The franchisee shall not directly or indirectly sell, transfer, assign or lease the franchise or any part thereof, or allow another person or entity to operate any pipeline or related facility subject to the franchise, except with the consent of the Council, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. Such sale, transfer, assignment, lease or agreement shall be made only by filing with the Council a copy of the duly executed instrument of such sale, transfer, assignment, lease, or agreement and a written request for the consent of the Council to such sale, transfer, assignment, lease or agreement. If such duly executed instrument and such written request are not filed with the Council before the expiration of sixty (60) days after the effective date of such sale, transfer, assignment or lease, then, upon the expiration of the sixty (60) days, the franchise shall be subject to forfeiture and the Council may, without notice, by ordinance, repeal the franchise. As a condition to the granting of consent to such sale, transfer, assignment, lease or agreement, the Council may impose such reasonable additional terms and conditions upon the franchise and upon the franchisee or assignee, which the Council may deem to be in the public interest. Such additional terms and conditions shall be expressed by ordinance. The franchisee shall have no right to sell, transfer, assign or lease the franchise, or any part thereof, except in the manner aforesaid. This chapter applies to any assignment, whether by operation of law, by a voluntary act of the franchisee or otherwise, and includes a transfer of more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting stock of any corporate grantee or the change in identity of any general partner of a franchisee which is a partnership, whether to a third party or to any subsidiary, parent, or affiliated agency of franchisee.
(Ord. 1152, passed 5-17-11)