[1]
Editor's Note: Former Art. V, Public Right-of-Way, was repealed 11-25-2025 by Ord. No. 2025-13. Prior history includes Ord. No. 2001-29 and Ord. No. 2019-23.
[Ord. No. 2025-13, 11-25-2025]
A. 
To the extent permitted by law, this Article shall apply to all persons desiring to construct, operate or maintain facilities in, along, across, under or over public rights-of-way, within the City.
B. 
No person shall commence or continue with the operation of any facilities or structures in the right-of-way except as provided and in compliance with this Article. Because numerous types of users and uses of the right-of-way are subject to various or changing regulatory schemes under Federal or State law, any such limitation or qualification that may be applicable to less than all users and uses of the right-of-way are not duplicated herein but are nevertheless incorporated herein, whenever application is so required by law, including but not limited to applicable provisions of Chapter 67, RSMo., and other applicable State and Federal law.
C. 
Preemption. No provision of this Article shall apply to any circumstance in which such application shall be unlawful under superseding Federal or State law and furthermore, if any Section, Subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion of this Article is now or in the future superseded or preempted by State or Federal law or found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unauthorized, such provision shall be automatically interpreted and applied as required by law.
D. 
If any Section, Subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or portion of the Article is for any reason held invalid or unconstitutional by any court or administrative agency of competent jurisdiction, such portion shall be deemed a separate, distinct and independent provision and such holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions hereof.
[Ord. No. 2025-13, 11-25-2025]
As used in this Article, the following terms shall have these prescribed meanings:
CITY FACILITIES
Any facilities located in the right-of-way and owned by the City.
DIRECTOR
The City official or employee designated by the Mayor to administer and enforce this Article.
EMERGENCY RIGHT-OF-WAY WORK
Includes, but is not limited to, right-of-way work made necessary by exigent circumstances to repair, control, stabilize, rectify or correct an unexpected or unplanned outage, cut, rupture, leak or any other failure of a facility when such failure results or could result in danger to the public or a material delay or hindrance to the provision of service.
EXCAVATION PERMIT
A permit authorizing excavation for the construction or installation of facilities in the City's rights-of-way.
EXCAVATION, EXCAVATING, or EXCAVATE
Any act by which earth, asphalt, concrete, sand, gravel, rock, or any other material in or on the ground is cut into, dug, uncovered, removed, or otherwise displaced, by means of any tools, equipment, or explosives, except as excluded by applicable law.
FACILITIES
A network or system, or any part thereof, used for providing or delivering a service and consisting of one (1) or more lines, pipes, wires, cables, fibers, conduit facilities, cabinets, poles, vaults, pedestals, boxes, appliances, antennas, transmitters, radios, towers, gates, meters, appurtenances or other equipment.
PERSON or PERSONS
Any corporation, partnership, proprietorship, individual, organization, governmental entity, or any natural person.
PERSON(S) HAVING FACILITIES WITHIN THE RIGHT-OF-WAY
Any person having ownership or control of facilities located within the rights-of-way.
RIGHT-OF-WAY
Unless otherwise restricted herein, the surface, the air space above the surface and the area below the surface of any public street, highway, lane, path, alley, sidewalk, boulevard, drive, bridge, tunnel, parkway, waterway, public easement or sidewalk in which the City now or hereafter holds any interest, which, consistent with the purposes for which it was dedicated, may be used for the purpose of installing and maintaining facilities. "Rights-of-way" shall not include:
1. 
Airwaves used for cellular, non-wire telecommunications or broadcast services;
2. 
Airwaves used for cellular, non-wire telecommunications or broadcast services;
3. 
Easements obtained by right-of-way users on private property;
4. 
Railroad rights-of-way or ground used or acquired for railroads; or
5. 
Facilities owned and used by the City for the transmission of one (1) or more services. No reference in this Article to "right-of-way" shall be deemed to be a representation or guarantee by the City that its interest or other right to control the use of such property is sufficient to permit its use of the delivery of service.
RIGHT-OF-WAY PERMIT
A permit granted by the City to a right-of-way user for right-of-way work.
RIGHT-OF-WAY USER
A person performing right-of-way work within the right-of-way. A right-of-way user shall not include ordinary vehicle or pedestrian use.
RIGHT-OF-WAY WORK
Action by a right-of-way user to:
1. 
Install, change, replace, relocate, remove, maintain or repair facilities within a right-of-way; or
2. 
To conduct work of any kind within or adjacent to a right-of-way that results in an excavation, obstruction, disruption, damage or physical invasion or impact of any kind to the right-of-way or the use thereof. The routine inspection of facilities shall not be considered right-of-way work unless the inspection requires the conduct of any of the activities or actions noted herein.
SERVICE
Providing or delivering an economic good or an article of commerce, including, but not limited to, gas, telephone, cable television, Internet, open video systems, video services, alarm systems, steam, electricity, water, telegraph, data transmission, petroleum pipelines, sanitary or stormwater sewerage or any similar or related service, to one (1) or more persons located within or outside of the City by use of facilities located within a right-of-way.
