§11-44E-52. Grant of franchise; lease, or right to use streets, etc.; transfer of waterworks, sewer, electric, or gas plant and system to board or public corporation.

No resolution, bylaw, or ordinance granting to any person, firm, or corporation any franchise, lease, or right to use the streets, public highways, thoroughfares, or public property of the city organized under the provisions of this chapter, either in, under, upon, along, through, or over same shall take effect and be in force until 30 days after the final enactment of same by the commission, and publication of said resolution, or ordinance in full once a week for three consecutive weeks in some newspaper published in the city, which publication shall be made at the expense of the persons, firms, or corporations applying for the grant.

Pending the passage of any such resolution or ordinance, or during the time intervening between its final passage and the expiration of the 30 days during which publication shall be made as above provided, the legally qualified voters of the city may by written petition or petitions addressed to the subject of such grant, and if during this period such written petition or petitions signed by at least a number of qualified inhabitants equal to four for every 100 inhabitants of the city or fraction thereof, according to the last federal census, shall be filed with the commission, the commission shall forthwith order an election, at which the legally qualified voters of the city shall vote for or against the proposed grant as set by resolution or ordinance. In the call for the election, the resolution or ordinance making the grant shall be published at length and in full at the expense of the city in some newspaper in the city. One publication shall be sufficient for the purposes of this section.

If at such election the majority of the votes are in favor of the resolution or ordinance and the making of the proposed grant, the same shall thereupon become effective; but if a majority of the votes so cast shall be against the passage of the resolution, or ordinance and against the making of the grant, the resolution, or ordinance shall not become effective, nor shall it confer any rights, powers or privileges of any kind, and it shall be the duty of the commission, after the result of the election is determined, to pass a resolution or ordinance to that effect.

No grant of any franchise or lease or right of user, or any other right in, under, upon, along, through, or over, the streets, public highways, thoroughfares, or public property of any such city shall be made or given, nor shall any such rights of any kind whatsoever be conferred upon any person, firm, or corporation, except by resolution or ordinance, duly passed by the commission at some regular or adjourned meeting, and published as above provided for; nor shall any extension or enlargement of any such rights or powers previously granted, be made or given except in the manner and subject to all the conditions herein provided for as to the original grant of same.

Any waterworks plant and system, sewer plant and system, electric plant and system, and gas plant and system, or any one or more of such plants and systems now or hereafter owned by any Class 5 municipality shall be authorized to transfer and convey one or more of such plants or systems, or any part of such plants or systems, or any rights incidental thereto to any board or public corporation organized under the provisions of Section 11-50-1 et seq. as amended, or under any subsequent act providing for the incorporation of like boards to own and operate any waterworks plant or system, any sewer plant or system, any electric plant or system, or any gas plant or system, whether such board was incorporated with the approval of the city owning such plant or system, or with the approval of some other city in Alabama, the governing body owning any such plant and/or systems shall provide for an election at which the qualified voters of such city shall be allowed to vote on such proposition, which election shall be held in accordance with this chapter except that no written petition or petitions to the governing body of the city owning such plants or systems shall be required for the holding of such election herein provided.

Except as herein provided for, and at the time holding of the same, all elections herein required shall be held according to the general laws of Alabama. At any such election the proposition to be submitted to the voters shall be:

"Shall the governing body of the City of ______ be authorized to transfer and convey the city-owned waterworks plant and system, sewer plant and system, electric plant and system, gas plant and system, or any one or more thereof, or any part or parts of such plants or systems, or any rights incidental thereto to any board or public corporation organized under Section 11-50-1 et seq. of the Code of Alabama (1975) as amended, or to any board created or established by any subsequent Act providing for the incorporation of like boards to own and operate any such plant and/or systems, the members of which board will not be elected by the qualified voters of the City of _____ ? NO ___ YES ___."

(Acts 1988, No. 88-445, p. 660, §3.13; Acts 1989, No. 89-525.)