C6-96-1765, U S WEST Communications, Inc., Appellant, vs. City of Redwood Falls, Respondent.

State: Minnesota

Court: Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Clerk

Docket No: C6-96-1765

Case Date: 01/28/1997

Plaintiff: C6-96-1765, U S WEST Communications, Inc., Appellant,

Defendant: City of Redwood Falls, Respondent.

Preview:STATE OF MINNESOTA
IN COURT OF APPEALS
C6-96-1765

U S WEST Communications, Inc.,
Appellant,

vs.

City of Redwood Falls,
Respondent.

Filed January 28, 1997
Reversed and remanded
Harten, Judge

Redwood County District Court File No. 64-C7-96-198 Victoria T. Aguilar, David G. Seykora, Room 395, 200 South 5th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55402 (for Appellant) Timothy D. Kelly, Kelly & Berens, P.A., 3720 IDS Center, 80 South 8th St., Minneapolis, MN 55402 (for Appellant) Jeffrey S. Bork, 1801 California St., Room 5100, Denver, CO 80202 (pro hac vice) (for Appellant)
Stephen P. Thies, City Attorney, P.O. Box 10, Redwood Falls, MN 56283 (for Respondent)
Carla J. Heyl, D. Christopher Smith, 145 University Avenue West, St. Paul, MN 55103 (for intervenor League of
Minnesota Cities)

Hubert H. Humphrey, III, Attorney General, Jeff Oxley, Dennis D. Ahlers, Assistants Attorney General, Suite 1200

NCL Tower, 445 Minnesota St., St. Paul, MN 55101 (for amicus curiae Minnesota Department of Public Service)
Susan Allender, Assistant Attorney General, 350 Metro Square Bldg., 121 East 7th Place, St. Paul, MN 55101 (for
amicus curiae Minnesota Public Utilities Commission)

William E. Flynn, David L. Sasseville, Lindquist & Vennum, P.L.L.P., 4200 IDS Center, 80 South 8th St.,

Minneapolis, MN 55402 (for amicus curiae Minnesota Business Utility Users Council)
Timothy E. Marx, City Attorney, Philip B. Byrne, Assistant City Attorney, 400 City Hall, 15 West Kellogg Blvd., St.
Paul, MN 55102 (for amicus curiae City of St. Paul)

Michael T. Norton, Acting City Attorney, William C. Dunning, Assistant City Attorney, 300 Metropolitan Centre, 333
South 7th St., Minneapolis, MN 55402 (for amicus curiae City of Minneapolis)
Considered and decided by Harten, Presiding Judge, Toussaint, Chief Judge, and Crippen, Judge.

S Y L L A B U S
1.
The legislature has abolished municipal franchising of telephone companies.

2.
A city may not require a telephone company to encase its fiber optic lines in concrete duct.

Reversed and remanded. O P I N I O N
HARTEN, Judge
The City of Redwood Falls enacted an ordinance granting a franchise to U S WEST for its use of the city's rights-of

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