Galion v. Galion

97 N.E.2d 68, 59 Ohio Law. Abs. 529, 1950 Ohio App. LEXIS 899
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 7, 1950
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 97 N.E.2d 68 (Galion v. Galion) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Galion v. Galion, 97 N.E.2d 68, 59 Ohio Law. Abs. 529, 1950 Ohio App. LEXIS 899 (Ohio Ct. App. 1950).

Opinion

OPINION

Per CURIAM.

This is an appeal on law and fact.

The action was instituted in the name of the City of Galion, [530]*530Ohio, by George H. Davies, its solicitor, against the City of Galion, Ohio, and The Ohio Public Service Company, an Ohio Corporation.

The petition recites that the plaintiff is a municipal corporation of the State of Ohio, with a population of more than 5000 citizens; that George H. Davies is now and was at the time mentioned in the petition, the duly elected, qualified and acting solicitor of the City of Galion, and that as such solicitor he brings this action on behalf of the City of Galion for the benefit of said city and taxpayers thereof; that the defendant, The Ohio Public Service Company is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Ohio, and is a public utility engaged in the business of manufacturing, selling and furnishing electric power and other utility products and services in the State of Ohio.

The petition also recites that on the 4th day of November, 1948, the council passed an ordinance known as No. 2796 which ordinance, in substance, provides that a right is granted to The Ohio Public Service Company to erect, construct, maintain and use the necessary poles, wires, conduits and such other structures, fixtures, and appliances, overhead and underground .as may be necessary or essential to enable The Ohio Public Service Company to transmit electricity through and along the streets, alleys, highways and public places of the City of Galion, Ohio, for the purpose of furnishing and supplying electric service to The Galion Iron Works & Manufacturing Company and to The Central Ohio Steel Products Company.

That in the title and body of the ordinance it is stated that the electrical energy now produced or that can be produced in the immediate future by the Galion Municipal Light Plant is wholly inadequate and insufficient to meet the demands of its customers; and further, that by reason of the lack of ability in the furnishing of power, the two manufacturing concerns above-named have been compelled to shut down at various times, resulting in loss of wages to employees and the loss of profits to the manufacturers.

That the local municipal light plant is in such a state of disrepair that it will take years to rebuild and repair the same so as to take care of the needs and demands of its customers.

That by reason of this failure of the municipal light plant to furnish dependable power at all times, The Galion Iron Works & Manufacturing Company and The Central Ohio Steel Products Company requested of council the permission to purchase power otherwise than from the municipal light plant.

[531]*531The ordinance in question granted to The Ohio Public Service Company the right, for a 10-year period, to supply electrical service to these two manufacturing companies.

Said ordinance was passed on October 5, 1948, was filed with the Mayor October 8, 1948, was vetoed by the Mayor of said city on October 13th, 1948, and was repassed by the council over the Mayor’s veto, on November 4, 1948, and a referendum petition or petitions filed with the Mayor on December 3, 1948.

On November 24, 1948, The Ohio Public Service Company filed its written acceptance of said ordinance with the Clerk of the City of Galion, to which a reply amended was duly filed by the plaintiff.

A temporary injunction was granted to the plaintiff on the 13th of November, 1948, enjoining any activity on the part of the defendants under said ordinance “until said time as it could be determined that if any referendum, if filed thereto be filed in compliance with law and the Constitution of the State of Ohio, and if and' when such referendum has been duly and legally filed, any procedure under said ordinance is temporarily enjoined until such time as a favorable vote has been had thereon.”

Thereafter, the matter was heard on its merits on May 5, 1949, and on June 14, 1949, the court filed its findings of fact and conclusions of law indicating the issues in favor of the plaintiff and against the defendants, the temporary injunction to remain in full force and effect until Ordinance No. 2796 has been submitted to a referendum vote.

The court, by journal entry, on September 24, 1949, approved its separate findings of fact and conclusions of law, and awarded the relief prayed for in the petition, and made permanent, the temporary injunction theretofore allowed, until Ordinance No. 2796 had been submitted to a referendum vote of the electors of the City of Galion, Ohio.

The salient facts necessary for a decision in this case are not seriously disputed by any party.

The findings of fact of the trial judge are substantially correct, as follows:

That the City of Galion contains at least 5000 electors, and for many years and at the time of the passage of the ordinance, Ordinance No. 2796, owned and operated a complete electric power plant, including a distribution and generating system.

That the ordinance in question, namely, Ordinance No. 2796, was passed on October 5th, 1948, and vetoed by the Mayor of the City of Galion, Ohio, on October 13, 1948, and passed [532]*532over the Mayor’s veto by the said council, on November 4th, 1948.

That the said Ordinance No. 2796 granted to The Ohio Public Service Company the right and permission, for a period of ten years from the effective date of the ordinance, to erect, construct, maintain and use the necessary appurtenances to enable it to transmit electricity through and along the streets and public places of the City of Galion, Ohio, for the purpose of furnishing and supplying electric service to The Galion Iron Works & Manufacturing Company and The Central Ohio Steel Products Company.

On November 24, 1948, The Ohio Public Service Company accepted the terms of the ordinance No. 2796, in accordance with the stipulations contained therein.

The Galion Iron Works & Manufacturing Company and The Central Ohio Steel Products Company are manufacturing corporations whose manufacturing plants are within the territorial limits of the City of Galion, Ohio.

A referendum petition or petitions were filed with the Mayor of the City of Galion, Ohio, on December 3, 1948, calling for a vote by the electors of Galion, Ohio, for approval or rejection of the ordinance in question.

That no other referendum petition or petitions of any kind have been filed with respect to said Ordinance No. 2796.

While it was not orally argued, the question is raised that the ordinance is void.

It must be borne in mind that this is an action not brought by an abutting property owner along the course proposed for the erecting of the structures and other things necessary for the connecting of the two manufacturing plants with the connections of the terminals of The Ohio Public Service Company, but is an action brought by the City of Galion.

The city had ample power to grant permission as is contained in Ordinance No. 2796 because such public purpose is not inconsistent with the use of the streets or its primary public purpose. Sec. 9193 GC. Sec. 9195 GC. 23 O. Jur., Sec. 353, Municipal Corporations, pages 566-567. 15 O. Jur., Secs. 51-52, Electricity, pages 535-536-537.

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Bluebook (online)
97 N.E.2d 68, 59 Ohio Law. Abs. 529, 1950 Ohio App. LEXIS 899, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/galion-v-galion-ohioctapp-1950.