CHAPTER 7
ELECTRIC UTILITY CUSTOMER SERVICE POLICIES
ARTICLE 6. HARD TO SERVE AREAS
SECTION:
§4071 Right To Refuse Or To Impose Conditions On The Extension Of Electric Service
§4072 Written Agreement Required Of Applicants For Service
§4070 DEFINITION
"Hard to Serve Area" means a geographic area within the city limits or an area outside the city limits served or proposed to be served by the city’s electric utility in which the city manager or his or her designee has determined, in the exercise of his or her discretion, that physical conditions make the extension, maintenance, repair or replacement of electrical distribution lines and related facilities unusually difficult or expensive. (Ord. 1035, §2, adopted 2002)
§4071 RIGHT TO REFUSE OR TO IMPOSE CONDITIONS ON THE EXTENSION OF ELECTRIC SERVICE
The city shall have the right to refuse to extend electric service to hard to serve areas. The city may impose reasonable conditions on the extension of electric service to hard to serve areas, including, but not limited to, the agreement of the applicant or applicants for electric service to:
A. Construct, own, maintain, repair and replace electrical distribution lines and related facilities, such as conduit, trenches, vaults, switches, poles and transformers;
B. Indemnify, defend and hold the city harmless from any expense or liability arising from the use of designated electrical distribution lines and related facilities for which the applicant or applicants assume responsibility under this section;
C. Design and construct electrical distribution lines and related facilities in accordance with specifications prescribed by the city, including, but not limited to, specifications that ensure that all electrical service to a service location or structure will be accurately metered;
D. Provide arrangements and assurances, satisfactory to the city manager or his or her designee, that the electrical distribution lines and related facilities will be adequately maintained to provide safe and reliable transmission of electrical energy to the customers served by said facilities and will not create an unreasonable risk of damage to the city’s electric system or the general public; and
E. Provide the city with access to all electrical distribution lines and related facilities, and to all electric meters for purposes of inspection, meter reading or termination of electric service. (Ord. 1035, §2, adopted 2002)
§4072 WRITTEN AGREEMENT REQUIRED OF APPLICANTS FOR SERVICE
The city manager or his or her designee may require an applicant or applicants for service in hard to serve areas to sign a written agreement in recordable form setting forth the terms as authorized by this article. The city may refuse to provide service until the agreement in the required form has been executed and recorded in the official records of Mendocino County. (Ord. 1035, §2, adopted 2002)
§4073 APPLICATION OF ARTICLE
This article shall apply to any request for service to hard to serve areas not already receiving electric service from the city’s electric utility on the effective date of this article. (Ord. 1035, §2, adopted 2002)