Any municipal corporation or group of municipal corporations in which any public utility is established may, by ordinance or ordinances, at any time within one year before the expiration of any contract entered into under sections 715.34, 743.26, and 743.28 of the Revised Code between the municipal corporation or group of municipal corporations and such public utility with respect to the rate, price, charge, toll, or rental to be made, charged, demanded, collected, or exacted, for any commodity, utility, or service by such public utility, or at any other time authorized by law, proceed to fix the price, rate, charge, toll, or rental that such public utility may charge, demand, exact, or collect for such commodity, utility, or service for an ensuing period as provided in such sections, provided that:

(A) Upon complaint in writing by any such public utility which has not filed, prior to the passage of such ordinance or ordinances, a written application with the public utilities commission pursuant to section 4909.18 or 4909.35 of the Revised Code covering the municipal corporation or group of municipal corporations, the public utilities commission shall give thirty days' notice of the filing and pendency of such complaint, and of the time and place of the hearing of it, to the public utility and the mayor of such municipal corporation or the mayors of such group of municipal corporations, which notice shall plainly state the matters complained of.

(B) If at the time of passage of the ordinance or ordinances provided for in this section or in section 715.34, 743.26, or 743.28 of the Revised Code any such public utility has on file a written application with the public utilities commission pursuant to section 4909.18 or 4909.35 of the Revised Code covering such municipal corporation or group of municipal corporations, the passage of such ordinance or ordinances shall not operate to divest the public utilities commission of jurisdiction over the application of such public utility or any part thereof, unless such public utility files a written acceptance of such ordinance or ordinances as provided in section 743.28 of the Revised Code, whereupon the commission shall dismiss the application insofar as it covers such municipality or group of municipalities. If such public utility does not accept such ordinance or ordinances, it shall so notify the municipality or group of municipalities and the public utilities commission within thirty days after the passage of such ordinance or ordinances, and such notification shall be deemed to be the consent of such public utility to continue to furnish its product or service and devote its property engaged in so furnishing its product or service to such public use during the term so fixed by prior contract with such municipality or group of municipalities or by Chapters 4901., 4903., 4905., 4909., 4921., and 4923. of the Revised Code. Upon receipt of notification by such public utility that it does not accept such ordinance or ordinances, the public utilities commission shall proceed to rule upon the application which such public utility has filed pursuant to section 4909.18 or 4909.35 of the Revised Code and, as a part of such proceedings, shall fix and determine the just and reasonable rate, fare, charge, toll, rental or service to be rendered, charged, demanded, exacted, or collected for the product or service of such public utility within such municipality or group of municipalities.

Effective Date: 09-28-1979 .