Section One: The City of Okeechobee hereby grants
unto the Okeechobee Telephone Company, a'Florida
cannern, having its principal office and place of
business at Okeechobee City, St. Lucie County, Flori
eta
and to 1's successors and assigns, the right, privilege,
concession and franchise of establishing, installing,
and operating a telephone system in the said City of
Okeechobee.
Sectiod Tko: For the purpose provided in
hereof, the Okeechobee Telephone Company,
and assigns are 110reby empowered and duly
Section One a •
its successors
authorized to
erect and maintain upon all of the public streets, alleys,
highways, and public grounds of the said City, poles or
posts of wood or other suitable material, and to attach
thereto telephohe wires and other appliances necessary and
convenient for the
tImphone exchange
with such currents
convenient for the
operation of a system of telephones and
in said. City, a1,11 to charge said wires
of electricity as shall be necessary or
transmission of telephone communication.
Section Three: The Okeechobee Telephone Company, its
successors and assigns are authorized and empowered to fix
such rates for the use, rent or hire of telephone
instruments, or for telephone servioe, as they shall •
reasonably deem it proper to do; PROVIDED, that they
shall not charge a higher or greater rate for any single
residence instrument than Six (6.00) Dollars'quarterly,
or fox any single business instrument than Nine (9.00)
quarterly
Dollars quarterly, and One (41.00)/additional for each
additional connection or instrument placed in the same
residence or business hotse, for the same person, and with
the same directory call-number. The said Company, its succ-
essors and assigns, may charge a maximum of ten cents for
each call made on a public telephone. The said Company
its successors and assigns may charge to each subscriber the
reasonable costs of disconnection of instruments, such
charge not to exceed One (1.00) Dollar for each disconnection.
This clause as to rates and charges has reference only
to local or intra-city rates and charges.
Section Four: The said Company, its successors and assigns,
shall furnish to the City of Okkechobee all such telephones
as the City shallalesire for the transaction of its public(-mw
at the same price and charge as the then current rate for
residence instruments.
Section Five: This grant and franchise shall remain in force
and effect for the term and period of -thirtyyears from the
date of taking effect of this Ordinance.
Section Six: At the expiration of the term of this franchise,
or at any time thereafter, the City may purchase the
telephone plant of the said Company, its successors or
assigns, or such part of such property as the Municipality
may desire to purchase, at a valuation of the property,
real andTersonal, desired, which valuation shall be fixed
by arbitrations as may be provided by law.
Section Seven: The Company, its successors and assigns, may
use and operate the said telephone system and exercise the
franchises and powers hereby given, in connection as well
with out -of -town subscribers and connections and lines,
systems. or wires, as with local exchange.
Section Eight; The City Council of the City of Okeechobee
shall be authorized to designate the kind of telephone poles
to be used and the places where the same are to be erected,
Section Nine: It is an essential condition of the effective-
ness of this franchise ordinance, that the Okeechobee Tele-
phone Company deposit with the City Clerk, before the passage
of this ordinance, a certified cheque, in the amount of
One Hundred Dollars, payable to the order of the City of
Okeechobee, as an evidence of its good faith in applying for
this franchise. The passage of this ordinance shall be
conclusive proof of such deposit. If, within sixty days of
the approval of this ordinance, the Okeechobee Telephone
Company, its successors or assigns, shall have caused labor
to be done and equipment to be installed,to an aggregate cost
value of One Hundred Dollars, in connection with the putting
in operation of to system provided for by this ordinance, then
the City shall, upon demand by the Company, return to the
Company the amount of the said cheque. If otherwise - that
is to say: if developement work to said extent shall not have
been done - then the City shall retain the amount of the cheque,
and all rights hereunder shall cease.
Section Ten: It is also an essential - condition of the continued
effectiveness of this franchise that a connecting line for
telephone communication between the City of Okeechobee and the
City of Port Pierce shall be constructed and in operation with-
in six months from the date of approval of this ordinance by
the Mayor, and shall be maintained and operated during the
life of this Franchise, intermissions from strikes, break-
downs, or other unavoidable Causes excepted, else the
Franchise hereby granted shall cease and determine and become
forfeited.
Section 71even: The Okeechobee Telephone Company at the
present time is a firm composed, controlled, conducted and
owned solely by R. T.;,cLnughlin, of Fort Drum, Florida. The
term T1successorsn as used in this ordinance shall be held
to include the legal representatives and distributees of
the said R. E. McLaughlin, and his future co-partners, and
those hereafter acquiring rights in the property of the said
Company under him by assignentt or otherwise.
Section Twelve: All ordinances and parts of ordinances in
conflict herwith are hereby repealed.
Section Thirteen: This ordinance and franchise shall take
effect from the
Passed
time of its approval by the ;Mayor,
F/7
Uity Seal)
iv
1 ptesident
Okeechobee
Approved this /6
f he
City.
As Mayor o
City Council,
AVAminr
Okeechobee City.
Acceptedthis
Okeechobee on Company
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