WITHIN
In, along, under, over, or across a right-of-way.
[Ord. No. 2025-13, 11-25-2025]
A. 
The procedures under this Article shall be overseen by a Lexington City official or employee designated by the Mayor to administer and enforce this Article. This individual shall serve as the "Director" for the purposes of this Article.
B. 
This Article shall be applied in a competitively neutral, non-discriminatory manner that maximizes the efficient use of and conserves the right-of-way and minimizes the burden on the right-of-way physically and aesthetically. Any use of the right-of-way by a right-of-way user shall be subject to the terms and conditions hereof in addition to applicable Federal, State or local requirements.
[Ord. No. 2025-13, 11-25-2025]
A. 
Application Requirements.
1. 
Any person desiring to perform right-of-way work must first apply for and obtain a right-of-way permit, in addition to any other building permit, license, easement, franchise or authorization required by law. In the event of a need for emergency right-of-way work, the person conducting the work shall as soon as practicable notify the City of the location of the work and shall apply for the required right-of-way permit as soon as practicable following the commencement of the work, not to exceed the third business day thereafter. The Director may design and issue general permits for emergency right-of-way work for several different locations or throughout the City.
2. 
An application for a right-of-way permit shall be submitted to the Director. The Director may design and make available standard forms for such applications, requiring such information as allowed by law and as the Director determines in his or her discretion to be necessary and consistent with the provisions of this Article and to accomplish the purposes of this Article. Each application shall at minimum contain the following information for the proposed right-of-way work, unless otherwise waived by the Director:
a. 
The name, address and telephone number of a representative whom the City may notify or contact at any time (i.e., twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week) concerning the work and additional contact information for any contractor, sub-contractor, or any other entity who may perform work in the right-of-way under the permit;
b. 
If different from the applicant, the name, address and telephone number of the person on whose behalf the proposed work is to be performed;
c. 
A description of the proposed work, including a conceptual master plan and an engineering site plan or other technical drawing or depiction showing the nature, dimensions, location and description of the applicant's proposed work or facilities, their proximity to other facilities that may be affected by the proposed work and the number of street crossings and their locations and dimensions, if applicable;
d. 
Projected commencement and termination dates and anticipated duration of the work or, if such dates are unknown, a representation that the applicant shall provide the Director with reasonable advance notice of such dates once they are determined;
e. 
Information regarding any locating services and Missouri One Call (811) contacts required by law for the work including the entity conducting the locating service and contact information and the time and date the location service was provided, if available at the time of the application; and if the information is not available at the time of the application it shall be provided to the City before work commences;
f. 
Copies of any certifications required under Federal or State law to show that the contractor or sub-contractors performing work in the right-of-way are properly qualified and trained to perform the work; and
g. 
Copies of any required certificates of insurance or performance and maintenance bonds.
3. 
The information required by the application may be submitted in the form maintained by the applicant, provided it is responsive to the application's requirements and the applicant shall be allowed a reasonable amount of time to complete the application based on the amount of data or information requested or required.
4. 
Each such application shall be accompanied by the following payments to reimburse the City for costs incurred in managing the public rights-of-way and will not be used to generate revenue above such costs:
a. 
Non-exclusive franchises and owners of more than one thousand (1,000) lineal feet of facilities within the public rights-of-way shall be required to pay an annual fee of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00). This fee is in lieu of and shall relieve such persons of the obligations to pay such fees as would be ordinarily be required under Subsection (A)(4)(b) below for each permit sought during the given year.
b. 
The fee required for a single excavation permit shall be one hundred dollars ($100.00).
c. 
Supplementary applications shall be a fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00).
5. 
Applicants shall participate in any joint planning, construction and advance notification of such work, including coordination and consolidation of any excavation of or disturbance to the right-of-way, as directed by the Director. When deemed necessary to accomplish the goals of this Section and to the extent permitted by law, the City reserves the right, when feasible and reasonable, to require the sharing of facilities by right-of-way users. Applicants shall cooperate with each other and other right-of-way users and the City for the best, most efficient, least intrusive, most aesthetic and least obtrusive use of the right-of-way.
6. 
The Director shall establish procedures allowing applicants to ascertain whether existing capacity may be available from other persons utilizing the rights-of-way along the intended path of any proposed work. The Director shall also maintain indexes of all right-of-way permits issued, both by the right-of-way user and by the affected right-of-way.
B. 
Application Review And Determination.
1. 
The Director shall promptly review each completed application for a right-of-way permit and shall grant or deny all such applications as provided herein within thirty (30) days of receipt thereof. Unless the application is denied, the Director shall issue a right-of-way permit upon determining that the applicant:
a. 
Has submitted all necessary information;
b. 
Has paid the appropriate fees; and
c. 
Is in full compliance with this Article and all other City ordinances. The Director may establish procedures for bulk processing of applications and periodic payment of fees to avoid excessive processing and accounting costs.
2. 
