2008-09 FPL Franchise Renewal• ORDINANCE 2008-09
AN ORDINANCE OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE
VILLAGE OF NORTH PALM BEACH, FLORIDA, GRANTING TO
FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY, ITS SUCCESSORS AND
ASSIGNS, ANON-EXCLUSIVE ELECTRIC FRANCHISE AND
IMPOSING PROVISIONS AND CONDITIONS RELATING
THERETO; PROVIDING FOR MONTHLY PAYMENTS TO THE
VILLAGE; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS; PROVIDING FOR
QUALIFIED SEVERABILITY; AND PROVIDING FOR AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the Village Council of the Village of North Palm Beach, Florida recognizes that the
Village ofNorth Palm Beach ("Village") and its citizens need and desire the continued benefits of
electric service; and
WHEREAS, the provision of such service requires substantial investments of capital and other
resources in order to construct, maintain and operate facilities essential to the provision of such
service in addition to costly administrative functions, and the V illage does not desire to undertake to
provide such services; and
• WHEREAS, Florida Power & Light Company ("FPL") is a public utIlity which has the
demonstrated ability to supply such services; and
WHEREAS, there is currently in effect a franchise agreement between the Village of North Palm
Beach and FPL, the terms of which are set forth in Village Ordinance No. 1480, passed and
adopted July 10, 1980, and FPL's written acceptance thereof dated July 29, 1980 granting to FPL,
its successors and assigns, a thirty (30) yeaz electric franchise ("Current Franchise Agreement"); and
WHEREAS, FPL and the Village desire to enter into anew agreement ("New Franchise
Agreement") providing for the payment of fees to the Village in exchange for the nonexclusive right
and privilege of supplying electricity and other services within the Village free of competition from
the Village, pursuant to certain terms and conditions; and
WHEREAS, the Village Council recognizes that Chapter 28 ofthe Village Code ofOrdinances sets
forth general requirements for use of Village rights-of--way by utility providers and expressly
determines that notwithstanding any conflicts with existing ordinances, the terms and conditions of
this New Franchise Agreement aze beneficial to the Village and should control over any conflicting
ordinances; and
WHEREAS, the Village Council of the Village of North Palm Beach deems it to be in the best
interest ofthe Village and its citizens to enter into the New Franchise Agreement prior to expiration
• ofthe Current Franchise Agreement.
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• NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE
VILLAGE OF NORTH PALM BEACH, FLORIDA as follows:
Section 1., The foregoing recitals aze hereby ratified and incorporated herein by reference.
Section 2. There is hereby granted to Florida Power & Light Company, its successors and
assigns (hereinafter called the "Grantee"), for the period of 30 years from the effective date hereof,
the nonexclusive right, privilege and franchise (hereinafter called "franchise") to construct, operate
and maintain in, under, upon, along, over and aaoss the present and future roads, streets, alleys,
bridges, easements, rights-of--way and other public places (hereinafter called "public rights-of-way")
throughout all of the incorporated azeas, as such incorporated azeas maybe constituted from time to
time, of the Village of North Palm Beach, Florida, and its successors (hereinafter called the
"Grantor"), in accordance with the Grantee's customary practice with respect to construction and
maintenance, electric light and power facilities, including, without limitation, conduits, poles, wires,
transmission and distnbution lines, and all other facilities installed in conjunction with or ancillary
to all of the Grantee's operations (hereinafter called "facilities"), for the purpose of supplying
electricity and other services to the Grantor and its successors, the inhabitants thereof, and persons
beyond the limits thereof
Section 3. The facilities of the Grantee shall be installed, located or relocated so as to not
unreasonably interfere with traffic over the public rights-of--way or with reasonable egress from and
ingress to abutting property. To avoid conflicts with traffic, the location or relocation of all facilities
shall be made as representatives of the Grantor may prescnbe in accordance with the Grantor's
• reasonable rules and regulations with reference to the placing and maintaining in, under, upon, along,
over and across said public rights-of--way; provided, however, that such rules or regulations (a) shall
not prohibit the exercise of the Grantee's right to use said public rights-of--way for reasons other than
unreasonable interference with motor vehiculaz traffiq (b) shall not unreasonably interfere with the
Grantee's ability to famish reasonably sufficient, adequate and efficient electric service to all of its
customers, and (c) shall not require the relocation of any of the Grantee's facilities installed before or
after the effective date hereof in public rights-of--way unless or until widening or otherwise changing
the configuration of the paved portion of any public right-of--way used by motor vehicles causes such
installed facilities to unreasonably interfere with motor vehicular traffic. Such rules and regulations
shall recognize that above-grade facilities of the Grantee installed after the effective date hereof
should be installed neaz the outer boundaries of the public rights-of--way to the extent possible.
