12.050 Control and Supervision of the Common Council.

The Manitowoc Common Council shall exercise the following general control and supervision over the Manitowoc Public Utilities Commission:

(1) Large Construction Projects. Where the total cost of the contract or contracts for any utilities construction project exceeds $5,000,000, prior Common Council approval of the project shall be required before the Commission shall be authorized to enter into any contracts for the project.

(2) Assessment Policy. The Manitowoc Public Utilities Commission is vested with authority to adopt reasonable rules covering the extension of and assessment for water main extensions, but such rules and regulations shall be subject to prior approval by the Manitowoc Common Council before submission to the Wisconsin Public Service Commission for approval.

(3) Extension of Services Outside City Limits. The Manitowoc Public Utilities Commission shall not extend water or communication services to retail customers outside of the City of Manitowoc City limits without the prior approval of the Common Council. Subject to the powers set forth in MMC 12.030 and limitations in this section, the Manitowoc Public Utilities Commission is authorized to enter into wholesale electric, potable water or communications sales-for-resale contracts with other municipal utilities, joint action agencies, investor-owned utilities, independent power producers, or other similar counterparts outside of the City limits, and is authorized to sell electrical services to retail customers outside the City of Manitowoc City limits.

(4) Eminent Domain. The Common Council reserves to itself the authority to acquire any real estate by eminent domain proceedings under Wis. Stat. Ch. 32 should the Commission be unable to voluntarily acquire any real estate necessary or convenient to the management and operation of the utilities.

(5) Municipal Borrowing. Nothing in the Charter Ordinance codified in this section is intended to expand or restrict the current statutory authority of the Utilities Commission or the Common Council to borrow funds.

[Ord. 15-712 §§ 1, 2, 2015. Prior code § 12.05]