It is the intention of the City that interference with damage to, excavation or disruption of or the placement of facilities within the City's rights-of-way should be minimized and limited in scope to the extent allowed by law to achieve the purposes of this Article. When reasonable and necessary to accomplish such purposes, the Director may require as alternatives to the proposed right-of-way work either less disruptive methods or different locations for facilities, provided that any required alternative:
a. 
Shall not increase expenses by more than ten percent (10%) of the applicant's costs for the work as proposed;
b. 
Shall not result in a decline of service quality; and
c. 
Shall be competitively neutral and non-discriminatory.
d. 
Further, the Director shall justify to the applicant that the required alternative is reasonable and necessary.
3. 
Upon receipt of an application, the Director shall determine whether any portion of the right-of-way will be affected by the proposed work and whether the interference, disruption or placement of facilities will be more than minor in nature. In determining whether the proposed work is more than minor in nature, the Director shall consider the nature and scope of the work, its location and duration and its effect on the right-of-way, the use thereof and neighboring properties.
a. 
If the applicant can show to the Director's reasonable satisfaction that the work involves no interference, disruption, excavation or damage to or only minor interference with the right-of-way or that the work does not involve the placement of facilities or involves time-sensitive maintenance, then the Director shall promptly grant the right-of-way permit.
b. 
If the Director determines that the effect on the rights-of-way will be more than minor in nature and no exemption under the above Subsection (B)(3)(a) or any other provision of this Article applies, the Director shall schedule and coordinate the work and grant the right-of-way permit accordingly. When reasonable and necessary to accomplish the purposes of this Article, the Director may postpone issuance of a right-of-way permit and may give public notice of the application in an attempt to identify whether other person(s) intend to do work in the same area within a reasonable period of time, so that all right-of-way work in the area can be coordinated. Due regard shall be accorded applicants that are required by any law, rule, regulation, license or franchise to provide service to the area defined in the application. The Director shall not impose any coordination or scheduling requirements that prevent or unreasonably delay an applicant's access to the right-of-way or that create a barrier to entry.
4. 
Each right-of-way permit issued by the Director shall include:
a. 
Projected commencement and termination dates or, if such dates are unknown at the time the permit is issued, a provision requiring the right-of-way user to provide the Director with reasonable advance notice of such dates once they are determined;
b. 
Length of affected right-of-way, number of road crossings, and identification and description of any pavement or curb cuts included in the work;
c. 
Information regarding scheduling and coordination of work, if necessary;
d. 
The location of any of the applicant's facilities, both those proposed and existing, and the location of any known facilities owned by another person that may be affected by the proposed work;
e. 
An acknowledgment and representation by the applicant to comply with the terms and conditions of the right-of-way permit and this Article; and
f. 
Such conditions and requirements as are deemed reasonably necessary by the Director to protect structures and other facilities in the right-of-way from damage, to restore the right-of-way and any structures or facilities, to ensure the reasonable continuity and sight lines of pedestrian and vehicular traffic and to protect property values, the aesthetics of adjoining properties and neighborhoods and the public health, safety and welfare.
5. 
The Director may deny an application, if denial is deemed to be in the public interest, for the following reasons:
a. 
Delinquent fees, costs or expenses owed by the applicant;
b. 
Failure to provide information required by the application or this Article;
c. 
The applicant being in violation of the provisions of this Article or other pertinent and applicable City ordinances;
d. 
Failure to return the right-of-way to its previous condition under previously issued right-of-way permits or after prior excavations by the applicant;
e. 
For reasons of environmental, historic or cultural sensitivity, as defined by applicable Federal, state or local law;
f. 
For the applicant's refusal to comply with alternative right-of-way work methods, locations or other reasonable conditions required by the Director; and
g. 
For any other reason to protect the public health, safety and welfare, provided that such denial does not fall within the exclusive authority of the Missouri Public Service Commission or interfere with a right-of-way user's right of eminent domain of private property and, provided further, that such denial is imposed on a competitively neutral and non-discriminatory basis.
C. 
Permit Revocation And Ordinance Violations.
1. 
The Director may revoke a right-of-way permit without fee refund after notice and an opportunity to cure, but only in the event of a substantial breach of the terms and conditions of the permit or this Article. Prior to revocation the Director shall provide written notice to the right-of-way user identifying any substantial breach and allowing a reasonable period of time not longer than thirty (30) days to cure the problem, which cure period may be immediate if certain activities must be stopped to protect the public safety. The cure period shall be extended by the Director on good cause shown by the right-of-way user. A substantial breach includes, but is not limited to, the following:
a. 
A material violation of a provision of the right-of-way permit or this Article;
b. 
An evasion or attempt to evade any material provision of the right-of-way permit or this Article or the perpetration or attempt to perpetrate any fraud or deceit upon the City or its residents;
c. 
A material misrepresentation of fact in the right-of-way permit application;
d. 
A failure to complete right-of-way work by the date specified in the right-of-way permit, unless an extension is obtained or unless the failure to complete the work is due to reasons beyond the right-of-way user's control; and
e. 
