[Adopted 12-19-1932 by Ord. No. 253; amended
in its entirety 7-8-1987 by Ord. No. 474]
A.
EXCAVATION
STREET
PERSON
The following words, when used in this article, shall
have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except in those
instances where the context clearly indicates otherwise:
Any activity within the right-of-way of any street, alley,
or cartway which involves cutting, breaking, or disturbing the surface
thereof. In this article, the term "opening" shall have essentially
the same meaning as excavation.
Any public street, avenue, road, square, alley, highway,
or other public place located in the Borough and established for the
use of vehicles, but shall not include state highways.
Any natural person, partnership, firm, association, corporation
or municipal authority.
B.
In this article, the singular shall include the plural
and the masculine shall include the feminine and the neuter.
It shall be unlawful for any person to open
or to make any excavation of any kind in any of the streets in the
Borough without first securing a permit therefor, as hereinafter provided.
Any person who shall desire to make any opening
or excavation in any of the streets in the Borough shall make application
to the Borough Manager or Secretary in writing for that purpose. Such
application shall be made upon blanks to be furnished by the Borough
and shall set forth the name of the applicant, the exact location
of the proposed opening or excavation, and the approximate size or
depth thereof, and shall contain an agreement on the part of the applicant
that the work shall be done in full compliance with the ordinances
of the Borough and the laws of the commonwealth in relation thereto,
and that the applicant shall well and truly save, defend and keep
harmless the Borough from and indemnify it against any and all actions,
suits, demands, payments, costs and charges for or by reason of the
proposed opening or excavation, and all damages to persons or property
resulting in any manner therefrom, or occurring in the prosecution
of the work connected therewith, or from any other matter, cause or
thing relating thereto.
Before any permit shall be issued to open or
excavate any street in the Borough the applicant shall pay a permit
fee in a minimum amount to be established by Resolution of Council
to cover the cost of inspection and other incidental services in connection
therewith. When application shall be made to open or excavate any
longitudinal opening or excavation in excess of 10 feet, before any
permit shall be issued so to open or excavate, the applicant shall
pay in addition to such minimum fee, an additional fee at the rate
established by resolution of Council for each 100 feet or fraction
thereof to be opened or excavated upon such street.
Permits shall be issued only to persons furnishing
public utility services or the owner or owners of the real property
adjoining the location where such opening or excavation is to be made.
Any permit issued hereunder shall specify the
exact location where the opening or excavation is to be made, the
approximate permitted size or depth thereof and the time within which
the work for which the permit is granted to be completed.
A permit may be issued to the applicant after
all the requirements therefor have been filed. If the application
is disapproved, written notice of disapproval together with reasons
therefor shall be given to the applicant.
The work authorized by the permit is subject
to all the provisions of the Act of December 10, 1974, P.L. 852, No.
287, § 1 et seq., as amended or supplemented from time to
time. It shall be the permittee's responsibility to contact the utilities
that have recorded their facilities in compliance with said Act. A
partial list of utilities providing services in the Borough and their
office addresses may be obtained from the County Recorder of Deeds.
Any person who shall open or excavate any street
in the Borough shall thoroughly and completely refill the opening
or excavation in such a manner as to prevent any settling thereafter,
and shall restore the surface to the same condition as it was before
the opening or excavation, and such restoration shall be in accordance
with the specifications of the Department of Transportation of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania which are hereby adopted as specifications
of the Borough for restoration of surfaces of streets in the Borough,
as restored, the surface shall conform to the proper grade and be
of the same surface covering as the part of the thoroughfare immediately
adjoining the opening. If within two years after the restoration of
the surface as herein provided, defects shall appear therein resulting
from defective backfilling by the applicant, the applicant shall reimburse
the Borough for the cost of all necessary repairs to the permanent
paving.
All other work in connection with openings in
any street, including excavation, protection, refilling and temporary
paving, shall be done by or for the person to whom or which the permit
has been issued at his or its expense, and all such work shall be
subject to the provisions of this ordinance and to the supervision
and approval of the designated official, provided that the Borough
Manager or Secretary may if he deems it necessary to the proper performance
of the work, require that cutting of the surface of streets and the
backfilling of all excavations therein shall be done by the Borough,
in which event the applicant shall pay the actual cost of the work
performed by the Borough.
A.
No opening or excavation in any street shall extend
from the curb line into the highway a distance greater than one-foot
beyond the center line of the street before being refilled and the
surface of the highway restored to a condition safe and convenient
for travel.
B.
No more than 500 feet longitudinally shall be opened
in any street at any one time.
C.
The work of excavation shall be so conducted as not
to interfere with the water mains, sewers or their connections with
the houses, or any other subsurface lines or constructions, until
permission of the proper authorities in connection with such subsurface
lines or constructions shall have been obtained.
D.
No tunneling shall be allowed without the express
approval of the Borough Manager or Secretary and permission therefor
endorsed upon the permit. The backfilling of a tunnel excavation shall
be made only in the presence of the Borough Manager or Secretary or
an inspector designated by him, and shall be done only in a method
approved by him.
E.
