[Adopted as § 8.04 of the 1987 Code]
A. 
Prohibition. No person shall install a culvert unless the culvert fully complies with the regulations of this article.
B. 
Culvert required. Culverts must be properly installed prior to a building permit being issued. The installation of all culverts in the Town of Ottawa shall be done by the property owner or its agent or designee.
C. 
Permit required. No person, firm or corporation shall make any excavation or fill or make any alteration in any highway right-of-way or in any manner disturb any highway right-of-way or install or have installed or caused to be installed any culvert which is within or will allow access or easement to property in the Town of Ottawa without first obtaining a culvert sizing permit.
D. 
Purpose. The intent of this article is to assure drainage ditch preservation and to assure adequate surface water and stormwater drainage.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
A. 
Town Engineer's determination.
(1) 
The location and grade of culverts shall be determined by the Town Engineer, consistent with the criteria stated in this article.
(2) 
The size and specification of culverts shall be determined by the Town Engineer, consistent with the criteria stated in this article.
(3) 
The inspection of culverts, after installation, shall be made by the Town Building Inspector, consistent with the criteria stated in this article.
B. 
Special design criteria.
(1) 
Apron ends shall be provided on cross-road culverts and driveway culverts.
(2) 
All driveway culverts shall be at least 15 inches in diameter, and no driveway culvert shall be less than 18 feet or more than 22 feet in length at the outer street edge unless special permission is obtained from the Town Board.
C. 
Standard material and construction specifications. The applicable portions of the most current edition of the State of Wisconsin, Department of Transportation, Division of Transportation System Development, Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction shall govern, except as herein amended.
D. 
Special material specifications. All culverts must be made of reinforced concrete or corrugated metal pipe.
E. 
Private entrance culvert location.
(1) 
In cases of a single entrance to the property, the culvert as located in the ditch shall be a minimum of three feet off of said lot line, as extended.
(2) 
Where a joint access is required, the culvert is to be centered on the line between the two properties as extended to the ditch. The driveways where they cross into the respective properties shall be a minimum of five feet off of the property line.
(3) 
The Town Board may waive the location requirements of this subsection, where the Town Board finds that compliance with these requirements is not reasonable due to topography or other natural features.
A. 
Cost. The owner of the property serviced by a culvert or any applicant for installation of a culvert shall pay an application fee as established from time to time by the Town Board together with all actual administrative, legal, inspection and engineering costs. The application fee shall be paid to the Town Clerk or designee before any culvert sizing permit is issued. The actual administrative, legal, inspection and engineering fees shall be paid to the Town Clerk or designee before any building permit or occupancy permit is issued. If at any time additional actual administrative, legal, inspection and engineering costs are incurred by the Town for any reason, including the subsequent inspection of the culvert due to improper installation, the owner shall be responsible for payment of any and all such costs.
B. 
Application procedure.
(1) 
Application form. Applications for a culvert sizing permit shall be made in writing to the Town Building Inspector on forms prescribed by the Town Board. The property shall be described by address and tax key number. The proposed culvert location shall be described on the form.
(2) 
Staking required. The owner/applicant must stake the proposed culvert location at the property using properly marked stakes to show center of proposed culvert location.
(3) 
Review process.
(a) 
Upon receipt of the application, the Town Building Inspector shall immediately forward a copy of the same to the Town Engineer.
(b) 
Upon receipt of the copy of the application, the Town Engineer shall review the same, determine the appropriate size and grade and report the same to the Town Building Inspector. A minimum of one week from the Town Engineer's receipt of the application shall be allowed for the Town Engineer's determination.
(c) 
Upon approval of the location, payment of all fees and a determination of size and grade by the Town Engineer, the Town Building Inspector shall issue a Town culvert sizing permit.
C. 
Permit conditions. All culvert sizing permits shall be subject to the conditions that the work shall be constructed subject to such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Town and be performed and completed to the Town's satisfaction, that in the case of a temporary alteration the highway shall be restored to its former condition, and that the permittee shall be liable to the Town for all damages which occur during the progress of the work or as a result thereof.
Every property owner will have the continuing responsibility and obligation to maintain and repair the culvert(s) servicing their property. Should any culvert become in such a condition or state of disrepair or be damaged to such an extent that the flow of the drainage or access by motor vehicles is affected thereby, the property owner shall take whatever actions are necessary to repair or replace said defective culvert.
Where the public welfare requires a suitable culvert for an existing driveway, the Town Board shall notify, in writing, the property owner that the Town will install a culvert at the expense of the abutting property. The property owner shall deposit a sum in an amount equal to the estimated cost of installing such culvert within 10 days from the date of notice. If the deposit is not made, and if the cost of the installation to the abutting property is not paid to the Town Treasurer on or before November 1st, the same shall be entered on the tax roll as a special charge against the property.