Chapter 12.100
DIG ONCE POLICY
Sections:
12.100.010 Purpose.
A. Establish regulations to govern the use of the city’s rights-of-way to maximize efficient use and limit excessive cutting and trenching in the public rights-of-way.
B. The city will plan for and support the construction of a sustainable fiber optic network to connect its facilities and provide the opportunity to other cities and agencies to participate in projects that will benefit the city and other parties.
C. Franchisees and other interested entities will be offered the opportunity to participate in projects that allow them to construct and install fiber optic infrastructure for their use.
D. Construction standards for conduit, handholds and vaults for fiber optic infrastructure are defined in the city of Sumner Development Specifications and Standard Details Manual.
E. To support the city’s interests in maintaining the city’s streets and roads, the city will establish construction conditions to protect the city’s roads and sidewalks from undesirable trenching installations of utility, telecommunications or fiber optic conduit. (Ord. 2843 § 1, 2023)
12.100.020 Dig once policy.
A. Sumner and the Traveling Public’s Interest. It is in the city’s interest to maintain the city’s streets and roads in the best possible conditions. In order to accomplish this goal, the city maintains current information on planned transportation and public works projects on the city’s website. Additionally, the director of public works reports to the city council on an annual basis on transportation projects planned in the coming six-year period.
B. Participation in Projects. Franchisees and other interested parties are offered the opportunity to participate in these projects by opting to pay the incremental costs of installing their own conduit in public rights-of-way while they are opened up for city projects using the city’s existing contractor, and in accordance with Sumner’s Development Specifications and Standard Details Manual.
C. Planned Projects. Each year, franchisees, grantees, and lessees shall provide the city with a schedule of their proposed construction activities which may affect the city’s ROWs in any manner.
D. Coordination of Planned Projects. Each grantee, franchisee and lessee will be provided the opportunity to meet with the city, other grantees and franchisees and users of the ROWs annually or as determined by the city to schedule and coordinate construction which may affect the ROWs in any manner.
E. Joint Participation. If at any time, or from time to time, a franchisee, utility company or other party submits a permit request to excavate for installation of its facilities, the city may request in writing that such franchisee, utility company or other party provide an opportunity for the city to coordinate the installation of city facilities and conduit within the excavation; provided, that:
1. Such joint use shall not unreasonably delay the work of the utility company’s excavation; and
2. Such joint use shall be arranged and accomplished on terms and conditions satisfactory to both parties.
F. Joint Trenching. To the extent reasonably possible, a franchisee, utility company or other party shall, at the direction of the city, cooperate with the city and provide other utility companies with the opportunity to utilize joint or shared excavations in order to minimize disruption and damage to the right-of-way as well as to minimize traffic related impacts. In the event the city directs a franchisee, utility company or other party to utilize joint or shared excavations with another utility company, then the utility company or the city may install conduit and other facilities within the excavation area upon the payment of its incremental share of the overall project costs.
In the event the city elects to have city owned conduit and facilities installed during a utility company’s or other third party’s project, the additional conduit work shall not be considered a public works project.
G. Coordination of Project Activities. All construction locations, activities and schedules shall be coordinated, if required by the public works director, to minimize public inconvenience, traffic or pedestrian disruptions or damages to public rights-of-way.
H. Roadways.
1. Concrete. Where a project disrupts or involves the cutting of an area of right-of-way where the concrete is less than seven years old, the project shall be required to repave all concrete panels disrupted by the project that are less than seven years old.
The public works director may approve project-initiated requests for deviations from or exceptions to the full repaving requirement upon their determination, in their sole discretion, that the requirement would result in an undue burden or disproportionate impact to the project, based upon consideration of the below factors. A deviation or exception to the requirements on one project does not constitute a waiver or exception for other or subsequent projects.
The public works director may consider, among other things, the proximity of the project to an upcoming public project involving the same stretch of right-of-way; whether the paving requirement would have adverse impacts on environmental resources such as streams, wetlands, floodplains, or on historic structures or sites above and beyond the impacts of currently existing infrastructure; and the cost would be disproportionate to the current need or probable future use.
