The Bartholomew Columbus telecommunications commission shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

    A.    To facilitate and encourage cooperation between the city and the county in the areas of telecommunications services;

    B.    On behalf of the mayor and the common council, to plan, negotiate and administer telecommunications franchise agreements and other agreements with entities providing telecommunications services;

    C.    To advise the mayor and the common council in matters concerning the local telecommunications market, telecommunications technology and telecommunications services available in other communities;

    D.    To advise the mayor and the common council as to existing and proposed laws, statutes, rules and regulations of the state, the United States and the Federal Communications Commission as they relate to local telecommunications services;

    E.    To establish general policies relating to the services provided to subscribers of telecommunications services and the operation and use of telecommunications channels;

    F.    To act as a clearing house and mediator for the resolution of disagreements among the entities providing telecommunications services, the subscribers thereto and the private and public users of such systems, with due regard to any franchise agreement and any applicable laws, statutes, rules and regulations;

    G.    To monitor compliance by any franchise with any franchise agreement entered into between the city and the franchisee;

    H.    To conduct periodic elevations of the telecommunications systems and services available to the citizens of the city and recommend improvements or changes;

    I.    To recommend to the mayor and the common council methods for the maximum utilization of existing and emerging telecommunication technology and services and for the maximum feasible expansion of telecommunications services to all residents of the city;

    J.    To recommend to the mayor and the common council methods for the promotion of differentiated and equitable uses of public telecommunications channels among the widest range of institutions, groups and individuals for public access;

    K.    To make an annual report to the mayor and the common council of its activities;

    L.    To perform such other duties and assume such other responsibilities as the mayor and the common council may appropriately assign to it.

    It is understood, however, that the mayor, common council and the board of public works and safety, whichever is appropriate, shall approve and execute, and shall be the contractor body on behalf of, the city in connection with all telecommunications franchise agreements and other agreements with entities providing telecommunications services, and no such agreement shall be effective until such approval and execution. Further, all legal actions to enforce all such agreements shall be instituted only by the mayor, common council or board of public works and safety, whichever is appropriate.

    M.    The perpetual fund for telecommunications is addressed in Section 3.20.140. (Prior code § 2-44)