The 120-day moratorium—approved by City Council in early March—followed at least 16 instances of damage to public infrastructure, including water and wastewater line breaks. The moratorium aimed to provide city officials the chance to create a standardized process for fiber companies to receive city permitting, officials previously said.
Digging deeper
The new ordinance requires contractors to receive an approved application from the city’s planning department before performing work in the city’s right of ways, Public Works Director Jason Rivera said.
Before approval, contractors will be required to pay the city a $50-$150 application fee, submit proof of insurance and provide at least three city references if they are first-time contractors, according to agenda documents. The application must be reviewed by city staff within five days for small or medium projects and within 10 days for larger projects.
Additionally, the ordinance states contractors will be required to:
- Provide notice to all adjacent businesses and homes via door hangers
- Display permits at construction sites
Those who don’t follow the ordinance can be convicted of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine, per agenda documents.
What else?
The city is also looking to get involved with an 811 partnership program, which acts as a dispatcher for the city, allowing the public to call for utility marking and repairs, Rivera said. Before investing in the program, the city will need to:
- Improve right-of-way mapping
- Hire additional team members to meet response time requirements
The new ordinance took effect May 12 following City Council’s approval, although the city won’t be able to issue fines until 15 days after the city publishes its official notice, City Secretary Becky McGrew said.