2. Asphalt, Chip Sealing or Resurfacing. Where a project disrupts or involves the cutting of right-of-way in an area where the asphalt pavement or overlay is less than five years old, the project shall repave the full lane width of the project. (Per DSM detail)
The public works director may approve project-initiated requests for deviations from or exceptions to the full repaving requirement upon their determination, in their sole discretion, that the requirement would result in an undue burden or disproportionate impact to the project, based upon consideration of the below factors. A deviation or exception to the requirements on one project does not constitute a waiver or exception for other or subsequent projects.
The public works director may consider, among other things, the proximity of the project to an upcoming public project involving the same stretch of right-of-way; whether the paving requirement would have adverse impacts on environmental resources such as streams, wetlands, floodplains, or on historic structures or sites above and beyond the impacts of currently existing infrastructure; and the cost would be disproportionate to the current need or probable future use.
3. Sidewalks, Trails and Improvements.
a. New or Replacement Sidewalk Construction. Any sidewalk or trail construction project along the planned fiber optic routes for the city’s fiber optic network must incorporate the installation of two four-inch conduits underneath the sidewalk or trail. The conduit installation must conform to the standards set forth in the city of Sumner Development Specifications and Standard Details Manual.
New installation projects in a location where sidewalk does not currently exist must install conduit if on the planned fiber optic network route.
Repair or replacement of a sidewalk is exempt from this requirement if the overall length is less than 100 linear feet, or if the project is parallel to existing city conduit on the same street.
The public works director may approve project-initiated requests for deviations from or exceptions to the full repaving requirement upon their determination, in their sole discretion, that the requirement would result in an undue burden or disproportionate impact to the project, based upon consideration of the below factors. A deviation or exception to the requirements on one project does not constitute a waiver or exception for other or subsequent projects. The public works director may consider, among other things, the proximity of the project to an upcoming public project involving the same stretch of right-of-way; whether the paving requirement would have adverse impacts on environmental resources such as streams, wetlands, floodplains, or on historic structures or sites above and beyond the impacts of currently existing infrastructure; and the cost would be disproportionate to the current need or probable future use.
4. Frontage Improvements. A project involving frontage improvements along right-of-way are required to add two four-inch conduits for the city in any dry utility trench. The conduit installation must conform to the standards set forth in the city of Sumner Development Specifications and Standard Details Manual.
Projects of less than 100 linear feet in length or which are parallel to existing city-owned conduit on the same street are exempt from this requirement.
The public works director may approve project-initiated requests for deviations from or exceptions to the full repaving requirement upon their determination, in their sole discretion, that the requirement would result in an undue burden or disproportionate impact to the project, based upon consideration of the below factors. A deviation or exception to the requirements on one project does not constitute a waiver or exception for other or subsequent projects.
The public works director may consider, among other things, the proximity of the project to an upcoming public project involving the same stretch of right-of-way; whether the paving requirement would have adverse impacts on environmental resources such as streams, wetlands, floodplains, or on historic structures or sites above and beyond the impacts of currently existing infrastructure; and the cost would be disproportionate to the current need or probable future use.
5. Aerial to Underground Fiber Optic Construction.
a. Where a utility or telecommunications franchisee is required by the city to move an aerial installation to underground, the city shall be offered the opportunity to place city conduit and handholds in the trench by the franchisee’s contractor, with the city bearing the proportionate costs for materials and labor associated with adding the city conduit.
For the purposes of this addition to the utility or franchisee’s project, the addition shall not be considered a public works project.
b. Where a utility or telecommunications franchisee plans to replace aerial infrastructure by placing it underground, the city shall be offered the opportunity to place city conduit and handholds in the trench by the franchisee’s contractor, with the city bearing the proportionate costs for materials and labor associated with adding the city conduit.
For the purposes of this addition to the utility or franchisee’s project, the addition shall not be considered a public works project.
c. Other companies or entities may desire to participate in the project. In these cases, and where coordination would not unreasonably interfere with the critical path of the project, the initiating contractor or franchisee agree to work together and develop a project cost sharing and design model that is acceptable to all parties, and the city.
d. Underground utility or telecommunications installations shall be located to minimize the need for later adjustment to accommodate future roadway improvements and to permit access for servicing such installations with minimal interference to roadway and pedestrian traffic. (Ord. 2843 § 2, 2023)