It shall be unlawful for any person to erect or maintain any
poles for conducting or carrying electric light wires, for purposes
of light, heat or power, or telephone or telegraph wires or other
public or utility service wires or poles or necessary devices incidental
thereto used in connection therewith on any public road, street, alley,
lane or highway within the City or to support any wires or cables
thereon or to construct, erect or maintain any pole as aforesaid or
attachments to such pole so that they will overhang or project over
any road, street, lane, alley or highway, without first having filed
with the City Manager for approval of the City Council a map or plan
showing the exact location of each pole or attachments thereto with
regard to the boundary and center lines of the road, street, lane,
alley or highway along which it is to be erected.
Every pole erected as aforesaid shall be plainly marked with the name or initials of the person owning the same, together with a distinctive number, which number shall be noted on the map or plan mentioned in §
271-1.
It shall be unlawful for any person to erect or hereinafter
maintain within the limits of any public road, street, alley or highway
within the City any pole materials or poles or attachments thereto
which obstruct or interfere with traffic, either during construction
and erection or thereafter, or which by reason of location or condition
endanger persons or property lawfully upon and using such public roads,
streets, lanes, alleys and highways.
Every pole or attachment thereto so obstructing traffic or endangering
persons or property shall, within 15 days after notice of such unlawful
location or condition, be removed or relocated or repaired by the
owner thereof as directed by notice from the City Manager as approved
by the Director of the Street Department. Also, every pole or attachment
thereto shall comply with any changes in road locations upon 15 days'
notice.
The lowest crossarm on any pole shall comply with the minimum
standards and requirements of the National Electric Safety Code or
other requirements now established by law or as may be hereafter required
or established.
All poles, attachments and lines shall be inspected at least
twice each year by such inspector as the City Council shall appoint
for that purpose, and a report of all such inspections shall be made
to the City Council and filed with the City Manager, and notice of
all defects and changes necessary as disclosed by such inspections
of the poles, attachments and lines aforesaid shall be given by the
City Clerk to the owners thereof, with direction to correct the same
within 15 days of receipt of such notice.
Any person erecting or maintaining poles as covered in this
chapter shall be responsible for any and all accidents and damages
resulting from his or her negligence, either during the construction
and erection or maintenance of his or her lines or poles.
The license shall, at all times, indemnify and save the City
from any suit, claim or damage that might arise from the construction,
erection or maintenance of lines, poles or attachments thereto.
The privilege or license granted is subservient to all paramount
rights which the abutting property holders may have in the highways,
so as not to render the City liable for any damage to private property
by reason of setting of such poles and stringing of wires or other
fixtures thereon or by reason of the maintenance of such poles, lines
or attachments thereto.
[Amended 4-14-1992 by Ord. No. 1518]
Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall,
upon due conviction, pay for each offense a fine or penalty not to
exceed the sum of $600, plus costs of prosecution and, in default
of payment of such fine and costs, to imprisonment for a period not
exceeding 90 days. The unlawful maintenance of poles or attachments
thereto, after expiration of notice to remove them as herein provided,
shall constitute one offense, and the continuation of such neglect
or refusal to so remove or correct such poles or attachments for a
period of 30 days thereafter shall constitute a separate and distinct
offense punishable as aforesaid, and likewise with the continuance
of such offense during each successive period of 30 days thereafter,
and the Council shall, in addition thereto, have the authority to
remove or to direct the removal of the obstructing poles or attachments
thereto at the cost and expense of the owner of such poles.