Ord. #79, Second Series - Gas Franchise Ord. - CenterPoint Energy

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5.2. Defense of City. In the event a suit is brought against the City under circumstances where this agreement to indemnify applies, Company at its sole cost and expense shall defend the City in such suit if written Notice thereof is promptly given to Company within a period wherein Company is not prejudiced by lack of such Notice. If Company is required to indemnify and defend, it will thereafter have control of such litigation, but Company may not settle such litigation without the consent of the City or its insurors, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. This section is not, as to third parties, a waiver of any defense or immunity otherwise available to the City. The Company, in defending any action on behalf of the City, shall be entitled to assert in any action every defense or immunity that the City could assert in its own behalf. This Franchise agreement shall not be interpreted to constitute a waiver by the City of any of its defenses of immunity or limitations on liability under Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 466. The City shall give Company at least two weeks prior written Notice of a proposed vacation of a Public Ways or Public Grounds. The City and the Company shall comply with Minnesota Rules 7819.3100 and Minnesota Rules 7819.3200 with respect to any request for vacation. SECTION 7. CRANGE IN FORM OF GOVERNMENT. Any change in the form of government of the City shall not affect the validity of this Ordinance. Any governmental unit succeeding the City shall, without the consent of Company, succeed to all of the rights and obligations of the City provided in this Ordinance. SECTION 8. FRANCHISE 8.1. Form. During the term of the francluse hereby granted, the City may charge the Company a franchise fee. The Company will administer the collection and payment of franchise fees to City in lieu of permit fees or other fees that may otherwise be imposed on the Company in relation to its operations as a public utility in the City. The franchise fee will be collected on a flat per meter basis, or by some other method that is mutually acceptable to both City and Company for each retail customer within the corporate limits of the City. The amount of the fee collected may differ for each customer class. The City will use a formula that provides a stable and predictable amount of fees, without placing the Company at a competitive disadvantage. Such fee shall not exceed any amount that the Company may legally charge to its customers prior to payment to the City and be consistent with the Minnesota Public Utility Commission's March 23, 2011 Order establishing franchise fee filing requirements in Docket No. E,G9991CI-09-970. If the Company claims that the City required fee formula is discriminatory or otherwise places the Company at a competitive disadvantage, the Company will provide a formula that will produce a substantially similar fee amount to the City. If the City and Company are unable to agree, the disagreement shall be subject to the Dispute Resolution provisions of this Ordinance. 8.2. Separate Ordinance. The franchise fee shall be imposed by separate ordinance duly adopted by the City Council. The effective date of the franchise fee ordinance shall be no less than ninety (90) days after written Notice enclosing a copy of the duly adopted and approved ordinance has been served upon the Company by Certified mail or personal service. The Company 5J17µ