[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Aldermen
(now City Council) of the City of Chicopee as Secs. 26/I/1 through
26/I/7 of the 1976 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Officers and employees — See Ch. 67.
A.
The City Engineer shall make all surveys, measurements,
levels, plans, profiles, estimates and descriptions necessary for
the laying out, establishing and construction of streets, sidewalks,
water mains, common sewers, drains, underground conduits, bridges,
culverts and other structures and public works of the City and shall
perform such other services and give such information concerning any
department of the City's affairs relative to the office of the City
Engineer as may be required of him by the Mayor or City Council.
[Amended 9-1-2009]
B.
Prior to the establishment of any new street, building
or occupancy, the notification of the Police Department, Fire Department
and Municipal Coordinators for Enhanced 9-1-1 is required.
[Added 4-20-1993 by Ord. No. 93-11]
The City Engineer shall have the custody of
all surveys, measurements, levels, plans, profiles, estimates and
descriptions and shall keep the same in the office provided by the
City.
The City Engineer shall make such rules and
regulations covering taking of plans and papers from his office as
he may deem necessary to ensure their safety.
The City Engineer shall keep all plans, profiles,
surveys, measurements, etc., properly classified and indexed and shall
deliver the same to his successor.
The City Engineer shall keep a record, properly
classified and indexed, of all surveys made in relation to the laying
out, widening, extending and grading of streets and the establishing
of correct lines and shall give to all applicants, without charge,
so far as the files and records of his office will permit, any information
desired as to the lines and grades of the streets on which their estates
are situated or upon which they intend to build.
The City Engineer shall measure all work done
by contract for the City and shall furnish a certificate of such measurements
to the City Auditor before said Auditor shall pass any contract bill
for payment. The certificate shall be attached to and filed with the
bill.
It shall be the duty of the City Engineer to
assign a number to all tenements and buildings on all streets, whether
public or private, in the City of Chicopee.[1]
The City Engineer shall have an assistant who
shall be a resident of the City of Chicopee, appointed by the Mayor,
and shall perform such duties as required by the City Engineer. Whenever,
by reason of absence, illness or other cause, the City Engineer is
unable to perform the duties of his office, the Assistant City Engineer
shall perform such duties and when so doing shall exercise all of
the powers and assume all of the responsibilities of the office of
the City Engineer.
[Added 1-6-1987; amended 4-7-1987; 2-16-1988; 11-19-2002 by Ord. No.
02-55]
A.
Any property to be abandoned is to be reviewed by
the City Engineer for his comments.
B.
If surveying is necessary, it is to be paid for by
the person who wants the property abandoned.
C.
Steps to be followed.
(1)
Step 1: Upon receipt of a request by the City Council,
the City Engineer shall notify all departments for input regarding
needs or utilities that may be in the proposed area of abandonment.
The departments notified shall include, but not be limited to, the
following: Assessors, Building, Electric Light, Conservation, DPW,
Engineering, Fire, Planning, Wastewater, Water, Parks Department,
Police Department, Mayor's office, and Law Department.
[Amended 9-20-2007 by Ord. No. 07-66; 9-1-2009]
(2)
Step 2: If there are no requests by any departments
to retain ownership. of proposed areas or ways to be abandoned, then
the City Council shall request the City Engineer to prepare a description
and plan for the area to be abandoned.
[Amended 9-1-2009]
(3)
Step 3: Notwithstanding the provisions of Step 2,
the preparation of plans, deeds and the filing thereof, along with
any filing fees, for the area to be abandoned shall be the responsibility
of the interested abutting owners. The plan submitted by interested
abutter(s) shall be from a certified engineer.
(4)
Step 4: The interested abutter(s) shall supply an
appraisal of the property from a certified appraiser.
(5)
Step 5: The City Council, by a two-thirds vote, may
authorize the conveyance of such land, or of part thereof, or the
abandonment of such easement or right or part thereof, and specify
the minimum amount to be paid for such conveyance or abandonment.
[Amended 9-1-2009]
(6)
Step 6: The Mayor, for such amount as stated by the
City Council or larger amount, and upon such other terms as the Mayor
shall consider proper, shall convey said land or part thereof, by
deed, or declare said easement or right, or part thereof, to be abandoned.
Such declaration, being recorded in the Hampden County Registry of
Deeds, shall extinguish the easement or right, or part thereof.
[Amended 9-1-2009]
(7)
Step 7: When in receipt of the new deeds, the Assessors
shall provide the new owner(s) with a valuation of the land for tax
purposes.
