SEC. 16.111. FRANCHISES.

   The Board of Supervisors shall have the power by ordinance to grant to any person, firm or corporation, any franchise, including any renewal, extension, transfer or amendment thereof, for the use of any public right-of- way or public place within the boundaries of the City for the purpose of providing services to customers. Franchises may be granted only by a competitive process. Each franchise shall contain a specific and definite termination date which shall not be more than 25 years after its first effective date.

SEC. 16.112. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION; PUBLIC NOTICES, HEARINGS AND ACCESS TO PUBLIC DOCUMENTS.

   The publication of and full public access to public documents, except for those subject to confidentiality, shall be as required by law.

   Notice shall be published in a timely manner before any public hearing, and shall include a general description of said hearing.

   Notice shall be given, and public hearings held before:

   (a)   Any facility used by the public, including but not limited to libraries and health facilities, shall be closed, eliminated, or its level of services reduced, or prior to the leasing, selling or transfer of management of said facility;

   (b)   Any significant change in the operating schedule or route of a street railway, bus line, trolley bus line or cable car line is adopted;

   (c)   Any fee, schedule of rates, charges or fares which affects the public is instituted or changed; should any such action be approved, the result shall also be noticed; or

   (d)   Any amendment to the general plan, change in zoning or change in land use is adopted.

   In addition, notice shall be given for the following:

   (e)   Any sale, lease, rental, encumbrance or exchange of real property held by the City and County;

   (f)   Special assessment districts and protests of special assessment districts;

   (g)   Requests for bids or proposals for the purchase or lease of materials, supplies, equipment, services, construction, work or improvements involving expenditure of $50,000 or more; notice shall also be given after any such award is made; the Board may by ordinance reduce the dollar threshold for such notice; and

   (h)   Polling places and precinct officers for any election.

SEC. 16.113. SEVERABILITY.

   If any provision of this Charter, or its application to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the remainder of this Charter, and the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances, shall not be affected.

SEC. 16.114. POWERS OF INQUIRY AND REVIEW.

   The Mayor, the City Administrator, the Controller, or any board or commission appointed by the Mayor, relative solely to the affairs under its control, may require such periodic or special reports of departmental costs, operations and expenditures, examine the books, papers, records and accounts of, and inquire into matters affecting the conduct of any department or office of the City and County, and for that purpose may hold hearings, subpoena witnesses, administer oaths and compel the production of books, papers, testimony and other evidence. The Board of Supervisors shall have the same powers of inquiry and review, including the power to issue subpoenas and compel the production of evidence, with respect to matters affecting the conduct of any department or office of the City and County.