Scotts Valley Municipal Code Ch. 12.16 Underground Installations

Whenever in this chapter the words or phrases defined in this section are used, they shall have the respective meanings assigned to them in the following definitions:

A. "Commission" means the Public Utilities Commission of the state.

B. "Person" includes individuals, firms, corporations, partnerships, and their agents and employees.

C. "Poles and overhead wires and associated overhead structures" means poles, towers, supports, wires, conductors, guys, stubs, platforms, crossarms, braces, transformers, incubators, cutouts, switches, communication circuits, appliances, attachments, and appurtenances located aboveground, upon, along, across, or over the public streets, alleys, and ways, of the city, and used or useful in supplying electric, communication, or similar or associated service.

D. "Underground utility district" or "district" means that area in city more particularly described as follows: all of the area presently within the city of Scotts Valley.

E. "Utility" includes all persons or entities supplying electric, communication, or similar or associated service by means of electric materials or device.

(Ord. 75 § 13-701, 1978)

In order to provide for the orderly removal of existing poles and overhead wires and associated overhead structures within the underground utility district, it is the intention of the council, insofar as may be practicable, to adopt ordinances pursuant to Section 12.16.040 which will result in the removal of poles and wires and associated overhead structures as soon as possible.

(Ord. 75 § 13-702, 1978)

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 and overhead wires and associated overhead structures from any public streets, alleys, or ways, within the underground utility district 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 and utilities by publication of the time and place of such hearing 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.

(Ord. 75 § 13-703, 1978)

If after any such public hearing the council finds that the public necessity, health, safety or welfare requires such removal and such underground installation, the council shall by ordinance order such removal and underground installation. The ordinance shall designate the public streets, alleys, or ways, or portions thereof, within the district from which the poles and overhead wires and associated overhead structures must be removed and such underground installation made. A reasonable time shall be allowed for such removal and underground installation having due regard for the availability of necessary labor, materials and equipment for such removal and for the installation of such underground facilities as may be occasioned thereby.

(Ord. 75 § 13-704, 1978)

Whenever the council orders the removal of poles and overhead wires and associated overhead structures as provided in Section 12.16.030, it is unlawful for any person or utility to erect, construct, place, keep, maintain, continue, employ or operate any pole, overhead wire or associated overhead structure in any public street, alley, or way in the designated area after the overhead facilities are required to be removed, 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 Sections 12.16.100 through 12.16.190, 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. 75 § 13-705, 1978)

The council may grant special permission, on such terms as the council may deem appropriate, in cases of emergency or unusual circumstances, without discrimination as to any person or utility to erect, construct, install, maintain, use, or operate poles and overhead wires and associated overhead structures, notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter.

(Ord. 75 § 13-706, 1978)

This chapter shall not apply to the following types of facilities:

A. Poles used exclusively for police and fire alarm boxes or any similar municipal equipment installed under the supervision and to the satisfaction of the city engineer;

B. Poles and associated overhead structures used exclusively for street lighting;

C. Overhead wires (exclusive of supporting structures) crossing any portion of the district from which overhead wires have been prohibited, or connecting to buildings on the perimeter of such portion, when such wires originate in an area from which poles and overhead wires and associated overhead structures are not prohibited;

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 a public street;

E. Radio antennas, their associated equipment and supporting structures, used by a utility for furnishing communication services; or

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

(Ord. 75 § 13-707, 1978)

A. Within ten days after passage of an ordinance pursuant to Section 12.16.040, the city clerk shall notify all affected utilities and all persons owning real property within the area designated in the ordinance 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 other 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.

B. Notification by the city clerk shall be made by:

1. Publication in a newspaper of general local circulation;

2. Posting notices at intervals not greater than three hundred feet in the affected area; and

3. By mail to the affected utilities.

(Ord. 75 § 13-708, 1978)

If underground construction is necessary to provide utility service within the area designated by any ordinance adopted pursuant to Section 12.16.040, 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. Underground construction by the utility shall be accomplished in accordance with established construction standards and in accordance with the rules and regulations authorized by the Commission.

(Ord. 75 § 13-709, 1978)

All underground construction and conduits, conductors and associated equipment necessary to receive utility service between the service facilities referred to in Section 12.16.090 and the service facilities in the building or structure being served shall be provided by the person owning, operating, leasing, or renting the property, subject to applicable rules, regulations and tariffs of the respective utility or utilities on file with the Commission.

(Ord. 75 § 13-710(a), 1978)

In the event the person owning, operating, leasing or renting the property does not comply with the provisions of Section 12.16.100 within the time provided for in the ordinance adopted pursuant to Section 12.16.040, the city engineer shall 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.

(Ord. 75 § 13-710(b), 1978)

Noncompliance by any person, owning, operating, leasing or renting the property with the provisions of Sections 12.16.100 through 12.16.190 shall constitute a misdemeanor under Section 12.16.220.

(Ord. 75 § 13-710(c), 1978)

In addition to or as an alternative to the remedy prescribed in 12.16.110, a lien may be impressed as an assessment against any parcel or parcels or real property upon notice and procedure as set forth in Sections 12.16.140 through 12.16.190.

(Ord. 75 § 13-710(d) (part), 1978)

Notice pursuant to Sections 12.16.100 through 12.16.190 may be given either by personal service or by mail. In case of 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 the same appears on the last equalized assessment roll of the county, and when no address appears, to General Delivery, City of Scotts Valley, California 95066. 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 forty-eight 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 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 the premises.

(Ord. 75 § 13-710(d)(1), 1978)

The notice given pursuant to Sections 12.16.100 through 12.16.190 shall particularly specify what work is required to be done, and shall state that if the work is not completed within ten 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 become a lien upon such property.

(Ord. 75 § 13-710(d)(2), 1978)

A. If, upon expiration of the ten-day period specified in Section 12.16.150, 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 may, in lieu of providing the required underground facilities, order the disconnection of all existing connections used for furnishing electric and communication services to such premises.

B. Upon completion of the work by the city engineer, he shall file a written report with the 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.

(Ord. 75 § 13-710(d)(3), 1978)

The city engineer shall forthwith, upon the time for hearing such protests having been fixed, give 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 Sections 12.16.140 and 12.16.150 for the giving of the notice to provide the required underground facilities, of the time and place that the council will pass upon the report of the city engineer and will hear protests against such assessment. Such notice shall also set forth the amount of the proposed assessment.

(Ord. 75 § 13-710(d)(4), 1978)

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

(Ord. 75 § 13-710(d)(5), 1978)

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 for the city 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. 75 § 13-710(d)(6), 1978)

The city shall remove at its own expense all city-owned equipment from all poles required to be removed under this chapter in ample time to enable the owner or user of such poles to remove the same within the time specified in the ordinance adopted pursuant to Section 12.16.040.

(Ord. 75 § 13-711, 1978)

In the event that any act required by this chapter or by an ordinance adopted pursuant to Section 12.16.040 cannot be performed within the time provided on account of shortage of materials, war, restraint by public authorities, strikes, labor disturbances, 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. 75 § 13-712, 1978)

Violation of any of the requirements of this chapter shall constitute a misdemeanor.

(Ord. 75 § 13-713, 1978)