A failure to correct, upon reasonable notice and opportunity to cure as specified by the Director, work that does not conform to applicable national safety ordinances, industry construction standards, this Article or any other applicable ordinances, provided that City standards are no more stringent than those of a national safety ordinance.
2. 
Any breach of the terms and conditions of a right-of-way permit shall also be deemed a violation of this Article and in lieu of revocation the director may initiate prosecution of the right-of-way user for such violation.
[Ord. No. 2025-13, 11-25-2025]
A. 
Jurisdiction, Inspection And Stop Work Orders.
1. 
All facilities and right-of-way work shall be subject to inspection by the City and the supervision of all Federal, State and local authorities having jurisdiction over such matters to ensure compliance with all applicable laws, ordinances, departmental rules and regulations and the right-of-way permit.
2. 
The Director shall have full access to all portions of the right-of-way work and may issue stop work orders and corrective orders to prevent unauthorized work or substandard work as established in Subsection (G) hereof. Such orders:
a. 
May be delivered personally or by certified mail to the address(es) listed on the application for the right-of-way permit or the person in charge of the construction site at the time of delivery;
b. 
Shall state that substandard work or work not authorized by the right-of-way permit is being carried out, summarize the substandard or unauthorized work and provide a period of no longer than thirty (30) days to cure the problem, which cure period may be immediate if certain activities must be stopped to protect public safety; and
c. 
May be enforced by equitable action in the Circuit Court of Lafayette County, Missouri, and in such case the person responsible for the substandard or unauthorized work shall be liable for all costs and expenses incurred by the City in enforcing such orders, including reasonable attorney's fees, in addition to any and all penalties established in this Article. The City Attorney is authorized to pursue equitable action on behalf of the City to effectuate the intent of this Article.
B. 
Above Ground Facilities.
1. 
No person may erect, construct or install new poles or other facilities above the surface of the rights-of-way without the written permission of the City, unless the City's authority has been pre-empted by Federal or State law. Such permission may be granted through a right-of-way permit when other similar facilities exist above ground or when conditions are such that underground construction is impossible, impractical or economically unfeasible, as determined by the City, and when in the City's judgment the above ground construction has minimal aesthetic impact on the area where the construction is proposed.
2. 
The Director may designate certain locations or facilities in the right-of-way to be excluded from use by the applicant for its facilities, including, but not limited to:
a. 
Ornamental or similar specially designed street lights;
b. 
Designated historic areas;
c. 
Facilities, equipment, structures or locations that do not have electrical service adequate or appropriate for the proposed facilities or cannot safely bear the weight or wind loading thereof;
d. 
Facilities, equipment, structures or locations that in the reasonable judgment of the Director are incompatible with the proposed facilities or would be rendered unsafe or unstable by the installation; and
e. 
Facilities, equipment, structures or locations that have been designated or planned for other use or are not otherwise available for use by the applicant due to engineering, technological, proprietary, legal or other limitations or restrictions.
3. 
Above ground facilities shall be a neutral color and shall not be bright, reflective or metallic. Black, gray, green and tan shall be considered neutral colors, as shall any color that blends with the surrounding dominant color and helps to camouflage the facilities. Facilities shall be located in such a manner as to reduce or eliminate their visibility. A sight-proof landscape screen may be required for any authorized above ground facilities taller than three (3) feet in height or covering in excess of four (4) square feet in size. Such screening shall be sufficient to reasonably conceal the facility. A landscape plan identifying the size and species of landscaping materials shall be approved by the Director prior to installation of any facility requiring landscape screening. The person having facilities within the right-of-way shall be responsible for the installation, repair or replacement of screening materials. Alternative screening or concealment may be approved by the Director to the extent it meets or exceeds the purposes of these requirements.
4. 
Above ground facilities shall be constructed and maintained in such a manner so as not to emit any unnecessary or intrusive noise and shall comply with all other applicable regulations and standards established by the Federal, State, or local law.
5. 
If the application of this Subsection excludes locations for above ground facilities to the extent that the exclusion conflicts with the reasonable requirements of the applicant, the Director shall cooperate in good faith with the applicant to attempt to find suitable alternatives, but such alternatives may exceed the cost increase limitation established by Section 24-46(B)(2)(a) and the City shall not be required to incur any financial cost or to acquire new locations for the applicant.
C. 
Relocation Of Equipment And Facilities.
1. 
In the event of an emergency or where construction equipment or facilities create or are contributing to an imminent danger to health, safety or property, the City may, to the extent allowed by law, remove, re-lay or relocate such construction equipment or the pertinent parts of such facilities without charge to the City for such action or for restoration or repair. The City shall attempt to notify the person having facilities within the right-of-way prior to taking such action, but the inability to do so shall not prevent same. Thereafter, the City shall notify the person having facilities within the right-of-way as soon as practicable.
2. 
At the City's direction, all facilities shall be moved underground, and the cost shall be solely the obligation of the person(s) having facilities within the right-of-way or as otherwise allowed or required by law.
3. 
