Inyo County Municipal Code Ch. 12.12 Underground Utility Districts

The enabling ordinance codified in this chapter includes provisions for underground utilities districts.

(Ord. 165 § 1, 1968)

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:

"Commission"

means the Public Utilities Commission of the state;

"Person"

means and includes individuals, firms, corporations, partnerships and their agents and employees;

"Poles, overhead wires and associated overhead structures"

means 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;

"Underground utility district" or "district"

means that area in the county 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 12.12.050;

"Utility"

includes all persons or entities supplying electric, communication or similar or associated service by means of electrical materials or devices.

(Ord. 165 §§ 2—7, 1968)

The board of supervisors may from time to time 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 county 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 ten 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 board of supervisors shall be final and conclusive.

(Ord. 165 § 8, 1968)

Prior to holding the public hearing provided for by Section 12.12.030, the county engineer shall consult with 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 county and affected property owners. Such report shall contain an estimate of the time required to complete such underground installation and removal of overhead facilities.

(Ord. 165 § 9, 1968)

If, after the public hearing provided for in Section 12.12.030, the board of supervisors finds that the public necessity, health, safety or welfare requires such removal and such underground installation within a designated area, the board of supervisors 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. 165 § 10, 1968)

Whenever the board of supervisors creates an underground utility district and orders the removal of poles, overhead wires and associated overhead structures therein as provided in Section 12.12.050, 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 12.12.110, 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. 165 § 11, 1968)

Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter, the director of public works may authorize overhead facilities to be installed and maintained for a period not to exceed ten days without authority of the board of supervisors in order to provide emergency service. The board of supervisors may grant special permission, on such terms as the board of supervisors 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. 165 § 12, 1968)

In any resolution adopted pursuant to Section 12.12.050, the board of supervisors may authorize any or all of the following exceptions:

A. Poles, electroliers or conductors used exclusively for street lighting;

B. 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;

C. 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;

D. 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;

E. Antennae, associated equipment and supporting structures, used by a utility for furnishing communication services;

F. Equipment appurtenant to underground facilities, such as surface-mounted transformers, pedestal-mounted terminal boxes and meter cabinets, and concealed ducts;

G. Temporary poles, overhead wires and associated overhead structures used or to be used in conjunction with construction projects.

(Ord. 165 § 13, 1968)

Within ten days after the effective date of a resolution adopted pursuant to Section 12.12.050, the county clerk shall notify all affected utilities and all persons owning real property within the district created by the resolution of the adoption thereof. The county 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.

Notification by the county clerk shall be made by mailing a copy of the resolution adopted pursuant to Section 12.12.050, together with a copy of the provisions of this chapter, to affected property owners as such are shown on the last equalized assessment roll and to the affected utilities.

(Ord. 165 § 14, 1968)

If underground construction is necessary to provide utility service within a district created by any resolution adopted pursuant to Section 12.12.050, 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. 165 § 15, 1968)

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 12.12.100 and the termination facility on or within the building or structure being served. If the above is not accomplished by any person within the time provided for in the resolution enacted pursuant to Section 12.12.050, the county engineer shall give notice in writing to the person in possession of such premises, and a notice in writing to the owner thereof as shown on the last equalized assessment roll, to provide the required underground facilities within ten days after receipt of such notice.

(Ord. 165 § 16(a), 1968)

The notice to provide the required underground facilities may be given either by personal service or by mail. In 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 owner's name appears, and must be addressed to such owner's last known address as the same appears on the last equalized assessment roll. If notice is given by mail, such notice is deemed to have been received by the person to whom it has been sent within forty-eight hours after the mailing thereof. If notice is given by mail to either the owner or occupant of such premises, the county engineer shall, within forty-eight hours after the mailing thereof, cause a copy hereof, printed on a card not less than eight inches by ten inches in size, to be posted in a conspicuous place on the premises.

(Ord. 165 § 16(b), 1968)

The notice given by the county engineer to provide the required underground facilities shall particularly specify what work is required to be done, and shall state that if the work is not completed within thirty days after receipt of such notice the county engineer will provide such required underground facilities, in which case the cost and expense thereof will be assessed against the property benefited and become a lien upon such property.

(Ord. 165 § 16(c), 1968)

If upon the expiration of the thirty-day period, the required underground facilities have not been provided, the county engineer shall proceed to do the work; provided, however, if such premises are unoccupied and no electric or communications services are being furnished thereto, the county engineer shall, in lieu of providing the required underground facilities, have the authority to authorize the disconnection and removal of any and all overhead service wires and associated facilities supplying utility service to the property. Upon completion of the work by the county engineer, he shall file a written report with the board of supervisors setting forth the fact that the required underground facilities have been provided and the cost thereof, together with a legal description of the property against which such cost is to be assessed. The board of supervisors shall thereupon fix a time and place for hearing protests against the assessment of the cost of such work upon such premises, which time shall not be less than ten days thereafter.

(Ord. 165 § 16(d), 1968)

The county engineer shall, upon the time for hearing such protests having been fixed, give a notice in writing to the person in possession of such premises, and a notice in writing thereof to the owner thereof, in the manner hereinabove provided for the giving of the notice to provide the required underground facilities, of the time and place that the board of supervisors will pass upon such report and will hear protests against such assessment. Such notice shall also set forth the amount of the proposed assessment.

(Ord. 165 § 16(e), 1968)

Upon the date and hour set for the hearing of protests, the board of supervisors shall hear and consider the report and all protests, if there are any, and then proceed to affirm, modify or reject the assessment.

(Ord. 165 § 16(f), 1968)

If any assessment is not paid within five days after its confirmation by the board of supervisors, the amount of the assessment shall become a lien upon the property against which the assessment is made by the county engineer, and the county engineer is directed to turn over to the assessor and tax collector a notice of lien on each of the properties on which the assessment has not been paid, and the assessor and tax collector shall add the amount of the assessment to the next regular bill for taxes levied against the premises upon which the assessment was not paid. The assessment shall be due and payable at the same time as the property taxes are due and payable, and if not paid when due and payable, shall bear interest at the rate of six percent per year.

(Ord. 165 § 16(g), 1968)

In the event that any act required by this chapter or by a resolution adopted pursuant to Section 12.12.050 cannot be performed within the time provided on account of shortage of materials, war, restraint by public authorities, strikes, 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. 164 § 17, 1968)

It is unlawful for any person to violate any provision or to fail to comply with any of the requirements of this chapter. Any person violating any provision of this chapter or failing to comply with any of its requirements is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished as provided by Section 1.20.010. Each such person is guilty of a separate offense for each day during any portion of which any violation of any of the provisions of this chapter is committed, continued or permitted by such person, and is punishable therefor as provided for in this chapter.

(Ord. 165 § 18, 1968)