[Amended 6-18-1996 by Ord. No. 1996-19]
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
APPLICANT
Any person who makes application for a permit required by this article.
EMERGENCY
Any unforeseen circumstances or occurrence, the existence of which constitutes a clear and immediate danger to persons or properties, or a situation which calls for prompt and immediate action in the opinion of the City Engineer.
PERMITTEE
Any person who has been issued a permit and has agreed to fulfill all the terms of this article.
STREET
Includes a public street, public easement, public right-of-way, public highway, public alley, public way or public road accepted or maintained by the City.
All street openings required by utilities owned or operated by the City shall be made and restored under the direction and supervision of the City Engineer. The permit, fee, deposit, insurance and bond requirements of this chapter shall not be applicable to any openings made by such municipally owned or operated utilities, but all other requirements shall apply.
A. 
Original filing; contents. Every person owning, using, controlling or having an interest in pipes, conduits, ducts or other structures under the surface of any street used for the purpose of supplying or conveying gas, electricity, communication impulses, water or steam to or from the City or to or from its inhabitants, or for any other purposes, shall file with the City Engineer a map or set of maps, each drawn to a scale of not less than one inch to 400 feet, showing the location, size and description of all such installations. The City Engineer shall have the right to require and obtain such additional information as he deems necessary in connection with such map.
B. 
Filing of updated maps. Within 30 days after January 1 of each and every year, every person referred to in Subsection A of this section shall file with the City Engineer a corrected map or set of maps, each drawn to scale as specified in Subsection A of this section, showing such installations, including all those made during the previous year; provided, however, if no additions have been made to its installation during the previous year, a utility or authority may file with the City Engineer a written statement to that effect within the period of time specified in this subsection. A utility or authority may at its own option elect to provide corrected atlas sheets throughout the year as they are available rather than proceed as noted in this subsection.
C. 
Affidavits. Each map required by this section shall be accompanied by an affidavit endorsed thereon to the effect that the map correctly exhibits the details required to be shown by this section.
The City shall maintain a master plan of all accepted City streets, which plan shall be drawn at a scale of approximately 200 feet per inch. Such plan shall include the dimensions of all City streets and the location of all service lines, pipes, conduits and ducts as they are located beneath the surface of these City streets. This plan shall be available for public inspection upon request.
A. 
Notification of City Engineer. Whenever any pipe, conduit, duct, tunnel or other structure located under the surface of any street, or the use thereof, is abandoned, the person owning, using, controlling or having an interest therein shall, within 30 days after such abandonment, file with the City Engineer a statement in writing giving in detail the location of the structure so abandoned.
B. 
Location to be shown on required maps. Each map, or set of maps, filed pursuant to the provisions of this article shall show in detail the location of all such structures abandoned subsequent to the filing of the last preceding map or set of maps.
C. 
Removal of abandoned facilities. When the City plans to pave or improve streets in which there are abandoned facilities, the owner of such facilities shall be notified to remove them if, in the opinion of the City Council, their removal is in the best interest of the City. If the owner shall refuse to remove such facilities, the City shall remove the abandoned facilities; and the owner shall reimburse the City for such removal.
If the work to be undertaken by a permittee under this article is such that it will affect the use of properties abutting or adjoining the project, the City Engineer shall require the permittee to submit a list of the names and addresses of the owners or tenants of such properties. Upon receipt of such list, the City Engineer shall notify the affected property owners or tenant of the proposed work to be done. If the work to be undertaken by a permittee will affect other subsurface installations in the vicinity of the proposed opening, the City Engineer shall notify the owners of such facilities of the proposed work.
The City Engineer shall notify in writing the City police and fire authorities of all street opening permits he grants. Such notifications shall state the nature of the work to be done, the proposed beginning and completion dates and the location of such project.
A. 
The City Engineer or City inspector may make daily inspections of all work authorized by a permit under this article. The City Engineer is empowered to provide a full-time inspector if the work to be performed is of a nature that a full-time inspector is necessary to ensure compliance with the provisions of this article.
B. 
All inspection costs shall be borne by the permittee. Such costs shall be based on a schedule of charges on file in the office of the City Engineer.
A. 
The City inspector assigned to the excavation site shall approve the restoration of the site for:
(1) 
Ninety-five percent compaction of the backfill material.
(2) 
Correct net grade and application of the bituminous top course.
B. 
The City inspector shall initial the permit form to verify inspection of all phases described in Subsection A of this section.
[Added 3-24-2015 by Ord. No. 2015-6]
A. 
All transverse trenches, and all parallel trenches of less than 20 feet in length, excavated beneath paved streets within the City, are to be backfilled with controlled density fill (CDF). Such work shall be done in accordance with the requirements of the Street Opening and Pipe Connections Policies for the City of Fall River. These policies are to be developed by the Engineering Division and modified as required from time to time.
B. 
Utility pipes are to be placed in an envelope of 3/4-inch crushed stone for sewer and drains and sand for water and force mains. The envelope is to extend from six inches beneath, along the sides and to 12 inches above the top of the pipe. Controlled density fill is then to be placed to a depth of four inches below the finish pavement. The surface patch is to be in accordance with the Street Opening and Pipe Connections Policies for the City of Fall River.
C. 
In the case of trenches over six feet deep, the backfill may be 3/4-inch compacted crushed stone to a depth of four feet below the surface and then controlled density fill used above.
D. 
If any private utility has policies in variance with this section, and such variance is the result of state regulations, then all work by such utility is to be in accordance with the Standards to be Employed by Public Utility Operators When Restoring any of the Streets, Lanes and Highways in Municipalities as issued by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities.