This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the City of Royal Oak "Right-of-Way Ordinance."
A. 
Pursuant to Section 29 of Article 7 of the Michigan Constitution, as may be amended, and other applicable state and federal legislation, including but not limited to MCLA § 247.183, as may be amended, and the City Charter, as may be amended, the City of Royal Oak has the authority to exercise reasonable control over its highways, streets, alleys and public places. The City of Royal Oak finds that, in the furtherance of control and to ensure and protect the public health, safety and welfare, it is appropriate for the City to monitor, review and regulate activities and persons that disrupt and/or use a City right-of-way.
B. 
This chapter is further intended to minimize disruption, disturbance and damage to the City's rights-of-way, to exercise reasonable control over and monitor the use of the same, and to maintain aesthetic, quality, and property values by requiring those persons who seek to disrupt and/or use a City right-of-way by constructing, installing, locating, operating, using and/or maintaining improvements, including sewer and water service leads, sidewalks, driveways and approaches, landscaping, utilities and telecommunications, gas, and/or electric transmission systems therein, to obtain a permit and pay fair and reasonable permit fees.
C. 
The City further finds that requiring insurance coverage, performance guarantees and bonds, warrantees and the payment of the application and permit fees will assist in protecting the City's interests in its rights-of-way, by allowing the City to cover the fixed and variable costs of maintaining, monitoring, and ensuring quality control with regard to its rights-of-way and related records.
D. 
This chapter is further intended to regulate access to and ongoing use of public rights-of-way by telecommunications providers for their telecommunications facilities while protecting the public health, safety, and welfare and exercising reasonable control of the public rights-of-way in compliance with the Metropolitan Extension Telecommunications Rights-of-Way Oversight Act (Act No. 48 of the Public Acts of 2002) ("Metro Act" or "Act"),[1] as may be amended, and other applicable law, and to ensure that the City qualifies for distributions under the Act by modifying the fees charged to providers and complying with the Act.
[1]
Editor's Note: See MCLA § 484.3101 et seq.
As used in this chapter, the following words shall be defined as follows:
APPROACH or DRIVEWAY APPROACH or APRON
The paved area or area designated for vehicular travel within the right-of-way between the street and the sidewalk, driveway, alley or adjoining any private property.
BOND
An agreement also referred to as a performance guarantee, pledging that a permittee or other entity will become legally liable for financial loss caused to the City by the act or default of the permittee or permit requirements. Bonds acceptable to the City shall be in the amount established by code, contract or other agreement, based on the value of the proposed work or as required by the City Engineer. Bond format shall be currency or irrevocable letter of credit and, in some instances, surety when allowed.
CHARTER or CITY CHARTER
The City of Royal Oak City Charter.
CITY
The City of Royal Oak, and when used in this chapter in connection with any filing, submittal, delivery or payment to, or review, approval or other action, refers to the City Engineer as defined herein.
COMMISSION or CITY COMMISSION
The City of Royal Oak City Commission.
CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATIONS or SPECIFICATIONS
The City of Royal Oak Standard Specifications for Construction, as amended, which include requirements for utility construction, excavation, backfill and compacting backfill, pavement removal and replacement, sidewalk and driveway approach removal and replacement, restoration of lawn and landscape areas and for trimming, protecting and replacing trees and other vegetation.
DDA
The City of Royal Oak Downtown Development Authority.
DESIGN STANDARDS or STANDARDS
The City of Royal Oak Engineering Site Plan Design Standards, as amended, which include specific requirements for the material, type, layout, positioning, extent and use of the public right-of-way, for public and private utilities, utility service leads, pavements, sidewalks, landscaping, trees, etc.
DIRECTOR or COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
The Director of Community Development, or his designee.
DISRUPTION
A physical change, modification, alteration, disturbance, injury and/or damage to or in a City right-of-way, including but not limited to construction, installation, location, maintenance, modification, alteration, replacement or repair of improvements, and the removal or alteration of a right-of-way surface grade or material, tree, sign, marker, hydrant or other material or object.
EASEMENT or CITY EASEMENT or PUBLIC EASEMENT
Any area of land, typically on another's real property, which has been granted or dedicated to the City or to public use, including but not limited to road or right-of-way, utility, water main, sewer line, access, drainage, recreation, conservation and other public areas, whether as easements or in fee.
ENGINEER or CITY ENGINEER
The City Engineer of the City of Royal Oak, or his designee.
IMPROVEMENT
Any appliance, conduit, facility, pipe, pole, post, pavement, plant, structure, wire, cable, fiber, building or any other man-made or placed material or object.
MANAGER or CITY MANAGER
The City Manager of the City of Royal Oak, or his designee.
ORDINANCES
All laws, codes and regulations duly enacted and adopted by the City.
PERMITTEE
A real person or corporate entity who has been issued a disruption or use permit pursuant to the terms and provisions of this chapter and all employees, agents, contractors and other persons that direct or perform any activity covered by the permit.
PERSON
Includes all natural persons, firms, co-partnerships, corporations, and all associations of natural persons, incorporated or unincorporated, whether acting by themselves or by a servant, agent or employee. All persons who violate any of the provisions of this chapter, whether as owner or as agent, servant or employee, shall, except as herein otherwise provided, be equally liable as principals.
PRESCRIPTIVE EASEMENT
An easement upon another's real property acquired by continued public use with or without permission of the owner for a time period provided by state law to establish the easement. Continued public use may include, but is not limited to, a road or right-of-way, sidewalk, utility, access, drainage, recreation, conservation and other public areas.
PRIVATE EASEMENT
Land or real property which by deed, conveyance, agreement, easement, dedication, usage or process of law is reserved and dedicated for a defined use by another person or persons, typically for right-of-way, utility, water main, sewer line, access, drainage, etc.
PUBLIC PLACE or PUBLIC PROPERTY
Any area owned, under the jurisdiction of, or controlled by the City.
RIGHT-OF-WAY or CITY'S RIGHT-OF-WAY
Land which by deed, conveyance, agreement, dedication, usage or process of law is reserved and dedicated to the general public for street, highway, alley, public utility, or pedestrian walkway purposes, whether or not said land has been improved or accepted for maintenance by the City; any and all public rights-of-way, streets, highways, roads, sidewalks, alleys, thoroughfares, and public places located within the City, including within any curbs, shoulders, landscaped areas and/or other areas incidental and/or appurtenant thereto, but not including federal, state or private rights-of-way.
RIGHT-OF-WAY PERMIT or DISRUPTION PERMIT
A nonexclusive limited permit issued by the City to a person pursuant to this chapter allowing an activity which will result in a blockage or disruption to the City's right-of-way, public easement, public place or property.
SIDEWALK
Includes any paved pathway, sidewalk, crosswalk, or driveway adjoining any public street or alley and abutting or adjoining any private property for pedestrian and nonmotorized access and movement.
STREET
The paved area or area designated for vehicular travel within the right-of-way or easement. The word "street" shall be synonymous with the words "thoroughfare," "highway" and "road."
TREASURER or CITY TREASURER
The City Treasurer of the City of Royal Oak, or his designee.
USE PERMIT or PERMIT
A nonexclusive limited permit issued by the City to a person pursuant to this chapter allowing use of the City's right-of-way for an improvement therein.
UTILITY or PUBLIC UTILITY
A service (such as sewer or water, irrigation, traffic control systems, light, power, communications, etc.) provided by a public agency or equipment or a piece of equipment to provide such service or a comparable service.
ZONING or ZONING ORDINANCE
The City of Royal Oak Zoning Ordinance, City Code Chapter 770, as may be amended.