HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC ORD 1968-1211 Underground utilities (Repealed by 1414)1211
ORDINANCE NO. 1211
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY
OF NATIONAL CITY, RELATING
TO THE REQUIREMENTS FOR
THE UNDERGROUNDING OF
UTILITIES
Article 1. Regulations and
procedures for the removal of
overhead utility facilities and
the installation of underground
facilities in underground utility
districts.
Section 1. Definitions
Whenever in this ordinance the
words or phrases hereinafter in
this section defined are used,
they shall have the respective
meanings assigned to them in
the following definitions:
"Commission" shall mean the
Public Utilities Commission of
the State of California.
"Underground Utility District"
or "District" shall mean that
ea in the City within which
ales, overhead wires, and asso-
ated overhead structures are
prohibited as such area is de-
scribed in a resolution adopted
pursuant to the provisions of
Section 2 of this ordinance.
"Person" shall mean and in-
clude individuals, firms, corpor-
ations, partnerships, and their
agents and employees.
"Poles, overhead wires and as-
sociated overhead structures"
shall mean poles, towers, sup-
ports, wires, conductors, guys,
stubs, platforms, crossarms,
braces, transformers, insulators,
cutouts, switches, communica-
tion circuits, appliances, attach-
ments and appurtenances located
above ground within a District
and used or useful in supplying
electric, communication or simi-
lar or associated service.
"Utility" shall include all per-
sons or entities supplying elec-
tric, communication, television or
radio reception or similar or as-
sociated service by means of
electric materials or devices.
Section 2. Public Hearing by
Council
The Council may, from time to
time, call public hearings to as-
certain whether the public heal-
th, safety or welfare requires the
removal of poles, overhead wires
and associated overhead struc-
tures within designated areas of
the City and the underground in-
stallation of wires and facilities
for supplying electric, communi-
cation, or similar or associated
service. The City Clerk shall
notify all affected property own-
ers as shown on the last equal-
ed assessment roll and utilities
5ncerned by mail of the time
equal-
'zed
place of such hearings at
least ten (10) 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.
Section 3. Underground Utility
Districts: Council flay Designate
By Resolution.
If, after any such public hear-
ing, the Council finds that the
public 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 instal-
lation. Such resolution shall in-
clude a description of the area
comprising such district and
shall fix the time within which
such removal and underground
installation shall be accomplish-
ed and within which affected
property owners must be ready
look,
to receive underground service.
A reasonable time shall be al-
lowed for such removal and un-
; derground installation, having
due regard for the availability of
Tabor, materials and equipment
necessary for such removal btt.gas for the installation of such un-
derground facilities as may be
occasioned thereby. Immediate-
ly following its adoption, the
City Clerk shall cause a certified
copy of such resolution to be
recorded in the Office of the
County Recorder.
Section 4. 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 2 hereof, it
shall be 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 said overhead fa-
cilities are required to be re-
moved by such resolution, except
as said 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 under-
ground work necessary for such
owner or occupant to continue to
receive utility service as provided
in Section 8 hereof, and for such
reasonable time required to re-
move said facilities after said
work has been performed and
except as otherwise provided in
this Section.
Section 5. Exception, Emer-
gency or Unusual Circumstances.
Notwithstanding the provisions
of this ordinance, overhead fa-
cilities may be installed and
maintained for a period, not to
exceed thirty (30) days, without
authority of the Council in order
to provide emergency service.
The Council may grant special
permission, on such terms as the
Council may deem appropriate,
in cases of unusual circumstan-
ces, without discrimination as to
any person or utility, to erect,
construct, install, maintain, use
or operate poles, overhead wires
and associated overhead struc-
tures.
Section 6. Other Exceptions.
This ordinance and any resolu-
tion adopted pursuant to Section
3 hereof, unless otherwise pro-
vided in such resolution, shall
not apply to the following types
of facilities:
1. Any municipal facility or
equipment installed under the
supervision and to the satis-
faction of the City Engineer.
2. Poles or electroliers used ex-
clusively for street lighting.
3. Overhead wires (exclusive of
supporting structures) cross-
ing any portion of a District
within which overhead wires
have been prohibited, or con-
necting 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 60,000
volts.
5. Overhead wires attached to
the exterior surface of a build-
ing by means of a bracket or
other fixture and extending
from one location on the build-
ing to another location of the
same building or to an adja-
cent building without crossing
any public street.
G. Antennas, associated equip-
ment and supporting struc-
tures used by a utility for fur-
nishing communication ser-
vices.
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 construc-
tion projects.
Section 7. Notice to Property
Owners and Utility Companies.
Within ten (10) days, after
effective date of a resolution
adopted pursuant to Section 2
hereof, the City Clerk shall noti-
fy all affected utilities and all
persons owning real property
within the District created by
said resolution of the adoption
tnereof. Said City Clerk shall
further notify such affected
property owners of the necessity
that, if they or any person occu-
pying such property desire to
continue to receive electric, com-
munication or similar or associ-
ated service, they or such occu-
pant shall provide all necessary
facility changes on their prem-
ises so as to receive such service
from the lines of the supplying
atility or utilities at a new loca-
tion, subject to applicable rules,
regulations and tariffs of the
respective utility or utilities on
file with the Commission. Noti-
fication by the City Clerk shall
be made by mailing a copy of the
resolution adopted pursuant to
Section 3 together with a copy
of this ordinance, to affected
property owners as such are
shown on the last equalized as-
sessment roll and to the affect-
ed utilities.
Section 8. Responsibility of
Utility Companies.
If underground construction is
necessary to provide utility ser-
vice within a District created by
any resolution adopted pursuant
to Section 3 hereof, the supply-
ing utility shall furnish that
portion of the conduits, conduct-
ors and associated equipment re-
quired to be furnished by it un-
der its applicable rules, regula-
tions and tariffs on file with the
Commission.
Section 9. Responsibility of
Property Owner.
Every person owning, operat-
ing, leasing, occupying or rent-
ing a building structure within
a District shall perform con-
struction and provide that por-
tion of the service connection on
his property between the facili-
ties referred to in Section 8, and
the termination facility on or
within said building or structure
being served, all in accordance
with applicable rules, regula-
tions and tariffs of the respec-
tive utility or utilities on file
with the Commission.
Section 10. Responsibility of
Property Owner; Enforcement.
In the event any person own-
ing, operating, leasing, occupying
or renting said property does not
comply with the provisions of
Section 9 within the time provid-
ed for in the resolution enacted
pursuant to the provisions of
Section 2 hereof, the City Engi-
neer shall post written notice
on the property being served and
thirty (30) days thereafter shall
have the authority to order the
disconnecting and removal of
any and all overhead service
wires and associated facilities
supplying utility service to said
property.
Section 11. Responsibility of
Property Owner; Enforcement;
Council Hearing
If the requirements of Section
9 are not accomplished in accord-
ance with said provisions and
within the time provided for in
the resolution enacted pursu-
ant to Section 3 hereof, the City
Engineer may determine that
the method of enforcement pro-
vided in Section 10 hereof is
not an efficient or effective
method of enforcement, and may
pursue the following procedure
for enforcement of the responsi-
bility of property owners set
forth in Section 9.
1. The City Engineer shall
give notice in writing to the per-
son in possession of such prem-
ises, and a notice in writing to
the owner thereof as shown on
the last equalized assessment
roll, to provide the required un-
derground facilities within ten
(10) days after receipt of such
notice.
2. The notice to provide the
required underground facilities
may be given either by personal
service or by mail. In the case
of service by mail on either of
such persons, the notice must be
deposited in the United States
mail in a sealed envelope with
postage prepaid, addressed to the
person in possession of such
premises at such premises, and
the notice must be addressed to
the owner thereof as such own-
er's name appears, and must be
addressed to such owner's last
known address as the same ap-
pears on the last equalized as-
sessment, and when no address
appears, to General Delivery,
City of National City. If notice
is given by mail, such notice
shall be deemed to have been re-
ceived by the person to whom it
has been sent within forty-eight
(48) hours after the mailing
thereof. If notice is given by
mail to either the owner or oc-
cupant of such premises, the
City Engineer shall, within for-
ty-eight (48) hours after the
mailing thereof, cause a copy
thereof, printed on a card not
less than eight inches (8")
by ten inches (10") in size to be
posted in a conspicuous place on
said premises.
3. The notice given by the
City Engineer to provide the re-
quired underground facilities
shall particularly specify that
work is required to be done,
and shall state that if said work
is net completed within thirty
(30) days after receipt of such
notice, the City Engineer will
provide such required under-
ground facilities, in which case
the cost and expense thereof, in-
cluding engineering, legal, ad-
vertising and all incidental ex-
penses, will be assessed against
the property benefitted and be-
come a lien upon such property.
4. If, upon the expiration of
the thirty (30) day period, the
said required underground facil-
ities have not been provided, the
City Engineer shall forthwith
proceed to do the work, provid-
ed, however if such premises are
unoccupied and no electric or
communication services are be-
ing furnished thereto, the City
Engineer shall, in lieu of provid-
ing the required underground fa-
cilities, have the authority to or-
der the disconnection and re-
moval of any and all overhead
service wires and associated fa-
cilities supplying utility service
to said property. Upon com-
pletion of the work by the City
Engineer, he shall file a written
report with the City Council, set-
ting forth the fact that the re-
quired underground facilities
have been provided and the cost
thereof together with a legal de-
scription of the property against
which such cost is to be assessed.
The Council shall thereupon fix a
time and place for hearing pro-
tests against the assessment of
the cost of such work upon such
premises, which said time shall
not be less than ten (10) days
thereafter.
5. The City Engineer shall
forthwith, upon the time for
hearing such protests having
been fixed, give a notice in
writing to the person in posses-
sion of such premises, and a no-
tice in writing to the owner
thereof, in the manner herein -
above provided for the giving of
the notice to provide the requir
ed underground facilities, of t
time and place that the Counc
will pass upon such report and
will hear protests against such
assessment. Such notice shall
also set forth the amount of
the proposed assessment.
6. Upon the date and hour set
for the hearing of protests, the
Council shall hear and consider
the report and all protests, if
there be any and then proceed
to affirm, modify or reject the
assessment.
7. If any assessment is not
paid within five (5) days after
its confirmation by the Council,
the amount of the assessment
shall become a lien upon the
property against which the as-
sessment is made by the City
Engineer, and said Engineer
shall turn over to the Assessor
and Tax Collector a notice of
lien on each of said properties
on which the assessment has not
been paid, and said Assessor and
Tax Collector shall add the
amount of said assessment to the
next regular bill for taxes lev-
ied against the premises upon
which said assessment was not
paid. Said assessment shall be
due and payable at the same
time as said property taxes are
due and payable, and if not paid
when due and payable, shall bear
interest at the rate of eight per
cent (8%) per annum.
Section 12. Responsibility of
City.
City shall remove at :its own
expense all City -owned equip-
ment 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 3 hereof.
Section 13. Extension of Time.
In the event that any act re-
quired by this ordinance or by a
resolution adopted pursuant to
Section 3 hereof cannot be per-
formed within the time provided
on account of shortage of mater-
ials, war, restraint by public
authorities, strikes, labor dis-
turbances, civil disobedience, or
any other circumstances beyond
the control of the actor, then
the time within which such act
will be accomplished shall be ex-
tended for a period equivalent
to the time of such limitation.
Section 14. It shall be unlaw-
ful for any person to violate any
provision or to fail to comply
with any of the requirements of
this ordinance. Any person vio-
lating any provision of this ordi-
nance or failing to comply with
any of its requirements shall be
deemed guilty of a misdemeanor
and upon conviction thereof shall
Ibe punished by a fine not ex-
ceeding FIVE HUNDRED DOL-
LARS (3500.00) or by imprison-
ment not exceeding six (6)
months, or by both such fine
and imprisonment. Each such
person shall be deemed guilty
of a separate offense for each
clay during any portion of which
any violation of any of the pro-
visions of this ordinance is com-
mitted, continued or permitted by
such persons, and shall be pun-
ishable therefor as provided for
in this ordinance.
Section 15. This ordinance shall
take effect and be in full force
en the thirty-first day from and
after its passage and approval.
Section 16. The adoption of
this ordinance shall not be con-
strued as an amendment to the
existing franchise between the
City of National City and the San
Diego Gas and Electric Company
nor shall it be construed as a
relinquishment in any police
powers now vested in the City of
National City.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by
the City Council of the City of
National City, California, this
12th day of November, 1968, by
the following vote, to -wit:
AYES: Councilmen Camacho,
Colburn, Hogue, Reid, Morgan.
NAYS: Councilmen None
ABSENT: None
Kile Morgan,
Mayor of the City of
National City, California
ATTEST: Ione Minogue
City Clerk
I hereby approve the forego-
ing Ordinance this 12th day of
November, 1968.
Kite Morgan,
Mayor of the City of
National City, California
1 hereby certify that the above
and foregoing is a full and true
copy of Ordinance No. 1211 of
the Ordinances of the City of
National City, Calif.rnia, as
the City C. ncil of
u approved by the
City, on . e 12th
968.
Ione Minogue
ity Clerk of the
day
(Signe
(Seal)
City o National City,
California.
NC-3973, 11/2'1/68
AND I HEREBY CERTIFY
that the -ame has been duly
j. shed ccor ling to law.
(City Clerk, City of
National City, California
n