ORS 221.420
Municipal regulation of public utilities


(1)

As used in this section:

(a)

“Public utility” has the meaning for that term provided in ORS 757.005 (Definition of public utility).

(b)

“Commission” means the Public Utility Commission of Oregon.

(c)

“Council” means the common council, city council, commission or any other governing body of any municipality wherein the property of the public utility is located.

(d)

“Municipality” means any town, city or other municipal government wherein property of the public utility is located.

(e)

“Service” is used in its broadest and most inclusive sense and includes equipment and facilities.

(f)

“Heating company” means any person furnishing heat but not electricity or natural gas to its customers.

(2)

Subject to ORS 758.025 (Relocation of utilities in highway right of way), a city may:

(a)

Determine by contract or prescribe by ordinance or otherwise, the terms and conditions, including payment of charges and fees, upon which any public utility, electric cooperative, people’s utility district or heating company, or Oregon Community Power, may be permitted to occupy the streets, highways or other public property within such city and exclude or eject any public utility or heating company therefrom.

(b)

Require any public utility, by ordinance or otherwise, to make such modifications, additions and extensions to its physical equipment, facilities or plant or service within such city as shall be reasonable or necessary in the interest of the public, and designate the location and nature of all additions and extensions, the time within which they must be completed, and all conditions under which they must be constructed.

(c)

Fix by contract, prescribe by ordinance, or in any other lawful manner, the rates, charges or tolls to be paid to, or that may be collected by, any public utility or the quality and character of each kind of product or service to be furnished or rendered by any public utility furnishing any product or service within such city. No schedule of rates, charges or tolls, fixed in the manner provided in this paragraph, shall be so fixed for a longer period than five years. Whenever it is proposed by any city to enter into any contract, or to enact any ordinance, or other municipal law or regulation concerning the matters specified in this paragraph, a copy of such proposed contract, ordinance or other municipal law or resolution shall be filed with the Public Utility Commission of Oregon before the same may be lawfully signed or enacted, as the case may be, and the commission shall thereafter have 90 days within which to examine into the terms thereof. If the commission is of the opinion that in any respect the provisions of the proposed contract, ordinance or other municipal law or resolution are not in the public interest, the commission shall file, in writing, with the clerk or other officer who has the custody of the files and records of the city, the commission’s reasons therefor. If the objections are filed within said period of 90 days, no proposed contract, ordinance or other municipal law or regulation shall be valid or go into effect until it has been submitted to or ratified by the vote of the electors of the city. Unless and until a city exercises its powers as provided in this paragraph, the commission is vested with all powers with respect to the matters specified in this paragraph. If the schedule of rates, charges and tolls or the quality and character of each kind of product or service is fixed by contract, ordinance or other municipal law or regulation and in the manner provided in this paragraph, the commission has no power or jurisdiction to interfere with, modify or change it during the period fixed thereby. Upon the expiration of said period such powers shall again be vested in the commission, to be exercised by the commission unless and until a new schedule of rates or the quality and character for such service or product is fixed or prescribed by contract, ordinance or other municipal law or regulation in the manner provided in this paragraph.

(d)

Provide for a penalty for noncompliance with the provisions of any charter provision, ordinance or resolution adopted by the city in furtherance of the powers specified in this subsection. [Amended by 1971 c.655 §245; 1987 c.245 §2; 1987 c.628 §1; 1989 c.5 §1; 1989 c.999 §6; 1999 c.1093 §6; 2007 c.807 §40; 2009 c.444 §3]

Source: Section 221.420 — Municipal regulation of public utilities, https://www.­oregonlegislature.­gov/bills_laws/ors/ors221.­html.

Notes of Decisions

The scope of review in disputes between parties to a franchise is the same as for any contract, and is not limited to a determination that the municipality acted reasonably and in good faith for the public interest. Rose City Transit Co. v. Portland, 18 Or App 369, 525 P2d 325 (1974), aff’d as modified 271 Or 588, 533 P2d 339 (1975)

A franchise is not a mere license, but a contract between a municipality and franchisee. Rose City Transit Co. v. Portland, 18 Or App 369, 525 P2d 325 (1974), aff’d as modified 271 Or 588, 533 P2d 339 (1975)

City may provide utility services in territory allocated to another provider pursuant to ORS 758.400 to 758.475 if it exercises authority under this section to exclude or eject provider from territory, however, city’s mere placement of utility facilities and provision of services in territory is not exercise of that authority and is violation of allocation statutes in absence of formal action by city to eject or exclude provider. PacifiCorp v. City of Ashland, 89 Or App 366, 749 P2d 1189 (1988), Sup Ct review denied

City’s statutory authority to exclude or eject public utility from public property applies only to privately owned public utilities. Springfield Utility Board v. Emerald People’s Utility District, 191 Or App 536, 84 P3d 167 (2004), aff’d 339 Or 631, 125 P3d 740 (2005)

“Public utility” does not include utility owned by city, municipal corporation or quasi-municipal corporation. Springfield Utility Board v. Emerald People’s Utility District, 191 Or App 536, 84 P3d 167 (2004), aff’d 339 Or 631, 125 P3d 740 (2005)