When any portion of a public right-0f--way is excavated by the Grantee in the location or relocation
of any of its facilities, or any portion of a public right-of--way is damaged or impaired because of the
installation, inspection or repair of its facilities, the portion of the public right-of--way so excavated,
damaged or impaired shall within a reasonable time be replaced by the Grantee at its expense and in
as good condition as it was at the time of such excavation. The Grantor shall not be liable to the
Grantee for any cost or expense in connection with any relocation of the Grantee's facilities required
under subsection (c) ofthis Section, except, however, the Grantee shall be entitled to reimbursement
of its costs from others and as may be provided by law.
Section 4. The Grantor shall in no way be liable or responsible for any accident or damage that
may occur in the construction, operation or maintenance by the Grantee of its facilities hereunder,
• and the acceptance of this ordinance shall be deemed an agreement on the part of the Grantee to
indemnify the Grantor and hold it harmless against any and all liability, loss, cost, damage or
expense which may accrue to the Grantor by reason of the negligence, default or misconduct of the
Grantee in the construction, operation or maintenance of its facilities hereunder.
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Section 5. All rates and rules and regulations established by the Grantee from time to time shall
• be subject to such regulation as may be provided by law.
Section 6. As a consideration for this franchise, the Grantee shall pay to the Grantor,
commencing 90 days after the effective date hereof, and each month thereafter for the remainder of
the term of this franchise, an amount which added to the amount of all licenses, excises, fees,
chazges and other impositions of any kind whatsoever (except ad valorem property taxes and non-ad
valorem tax assessments on property) levied or imposed by the Grantor against the Grantee's
property, business or operations and those of its subsidiaries during the Grantee's monthly billing
period ending 60 days prior to each such payment will equal 5.9 percent of the Grantee's billed
revenues, less actual write-offs, from the sale of electrical energy to residential, commercial and
industrial customers (as such customers aze defined by FPL's tarit~ within the incorporated aeeas of
the Grantor for the monthly billing period ending 60 days prior to each such payment, and in no
event shall payment for the rights and privileges granted herein exceed 5.9 percent of such revenues
for any monthly billing period ofthe Grantee.
The Grantor understands and agrees that such revenues as described in the preceding paragraph aze
limited, as in the existing franchise Ordinance No. 1480, to the precise revenues described therein,
and that such revenues do not include, by way of example and not limitation: (a) revenues from the
sale of electrical energy for Public Street and Highway Lighting (service for lighting public ways
and areas); (b) revenues from Other Sales to Public Authorities (service with eligibility restricted to
governmental entities); (c) revenues from Sales to Railroads and Railways (service supplied for
propulsion of electric transit vehicles); (d) revenues from Sales for Resale (service to other utilities
for resale purposes); (e) franchise fees; (f) Late Payment Chazges; (g) Field Collection Chazges; (h)
• other service chazges.
Section 7. If during the term of this franchise the Grantee enters into a franchise agreement with
any other municipality located in Palm Beach County, Florida, where the number of Grantee's
active electrical customers is equal to or less than the number of Grantee's active electrical
customers within the incorporated azea of the Grantor ,the terms of which provide for the payment
of franchise fees by the Gtantee at a rate greater than 5.9% of the Grantee's residential, commercial
and industrial revenues (as such customers are defined by FPL's tariff), under the same terms and
wnditions as specified in Section 6 hereol, the Grantee, upon written request of the Grantor, shall
negotiate and enter into a new franchise agreement with the Grantor in which the percentage to be
used in calculating monthly payments under Section 6 hereof shall be no greater than the percentage
which the Grantee has agreed to use as a basis for the calculation of payments to the other
municipality, provided, however, that such new franchise agreement shall include additional
benefits to the Grantee, in addition to all benefits provided herein, at least equal to those provided by
its franchise agreement with the other Palm Beach County municipality. Subject to all limitations,
terms and conditions specified in the preceding sentence, the Grantor shall have the sole discretion
to determine the percentage to be used in calculating the monthly payments, and the Grantee shall
have the sole discretion to determine those benefits to which it would be entitled, under any such
new franchise agreement.
Section 8. As a further consideration, during the term of this franchise or any extension thereof
the Grantor agrees: (a) not to engage in the distribution and/or sale, in competition with the
• Grantee, of electric capacity and/or electric energy to any ultimate consumer of electric utility
service (herein called a "retail customer") or to any electrical distribution system established solely
to serve any retail customer formerly served by the Grantee, (b) not to participate in any proceeding
or contractual arrangement, the purpose or terms of which would be to obligate the Grantee to
transmit and/or distribute, electric capacity and/or electric energy from any third party(ies) to any
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other retail customer's facility(ies), and (c) not to seek to have the Grantee transmit and/or distribute
• electric capacity and/or electric energy generated by or on behalf of the Grantor at one location to
the Grantor's facility(ies) at any other location(s). Nothing specified herein shall prohibit the
Grantor from engaging with other utilities or persons in wholesale transactions which aze subject to
the provisions ofthe Federal Power Act.
