Chapter 12.36
UNDERGROUND UTILITY DISTRICTS1
Sections:
12.36.050 Exception – Emergency or unusual circumstances.
12.36.070 Notice to property owners and utility companies.
12.36.080 Responsibility of utility companies.
12.36.090 Responsibility of property owners.
12.36.100 Responsibility of city.
12.36.120 Underground utilities in subdivisions – Requirements generally.
12.36.130 Underground utilities for new construction.
12.36.140 Requirement waiver – Conditions.
12.36.150 Requirement waiver – Request procedure.
12.36.160 Requirement waiver – City action.
12.36.010 Definitions.
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:
A. “Commission” means the Public Utilities Commission of the state.
B. “Person” means and includes individuals, firms, corporations, partnerships and their agents and employees.
C. “Poles, overhead wires and associated overhead structures” means poles, towers, supports, wires, conductors, guys, stubs, platforms, cross-arm, 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.
D. “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 the provisions of PMC 12.36.030.
E. “Utility” includes all persons or entities supplying electric, communication or similar or associated service by means of electrical materials or devices. [1937 Code § 385.]
12.36.020 Hearings.
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 10 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. [1937 Code § 385.1.]
12.36.030 Formation.
If after any such public hearing 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. 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. [1937 Code § 385.2.]
12.36.040 Unlawful acts.
Whenever the council creates an underground utility district and orders the removal of poles, overhead wires and associated overhead structures therein as provided in PMC 12.36.030, 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 PMC 12.36.090 and for such reasonable time required to remove the facilities after the work has been performed, and except as otherwise provided in this chapter. [1937 Code § 385.3.]
12.36.050 Exception – Emergency or unusual circumstances.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter, overhead facilities may be installed and maintained for a period, not to exceed 10 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. [1937 Code § 385.4.]
12.36.060 Other exceptions.
This chapter and any resolution adopted pursuant to PMC 12.36.030 shall, unless otherwise provided in such resolution, not apply to the following types of facilities:
A. Any municipal facilities or equipment installed under the supervision and to the satisfaction of the city engineer;
B. Poles or electroliers used exclusively for street lighting;
C. Overhead wires (exclusive of supporting structures) crossing any portion 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. Antennas, 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 structures used or to be used in conjunction with construction projects. [1937 Code § 385.5.]
12.36.070 Notice to property owners and utility companies.
Within 10 days after the effective date of a resolution adopted pursuant to PMC 12.36.030, 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 desires 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 PMC 12.36.030, together with a copy of this chapter, to affected property owners, as such are shown on the last equalized assessment roll, and to the affected utilities. [1937 Code § 385.6.]
12.36.080 Responsibility of utility companies.
If underground construction is necessary to provide utility service within a district created by any resolution adopted pursuant to PMC 12.36.030, 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. [1937 Code § 385.7.]
12.36.090 Responsibility of property owners.
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 PMC 12.36.080 and the termination facility on or within the building or structure being served, all in accordance with 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 PMC 12.36.030, 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 last equalized assessment roll, to provide the required underground facilities within 30 days after receipt of such notice.
B. The notices 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 if said person is not the owner, a second 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, and when no address appears, to General Delivery, Pittsburg, California. 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 10 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 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 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 10 days thereafter.
E. The city 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 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 council shall hear and consider the report and all protests, if there are 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 city clerk a notice of lien on each of the properties on which the assessment has not been paid, and the city clerk 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. [1937 Code § 385.8.]
12.36.100 Responsibility of city.
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 resolution enacted pursuant to PMC 12.36.030. [1937 Code § 385.9.]
12.36.110 Extension of time.
In the event that any act required by this chapter or by a resolution adopted pursuant to PMC 12.36.030 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 the act will be accomplished shall be extended for a period equivalent to the time of such limitation. [1937 Code § 385.10.]
12.36.120 Underground utilities in subdivisions – Requirements generally.
All utility distribution facilities (including, but not limited to, electric, communication and cable television lines) installed in any subdivision and for the purpose of supplying service to the subdivision shall be placed underground except as follows:
Equipment appurtenant to underground facilities such as surface-mounted transformers, pedestal-mounted terminal boxes and meter cabinets, and concealed ducts.
The subdivider is responsible for complying with the requirements of this section and shall make the necessary arrangements with the utility companies involved for the installation of the facilities. [1937 Code § 386.]
12.36.130 Underground utilities for new construction.
All utility service laterals and equipment (including, but not limited to, electric, communication and cable television lines) installed in and for the purpose of supplying service to any other new construction or use shall be installed underground on the property to be served, and from the property to be served to the point of connection with the utility’s distribution facilities, in accordance with utility filed rules as approved by the California Public Utilities Commission.
This section does not apply to equipment appurtenant to underground facilities such as surface-mounted transformers, pedestal-mounted terminal boxes and meter cabinets, and risers from concealed ducts.
The property owner shall be responsible for complying with the requirements of this section and shall make the necessary arrangements with the utility companies involved for the installation of the service laterals. [1937 Code § 386.1.]
12.36.140 Requirement waiver – Conditions.
The council may waive the requirement that distribution facilities and service laterals be installed underground under these circumstances:
A. In an industrial subdivision after recommendation by the planning commission, when the council finds that a waiver is necessary or desirable to obtain the objectives of health, safety and general welfare and is in the public interest; or
B. Upon application by a person and a showing to the satisfaction of the city that:
1. Topographical, soil or other conditions make underground installations unreasonable or impractical, or
2. Installation underground involves an unnecessary or unusual hardship. [1937 Code § 386.2.]
12.36.150 Requirement waiver – Request procedure.
A person who desires a waiver shall file an application with the city on a form prescribed by it. The application shall set forth reasons why the waiver should be granted. The city may require the applicant to provide supporting information, including reports relating to technical and economic aspects of construction and development prepared by a qualified person. [1937 Code § 386.3.]
12.36.160 Requirement waiver – City action.
In granting a waiver of underground requirements under PMC 12.36.140, the council may impose such conditions as it considers necessary or desirable in the public interest. [1937 Code § 386.4.]
For statutory provisions regarding conversion of existing overhead electric and communication facilities to underground locations, see Streets and Highways Code § 5896.1 et seq.; for provisions regarding municipal underground utility districts, see Government Code § 38793.