At the City's direction, a person having facilities within the right-of-way shall protect, support, disconnect, relocate or remove facilities, at its own cost and expense, when necessary to accommodate the construction, improvement, expansion, relocation or maintenance of streets or other public works or to protect the right-of-way or the public health, safety or welfare.
4. 
A person having facilities within the right-of-way shall, on the reasonable request of any person and after reasonable advance written notice, protect, support, disconnect, relocate or remove facilities to accommodate such person and the actual cost, reasonably incurred, of such actions shall be paid by the person requesting such action. The person having facilities within the right-of-way taking such action may require such payment in advance.
5. 
Rather than relocate facilities as requested or directed, a right-of-way user may abandon the facilities if approved by the City as provided in Section 23-46 of this Article.
6. 
No action hereunder shall be deemed a taking of property and no person shall be entitled to any compensation therefore. No location of any facilities within the right-of-way shall be a vested interest.
D. 
Property Repair And Alterations.
1. 
During any right-of-way work, the person doing the work shall protect from damage any and all existing structures and property belonging to the City and any other person. Any and all rights-of-way, public property or private property disturbed or damaged during the work shall be repaired or replaced to its original condition or better by the person doing the work or the person on whose behalf the work is being done and such person shall immediately notify the owner of the fact of any damaged property. Such repair or replacement shall be completed within a reasonable time specified by the Director and to the Director's satisfaction.
2. 
Any alteration to the existing water mains, sewerage or drainage system or to any City, State or other public structures or facilities in the rights-of-way required on account of the construction, installation, repair or maintenance of facilities within the rights-of-way shall be made at the sole cost and expense of the owner of the facilities to be constructed, installed, repaired, or maintained under the permit.
E. 
Removal, Abandonment, Transfer And Relocation Of Facilities.
1. 
If a person having facilities within the right-of-way:
a. 
Installs the facilities within the right-of-way without having complied with the requirements of this Article; or
b. 
Abandons the facilities, the City may require the removal of the facilities, remove the facilities at the expense of the person having facilities within the right-of-way or require the transfer of the facilities as provided herein.
2. 
If the City requires removal of the facilities, the person shall obtain a right-of-way permit and shall abide by all requirements of this Article. The liability, indemnity, insurance and bonding requirements required herein shall continue in full force and effect during and after the period of removal and restoration and until full compliance by the person with the terms and conditions of the right-of-way permit and the requirements of this Article.
3. 
If the person fails to remove the facilities after having been directed to do so, the City may, to the extent permitted by law, have the removal done at the person's expense. Alternatively, the City may permit the abandonment, without removal, of the facilities if the Director determines that abandonment is not likely to prevent or significantly impair the future use, repair, excavation, maintenance or construction of the right-of-way.
4. 
If the person fails to remove the facilities after having been directed to do so, the City may, to the extent permitted by law, decide that the ownership of the facilities should be transferred to the City or to such person as directed by the City. In either case the owner of the facilities shall submit a written instrument, satisfactory in form to the City, transferring to the City, or to such person as directed by the City, ownership of the facilities. The City may sell, assign or transfer all or part of the facilities so transferred.
5. 
The City shall not remove or seek to possess or transfer the facilities until thirty (30) days have passed following written notice by the Director to the person having facilities within the right-of-way of the City's intent to so act. The Director may choose not to act on good cause shown by the person having facilities within the right-of-way.
F. 
Standards For Right-Of-Way Work.
1. 
Except for emergency right-of-way work as provided in Section 23-45(A)(1) right-of-way work shall be performed only upon issuance and in accordance with the requirements of a right-of-way permit. At all times during the work, right-of-way permits shall be conspicuously displayed at the work site and shall be available for inspection by the Director.
2. 
If at any time it appears that the duration or scope of the right-of-way work is or will become materially different from that allowed by the right-of-way permit, the right-of-way user shall inform the Director. The Director may issue a waiver, an extension or a revised right-of-way permit or require that the right-of-way user reapply for a right-of-way permit in accordance with all requirements of this Article.
3. 
Right-of-way users shall not open or encumber more of the rights-of-way than is reasonably necessary to complete the right-of-way work in the most expeditious manner or allow excavations to remain open longer than is necessary to complete the work.
4. 
All right-of-way work that affects vehicle or pedestrian traffic shall be properly signed, barricaded and otherwise protected at the right-of-way user's expense. The right-of-way user shall be responsible for providing adequate traffic control to the area surrounding the work as determined by the Director.
5. 
The right-of-way user shall perform the right-of-way work at such times that will allow the least interference with the normal flow of traffic and the peace and quiet of the neighborhood, as permitted by the Director. Unless otherwise provided by the Director in the permit, non-emergency right-of-way work on arterial and collector streets may not be accomplished during the hours of 7:00 A.M. to 8:30 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. in order to minimize disruption of traffic flow.
6. 
The right-of-way user shall notify the City no less than three (3) working days in advance of any right-of-way work that would require any street closure or would reduce traffic flow to less than two (2) lanes of moving traffic for more than four (4) hours. Except in the event of emergency right-of-way work, no such closure shall take place without notice and prior authorization from the City.
