No franchise or portion thereof granted pursuant to this chapter shall be transferred, sold, hypothecated, sublet or assigned (collectively "transferred"), nor shall any of the rights or privileges herein be hypothecated, leased, assigned, sold or transferred, either in whole or in part, nor shall title thereto, either legal or equitable, or any right, interest or property therein, pass to or vest in any person, either by act of a franchisee or by operation of law, without the prior written consent of the city expressed by ordinance. Any attempt to do any of the foregoing with respect to any of the rights herein without the consent of city shall be void. For purposes of this section, any dissolution, merger, consolidation, change in control or other reorganization of a franchisee shall be deemed an assignment of this agreement. For purposes of this section, a change of corporate name shall not be deemed to be a transfer. The city may impose reasonable conditions of approval on a transfer of a franchise. Any application for a transfer of a franchise shall be made in the manner prescribed by the city. The application shall include a transfer application fee in an amount to be set by city, by resolution of the Council. The transfer application fee is intended to offset the city's anticipated costs of all reasonable and customary direct and indirect administrative expenses including consultants and attorneys, necessary to analyze the application. The applicant shall reimburse the city for all reasonable consultants', attorneys' and staff costs directly related to the city's consideration of the application for transfer not offset by the transfer application fee, whether or not the city approves the application for transfer.
(Ord. 4387, passed 1-24-00) Penalty, see § 4.06.120