Any person, firm or corporation furnishing the City or its inhabitants with transportation, communication, terminal facilities, water, light, heat, gas, power, or other public utility or service, or using the public streets, ways, alleys, or other public places for the operation of plants, works, or equipment for the furnishing of such utilities or services, or, to the extent allowed by law, traversing any portion of the City for the transmitting or conveying of any such service elsewhere, may be required by ordinance to have valid and existing franchises therefor. The City Council is empowered to grant such franchise to any person, firm or corporation, whether operating under an existing franchise or not. The City Council may prescribe the terms and conditions of any such grant. It may also provide by procedural ordinance, the method of procedure and additional terms and conditions of such grants, or the making thereof, subject to the provisions of this Charter. Nothing in this Charter Section 1100 or elsewhere in this article shall apply when the City, or any department thereof, is itself furnishing any such utility or service.