Chapter 13.04
UNDERGROUND WIRING
Sections:
13.04.020 Public hearing by council.
13.04.030 Report by city engineer (or other designated city official or body).
13.04.040 Council may designate underground utility districts by resolution.
13.04.060 Exception, emergency or unusual circumstances.
13.04.080 Notice to property owners and utility companies.
13.04.090 Responsibility of utility companies.
13.04.100 Responsibility of property owners.
13.04.110 Responsibility of city.
13.04.010 Definitions.
Whenever in this chapter the words or phrases hereinafter in this section defined are used, they shall have the respective meanings assigned to them in the following definitions:
(1) “Commission” means the public Utilities Commission of the state of California;
(2) “Person” means and includes individuals, firms, corporations, partnerships, and their agents and employees;
(3) “Poles, overhead wires and associated overhead structures” mean poles, towers, supports, wires, conductors, guys, stubs, platforms, crossarms, braces, transformers, insulators, cutouts, switches, communication circuits, appliances, attachments and appurtenances located aboveground within a district and used or useful in supplying electric, communication or similar or associated service;
(4) “Underground utility district” or “district” means that area in the city within which poles, overhead wires, and associated overhead structures are prohibited as such area is described in a resolution adopted pursuant to the provisions of Section 13.04.040;
(5) “Utility” includes all persons or entities supplying electric, communication or similar or associated service by means of electrical materials or devices. (Ord. 93 Sec. 1, 1968)
13.04.020 Public hearing by council.
The council may from time to time by resolution call public hearings to ascertain whether the public necessity, health, safety or welfare requires the removal of poles, overhead wires, and associated overhead structures within designated areas of the city and the underground installation of wires and facilities for supplying electric, communication, or similar or associated service. The city clerk shall notify all affected property owners as shown on the last equalized assessment roll and utilities concerned by mail of the time and place of such hearings at least fifteen days prior to the date thereof. Each such hearing shall be open to the public and may be continued from time to time. At each such hearing all persons interested shall be given an opportunity to be heard. The decision of the council shall be final and conclusive (Ord. 783, Sec. 26, 2001; Ord. 93 Sec. 2(a), 1968)
13.04.030 Report by city engineer (or other designated city official or body).
Prior to holding such public hearing, the city engineer shall consult all affected utilities and shall prepare a report for submission at such hearing containing, among other information, the extent of such utilities’ participation and estimates of the total costs to the city and affected property owners. Such report shall also contain an estimate of the time required to complete such underground installation and removal of overhead facilities. (Ord. 93 Sec. 2(b), 1968)
13.04.040 Council may designate underground utility districts by resolution.
If, after any such public hearing the council finds that the public necessity, health, safety or welfare requires such removal and such underground installation within a designated area, the council shall, by resolution, declare such designated area an underground utility district and order such removal and underground installation. Such resolution shall include a description of the area comprising such district and shall fix the time within which such removal and underground installation shall be accomplished and within which affected property owners must be ready to receive underground service. A reasonable time shall be allowed for such removal and underground installation, having due regard for the availability of labor, materials, and equipment necessary for such removal and for the installation of such underground facilities as may be occasioned thereby. (Ord. 93 Sec. 3, 1968)
13.04.050 Unlawful acts.
Whenever the council creates an underground utility district and orders the removal of poles, overhead wires and associated overhead structures therein as provided in Section 13.04.040, it is unlawful for any person or utility to erect, construct, place, keep, maintain, continue, employ or operate poles, overhead wires, and associated overhead structures in the district after the date when the overhead facilities are required to be removed by such resolution, except as the overhead facilities may be required to furnish service to an owner or occupant of property prior to the performance by such owner or occupant of the underground work necessary for such owner or occupant to continue to receive utility service as provided in Section 13.04.100, and for such reasonable time required to remove the facilities after the work has been performed, and except as otherwise provided in this chapter. (Ord. 93 Sec. 4, 1968)
13.04.060 Exception, emergency or unusual circumstances.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter, overhead facilities may be installed and maintained for a period, not to exceed thirty days, without authority of the city engineer, in order to provide emergency service. The city engineer may grant special permission on such terms as the city engineer may deem appropriate, in cases of unusual circumstances, without discrimination as to any person or utility, to erect, construct, install, maintain, use or operate poles, overhead wires and associated overhead structures. (Ord. 93 Sec. 5, 1968)
