San Fernando Municipal Code Art. IV Undergrounding of Facilities

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Commission means the state public utilities commission.

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 above ground 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 city within which poles, overhead wires, and associated overhead structures are prohibited, as such area is described in a resolution adopted pursuant to section 94-335 of this article.

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

(Code 1957, § 27A.1)

Cross reference— Definitions generally, § 1-2.

Editor's note— Ord. No. 1537, § 12, adopted Oct. 21, 2002, repealed § 94-332 which pertained to penalty for violation and derived from Code 1957, § 27A.2.

The council 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 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 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 council shall be final and conclusive.

(Code 1957, § 27A.3)

Prior to holding the public hearing as provided in section 94-333, the city 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 city and affected property owners. Such report shall also contain an estimate of the time required to complete such underground installation and remove overhead facilities.

(Code 1957, § 27A.4)

If, after any public hearing held pursuant to this article, 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. The resolution shall include a description of the area comprising the 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.

(Code 1957, § 27A.5)

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 94-335, 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 the overhead facilities are required to be removed by such resolution, except for such overhead facilities as 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 the owner or occupant to continue to receive utility service as provided in section 94-341 and for such reasonable time required to remove the facilities after the work has been performed, and except as otherwise provided in this article.

(Code 1957, § 27A.6)

Notwithstanding the sections of this article, overhead facilities may be installed and maintained for a period not to exceed ten 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 circumstances, without discrimination as to any person or utility, to erect, construct, install, maintain, use, or operate poles, overhead wires, and associated overhead structures.

(Code 1957, § 27A.7)

In any resolution adopted pursuant to section 94-335, the city may authorize any or all of the following exceptions:

(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 34,500 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) Antennas, 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.

(Code 1957, § 27A.8)

(a) Within ten days after the effective date of a resolution adopted pursuant to section 94-335, 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 at a new location.

(b) Notification by the city clerk shall be made by mailing a copy of the resolution adopted pursuant to section 94-335, together with a copy of this article, to affected property owners as such are shown on the last equalized assessment roll and to the affected utilities.

(Code 1957, § 27A.9)

If underground construction is necessary to provide utility service within a district created by any resolution adopted pursuant to section 94-335, 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.

(Code 1957, § 27A.10)

(a) Every person owning, operating, leasing, occupying, or renting a building or structure within an underground utility district shall construct and provide that portion of the service connection on his property between the facilities referred to in section 94-340 and the termination facility on or within the building or structure being served. If this is not accomplished by any person within the time provided for in the resolution enacted pursuant to section 94-335, the city 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. The city engineer may also post written notice on the property being served and 30 days thereafter may authorize the disconnection and removal of any and all overhead service wires and associated facilities supplying utility service to the property.

(b) The notice to provide the required underground facilities may be given either by personal service or by mail. For service by mail, 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 it appears on the last equalized assessment roll, and when no address appears to general delivery in the city. If notice is given by mail, such notice shall be deemed to have been received by the person to whom it has been sent within 48 hours after the mailing thereof. If notice is given by mail to either the owner or occupant of such premises, the city engineer shall, within 48 hours after the mailing thereof, cause a copy thereof, printed on a card not less than eight inches by ten inches in size, to be posted in a conspicuous place on the premises.

(c) The notice given by the city 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 30 days after receipt of such notice, the city engineer will provide such required underground facilities, in which case the cost and expense thereof will be assessed against the property benefited and shall become a lien upon such property.

(d) If, upon the expiration of the 30-day period, the required underground facilities have not been provided, the city engineer shall forthwith proceed to do the work; provided, however, if such premises are unoccupied and no electric or communications services are being furnished thereto, the city engineer shall, in lieu of providing the required underground facilities, have the authority to order 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 city engineer, he shall file a written report with the city council 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 council 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.

(e) The city engineer shall forthwith, 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 to the owner thereof, in the manner provided in this section for the giving of the notice to provide the required underground facilities, of the time and place that the council will pass upon such report and will hear protests against such assessment. Such notice shall also set forth the amount of the proposed assessment.

(f) Upon the date and hour set for hearing of protests, the council shall hear and consider the report and all protests, if any, and then proceed to affirm, modify, or reject the assessment.

(g) If any assessment is not paid within five days after its confirmation by the council, the amount of the assessment shall become a lien upon the property against which the assessment is made by the city engineer, and the city 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. 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 annum.

(Code 1957, § 27A.11)

The city shall remove at its own expense all city-owned equipment from all poles required to be removed under this article in ample time to enable the owner or user of such poles to remove the poles within the time specified in the resolution enacted pursuant to section 94-335.

(Code 1957, § 27A.12)

If any act required by this article or by a resolution adopted pursuant to section 94-335 cannot be performed within the time provided because of shortage of materials, war, restraint by public authorities, strikes, labor disturbances, civil disobedience, or any other circumstances beyond the control of the actor, the time within which such act shall be accomplished shall be extended for a period equivalent to the time of such limitation.

(Code 1957, § 27A.13)