Any person, firm or corporation furnishing the City or its inhabitants with transportation, communication, terminal facilities, water, light, heat, electricity, gas, power, refrigeration, storage or any other public utility or service, or using the public streets, ways, alleys or places for the operation of plants, works or equipment for the furnishing thereof, or traversing any portion of the City for the transmitting or conveying of any such services elsewhere, may be required by ordinance to have a valid and existing franchise therefor. The City Council is empowered to grant such franchise to any person, firm or corporation, whether operating under an existing franchise or not, and to prescribe the terms and conditions of any such grant. It may also provide, by procedural ordinance, the method of procedure and additional terms and conditions of such grants, or the making thereof, all subject to the provisions of this Charter.
Nothing in this Section, or elsewhere in this Article, shall apply to the City, or to any department thereof, when furnishing any such utility or service.