Whenever any repairs, openings of trenches or any temporary
occupation of any street, way or traveled place in the City is contemplated
to be performed by any public service corporation or by a private
contractor or corporation, at least 24 hours' notice of same shall
be given by such corporation or contractor to the Chief of the Fire
Department of the City. The notice shall set forth in general the
extent and duration of the work contemplated.
Whenever any accident occurs upon the highways or other public
places of the City, or when for any cause circumstances arise involving
possible liability of the City to damages, it shall be the duty of
the members of the police force, including regular, reserve and special
officers, the foreman and employees of the Public Services Department
and members of the Fire Department, having knowledge of such accident
or circumstances, to report the same forthwith and without delay to
the head officer of their respective departments; and such report
shall contain a sufficient statement of the place, time and special
facts under which such accident or circumstances arose, and such head
of department shall thereupon forthwith transmit such report to the
Chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee and to the City Solicitor.
[Amended 2-21-1989 by Ord. No. 108A; 5-15-1989 by Ord. No. 249]
A. No person shall break or dig up, or assist in breaking or digging
up any part of any street, or remove any gravel or other similar thing
therefrom for any purposes whatever except by permission of the Director
of Engineering, Commissioner of Public Services, Public Works and
under such restrictions and conditions as he may think proper.
B. A permit in writing must first be obtained from the Director of Engineering,
Commissioner of Public Services, Public Works. Any and all holders
of permits as aforesaid shall provide suitable lights in and on all
obstructions or excavations placed by them in such public streets
or ways between sunset and sunrise, and shall provide a suitable boardwalk
for public use around such obstructions and excavations. In the case
of failure to so provide suitable lights, the Director shall provide
the same at the expense of the holder of the permit.
C. In addition, the applicant shall provide the City with a cash bond
in the amount of $1,000 or $10 per linear foot of trench, whichever
is greater, to be held by the City Treasurer.
D. In the event that the work for which the permit under this section
is obtained is not completed in a timely manner or maintained in a
satisfactory condition as determined by the Director of Engineering,
Commissioner of Public Services, Public Works, then the Director shall
give the applicant 48 hours' notice by registered or certified mail
to complete the work or make the necessary repairs.
E. If the repairs or completion ordered by the Director of Engineering, Commissioner of Public Services, Public Works is not completed within 48 hours of the applicant's receipt of notice, the Director shall notify the City Council's Committee on Public Services. The Committee on Public Services shall have the authority to release so much of the cash bond to the Public Services Department provided for in Subsection
C above as the Commissioner determines is necessary to complete or repair the street so disturbed. Each and every break or digging up of any street shall require a separate permit, fee and cash bond.
No person shall place or maintain any grating, or make any permanent
excavation under the surface of any street for the purpose of constructing
a coal hole, or for light and air, or for an entrance, or for any
other purpose without permission from the City Council. No person
shall leave such coal hole or other aperture open or unfastened between
sunset and sunrise in any case, nor in the daytime unless actually
in use and properly guarded. No grating shall project more than two
feet into the street.
Every owner of an estate hereafter maintaining any cellar, vault,
coal hole or other excavation under the part of the street which is
adjacent to, or part of, his estate and every person maintaining a
post, pole or other structure in the street, or a wire, pipe, conduit
or other structure under a street shall do so only on condition that
such maintenance shall be considered as an agreement on his part with
the City to keep the same and the covers thereof in good repair and
condition at all times during his ownership and to indemnify and save
harmless the City against any and all damages, costs, expenses and
compensation which it may sustain or be required to pay by reason
of any excavation or structure being under or in the street or being
out of repair during his ownership, or by reason of any cover of the
same being out of repair or unfastened during his ownership.
No person shall place or maintain any posts in any street except
by permission of the City Council, which permit may be revoked at
any time.
No person shall, without permission from the Board of Health,
carry in or upon any vehicle through any street or way coal, sawdust,
ashes or any other material or debris which is liable to fall from
such vehicle upon any street or way, whether or not the falling is
caused by the elements, unless the same shall have been properly covered.
The Engineering Department, subject to the control and direction
of the City Council, shall have general charge of numbering or renumbering
streets in the City, and the committee shall make all necessary rules
and regulations for the carrying out of the aforesaid powers.