Article 16-70

UNDERGROUND UTILITY DISTRICTS Sections:

For the purposes of this Article, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this Section, unless the context or the provision clearly requires otherwise:

(a) Commission means the Public Utilities Commission of the State.

(b) Poles, overhead and associated overhead structures means and includes 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.

(c) 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 16-70.030 of this Article:

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

The City 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 latest available assessment roll of the County 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 City Council shall be final and conclusive.

If, after the public hearing conducted pursuant to Section 16-70.020, the City Council finds that the public necessity, health, safety or welfare requires such removal and such underground installation within a designated area, or if the Council, in such finding, finds one or more of the reasons required under and by virtue of Section A(1)(a) of Rule No. 20 of the Commission, 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.

Whenever the City Council creates an underground utility district and orders the removal of poles, overhead wires, and associated overhead structures therein as provided in Section 16-70.030, 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 such overhead facilities are required to be removed by such resolution, except such overhead facilities as may be required to furnish service to an owner or occupant of property necessary for such owner or occupant to continue to receive utility service prior to the performance by such owner or occupant of the underground work, and for such

(Saratoga Supp. No. 57, 1-26)

438.31

16-70.040

reasonable time required to remove such facilities after such work has been performed, and except as otherwise provided in this Article.

(a) This Article and any resolution adopted pursuant to Section 16-70.030 shall not apply to the following types of facilities, unless otherwise provided in such resolution:

(1) Overhead facilities installed and maintained for a period not exceeding ten days in order to provide emergency service.

(2) Any municipal facilities or equipment installed under the supervision and to the satisfaction of the City Engineer.

(3) Poles or electroliers used exclusively for street lighting.

(4) 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 from an area in which poles, overhead wires and associated overhead structures are not prohibited.

(5) 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.

(6) 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.

(7) Antennae, associated equipment and supporting structures, used by a utility for furnishing communication service.

(8) The following equipment appurtenant to the underground facilities: Surface mounted transformers, pedestal mounted terminal boxes, meter cabinets and concealed ducts and similar facilities as approved by the City Engineer.

(9) Temporary poles, overhead wires and associated overhead structures used or to be used in conjunction with construction.

(b) The City Council may grant special permission, on such terms as it may deem appropriate, in cases

of unusual circumstances, to erect, construct, install, maintain, use or operate poles, overhead wires and associated overhead structures.

Within ten days after the effective date of a resolution adopted pursuant to Section 16-70.030, the City Clerk shall notify all affected utilities and all persons owning real property within the district created by such 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 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 16-70.030 together with a copy of this Article, to the affected utilities and to affected property owners as such are shown on the latest available assessment roll of the County.

(a) Every person owning, operating, leasing, occupying or renting a building or structure within a district shall perform construction and provide that portion of the service connection on his property between the facilities referred to in Section 16-70.080 and the termination facility on or within such 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. If the above is not accomplished by any person within the time provided for in the resolution enacted pursuant to Section 16-70.030, 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 latest available assessment roll, to provide the required underground facilities within ten days after receipt of such notice.

(b) The notice to provide the required underground facilities may be given either by personal service or by mail. In case of service by mail, the notice must be

(Saratoga Supp. No. 57, 1-26)

438.32

16-70.100

deposited in the United States mail 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 and address appears on the latest available assessment roll of the County, and when no address appears, to General Delivery, City of Saratoga. If notice is given by mail to either the owner or occupant of such premises, the City Engineer shall, within forty-eight 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 such premises.

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

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

(d) If, upon the expiration of the thirty-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 communication 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 such property. Upon completion of the work, the City Engineer 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 be not 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 hereinabove provided 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 the hearing of protests, the City Council shall hear and consider the report and all protests, if there be 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 City Council, the amount of the assessment shall become a lien upon the property against which the assessment is made, and the City Engineer is directed to turn over to the assessor and tax collector a notice of lien on each of such properties on which the assessment has not been paid, and such assessor and tax collector shall add the amount of such assessment to the next regular bill for taxes levied against the premises upon which such 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, shall be subject to interest and penalties in the same manner as property taxes.

If underground construction is necessary to provide utility service within a district created by any resolution adopted pursuant to Section 16-70.030, 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.

The City shall remove at its own expense all Cityowned 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 adopted pursuant to Section 16-70.030.

In the event that any act required by this Article or by a resolution adopted pursuant to Section 16-70.030 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.

438.33

(Saratoga Supp. No. 57, 1-26)

16-71.010