Nothing herein shall prohibit the Grantor, if permitted by law, (i) from purchasing electric capacity
and/or electric energy from any other person, or (ii) from seeking to have the Grantee transmit
and/or distribute to any facility(ies) ofthe Grantor electric capacity and/or electric energy purchased
by the Grantor ftom any other person; provided, however, that before the Grantor elects to purchase
electric capacity and/or electric energy from any other person, the Grantor shall notify the Grantee.
Such notice shall include a summary ofthe specific rates, terms and conditions which have been
offered by the other person and identify the Grantor's facilities to be served under the offer. The
Grantee shall thereafter have 90 days to evaluate the offer and, if the Grantee offers rates, terms and
conditions which are equal to or better than those offered by the other person, the Grantor shall be
obligated to continue to purchase from the Grantee electric capacity and/or electric energy to serve
the previously-identified facilities of the Grantor for a term no shorter than that offered by the other
person. If the Grantee does not agree to rates, terms and conditions which equal or better the other
person's offer, all of the terms and conditions of this franchise shall remain in effect.
Section 9. If the Grantor grants a right, privilege or franchise to any other person or otherwise
enables any other such person to construct, operate or maintain electric light and power facilities
within any part ofthe incorporated areas of the Grantor in which the Grantee may lawfully serve or
• compete on terms and conditions which the Grantee determines aze more favorable than the terms
and conditions contained herein, the Grantee may at any time thereafter terminate this franchise if
such terms and conditions aze not remedied within the time period provided hereafter. The Grantee
shall give the Grantor at least 60 days advance written notice of its intent to terminate. Such notice
shall, without prejudice to any ofthe rights reserved for the Grantee herein, advise the Grantor of
such terms and conditions that it considers more favorable. The Grantor shall then have 60 days in
which to correct or otherwise remedy the terms and conditions complained of by the Grantee. If the
Grantee determines that such terms or conditions are not remedied by the Grantor within said time
period, the Grantee may terminate this franchise agreement by delivering written notice to the
Grantor's Clerk and termination shall be effective on the date ofdelivery of such notice.
Section 10. If as a direct or indirect consequence of any legislative, regulatory or other action by
the United States of America or the State of Florida (or any department, agency, authority,
instrumentality or political subdivision of either of them) any person is permitted to provide electric
service within the incorporated azeas of the Grantor to a customer then being served by the Grantee,
or to any new applicant for electric service within any part ofthe incorporated azeas ofthe Grantor
in which the Grantee may lawfully serve, and the Grantee determines that its obligations hereunder,
or otherwise resulting from this franchise in respect to rates and service, place it at a competitive
disadvantage with respect to such other person, the Grantee may, at any time after the taking of such
action, terminate this franchise if such competitive disadvantage is not remedied within the time
period provided hereafter. The Grantee shall give the Grantor at least 90 days advance written
notice of its intent to terminate. Such notice shall, without prejudice to any of the rights reserved for
• the Grantee herein, advise the Grantor ofthe consequences of such action which resulted in the
competitive disadvantage. The Grantor shall then have 90 days in which to correct or otherwise
remedy the competitive disadvantage. If such competitive disadvantage is not remedied by the Grantor
within said time period, the Grantee may terminate this franchise agreement by delivering written
notice to the Grantor's Clerk and termination shall take effect on the date of delivery of such notice.
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Section 11. Failure on the part of the Grantee to comply in any substantial respect with any of the
• provisions ofthis franchise shall be grounds for forfeiture, but no such forfeiture shall take effect if
the reasonableness or propriety thereof is protested by the Grantee until there is final determination
(after the expiration or exhaustion of all rights of appeal) by a court of competent jurisdiction that
the Grantee has failed to comply in a substantial respect with any ofthe provisions ofthis franchise,
and the Grantee shall have six months after such final determination to make good the default
before a forfeiture shall result with the right of the Grantor at its discretion to grant such additional
time to the Grantee for compliance as necessities in the case require.