13.04.070 Other exceptions.
This chapter and any resolution adopted pursuant to Section 13.04.040 shall, unless otherwise provided in such resolution, not apply to the following types of facilities:
(1) Any municipal facilities or equipment installed under the supervision and to the satisfaction of the city engineer;
(2) Poles, or electroliers used exclusively for street lighting;
(3) Overhead wires (exclusive of supporting structures) crossing any portion of a district within which overhead wires have been prohibited, or connecting to buildings on the perimeter of a district when such wires originate in an area from which poles, overhead wires and associated overhead structures are not prohibited;
(4) Poles, overhead wires and associated overhead structures used for the transmission of electric energy at nominal voltages in excess of thirty-four thousand five hundred volts;
(5) Overhead wires attached to the exterior surface of a building by means of a bracket or other fixture and extending from one location on the building to another location on the same building or to an adjacent building without crossing any public street;
(6) Antennae, associated equipment and supporting structures, used by a utility for furnishing communication services;
(7) Equipment appurtenant to underground facilities, such as surface mounted transformers, pedestal mounted terminal boxes and meter cabinets, and concealed ducts;
(8) Temporary poles, overhead wires and associated overhead structures used or to be used in conjunction with construction projects. (Ord. 93 Sec. 6, 1968)
13.04.080 Notice to property owners and utility companies.
Within ten days after the effective date of a re solution adopted pursuant to Section 13.04.040, the city clerk shall notify all affected utilities and all persons owning real property within the district created by the resolution of the adoption thereof. The city clerk shall further notify such affected property owners of the necessity that, if they or any person occupying such property desire to continue to receive electric, communication, or similar or associated service, they or such occupant shall provide all necessary facility changes on their premises so as to receive such service from the lines of the supplying utility or utilities at a new location, subject to the applicable rules, regulations, and tariffs of the respective utility or utilities on file with the commission.
Notification by the city clerk shall be made by mailing a copy of the resolution adopted pursuant to Section 13.04.040, together with a copy of the ordinance codified in this chapter, to affected property owners as such are shown on the last equalized assessment roll and to the affected utilities. (Ord. 93 Sec. 7, 1968)
13.04.090 Responsibility of utility companies.
If underground construction is necessary to provide utility service within a district created by any resolution adopted pursuant to Section 13.04.040, the supplying utility shall furnish that portion of the conduits, conductors and associated equipment required to be furnished by it under its applicable rules, regulations and tariffs on file with the commission. (Ord. 93 Sec. 8, 1968)
13.04.100 Responsibility of property owners.
(a) Every person owning, operating, leasing, occupying or renting a building or structure within a district shall construct and provide that portion of the service connection on his property between the facilities referred to in Section 13.04.090 and the termination facility on or within the building or structure being served, “all in accordance with the applicable rules, regulations and tariffs of the respective utility or utilities on file with the Commission.”
(b) In the event any person owning, operating, leasing, occupying or renting said property does not comply with the provisions of subparagraph (a) of this section within the time provided for in the resolution enacted pursuant to Section 13.04.040, the city engineer shall post written notice on the property being served and thirty days thereafter may authorize the disconnection and removal of any and all overhead service wires and associated facilities supplying utility service to the property. (Ord. 93 Sec. 9, 1968)
13.04.110 Responsibility of city.
City shall remove at its own expense all city-owned equipment from all poles required to be removed hereunder in ample time to enable the owner or user of such poles to remove the same within the time specified in the resolution enacted pursuant to Section 13.04.040. (Ord. 93 Sec. 10, 1968)
13.04.120 Extension of time.
In the event that any act required by this chapter or by a resolution adopted pursuant to Section 13.04.040 cannot be performed within the time provided on account of shortage of material, war, restraint by public authorities, strike, labor disturbances, civil disobedience, or any other circumstances beyond the control of the actor, then the time within which such act will be accomplished shall be extended for a period equivalent to the time of such limitation. (Ord. 93 Sec. 11, 1968)