Chapter 5.34 FRANCHISE - CABLE TELEVISION SYSTEM
Section 5.34.150 Liability and Indemnification.
A. Indemnification of City in Franchise Operation. The operator
shall fully
indemnify, defend and hold harmless the City, its officers, boards, commissions, elected
officials, agents, attorneys, representatives, servants and employees against any and all
costs, damages, expenses, claims, suits, actions, liabilities and judgments for damages,
including but net limited to, expenses for legal fees, whether suit be brought or not, and
disbursements and liabilities incurred by the City and arising out of the operation of the
operator's cable television system in connection with the following:
1. Damage to persons or property, in any way arising out of or through the acts or
omissions of the operator, its servants, officials, agents, attorneys, representatives or
employees or to which the operator's negligence or that of its servants, agents, officials,
attorneys, representatives or employees shall in any way contribute;
2. Requests for relief in connection with any programming carried on the operator's
cable system arising out of any claim for invasion of the right of privacy; for defamation
of any person, firm or corporation; for the infringement or violation of any copyright,
trademark, trade name, service mark or patent; or of any other right of any person, firm,
or corporation, excluding claims arising out of or relating to the programming carried on
the Public, Education, and Government Access channel unless such programming is
provided by the operator according to section 7 (D) of this ordinance; and
3. Any and all claims arising out of the operator's failure to comply with the provisions
of this franchise ordinance or any federal, state or local law, ordinance or regulation
applicable to the operator or the network.
B. Defense of the City. If suit for which the operator has
agreed to indemnify the City
as set forth in the preceding subsection is brought or threatened against the City, either
independently or jointly with the operator, or with any other person or municipality; the
operator, upon timely written notice given by the City, shall defend the City at the cost of
the operator. No right of indemnification shall be effective until such notice and a copy of
the suit or other action for which indemnification is sought is provided to the operator. if
final judgment is obtained against the City, either independently or jointly with the
operator or any of the defendants, the operator shall indemnify the City and pay such
judgment with a~l costs and satisfy and discharge the same as against the City in
accordance with this section.
C. Cooperation in Defense of City. In the event that the City
elects to invoke its right
of indemnification as set forth in this ordinance, the City will use its best efforts to
cooperate fully with the operator in defending the City against any and all claims for
which indemnification is sought. The operator shall be subrogated to all rights of the City
and, in defending the City, shall be entitled to assert any defense to any third party claim
which the City would be entitled to assert. A waiver of any rights or defenses by the City
shall excuse the operator from all indemnification obligations under this ordinance. The
City may, in its sole discretion, elect to conduct its own defense at its own expense by
giving the operator written notice of the City's intent to provide its own defense and, upon
such election, the operator shall have no further duty to indemnify the City for any costs
or liabilities with respect to such claims.
D. Governmental Immunity. The City is in no manner or means
waiving any
governmental immunity it may enjoy or any immunity for its agents, officials, servants,
attorneys, representatives and/or employees.
E. Notification of Settlement. The operator shall make
no settlement in any matter
identified above without the City's written consent, which shall not be unreasonably
withheld. Failure to inform the City of settlement shall constitute a breach of this
franchise ordinance and the City may seek any redress available to it against the operator
whether set forth in this franchise ordinance or under any other municipal, state or federal
laws. In the event that the City fails to accept any bona fide settlement offer which the
operator is willing to accept as full settlement of any claim or claims for which it is
required to indemnify the City, the operator's indemnification liability to the City with
respect to said claim or claims under this ordinance shall be limited to the terms of the
settlement offer and the operator shell be excused from any further indemnification to, or
incurring any additional costs on behalf of, the City with respect to said claim or claims.
F. Future Franchise Agreements. If the City awards an additional
cable
communications franchise in any future franchise process to an additional person or entity
other than the operator, then the operator agrees that it will not bring, or cause to be
brought, any action, suit or other proceeding claiming damages, or seeking any other
relief against the City, its elected officials, officers, boards, commissions, employees,
representatives, servants, agents or attorneys for any award of s franchise made in
conformity with all applicable laws and so long as such additional cable communications
franchise is no more favorable or less burdensome to one operator than to another.
G. Additional Rights. All rights of the City pursuant to indemnification,
insurance,
surety bond, letter of credit or performance bonds, as provided for by this franchise
ordinance, are in addition to all other rights the City may have under this franchise
ordinance or any other ordinance, rule, regulation or law.
H. Exercise of Rights. The City's or the operator's exercise
of or failure to exercise
any rights pursuant to any section of this franchise ordinance shall not affect in any way
the right of the City or the operator subsequently to exercise any such rights or any other
right of the City or the operator under this franchise ordinance or any other ordinance,
rule, regulation or law.
I. Reasonable Indemnification. It is the purpose
of this section to provide reasonable
indemnification to the City under the terms and conditions expressed and, in the event of
a dispute, this section shall be construed (to the greatest extent permitted by law) to
provide for the indemnification of the City by the operator in accordance with its terms.
J. Validity of Section. The provisions of this section shall
not be dependent or
conditioned upon the validity of this franchise ordinance or the validity of any of the
procedures or agreements involved in the renewal of the franchise, but shall be and
remain a binding right and obligation of the City and the operator even if part or all of
this franchise ordinance, or the grant or renewal of the franchise, is declared null and void
in a legal or administrative proceeding. It is expressly the intent of the operator and the
City that the provisions of this section survive any such declaration and shah be a binding
obligation of and insure to the benefit of the operator and the City and their respective
successors and assigns (if any) with respect to any claims arising out of the operation of
the cable system covering the period of time during which the operator provided cable
service within the City.
(Ord. 2003-26, Add, 09/03/2003)