Read with ORS 221.450, under home rule analysis, where city ordinance charging franchise fee is not specifically preempted by state law, city has authority to enact and enforce ordinance. Rogue Valley Sewer Services v. City of Phoenix, 262 Or App 183, 329 P3d 1 (2014), aff’d 357 Or 437, 353 P3d 581 (2015)

221.005
Legislative findings
221.010
Definitions for ORS 221.020 to 221.100
221.020
Authority to incorporate
221.031
Petition to incorporate
221.032
Annexation during pendency of incorporation
221.034
Incorporation of rural unincorporated community and contiguous lands
221.035
Economic feasibility statement
221.036
Inclusion of area within urban growth boundary in incorporation of rural unincorporated community
221.040
Hearing on petition to incorporate
221.050
Incorporation election
221.061
Election expenses
221.090
Terms of office of first city council
221.100
Validation of incorporation under prior laws
221.106
Prohibitions related to signing of incorporation petition
221.110
City officers
221.120
City council
221.130
Mayor
221.140
Appointment of municipal judge and other city officers
221.142
Qualifications for municipal judges
221.145
Basing compensation of city officers upon fines prohibited
221.160
Special elections to fill council vacancies
221.180
Procedure for nomination of candidates for city offices
221.200
Law governing city elections
221.210
Referendum and initiative for municipal measures and charter amendments
221.230
Election dates
221.240
Disclosure to city auditor of legally protected material
221.275
Definitions for ORS 221.275 to 221.290
221.277
Violation of city parking ordinance
221.285
Notice of delinquent parking violation to rental or leasing company
221.287
Recovery of fine from renter or lessee of vehicle
221.290
Application of ORS 221.275 to 221.290
221.295
Ordinances regulating placement or height of radio antennas
221.310
Effective date of ordinances, resolutions and franchises
221.315
Enforcement of charter provisions and ordinances
221.330
Publication or posting of ordinances
221.333
Parking ordinance violation
221.336
Establishment of municipal court
221.339
Jurisdiction of municipal court
221.342
Method by which municipal court becomes court of record
221.343
Method by which municipal court ceases to operate as court of record
221.344
Registration of municipal court
221.346
Enforcement of judgments of municipal court
221.351
Liens based on municipal court judgment
221.352
Municipal court docket
221.353
Disqualification of municipal judge for prejudice
221.354
Trial by jury in criminal cases
221.355
Agreement between cities for judicial services
221.357
Provision of judicial services to city by circuit court
221.358
Audio recording or reporting of municipal court proceedings
221.359
Appeals from conviction in municipal court
221.360
Appeal on issue of constitutionality of charter provision or ordinance
221.370
Validity of charter or ordinance provision determined before merits
221.380
Appeal by city from invalidating order
221.390
Trial, procedure and sentence in circuit court on appeal from municipal court
221.410
Power of city to control local affairs
221.415
Municipal rights of way
221.420
Municipal regulation of public utilities
221.450
Privilege tax on public utilities operating without franchise
221.460
Duration of franchises, privileges and permits
221.470
Removal of structures after expiration of grant or franchise
221.475
Territory annexed to city
221.485
Policy on vehicles for hire
221.495
Local regulation of vehicles for hire
221.505
Policy
221.510
Municipal regulation of telecommunications carriers
221.515
Privilege tax on telecommunications carriers
221.610
Disincorporation of cities
221.621
Disincorporation procedure
221.650
Property conveyed to county
221.655
Privilege tax on distribution utilities
221.720
Situs of cities
221.725
Sale of real property by city
221.727
Alternative procedure for sale of city-owned real property
221.729
Sale of city-owned real property to develop affordable housing
221.735
Continuation of collection service after incorporation
221.750
Right of cities to public areas not extinguished by adverse possession or statute of limitations
221.760
Prerequisites for cities in counties of over 100,000 population to receive revenues from cigarette, gas and liquor taxes
221.770
Revenue sharing to cities
221.785
Effect of challenge of validity of incorporation
221.862
“Historic ghost town” defined
221.867
Filling vacancies in city council of historic ghost town to form quorum
221.869
Preference for appointment to city council of historic ghost town
221.872
State shared revenues not available to historic ghost town
221.901
Cities organized under 1893 Act
221.902
City officers
221.903
Bond and oath of officers
221.904
Vacancies
221.905
Compensation of city officers
221.906
Election procedure generally
221.907
Eligibility for office
221.908
Council meetings
221.909
Council meetings
221.910
Council to judge qualifications of members
221.911
Rules on council’s granting franchise or payment of money
221.912
Procedures applicable to ordinances
221.913
Claims against cities
221.914
Prosecution for violation of ordinance
221.915
Nuisance defined
221.916
Powers of common council
221.917
Functions and duties of mayor
221.918
Duties of recorder
221.919
Powers and duties of marshal
221.920
Duties of treasurer
221.921
Interest of officers in city contracts
221.924
Authority to make public improvements
221.925
Tax deeds
221.926
Authority to enact ordinances
221.927
Approval or veto of ordinances
221.928
Record of ordinances
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