Chapter 12.05
ENCROACHMENTS ON CITY STREETS

Sections:

12.05.010    Definitions.

12.05.020    Permit required and may be issued for excavations and alteration of utility encroachments.

12.05.030    Work to be done in accordance with permit and provisions of chapter.

12.05.040    Conditions of permit – Generally.

12.05.050    Certain permits to contain provisions for relocation or removal – Procedure for requiring and costs of relocation – Certain permits to be revocable on five days’ notice.

12.05.060    Supervision of work.

12.05.070    Excavations for emergency repairs.

12.05.080    Bond of permittee generally.

12.05.090    Continuing bond of licensed contractors.

12.05.100    Insurance of permittee.

12.05.110    Bond provision not applicable to certain corporations – Exception after violation of provisions.

12.05.120    Penalties.

12.05.010 Definitions.

For the purpose of this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section:

City Street. The term “City street” includes all or any part of the entire width of a City street or public right-of-way, whether or not such entire area is actually used for street purposes.

Encroachment. The term “encroachment” includes any curb, gutter, culvert, sidewalk, underground utility, aboveground utility or any other structure or object of any kind or character not particularly mentioned in this chapter which is placed in, under or over any portion of a City street. The term “encroachment” shall not include advertising signs and devices, trees, shrubs, plants, the posting of any notice in the manner required by law or a connection to any existing facility of a properly franchised public utility. [Ord. 12 § 1, 1965.]

12.05.020 Permit required and may be issued for excavations and alteration of utility encroachments.

(1) The City Engineer or Public Works Director may issue written permits authorizing the permittee to do any of the following acts:

(a) Make an opening or excavation for any purpose in any City street;

(b) Place, change or renew an encroachment, except that no permit shall be required for changes, renewals or replacements of encroachments installed by a public utilities corporation where such changes, renewals or replacements require no opening or excavation of a City street.

(2) Any person who does any of the acts specified in this section without the authority of such a permit shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. [Ord. 12 § 2, 1965.]

12.05.030 Work to be done in accordance with permit and provisions of chapter.

Any act done under the authority of written permit issued pursuant to the provisions of RDMC 12.05.020 shall be done in accordance with the applicable provisions of this chapter and the terms and conditions of such permit. [Ord. 12 § 3, 1965.]

12.05.040 Conditions of permit – Generally.

Any permit issued under the provisions of this chapter may provide that the permittee will pay the entire expense of replacing the highway in as good condition as before, and may provide such other conditions as to the location and the manner in which the work is to be done as the City Engineer or Public Works Director finds necessary for the protection of the street. [Ord. 12 § 4, 1965.]

12.05.050 Certain permits to contain provisions for relocation or removal – Procedure for requiring and costs of relocation – Certain permits to be revocable on five days’ notice.

Any permit issued to a permittee of the class specified in RDMC 12.05.110 shall contain a provision that in the event any future improvements of the street to accommodate public travel necessitate the relocation or removal of an encroachment placed pursuant thereto, the permittee will relocate or remove the same at his sole expense. In such event, the City Engineer or Public Works Director shall serve on the permittee his written demand specifying the place of relocation or that the encroachment must be removed from the City street and specifying a reasonable time within which the work of relocation or removal must be commenced. The permittee must commence such relocation or removal within the time specified in such demand and thereafter diligently prosecute the same to completion; provided, however, that this provision shall remain in effect only so long as the City street in, under or over which such encroachment is located shall be used for usual street purposes and not as a State freeway, and this provision shall cease to apply when such City street shall become a State freeway. All permits other than those issued to permittees of the class specified in RDMC 12.05.110 are revocable on five days’ notice and any encroachment placed pursuant to such permit so revoked must be removed or relocated as may be specified by the City Engineer or Public Works Director in the notice revoking the permit and within the time specified by the City Engineer, which time shall not be less than five days unless the permit so provides. [Ord. 12 § 5, 1965.]

12.05.060 Supervision of work.

The City Engineer or Public Works Director may supervise any work done under permits issued under the provisions of this chapter. [Ord. 12 § 6, 1965.]

12.05.070 Excavations for emergency repairs.

Permittees under this chapter may excavate within City streets for the purpose of making repairs in cases of emergency requiring immediate action. In such cases the City Engineer or Public Works Director shall be promptly notified of any such action, and such permittee at his own expense shall immediately replace such City street in as good condition as before excavation. [Ord. 12 § 7, 1965.]

12.05.080 Bond of permittee generally.

Before granting a permit under the provisions of this chapter the City Engineer or Public Works Director may require the applicant to file with the City Council a satisfactory bond payable to the City in such amount as the City Engineer or Public Works Director deems sufficient conditioned upon the proper compliance by the permittee with the provisions of this chapter. [Ord. 12 § 8, 1965.]

12.05.090 Continuing bond of licensed contractors.

Any licensed contractor desiring to perform work of the nature covered in this chapter may file with the City Council a faithful performance by such licensed contractor for each year, in such amounts as the City Engineer or Public Works Director deems sufficient, conditioned upon proper compliance by such licensed contractor with the provisions of this chapter. [Ord. 12 § 9, 1965.]

12.05.100 Insurance of permittee.

In addition to the requirements provided in RDMC 12.05.080 and 12.05.090 and before granting a permit under the provisions of this chapter, the City Engineer or Public Works Director may require each applicant to file with the City Council a certificate showing the maintenance of insurance or a satisfactory plan of self-insurance to cover the liability of the permittee for property damage and injuries to persons in connection with the work sought to be done under the permit.

Where no satisfactory plan of self-insurance is provided, the minimum limits of such insurance shall be fixed by the City Engineer or Public Works Director in such amounts as he deems sufficient, and in fixing such limits the City Engineer or Public Works Director shall use as his basis the costs and hazards involved in the work sought to be performed under this permit. [Ord. 12 § 10, 1965.]

12.05.110 Bond provision not applicable to certain corporations – Exception after violation of provisions.

Except as otherwise provided in this section, the bonds specified in RDMC 12.05.090 and 12.05.100 shall not be required of any city, public corporation, political subdivision or public utilities corporation which is authorized by law and City franchise to establish or maintain any works or facilities, in, under or over any City street, nor shall the application of any permittee of the class specified in this section for a permit be denied. Each such applicant is entitled to a permit, but is otherwise subject to the provisions of this chapter and to all reasonable conditions and provisions made by the City Engineer or Public Works Director in any such permit.

The City Engineer or Public Works Director may require of any such applicant a bond in a sum not to exceed $20,000 if such applicant has in fact prior to such application failed to comply with the provisions of this chapter or with the provisions of a previous permit. [Ord. 12 § 11, 1965.]

12.05.120 Penalties.

Any person or business organization violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be subject to a fine of not to exceed $500.00 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or both. [Ord. 12 § 12, 1965.]