Section 12. Failure on the part of the Grantor to comply in substantial respect with any of the
provisions of this ordinance, including but not limited to: (a) denying the Grantee use of public
rights-of--way for reasons other than unreasonable interference with motor vehicular traffic;
(b) imposing conditions for use of public rights-of--way wntrary to Florida law or the terms and
conditions of this franchise; (c) unreasonable delay in issuing the Grantee a use permit, if any, to
construct its facilities in public rights-of--way, shall constitute breach ofthis franchise and entitle the
Grantee to withhold all or part of the payments provided for in Section 6 hereofuntil such time as a
use permit is issued or a court of competent jurisdiction has reached a final determination in the
matter. The Grantor recognizes and agrees that nothing in this franchise agreement constitutes or
shall be deemed to constitute a waiver of the Grantee's delegated sovereign right of condemnation
and that the Grantee, in its sole discretion, may exercise such right.
Section 13. The Grantor may, upon reasonable notice and within 90 days after each anniversazy
date of this franchise, at the Grantor's expense, examine the records of the Grantee relating to the
calculation of the franchise payment for the yeaz preceding such anniversary date. Such
• examination shall be during normal business hours at the Grantee's office where such records are
maintained. Records not prepared by the Grantee in the ordinary course of business may be
provided at the Grantor's expense and as the Grantor and the Grantee may agree in writing.
Information identifying the Grantee's customers by name or their electric consumption shall not be
taken from the Grantee's premises. Such audit shall be impartial and all audit findings, whether they
decrease or increase payment to the Grantor, shall be reported to the Grantee. The Grantor's right to
examine the records of the Grantee in accordance with this Section shall not be conducted by any
third party employed by the Grantor whose fee, in whole or part, for conducting such audit is
contingent on findings ofthe audit.
Grantor waives, settles and bars all claims relating in any way to the amounts paid by the Grantee
under the Current Franchise Agreement embodied in Ordinance No. 1480 not asserted in writing
within one hundred fifty (150) days after the effective date ofthis Ordinance.
Section 14. As used herein "person" means an individual, a partnership, a corporation, a business
trust, a joint stock company, a trust, an incorporated association, a joint venture, a governmental
authority or any other entity ofwhatever nature.
Section 15. Ordinance No. 1480, passed and adopted July 10, 1980, is hereby repealed and the
terms ofthis Ordinance shall control over any conflicting ordinance.
Section 16. If any section, paragraph, sentence, clause, phrase or word of this Ordinance is for any
• reason held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unconstitutional, inoperative or void, such
holding shall not affect the remainder of this Ordinance. Notwithstanding the foregoing, it is expressly
provided that if any of the provisions of Sections 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10 or 12 are found or adjudged to be
invalid, void or ofno effect, the entire Ordinance shall be null and void and ofno force or effect.
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Section 17. As a condition precedent to the taking effect of this ordinance, the Grantee shall file
its acceptance hereof with the Grantor's Clerk within 30 days of adoption of this ordinance. The
• effective date ofthis ordinance shall be the date upon which the Grantee files such acceptance.
PLACED ON FIRST READING THIS 24th DAY OF NLY, 2008.
PLACED ON SECOND, FINAL READING AND PASSED THIS 28th DAY OF AUGUST, 2008.
(Village Seal),
ATTEST: '
VILLAGE CLERK
APPROVED AS TO FORM
AND LEGAL SUFFICIENCY:
• ~ ~ ~_
VILLAGE ATTORNEY
C J
~~~~: ~~~d~~-~
MAYOR
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ACCEPTANCE OF ELECTRIC FRANCHISE
ORDINANCE NO. 2008-09
BY FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY
Village of North Palm Beach, Florida August 29, 2008
Florida Power & Light Company does hereby accept the electric franchise in the
Village of North Palm Beach, Florida, granted by Ordinance No. 2008-09, being:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE
OF NORTH PALM BEACH, FLORIDA, GRANTING TO FLORIDA
POWER 8 LIGHT COMPANY, ITS SUCCESSORS AND
ASSIGNS, ANON-EXCLUSIVE ELECTRIC FRANCHISE AND
IMPOSING PROVISIONS AND CONDITIONS RELATING
THERETO; PROVIDING FOR MONTHLY PAYMENTS TO THE
VILLAGE; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS; PROVIDING FOR
QUALIFIED SEVERABILITY; AND PROVIDING FOR AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
which was passed and adopted on August 28, 2008.
This instrument is filed with the Village Clerk of the Village of North Palm Beach,
Florida, in accordance with the provisions of Section 17 of said Ordinance.
FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY
By ~1- ~
Pamela M. Rauch, Vice President
ATTEST:
'~
ame Poppell, A ' tant ecretary
I HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGE receipt of the above Acceptance of Electric
Franchise Ordinance No. 2008-09 by Florida Power & Light Company, and certify that I
have filed the same for record in the permanent files and records of the Village of North
Palm Beach, Florida on this d~~ day of ~/9615~ , 2008.
(SEAL) Village Jerk, Village of North
Palm Beach, Florida