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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 1950 AN O=UARCE CRUTING A 1)MFAMVNr 31" P4 BU(; SMUGE OF THE CM OF 14011r TMM; PBOVIDUCCT nRTHE APPUNTKINT OF A DIRMIrfOR OF, FMIC SERVICE-, 7RESCRIBING HIS PNER31 AND DUTIES; AUTHORIZING TI E APPOINVUMF Urf'S' MD MUILOUS; AND DECLARING All EMERG [GY. WIMMU, 3, it is the duty and the power of the City Council of the City of Fort Worth, under Chapter XXV11, Section 1 and 7, of its Charter to fix and regulate all rates, tolls and charges of public utilities operating in said City, and secure to its inhabitants on the part of such utilities, efficiency of operation, reasonable attudards of service, and quality of commodities, fairness of rates, and to impose other r-egulatory measures relative to the control and operation of such utilities, conducive to the safety, welfare, and accommodation of the general public. to perform such duties of regulation and control of public utilities operating in said city, it has become necessary that the City Council of the City of Fort Worth, under its authority of Chapter VIII, Section 11 create the Depart- ment of Public Service, appoint a Director of such Department, and provide for the appointment of necessary assistants to act as agent and adviser of the said City Council on all matters contingent to the operation of public utilities within or through the corporate limits of said City. 'NREREAS, to perform such regulatory duties relevant to the operation of all public utilities in the City of Fort Worth, the City Council shall prescribe certain forms for emulative monthly reporting by all such utilities operating in and through the City of Fort 'Worth, as provided by Chapter M11, Section 7, of its Charter, such forms providing for segregation and itemization of all. income and expense accounts, additions and betterments to plant and properties, and any other factual information, and for classification and establishment of a system of accounts for each public utility, and prescribe the manner in which accounts shall be kept, and provide for submission by any utility special reports concerning any matter about which the Council is authorized to inquire or to keep itself informed, and provide for the evaluation annually of all utility properties and any or all other properties that may by nature of their operation be deemed a public service corporation. NOW, TAXWORE, BE :rr ORDAINED TBI Tffls;-Uf Y ONYMC11, 0,F TIZ CITY 01", FORT WORTH: '01 That there be and is hereby created the Department of flublic Service, and such department shall be filled by the appointment of a competent Director by the City Manager of the City of Fort Worth with the approval and consent of the City Council. SECTION 11. Said Director of the Department of Public Service shall act as the agent and adviser in all matters relevant to the operatioh of public utilities operating within or through the corporate limits of said city, under the direction of the City P:anager of the City of Fort Worth, and shall receive such salary as may be prescribed by said Manager and Council, and such assistants, technical or otherwise, as may be required, shall be employed as may be authorized by said City Ulanager and City Council, to enable him to prudently perform his duties and service as herein provided. Said Director shall at all_ reasonable times have access to and full authority for inspection, examination, and verification of all accounts, vouchers, documents,books, ledgers, property, records, investment accounts, corporate structure, and financial structure of all public utilities operating within or through the corporate limits of the City of Fort Ifforth. CIS "EV., It Shall be the duty of said Director to maintain a cumulative record on All public utilities operating within or through the corporate limits of the City of Fort Worth, with relation to new construction, reclamation, extanalonso maintenance, and any other practices reflected in the investment record, such information shall at all reasonable times be available to the Clity lanager, City Council or Committee duly appointed therefrom, and to keep and maintain a current record from which the City Manager and City Council may obtain a complete factual report on inquiry as will enable them to properly regulate the rates, tolls, fares and charges, consistency of service and quality of products and commodities sold by all public utilities operating within or through said City of Fort north. It shall be the duty of the Director to inquire into and ascertain the fairness and reasonableness of all rules, regulations and standards relating to service as set up and prescribed by the public utilities operating within or through the City of Fort Worth, to hold counsel with and formulate a consistent policy between the consumer and the public utility, with reference to extension allowable and excess charges for same. Any such policy as to rules, regulations a-ad standards as may be found discriminatory shall be reported to the City 1,14anager and said public utility shall be accorded a due hearing by the City Manager and City Council prior to any change in policy. The director of the Department of Public Service, his aides or employee, may during all reasonable hours enter upon the premises occupied by any public utility, for the purpose of making examinations or,'tests, or exercising any power herein provided. 15E7""7"IO1N V1. It shall be the duty of the Director of the Department of Public Service, at the request of any citizen who is a consumer in fact of any public service rendered by said public utilities operating within or through the corporate limits of the City of Fort Worth, to examine, and if necessary order the removal of any measuring or recording devices in use by the said public utility, and supervise a test as to accuracy of such devices, and recommend an equitable adjustment between the complainant and the utility involved, such records to be mailable at all reasonable times; to keep and maintain current, comparative and detailed data relative to utility expenses of the City of Fort Worth and its governmental agencies; to make such recommendations as to rates or combinations of rates as will be equitable to the City of Fort Worth. SE071M,T VIL It shall be the duty, of the Director of the Department of Public Service to advise the City Council by the submission of a detailed analysis of any new or proposed rate or rates change. The rates to be regulated by the City Manager and the City Council shall apply to natural gas, electrical power and light, water, transportation, communication or any other enterprise catering to the general public as a utility. SECUON, Fill. Said Director of the Department of Public Service shall set up certain forms for emulative monthly reports by all public utilities operating in and through the City of Fort Worth, such forms providing for segregation and itemization of all income and expense accounts, additions and betterments to plant and properties, and a classification and establishment of a system of accounts for each public utility, prescribing the manner in which such accounts shall be kept, and any other special form of report that may be necessary in the course of investigations that might be authorized by the City Manager or City Council of the City of Fort Worth. SECTION Ix. The fact that there is no ordinance of the City of Fort Worth creating a Department of Pablic Service, creates an emergency for the protection and preservation of public safety, welfare and accommodation, requiring that this ordinance take effect at once, and it is accordingly ordained that this ordinance shall be in fall force and effect from and after its passage. APPROVED AS TO FOR14 City Attorney.