Franchise Services

The Franchise Services Division is responsible for the administration of all franchises and similar agreements with companies that use the rights-of-way (ROW) of the unincorporated areas of the County to provide services to the public. Users of the County’s ROW that may require a franchise or other agreement include providers of ambulance services, cable TV/ video service, electric energy, monorail, natural gas, telecommunications, solid waste collection and disposal, landfill and recycling collection. The Franchise Services Division monitors the franchisees for compliance with ordinances and provisions of agreements and mediates, within the scope of our authority, unresolved issues between the consumer and the franchisee or licensee.

The Franchise Services Division facilitates the negotiations of franchise and other ROW license agreements, maintains and monitors compliance with the terms of the agreements and the County Code. The following types of agreements that may be required to operate within the rights-of-way of the County or to provide certain public services are:

Franchise Services is not responsible for:

• Private or general business “franchises”, such as for food establishments, automobile dealerships and other retail sales and service businesses.
• Requests for connection or disconnection of service, changes or modification of services or waiver of fees or adjustments to customer accounts for any of the franchisees or licensees in the County.