(A) If a public utility does not accept a public way fee levied against it pursuant to the enactment of an ordinance by a municipal corporation, the public utility may appeal the public way fee to the public utilities commission. The appeal shall be made by filing a complaint that the amount of a public way fee, any related classification of public way occupants or users, or the assignment or allocation of costs to the public way fee is unreasonable, unjust, unjustly discriminatory, or unlawful. The complaint shall be filed not later than thirty days after the date the public utility first becomes subject to the ordinance. The complaint is subject to the same procedures as a complaint filed pursuant to section 4905.26 of the Revised Code. The commission shall act to resolve the complaint by issuance of a final order within one hundred twenty days after the date of the complaint's filing.

(B) Only upon a finding by the commission that reasonable grounds are stated for a complaint filed under division (A) of this section, the commission by order shall suspend the public way fee provisions of the municipal ordinance for the duration of the commission's consideration of the complaint. For the purpose of this division, if the commission so suspends an ordinance pursuant to a complaint filed not later than thirty days after the date that the ordinance first takes effect, the suspension shall apply to the public way fee for every occupancy or use of the public way to which the fee would otherwise apply. For any other complaint, the suspension shall apply only to the public utility filing the complaint. The municipal corporation may later collect, for the suspension period, any suspended public way fee only if the commission finds that the public way fee is not unreasonable, unjust, unjustly discriminatory, or unlawful.

(C) If the commission finds that the public way fee or classification complained of is unreasonable, unjust, unjustly discriminatory, or unlawful, it shall determine by order the just and reasonable public way fee or classification.

Effective Date: 07-02-2002 .