347.03 Owner of land to have preference for ferry or toll bridge.
347.04 Commissioners may regulate.
347.05 Bond.
347.06 Certificate of license.
347.07 License on waters between counties.
347.20 Vested rights not impaired.
347.21 County commissioners to grant franchise.
347.215 Operation of ferries by joint agreement between public and private entities.
347.22 Condition under which franchise granted.
347.23 No person to maintain ferry unless authorized.
347.24 Transporting persons for hire within 1 mile of ferry; penalty.
347.25 Maintaining illegal ferries; penalty.
347.01 County commissioners may grant license.—The county commissioners of the several counties may grant leave to applicants, upon the conditions provided in this chapter, to establish ferries, toll bridges, mills and dams, and log ditches, upon and across the rivers and streams of their respective counties, which license shall continue in force for a time to be specified therein by said board not exceeding ten years.
347.02 Notice of application.—Any person desiring the benefits of s. 347.01 shall advertise in a newspaper published in the county wherein the privilege is to be granted, or if there be no newspaper published in said county, in a newspaper published in the adjoining or nearest county thereto; and shall also post in three conspicuous places in said county notice of his or her intention to apply to the county commissioners for leave, specifying the object of his or her application to the commissioners aforesaid, which application shall be in writing, particularly describing the river or stream, and locality thereupon, with the width thereof, and the depth of water where he or she shall desire to erect or establish a mill, dam, bridge, ferry or log ditch as aforesaid.
347.03 Owner of land to have preference for ferry or toll bridge.—No such license to establish a ferry or toll bridge shall be granted to any person other than the owner of the land through which the highway adjoining the ferry or toll bridge shall run, unless such owner shall consent thereto or shall neglect to apply for such license, after notice as aforesaid.
347.04 Commissioners may regulate.—The board of county commissioners, when they shall grant any license to keep a ferry or toll bridge, shall order and direct the rates of ferriage or toll which the person licensed may charge, and may, from time to time thereafter during the continuance of such license, alter such rates, and they may also direct what and how many hours each day such person shall attend her or his ferry or bridge, which hours shall be at least from daylight till dark, and may direct how long persons desiring to be crossed may be detained.
347.05 Bond.—Every person applying for such license for a ferry or toll bridge, shall, before the same shall be granted, give bond in a sum to be fixed by the county commissioners, not less than $200, with such sufficient sureties as the board shall approve, conditioned to faithfully keep such bridge in good repair, or attend such ferry with such and so many safe and convenient boats, and so many persons to work the same, together with such sufficient implements therefor, and to perform the duties of such ferry or toll bridge, during the several hours in each day and at such several rates as the said board shall from time to time order and direct, which bond shall be filed with the clerk of said board.
347.06 Certificate of license.—Whenever an application is granted under s. 347.01, the clerk of the board of county commissioners shall issue her or his certificate under seal, specifying the privileges therein granted, for which the clerk shall receive the fees prescribed by law for like services.
347.07 License on waters between counties.—Whenever the waters over which any toll bridge or ferry may be used shall divide two counties, a license obtained in either of the counties shall be sufficient to authorize the person obtaining the same to transport and pass persons, goods, wares, and merchandise and effects to and from either side of said waters; provided, that the rate of toll be fixed by the county commissioners of each county.
347.20 Vested rights not impaired.—Nothing in this chapter shall affect or impair any right or privilege belonging to any individual or corporation by virtue of any law of this state.
347.21 County commissioners to grant franchise.—The county commissioners of any county in this state, whenever it shall have been made to appear to them that the convenience of the public requires the maintenance of a ferry for teams and passengers operated on regular schedules at frequent intervals across any river between any two points on opposite sides of the river in the same county, shall by resolution, grant a leave, license and franchise for the establishment, maintenance and operation of such ferry by a grantee or grantees named in the resolution, from a street or a public road on one side of the river to a street or a public road on the other side of the river; which leave, license and franchise shall vest in and be enjoyed by the grantee or grantees and the heirs, successors, and assigns thereof for the terms and on the conditions as in ss. 347.22-347.25 provided. The word “grantee,” as used in said sections, shall include the heirs, successors, and assigns of the grantee, and the word “franchise” shall include leave, license, and all rights and privileges pertaining to ferries.
347.215 Operation of ferries by joint agreement between public and private entities.—The county commission of any county that has granted a license to operate a ferry in the county may authorize the operation of such ferry by a single party or multiple parties under a joint agreement between the appropriate public entities and one or more private corporations conducting business in the state.
347.22 Condition under which franchise granted.—Such leave, license and franchise, for the maintenance and operation of such ferry as provided in s. 347.21, shall be given and granted by resolution upon the following terms and conditions:
(1) The grantee of such leave, license and franchise, shall before the taking effect of such leave, license and franchise, give to the county a good and sufficient bond in the sum of $5,000, to be approved by the county commissioners, conditioned for the establishment, maintenance and operation of a ferry of character to meet the reasonable necessities of the public on regular schedule at such frequent intervals from each side of the river with a ferry boat suitable and safe for the transportation of passengers, vehicles and teams during the hours and on the schedules as fixed by the provisions of the resolution of the board of county commissioners granting the franchise. The county commissioners shall in and by the resolution giving and granting such franchise fix the schedule to be observed and the rate to be charged for ferriage, and the character and capacity of boats, and make such other regulations as may to them appear to be reasonable, to be in force and effect until changed as hereinafter provided.
