Ordinance No. 1910 r 0
ORDINANCE NO. 191
® AN ORDINANCE NOTIFYING THE GENERAL TELEPHONE COMPANY OF THE
SOUTHWEST THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN WILL
HOLD A FORMAL HEARING ON THE 17TH DAY OF AUGUST, 1953, FOR
THE PURPOSE OF STUDYING AND RE- EXAMINING THE BOOKS, RECORDS,
FIGURES AND OTHER PERTINENT DATA OF SAID TELEPHONE COMPANY
IN ORDER TO ENABLE THE CITY COUNCIL TO PRESCRIBE FAIR AND
REASONABLE RATES AND CHARGES TO BE COLLECTED BY SAID UTILITY.
WHEREAS, the Southwestern Associated Telephone Company, now General Telephone
Company of the Southwest, applied to the City Council of the City of Baytown on
the 14th day of February, 1952, for an increase in telephone rates to be charged
the subscribers of the City of Baytown; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Baytown, before and during a formal
hearing held on the 15, 16 and 17th days of July, 1952, studied voluminous facts,
figures and other pertinent data concerning the many ramifications of said utility
and subsequently, on the 14th day of August, 1952, set what it believed to be fair
and reasonable telephone rates for the subscribers of the City of Baytown; and
WHEREAS, the judicial system of the State of Texas has held that such rates
prescribed in said ordinance of August 149 1952, were unreasonable and unjust; and
'WHEREAS, the 133rd Judicial District Court enjoined the City of Baytown, the
City Council, its officers and agents from interfering with said telephone utility
in promulgating, charging and collecting fair and reasonable rates for telephone
service in the City of Baytown until such time as the City Council of the City of
Baytown should prescribe fair and reasonable rates and charges; and
WHEREAS, the City council of the City of Baytown is of the opinion that it is
• its duty to set telephone rates that are fair and reasonable to subscribers and
to the telephone company; and
WHEREAS, the City Council is anxious to perform this legislative duty; and
WHEREAS, the City Council believes that the telephone company can adequately
prepare itself for a formal hearing on the 17th day of August, 1953; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN:
SECTION 1: THAT the City Attorney is hereby authorized and directed to notify
the General Telephone Company of the Southwest that a formal hearing will be held
on the 17th day of August, 1953, for the purpose of studying the books, records
and other pertinent data of said telephone company in order that the City Council
of the City of Baytown may prescribe fair and reasonable rates and charges to be
0 collected by said utility.
SECTION 2: THAT the City Council of the City of Baytown hereby retains,
employs, authorizes and directs that Mr. Nelson Longnecker, Public Accountant
and licensed Attorney -at -haw, to audit, examine and investigate the records of
said utility for the purpose of aiding the City Council of the City of Baytown
® in prescribing fair and.reasonable rates and charges to be collected by said utility.
SECTION 3: THAT said telephone company is hereby authorized and directed to
produce such records and data which it believes will be helpful to the City Council
of the City of Baytown in arriving at fair and reasonable telephone rates for the
City of Baytown.
SECTION 4: THAT the General Telephone Company of the Southwest is hereby
directed to make available at all reasonable times any and all records to the
City Attorney of the City of Baytown and the said Mr. Nelson Longnecker which
will be helpful in aiding the City Council to prescribe fair and reasonable rates
INTRODUCED, READ and PASSED by the affirmative vote of a. majority of the City
® Council of the City of Baytown on this 9th day of July, 1953.
/s/ R. H. Prue t
R. H. Pruett, Mayor
ATTEST:
/s/ Edna Oliver
Edna Oliver, City Clerk
I, EDNA OLIVER, the duly appointed and qualified City Clerk of the City of
Baytown, do hereby certify that the above and foregoing is a true and correct
copy of Ordinance No. 191, duly passed by the City Council.of Baytown.
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