7. 
All right-of-way work shall be in accordance with all applicable Sections of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, the National Electrical Safety Code and other Federal, State or local laws and regulations that may apply including, without limitation, local health, safety, construction and zoning ordinances and laws and accepted industry practices, all as hereafter may be amended or adopted. In the event of a conflict among ordinances and standards, the most stringent ordinance or standard shall apply (except insofar as that ordinance or standard, if followed, would result in facilities that could not meet requirements of Federal, State or local law).
8. 
All facilities shall be installed and located to cause minimum interference with the rights and convenience of property owners, other right-of-way users and the City. Facilities shall not be placed where they will disrupt or interfere with other facilities or public improvements or obstruct or hinder in any manner the various utilities serving the residents and businesses in the City or public improvements.
9. 
All facilities shall be of good and durable quality.
10. 
All right-of-way work shall be conducted in accordance with good engineering practices, performed by experienced and properly trained personnel so as not to endanger any person or property or to unreasonably interfere in any manner with the rights-of-ways or legal rights of any property owner, including the City, or unnecessarily hinder or obstruct pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
11. 
All safety practices required by law shall be used during right-of-way work, including commonly accepted methods and devices to prevent failures and accidents that are likely to cause damage, injury or nuisance to the public.
12. 
Any contractor or subcontractor of a right-of-way user must be properly licensed under laws of the State and all applicable local ordinances, and each contractor or subcontractor shall have the same obligations with respect to its work as a right-of-way user would have pursuant to this Article. A right-of-way user:
a. 
Must ensure that contractors, subcontractors and all employees performing right-of-way work are trained and experienced;
b. 
Must ensure that at least one (1) worker on site is proficient in English;
c. 
Shall be responsible for ensuring that all work is performed consistent with the right-of-way permit and applicable law;
d. 
Shall be fully responsible for all acts or omissions of contractors or subcontractors;
e. 
Shall be responsible for promptly correcting acts or omissions by any contractor or subcontractor; and
f. 
Shall implement a quality control program to ensure that the work is properly performed.
13. 
A right-of-way user shall not place or cause to be placed any sort of signs, advertisements or other extraneous markings on the facilities or in the right-of-way, whether relating to the right-of-way user or any other person, except such necessary minimal markings approved by the City as necessary to identify the facilities for service, repair, maintenance or emergency purposes or as may be otherwise required to be affixed by applicable law or regulation.
14. 
Unless otherwise approved in writing by the City, a right-of-way user shall not remove, cut or damage any trees or their roots, within the right-of-way.
15. 
Street crossings will be bored at the direction of the Director.
G. 
Restoring And Maintaining The Right-Of-Way.
1. 
To complete any right-of-way work, the right-of-way user shall restore the right-of-way and surrounding areas, including, but not limited to, any pavement, foundation, concrete slabs or curbs, screening, landscaping or vegetation, and shall comply with other reasonable conditions of the Director. Restoration of the right-of-way shall be completed within the dates specified in the right-of-way permit unless the Director issues a waiver, extension or a new or revised right-of-way permit.
2. 
It shall be the duty of any person making an excavation in the right-of-way to backfill such excavations and restore the surface in accordance with the City's minimum prescribed standards for such surfaces or the following standards as determined by the Director.
a. 
If the excavations are made in the improved portion of the right-of-way, twelve (12) inches of granular backfill will be placed over exposed facilities and controlled low strength material (CLSM) will fill the hole within eight (8) inches of the finished surface for concrete pavements. There will be a plastic membrane placed between the rock base and the CLSM to prevent the material from bleeding into the rock base. The remaining eight (8) inches will be restored by placing a twenty-eight-day minimum strength, four thousand five hundred (4,500) psi concrete mix.
b. 
If the excavations are made in the improved portion of an asphalt or combination street, twelve (12) inches of granular backfill will be placed over exposed facilities and CLSM will fill the hole within nine (9) inches of the finished surface. There will be a plastic membrane placed between the rock base and the CLSM to prevent the material from bleeding into the rock base. The remaining nine (9) inches will be restored by placing a six-inch thick, twenty-eight (28)-day minimum strength, four thousand five hundred (4,500) psi concrete mix under a three-inch asphalt concrete lift of Type C mix to meet existing grades.
c. 
Construction of asphalt driveway entrances in residential right-of-way will be constructed of six (6) inches of compacted rock base and three (3) inches of Type C asphalt concrete mix. Construction of asphalt driveway entrances in commercial right-of-way will be constructed of four (4) inches of compacted rock base, seven and five tenths (7.5) inches of type X and three (3) inches of Type C asphalt concrete mix. Concrete driveway approaches will consist of a four-inch compacted rock base and be a minimum of six (6) inches thick in residential right-of-way and eight (8) inches thick in commercial right-of-way.
3. 
