A. The term “Public Utility”, for purposes of this section, is defined as including any non-railroad public service declared by the Constitution or statutes of the State of California or the decisions of the Federal or State courts to be a public utility or declared to be a public utility by the City Council by ordinance. Public Utility shall not include any service covered by Section 22.484(g)(2)B.1. of this Code.
B. The Board of Public Works, or its designee, shall exercise the following powers and duties:
1. To investigate all privately owned Public Utilities in the City of Los Angeles (except Public Utilities at the Harbor under the jurisdiction of the Harbor Department) and compile such data as may be necessary to determine the proper services to be furnished by those Public Utilities or charges to be made therefor. The Board of Public Works shall have the right of access at all reasonable times to the property and records of the Public Utilities for the purpose of investigation and may require reports respecting those matters from the Public Utilities at a time and in a form as the Board may prescribe.
2. Establish and prescribe by resolution regulations providing for the operation of, the extent, character and quality of service, the rates to be charged by and the extensions to be required of, any of the Public Utilities unless preempted by state or federal law. The Board of Public Works shall publish once in a daily newspaper circulated in the City of Los Angeles a certified copy of every proposed regulation tentatively approved by the Commission, together with a notice to any and all persons to show cause, if any, within five days from the date of publication of the notice, why the proposed regulation should not be made effective. Any persons interested in or affected by the proposed regulation may, within five days after the expiration of the publication, file objections with the Board of Public Works, specifying the grounds of the objections. The Board shall place all objections on the Board of Public Works' agenda for its next regular meeting after the expiration of the time for filing the objections, and the Board shall then fix a date, not less than five days later, for hearing any and all objections, and shall, after the hearing, finally act on the proposed regulation by approving, changing or rejecting it, providing that any resolution of the Board of Public Works approving any regulation shall be published once before becoming effective and shall be subject to the referendum provisions of the Charter relating to ordinances. Any resolution fixing rates must be approved by the City Council, by ordinance, before taking effect. Rules and regulations previously adopted by the Board of Public Utilities and Transportation pursuant to former Charter Section 210 and operative at the effective date of this chapter shall remain in full force and effect.
3. Investigate complaints against the services or charges of any Public Utilities, and to make orders adjusting them.
4. Inspect all Public Utilities, as defined in this section, as to their compliance with their franchises, the ordinances of the City and the laws of the state, and as to their service generally; and to enforce in the manner prescribed by law a compliance with the terms of the applicable franchises, ordinances or laws.
5. Keep a record of the Public Utilities franchises granted by the City or exercised therein.
6. Administer and exercise those powers and duties provided by those procedures set forth in Division 13 of this Code, as amended, for the granting of franchises, permits and privileges.
SECTION HISTORY
Added by Ord. No. 185,204, Eff. 11-22-17.