The Council may grant franchises by ordinance. Franchise rights shall always be subject to the superior right of the public to the use of streets and public places. All persons desiring to make any burdensome use of the streets, or public places, inconsistent with the public’s right in such places, or desiring the privilege of placing in, over, upon, or under any street or public place any permanent, or semi-permanent, fixtures for the purpose of constructing, or operating, railways, telegraphing, or transmitting electricity, or transporting by pneumatic tubes, or for furnishing to the city, or its inhabitants, or any portion thereof, transportation facilities, water, light, heat, power, gas, or any other such utility, or for any other purpose, shall be required to obtain a franchise before proceeding to make use of the streets, or public places, or before proceeding to place fixtures in such places.
(Prior Code, § 2.62)