If a right-of-way user fails to restore the right-of-way within the date specified either by the right-of-way permit or any extension thereof as granted by the Director, the City may perform its own restoration. The City may also opt to perform its own restoration regardless of any failure by the right-of-way user, in which case the right-of-way permit or any amendment or revision thereto shall note such option. In either event, if the City performs the restoration, the right-of-way user shall be responsible for reimbursing the City's reasonable actual restoration costs within thirty (30) days of invoice.
4. 
Every right-of-way user to whom a right-of-way permit has been granted shall guarantee for a period of four (4) years the restoration of the right-of-way in the area where the right-of-way user conducted excavation. During this period the right-of-way user shall, upon notification from the Director, correct all restoration work to the extent necessary as required by the Director. Said work shall be completed within a reasonable time, not to exceed thirty (30) calendar days from receipt of the Director's notice unless otherwise permitted by the Director. If a right-of-way user fails to restore the right-of-way within the time specified, the City may perform the work and the right-of-way user shall be responsible for reimbursing the City's reasonable actual restoration costs within thirty (30) days of invoice. The Director may extend the cure period on good cause shown.
5. 
A right-of-way user shall not be relieved of the obligation to complete the necessary right-of-way restoration and maintenance because of the existence of any performance bond required by this Article.
H. 
Any person performing right-of-way work shall provide written notice to all property owners within one hundred eighty-five (185) feet of the site at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to any installation, replacement or expansion of its facilities. Notice shall include a reasonably detailed description of work to be done, the location of work and the time and duration of the work.
[Ord. No. 2025-13, 11-25-2025]
A. 
In addition to (and not in lieu of) all other conditions and requirements in this Municipal Code, required by previous regulations promulgated by the City, or appearing as a condition on any permit, all directional boring shall be conducted in accord with the conditions and requirements of this Section.
B. 
Additional Administrative Requirements and Restrictions.
1. 
The utility provider, contractor and sub-contractor for any excavation work must be co-listed on the excavation permit and all such parties (collectively, the "permittee") shall be listed as insureds on the Certificate of Insurance (COI) covering the work.
2. 
Hydro excavation is the preferred method of excavation within the right-of-way. Any application for a permit requiring directional boring through a process other than hydro excavation shall include a justification for using an alternative method of excavation.
3. 
Each person shall hold no more than seven (7) excavation permits involving active directional boring in the City at any time. Additional permits shall not be issued by the City until the active directional boring under existing permits has been completed by the permittee. For example, if permittee is conducting directional boring under seven (7) permits and completes the active directional boring under one (1) such permit, one (1) additional permit may be issued by the City. The purpose of this provision is to limit permittee's active directional boring to seven (7) permits at any given time. For purposes of this Section, "active directional boring" shall include all work where directional boring is taking place and does not include projects where the directional boring has been completed and the permittee is taking final steps such as site restoration.
C. 
Additional Requirements For In-Field Performance.
1. 
All boring equipment shall be calibrated in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications. In addition, the calibration shall be checked at a minimum of once per day and at any time during operations that the location for the boring head is unknown or uncertain. Calibration checks shall be conducted to ensure that the equipment is correctly calibrated and functioning properly at all times. The job site supervisor on duty shall keep a log on the project site indicating each calibration and calibration check and shall include a signature verifying that the check was witnessed. This log will be made available to City Inspectors upon request at any time. Failure to produce confirmation and proof of calibrations/checks will result in a Tier 1 Violation, with a protocol as outlined below.
2. 
All utility crossings shall occur at the pothole. If the boring equipment is determined to be crossing utility equipment at a different location than the intended pothole, a new pothole at the current location shall be dug and the utility equipment shall be exposed at the new crossing location. In addition, the depth of the boring equipment shall be noted upon the ground in white spray paint at all utility crossing locations.
3. 
Repairs for damage to any existing utility facilities or equipment (including but not limited to gas, electric, sewer, water, cable, fiber optic, etc.) shall be the responsibility of the permittee.
4. 
Any lawns, plantings, driveways, sidewalks, roadways or other property damaged during the course of excavation work shall be restored to at least the pre-excavation condition by the permittee.
D. 
Any person found guilty of violating any provision of this Section shall be punished as provided in Section 1-8 of this Code of Ordinances.
[Ord. No. 2025-13, 11-25-2025]
A. 
Performance And Maintenance Bonds.
1. 
Prior to any right-of-way work a right-of-way user shall establish in the City's favor a performance and maintenance bond in an amount to be determined by the Director to ensure the restoration of the rights-of-way. The bond shall continue in full force and effect for a period of twenty-four (24) months following completion of the work. The Director shall have the authority to extend the maintenance bond period for up to an additional twenty-four (24) months. The Director may waive this requirement when the work involves no or only minor disruption or damage to the rights-of-way. The Director shall waive this requirement when the right-of-way user has twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000.00) million in net assets and does not have a history of non-compliance with State and local regulations.
2. 