All openings or excavations shall be backfilled promptly
with modified 2A stones and thoroughly compacted in layers, each of
which layers shall not exceed eight inches in depth. Backfilling shall
be placed to within 10 inches of the surface.
F.
A temporary paving of coldpatch premix, thoroughly
bound and compacted, shall be installed flush with the surface of
the adjoining paving and maintained for a period of 90 days.
G.
On concrete base streets, such base shall be replaced
with concrete and the minimum size of the opening or excavation shall
be 16 square feet.
H.
During the making of any excavation in the street,
every necessary and reasonable precaution shall be taken by the applicant
and the parties making the same to keep the street in a safe and passable
condition both day and night by guards, barriers, lanterns and other
devices, and all excavating permits granted hereunder are granted
under and subject to the express condition that the person to whom
the same is issued shall indemnify, save and keep harmless the Borough
from any loss in damages, or otherwise whatsoever, which may or shall
be occasioned at any time by the said excavation, or by any leak,
explosion or other injury from any pipe, apparatus, conduit, or any
other matter placed in the said excavation.
I.
The applicant shall notify the Borough Manager or
Secretary when the opening or excavation is ready for backfilling
before any backfilling is done, when backfilling work is completed,
when the temporary paving has been installed and when the street has
been permanently restored so that inspections may be made.
J.
In the event that any work performed by or for a permit
holder shall, in the opinion of the Borough Manager or Secretary be
unsatisfactory and the same shall not be corrected in accordance with
his instructions within the time fixed by him, or in the event that
the work for which the permit was granted is not completed within
the time fixed by the Borough Manager and Secretary, the Borough may
proceed to correct such unsatisfactory work or complete any such work
not completed, and charge the cost thereof, plus 20% to the applicant.
In the case of any leak, explosion or other
accident in any subsurface pipe, line, construction or apparatus,
it shall be lawful for the person owning or responsible for such pipe,
line, construction or apparatus, to commence an excavation to remedy
such condition before securing a permit, provided that application
for a permit shall be made immediately and not later than the next
business day thereafter, and that all other provisions of this article
are fully complied with. If any such emergency condition shall not
be immediately attended to by the owner or person responsible for
such pipe, line, construction, or apparatus, the Borough Manager or
Secretary, after such notice as he shall deem necessary under the
circumstances of the particular case, shall proceed to do the work
necessary and required by such emergency, and charge the same on the
basis of cost plus 20% to such owner or person.
The permission herein granted does not confer
upon the permittee or its contractors the right to cut, remove or
destroy trees or shrubbery within the legal right-of-way except under
specifications, regulations and conditions as the Borough may prescribe.
The Borough Manager or Secretary shall give
timely notice to all persons owning property abutting on any street
within the Borough about to be paved or improved, and to all public
utility companies operating in the Borough, and all such persons and
utility companies shall make all water, gas or sewer connections,
as well as any repairs thereto which would necessitate excavation
of the said street within 30 days from the giving of such notice,
unless such time is extended in writing for cause shown by the Borough
Manager or Secretary. New paving shall not be opened or excavated
for a period of five years after the completion thereof, except in
case of emergency, the existence of which emergency and the necessity
for the opening or excavating of such paving to be determined by the
Borough Manager or Secretary. If it is sought to excavate upon or
open a sewer within five years after the completion of the paving
applicant shall make written application to the Borough Council, and
a permit for such opening shall be issued only after express approval
of the Borough Council.
If at any time in the future the roadway is
widened, reconstructed or the alignment or grades are changed, the
permittee further agrees to change or relocate all or any part of
the structures covered by this permit which interfere with the improvement
of the roadway at its own cost and expense.
No new water, sewer, steam or gas main or electric,
telephone or other utility line shall hereafter be laid or constructed,
and no such existing main or line shall be extended, in any of the
streets of the Borough until the plan therefor shall have been first
filed with the Borough Manager or Secretary and such plan, and the
exact location of such main or line, approved by him. The Borough
Manager or Secretary shall not approve the locating of any such main
or line at a depth of less than 30 inches from the surface of the
street unless he shall be convinced that locating the same at a depth
of more than 30 inches from the surface is impossible or impractical.
No company, corporation or association shall
dig up any street or alley without first giving to the Borough a bond
with some acceptable trust or surety company as surety in the sum
of $10,000, conditioned for the faithful performance of these provisions
and also for any and all damages, claims, demands, suits, costs and
counsel fees occasioned or arising from the digging up, opening or
closing of said streets and alleys.
Payment for all work done by the Borough under
the provisions hereof shall be made by the person made liable therefor
under the provisions hereof within 30 days after a bill therefor is
sent to such person by the Borough. Upon failure to pay such charges
within such time, the same shall be collectible by the Borough by
an action in assumpsit or in the manner provided by law for the collection
of municipal claims.
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate
any provision of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced
to pay a fine of not more than $300; and/or to imprisonment for a
term not to exceed 90 days. Every day that a violation of this article
continues shall constitute a separate offense.
The provisions of this article shall not apply
to laying sidewalks or curbs.
