Sierra County Municipal Code Ch. 37.05 Overhead to Underground Utility Conversion

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 county and the underground installation of wires and facilities for supplying electric, communication, or similar or associated service. (Formerly 37.01)

Words or phrases used in this title shall have the following definitions:

“Commission” means the Public Utilities Commission of the state of California.

“District” or “underground utility 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 this chapter.

“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.

“Utility” means all persons or entities supplying electric, communication or similar or associated service by means of electrical materials or devices. (Formerly 37.02)

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 10 days prior to the date thereof. (Formerly 37.03)

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. (Formerly 37.04)

If, after any such hearing, the Board of Supervisors requires underground installation within a designated area, the Board shall enact an enabling resolution declaring such designated area an underground utility district and order such removal and underground installation. (Formerly 37.05)

The enabling 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. (Formerly 37.06)

Notwithstanding the provisions of this title, overhead facilities may be installed and maintained for a period, not to exceed 10 days, without authority of the Board of Supervisors in order to provide emergency service. (Formerly 37.07)

The Board of Supervisors may grant special permission, on such terms as the Board may deem appropriate, in cases involving 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. (Formerly 37.08)

This title and any enabling resolution shall, unless otherwise provided in such resolution, not apply to the following types of facilities:

A. Any county facilities or equipment installed under the supervision and to the satisfaction of the County Engineer;

B. Poles or electroliers used exclusively for street lighting;

C. 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;

D. Poles, overhead wires and associated overhead structures used for the transmission of electric energy at nominal voltages in excess of 34,500 volts;

E. 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;

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

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

H. Temporary poles, overhead wires and associated overhead structures used or to be used in conjunction with construction projects. (Formerly 37.09)

Within 10 days after the effective date of an enabling resolution, the County Clerk shall notify all affected utilities and all persons owning real property within the district.

A. 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, subject to applicable rules, regulations and tariffs of the respective utility or utilities on file with the Commission.

B. Notification by the County Clerk shall be made by mailing a copy of the enabling resolution together with a copy of this title to affected property owners as such are shown on the last equalized assessment roll and to the affected utilities. (Formerly 37.10)

If underground construction is necessary to provide utility service within a district, 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. (Formerly 37.12)

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 SCC 37.05.020 and the termination facility on or within said 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. (Formerly 37.13)

In the event any person owning, operating, leasing, occupying or renting said property does not comply with the provisions of SCC 37.05.130 within the time provided for in the enabling resolution, the County Engineer shall follow the notice requirements in either SCC 37.05.150 or 37.05.160. (Formerly 37.14)

The County Engineer shall post written notice on the property being served and 30 days thereafter shall give the authority to order the disconnection and removal of any and all overhead service wires and associated facilities supplying utility service to said property. (Formerly 37.15)

A. The County Engineer shall give notice in writing to the person in possession of such premises, and notice in writing to the owner thereof, as shown on the last equalized assessment roll, to provide the required underground facilities within 10 days after receipt of such notice.

B. The notice may be given either by personal service or by mail. Service by mail on either of such persons 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. The notice must also be sent addressed to the owner thereof as such owner’s name appears, on the last equalized assessment roll, and when no address appears, to general delivery at the post office within Sierra County nearest in location to said premises. 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 mailing. If notice is given by mail to either the owner or occupant of such premises, the County Engineer shall within 48 hours after mailing cause a copy of the mailing, at least eight inches by 10 inches in size, to be posted in a conspicuous place on said premises.

C. The notice given by the County Engineer shall specifically 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 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.

D. If upon the expiration of the 30-day period, the said required underground facilities have not been provided, the County 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 County 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 said 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 said time shall not be less than 10 days thereafter.

E. The County 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 thereof to the owner thereof, in the manner stated in subsection (B) of this section, 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.

F. 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 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 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 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 levied 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 six percent per annum. (Formerly 37.16)

County shall remove at its own expense all county-owned 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 enabling resolution. (Formerly 37.17)

In the event that any act required by this title or by the enabling resolution 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. (Formerly 37.19)

It is unlawful and punishable as a misdemeanor 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 facilities are required to be removed by the enabling resolution, except as said overhead facilities may be required to furnish service to an owner or occupant of the 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 SCC 37.05.130, and for such reasonable time required to remove said facilities after said work has been performed, and except as otherwise provided in this title. (Ord. 902, eff. 7/6/00. Formerly 37.20)