No person, firm, corporation or utility shall open any public
road or street under the control of the Township of Morris or otherwise
endanger or obstruct the normal flow of traffic by the placing of
any barricade, structure, material or equipment not normally designed
to be operated on the public highway without first obtaining a written
permit therefor signed by the Superintendent of the Department of
Roads and Sanitation or such other persons as designated by the Township
Committee by resolution. Application for such permit shall be made
in writing on the forms to be supplied and shall generally describe
the contemplated construction. Said permit shall indicate the date
upon which the operation will start and the date upon which it will
be completed, and if the work is not completed within this time period,
a new permit will be required.
Street openings may be made without the necessity of a written application, provided for in §
439-26 hereof, in emergencies, such as broken or frozen water mains or other happenings which would endanger public life, health and safety, provided that notice thereof shall be immediately given verbally to the Police Department and Fire Department and written application for a permit made as soon thereafter as conveniently can be done, not exceeding 48 hours, in accordance with §
439-26 of this article.
The Township shall adopt and/or amend guidelines for road openings
by resolution to more adequately control the work and protect the
Township.
It shall be the responsibility of any person, firm or corporation,
upon opening any public thoroughfare or otherwise endangering or obstructing
the normal flow of traffic thereon, to fully protect both vehicular
and pedestrian traffic from possible accident or injury by the placing
of suitable barriers, notices and warnings by day and warning lights
by night. The Chief of Police shall be the judge as to the adequacy
of such protection.
The fee for the permits herein specified shall be $15 for openings
entirely outside the pavement, $20 for openings equal to or less than
1/2 the width of the pavement, and $30 for openings more than 1/2
the width of the pavement, except that there will be additional fees
levied on all persons who open newly paved roads. Said fees shall
be $500 for roads paved one year or less, $300 for roads paved for
more than one year but less than two years, and $100 for roads paved
for more than two years but less than three years. Said periods of
time shall be from the date of acceptance of final payment by the
Township for said new pavement by the Township.
[Amended 6-17-2015 by Ord. No. 20-15]
Any person, firm or corporation violating this article shall, upon conviction, be punishable as provided in §
1-3, General penalty, of this Code for each day said violation exists, in the discretion of the Judge imposing the same, plus all fees imposed by other sections of this article.