CHAPTER 3
UNDERGROUND UTILITY DISTRICTS

ARTICLE 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF DISTRICTS

SECTION:

§3830    Notice To Property Owners And Utility Companies

§3831    Responsibility Of Utility Companies

§3832    Responsibility Of Property Owners

§3833    Responsibility Of City

§3834    Extension Of Time

§3830 NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNERS AND UTILITY COMPANIES

Within ten (10) days after the effective date of a resolution adopted pursuant to §3811 hereof, the City Clerk shall notify all affected utilities and all persons owning real property within the district created by said resolution of the adoption thereof. Said 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 the applicable rules, regulations and tariffs of the respective utility or utilities on file with the Commission.

Notifications by the City Clerk shall be made by mailing a copy of the resolution adopted pursuant to §3811, together with a copy of this Ordinance, to affected property owners as such are shown on the last equalized assessment roll and to the affected utilities. (Ord. 608, §1, adopted 1972)

§3831 RESPONSIBILITY OF UTILITY COMPANIES

If underground construction is necessary to provide utility service within a district created by any resolution adopted pursuant to §3811 hereof, 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. (Ord. 608, §1, adopted 1972)

§3832 RESPONSIBILITY OF PROPERTY OWNERS

A.    Every person owning, operating, leasing, occupying or renting a building or structure within a district shall construct and provide that portion of the service connection on his property between the facilities referred to in §3831 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. If the above is not accomplished by any person within the time provided for in the resolution enacted pursuant to §3811 hereof, 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 ten (10) days after the 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 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 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, and when no address appears, to General Delivery, 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 forty eight (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 forty eight (48) hours after the mailing thereof, cause a copy thereof, printed on a card not less than eight inches by ten inches (8" x 10") in size, to be posted in a conspicuous place on said 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 said work is not completed within thirty (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 thirty (30) day period, the said 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 said 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 said time shall not be less than ten (10) 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 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 be any, and then proceed to affirm, modify or reject the assessment.

G.    If any assessment is not paid within five (5) 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 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 (6%) per annum. (Ord. 608, §1, adopted 1972)

§3833 RESPONSIBILITY OF CITY

City shall remove at its own expense all City 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 resolution enacted pursuant to §3811 hereof. (Ord. 608, §1, adopted 1972)

§3834 EXTENSION OF TIME

In the event that any act required by this ordinance or by a resolution adopted pursuant to §3811 hereof 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. (Ord. 608, §1, adopted 1972)