(2) Such franchise, unless adjudged by the courts forfeited for failure to comply with the terms and conditions thereof, shall run and continue for the full term of and period of 15 years, and thereafter until the county commissioners shall have terminated the said franchise in the manner herein provided. No leave, license or franchise shall be granted to any person for the operation of any ferry across such river from or to any point within 1 mile of either terminus of such ferry as fixed by the resolution granting the franchise, and no other ferry shall be established or maintained within 1 mile thereof; and no such leave, license or franchise shall be so given or granted as to impair or depreciate the value of any vested right or privilege of any person or corporation operating at the time of the passage of this chapter, a ferry for the transportation of passengers and teams at frequent and regular intervals across a river under the provisions of any resolutions of a board of county commissioners, granted under the provisions of existing laws.
(3) At the end of the third year after granting such leave, license or franchise, and at the end of each period of 3 years thereafter, the county commissioners and the grantee shall each have the right, by having given notice of the intention so to do 30 days prior to any such recurring period of 3 years, to have arbitrated with the other party any question or questions as to the reasonableness of any rate or rates allowed or charged, or as to the character and reasonableness or frequency of the service required or given, or as to any other matter or thing pertaining to the maintenance or operation of such ferry. For the arbitration of any such question or questions, the county commissioners shall name one arbitrator, and the grantee of the franchise shall name the other, and the two arbitrators shall, if possible, after investigation, decide the question or questions submitted to them, and render to the county commissioners and to the grantee a written decision signed by them. If the two arbitrators so named shall be unable to agree as to a proper decision on any question or questions, they shall mutually agree upon a third disinterested party, who shall investigate the contested question or questions, and the finding of two of the arbitrators shall then be a decision of the arbitrators. All parties shall be bound, and shall abide by and carry out for the ensuing 3 years the decision of the arbitrators. The county commissioners and the grantee of such franchise shall have the right at any time, without arbitration, to make by resolution of the county commissioners, approved by the grantee, any arrangement that they may deem mutually advantageous to all concerned affecting such ferry service, subject, however, to subsequent change by arbitration at the times and as herein provided.
(4)(a) The county commissioners of any county, wherein such ferry shall have been operated as herein provided, shall have the right to have submitted to the voters of the county, at the general election next preceding the expiration of the said term of 15 years, the question as to whether or not the county commissioners shall purchase the property used and operate the ferry, and if the majority of the voters voting on the subject shall have voted for the purchase and operation of the ferry by the county, then the county commissioners and the grantee of the franchise shall each name an arbitrator, and the two arbitrators so named shall name a third, a disinterested person of high standing and integrity, and the three arbitrators, or two of them, if the three cannot agree, shall, after a thorough investigation, fix the amount to be paid by the county to the grantee; and the county commissioners shall thereupon pay to the grantee the amount fixed by the arbitrators, or a majority of them, and shall receive from the grantee a conveyance of all its property used for ferry purposes; and the county commissioners shall operate such ferry so long as its operation by them shall appear practicable, and the grantee of the franchise shall not thereafter, so long as the said ferry shall be operated by the county, operate any such ferry, and all rights of the grantee to operate such ferry shall, during the time of the operation thereof by the county, be withdrawn.
(b) Should the electors of the county at such election fail to approve the purchase and operation of such ferry, or should the county commissioners for any reason fail to make such purchase, the grantee shall have the right to continue the operation of such ferry with all the rights hereby granted and subject to all of the provisions of this chapter as to arbitration of questions of service, charges, etc., for an additional term of 10 years, and until the county shall, by vote of its electors, have determined to purchase and operate such ferry, and shall have paid to the grantee the amount fixed by arbitration in the manner above provided.
347.23 No person to maintain ferry unless authorized.—No person not authorized under the provisions of this chapter shall maintain any ferry for transporting persons or property for profit across any river from any point within 1 mile of a terminus of any ferry maintained under the provisions of this chapter to any point within 1 mile of such terminus.
347.24 Transporting persons for hire within 1 mile of ferry; penalty.—Any person who shall for profit or hire transport across any river from any point within 1 mile of any terminus of any ferry maintained under the provisions of law to any point within 1 mile of a terminus of any such ferry, unless duly authorized by law so to do, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.083, for the first offense and for each subsequent offense shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
347.25 Maintaining illegal ferries; penalty.—Whoever maintains any ferry for transporting across any river, stream or lake, persons, goods, chattels or effects for profit or hire, unless duly authorized according to law, shall be punished by fine not exceeding $20. When any offense mentioned in this section is committed on streams dividing counties the offender may be prosecuted in either county.
