(a) As used in this section the word city shall mean the City of Florala, Alabama, in Covington County, a municipal corporation organized under the laws of the State of Alabama.
(b) In addition to all other powers, rights, and authority heretofore granted by law:
(1) The city is authorized and empowered to acquire, purchase, construct, lease, operate, maintain, enlarge, extend, and improve a community antenna television system, CATV, which may be defined, without limiting the generality, as a facility that in whole or in part, receives directly, or indirectly, or over the air, and amplifies or otherwise modifies the signal transmitting programs broadcast by one or more television or radio stations from any point within this state or any other state and distributes such signals by wire or cable or any other means to subscribing members of the public who pay for such service; and
(2) The city is authorized and empowered to acquire, purchase, lease, construct, operate, maintain, enlarge, extend, and improve a system of auxiliary services which may be identified generally as any communication service, in addition to the CATV transmissions, which shall include, but be not limited to, burglar alarm systems, data transmissions, facsimile service, home shopping service, and any allied or similar communications services.
(c) For the purposes of this section, the city may exercise the right of eminent domain. Such eminent domain proceedings shall be conducted in the manner now provided by law.
(d)(l) In payment for the purchase, lease, construction, acquisition, extension, or maintenance of such CATV system, the city may issue bonds, warrants, or other certificates of indebtedness, or may enter into lease-purchase contracts for the acquisition of such CATV system.
(2) The city, in order to secure the prompt payment of the principal and interest of all debts, bonds, or other evidences of indebtedness incurred or issued by it or lease-purchase contracts entered into by it for the construction, acquisition, lease, extension, or maintenance of a CATV system may execute a mortgage or deed of trust upon any or all of such systems and all property used solely in connection therewith, including the franchise of any part thereof, and additionally, any pledge the revenues from the operation of the city's water, sewer, or gas utility systems (the utility revenues) toward the payment of debt service on such indebtedness.
(3) Such mortgage or deed of trust may contain such terms, conditions, covenants, and warranties for the protection of the city and holders of such bonds or securities issued by the city as may be determined and agreed upon by the governing body of the city and persons, firms, or corporations owning such debts, bonds, or securities.
(4) Such mortgages may provide that in the event of the foreclosure of such mortgage or deed of trust, that the purchaser at such foreclosure sale may acquire the right, privilege, or franchise of operating such system as may be so sold or conveyed, and such purchaser or his or her vendee may have the right, authority, and privilege to carry on and operate such system in the same manner, on the same terms, and to the same extent as the city is authorized to operate until the city may redeem such system from such mortgage sale.
(5) Such mortgage or deed of trust may provide that such rates and charges shall be established and maintained as are sufficient to meet the costs of operation and maintenance; and such city may pledge all of the receipts, earnings, and revenues from the operation of the system and additionally may pledge the utility revenues for the payment of the debts, bonds, or other evidences of indebtedness or lease-purchase contracts secured by such mortgages or deeds of trust.
(e) The city shall have all the power and authority necessary and proper to the exercise of the powers conferred on it by this section and in effectuating the purposes of this section.
(f) For the transaction of business pursuant to this section, the city shall be exempt from the jurisdiction and control of the Alabama Public Service Commission with respect to such business.
Last modified: May 3, 2021