If a right-of-way user fails to complete the right-of-way work in a safe, timely and competent manner or if the completed restorative work fails without remediation within the time period for the bond (as determined by the Director), then after notice and a reasonable opportunity to cure there shall be recoverable, jointly and severally from the principal and surety of the bond, any damages or loss suffered by the City as a result, including the full amount of any compensation, indemnification or cost of removal or abandonment of any property of the right-of-way user and the cost of completing work within or restoring the rights-of-way, plus a reasonable allowance for attorneys' fees, up to the full amount of the bond. The City may also recover against the bond any amount recoverable against a security fund or letter of credit where such amount exceeds that available under a security fund or letter of credit.
3. 
Upon completion of right-of-way work to the satisfaction of the Director and upon lapse of the bond period, including any extension by the Director, the City shall release the bond.
4. 
The bond shall be issued by a surety with an "A" or better rating of insurance in Best's Key Rating Guide, Property/Casualty Edition, shall be subject to the approval of the City's Attorney and shall contain the following endorsement:
"This bond may not be canceled or allowed to lapse until sixty (60) days after receipt by the City, by certified mail, return receipt requested, of a written notice from the issuer of the bond of intent to cancel or not to renew."
5. 
In lieu of the bond required herein, the right-of-way user may establish in the City's favor such other security as the Director may determine to be commensurate with the noted bonding requirements including, but not limited to, an annual bond to be maintained in the minimum amount of two thousand five hundred dollars ($25,000.00).
B. 
Insurance.
1. 
All right-of-way users shall maintain, for the duration of any right-of-way work and, when applicable, for as long as the right-of-way user has facilities within the rights-of-way, at least the following liability insurance coverage: Workers' Compensation and employer liability insurance to meet all requirements of Missouri law and commercial general liability insurance with respect to the construction, operation and maintenance of the facilities and the conduct of the right-of-way user's business in the City in the minimum amounts of:
a. 
Two million dollars ($2,000,000.00) for property damage resulting from any one (1) accident;
b. 
Five million dollars ($5,000,000.00) for personal bodily injury or death resulting from any one (1) accident; and
c. 
Two million dollars ($2,000,000.00) for all other types of liability.
These insurance requirements shall not be construed to limit the liability of any person or to impose any liability on the City or to waive any sovereign immunity.
2. 
All insurance policies shall be with sureties qualified to do business in the State of Missouri with an "A" or better rating of insurance by Best's Key Rating Guide, Property/Casualty Edition and in a form approved by the City.
3. 
All insurance policies shall be available for review by the City and a right-of-way user having facilities within the right-of-way shall keep on file with the City current certificates of insurance.
4. 
All general liability insurance policies shall name the City, its officers, boards, board members, commissions, commissioners, agents and employees as additional insureds and shall further provide that any cancellation or reduction in coverage shall not be effective unless thirty (30) days' prior written notice thereof has been given to the Director. A right-of-way user shall not cancel any required insurance policy without submission of proof that it has obtained alternative insurance that complies with this Article.
5. 
The Director may exempt in writing from these insurance requirements any self-insured right-of-way user, provided that the right-of-way user demonstrates to the Director's satisfaction that the right-of-way user's self-insurance plan is commensurate with said requirements and that the right-of-way user has sufficient resources to meet all potential risks, liabilities and obligations contemplated by the requirements of this Article. The Director may require a security fund or letter of credit as a condition to a self-insured's exemption. The Director shall waive this requirement when the right-of-way user has twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000.00) million in net assets and does not have a history of non-compliance with applicable regulatory law.
C. 
Indemnification.
1. 
Any right-of-way user granted a right-of-way permit and any person having facilities within the rights-of-way, as partial consideration for the privilege granted, shall, at its sole cost and expense, indemnify, hold harmless and defend the City, its officials, boards, board members, commissions, commissioners, agents and employees against any and all claims, suits, causes of action, proceedings and judgments for damages or equitable relief arising out of:
a. 
Any right-of-way work including, but not limited to, the construction, maintenance, repair or replacement of the facilities;
b. 
The operation of its facilities;
c. 
Failure to secure consent from landowners; or
d. 
Any actions taken or omissions made by the person pursuant to the authority of this Article.
2. 
The foregoing indemnity provisions include, but are not limited to, the City's reasonable attorneys' fees incurred in defending against any such claim, suit or proceeding prior to the person assuming such defense. The City shall notify a person of claims and suits within seven (7) business days of its actual knowledge of the existence of such claim, suit or proceeding. Once a person assumes such defense, the City may at its option continue to participate in the defense at its own expense.
3. 
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Article, the City shall not be so indemnified or reimbursed in relation to any amounts attributable to:
a. 
The City's own negligence, willful misconduct, intentional or criminal acts; or
b. 
The City acting in a proprietary capacity to deliver service(s) within the City.
4. 
Recovery by the City of any amounts under insurance, a performance bond or otherwise does not limit a person's duty to indemnify the City in any way; nor shall such recovery relieve a person of amounts owed to the City or in any respect prevent the City from exercising any other right or remedy it may have.
D. 
Penalties. Any person violating any provision of this Article shall, upon conviction by the City's Municipal Court or the Lafayette County Circuit Court, be punished by a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00) or by imprisonment not to exceed ninety (90) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. Each day the violation continues may be charged as a separate offense.