The purpose of this article is to protect and
preserve the health, safety and welfare of residents of the township
by requiring all persons who wish to install any utility within township
streets or open cut or bore under any township street to first obtain
a township road occupancy permit from the township regulating the
manner of street disturbance by boring or open cutting and restoring;
setting forth related matters; and prescribing penalties for violation.
The following words, when used in this article,
shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except in
those instances where the context clearly indicates otherwise:
APPLICANT
Any person who makes application for a permit.
ENGINEER
The Township Engineer of West Hanover Township or his authorized
deputy, representative or inspector.
EMERGENCY
Any unforeseen circumstance which calls for immediate action.
PERMITTEE
Any person who has been issued a permit and has agreed to
fulfill all the terms of this article.
PERSON
Any individual, partnership, company, association, society,
corporation, utility or other group or entity, including a municipality
or municipal authority.
STREET
The entire right-of-way of a public street, public highway,
public alley, public way, public road or public easement within the
township.
STREET OPENING
Any ditch, excavation, tunnel or opening in or under the
surface of any street, or within any street right-of-way, excepting,
however, work performed by any property owner or his agent or contractor
within that portion of the street right-of-way abutting his property
and lying between the curbline and the property line, or a line 12
inches beyond the curbline in the case of construction or repair of
curbs.
TOWNSHIP
The Township of West Hanover, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania,
a municipality acting by and through its Board of Supervisors or,
in appropriate cases, acting by and through its authorized representatives.
[Amended 5-3-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-4]
A. Computation of improvement financial guarantee.
(1) The amount of improvement guarantee shall be equal
to 110% of the cost of completion of street improvements estimated
as of 90 days following the date scheduled for completion by the permittee.
Annually, the township may adjust the amount of the financial security
by comparing the actual cost of the improvements which have been completed
and estimated cost for the completion of the remaining improvements
as of the expiration of the 90th day after either the original date
scheduled for completion or a rescheduled date of completion. Subsequent
to said adjustment, the township may require the permittee to post
additional security in order to assure that the financial security
equals said 110%. Any additional security shall be posted by the permittee
in accordance with this article.
(2) The amount of financial guarantee required shall be
based upon an estimate of the cost of completion of the required street
improvements, submitted by the applicant. The township, upon the recommendation
of the Township Engineer, may refuse to accept such estimate for good
cause shown. If the applicant and the township are unable to agree
upon an estimate, the estimate shall be recalculated and recertified
by another professional engineer licensed as such in this commonwealth
and chosen mutually by the township and the applicant. The estimate
certified by the third engineer shall be presumed fair and reasonable
and shall be the final estimate. In the event that a third engineer
is so chosen, fees for the services of said engineer shall be paid
equally by the township and the applicant or permittee.
(3) If the party posting the financial guarantee requires
more than one year from the date of posting of the financial guarantee
to complete the required improvements, the amount of financial security
may be increased by an additional 10% for each one-year period beyond
the first anniversary date from posting of financial security to an
amount not exceeding 110% of the cost of completing the required improvements
as reestablished on or about the expiration of the preceding one-year
period by using the above procedure.
B. Form of financial security for improvement/performance
and/or maintenance guarantee. The financial security may be in the
form of cash, certified treasurer's or cashier's check, letter of
credit or surety bond made payable to the township. Although the township
may accept an alternative type of financial security, commonly used
forms such as irrevocable letters of credit and escrow accounts will
be accepted. Such financial security shall be posted with a bonding
company or federal or commonwealth chartered lending institution chosen
by the party posting the financial security, provided that said bonding
company or lending institution is authorized to conduct such business
in the commonwealth, subject to review by the Township Solicitor for
adequacy.
C. Release of improvement/performance financial security.
(1) As the work of installing the required improvements
proceeds, the party posting the financial security may request the
Board of Supervisors to release or authorize the release, from time
to time, such portions of the financial security necessary for payment
to the contractor or contractors performing the work. Any such requests
shall be in writing addressed to the Township, and the Township shall
have 45 days from receipt of such request within which to allow the
Township Road Master or Township Engineer to certify that such portion
of the work upon the improvements has been completed in accordance
with the approval of the road cut/street opening permit or amendments
and adjustments approved by the Township. Upon such certification,
the township shall authorize release by the bonding company or lending
institution of an amount as estimated by the Township Engineer fairly
representing the value of the improvements completed or, if the Township
fails to act within said forty-five-day period, the Township shall
be deemed to have approved the release of funds as requested. The
Township may, prior to final release at the time of completion and
certification by its engineer, require retention of 10% of the estimated
cost of the aforesaid improvements.
(2) When the permittee has completed all of the necessary
and appropriate improvements, the permittee shall notify the Township,
of the completion of the aforesaid improvements and shall send a copy
thereof to the Township Engineer. The Township shall, within 10 days
after receipt of such notice, direct and authorize the Road Master
and/or the Township Engineer to inspect all of the aforesaid improvements.
The Township Road Master and/or Township Engineer shall, thereupon,
file a report, in writing, with the township and shall promptly mail
a copy of the same to the permittee. The report shall be detailed
and shall indicate approval or rejection of said improvements, either
in whole or in part and, if said improvements, or any portion thereof,
shall not be approved or shall be rejected by the Road Master Township
Engineer, said report shall contain a statement of reasons for such
nonapproval or rejection.
(3) If any portion of said improvement shall not be approved
or shall be rejected by the township, the permittee shall proceed
to complete the same and, upon completion, the same procedure of notification,
as outlined herein, shall be followed.
(4) If any portion of said improvements are not approved
or are rejected by the township, the applicant shall proceed to complete
the same and, upon completion, the same procedure of notification
outlined herein shall be followed.
D. Final completion certificate. After final inspection
and acceptance of the work, and after payment of any release or collection
of any insufficiency due, the township shall issue a final completion
certificate. The date of such final completion certificate shall fix
the two-year time period during which the permittee absolutely is
responsible for maintenance of permanent pavement repairs and trenches.
E. Release of financial guarantee for maintenance.
(1) Following the completion of the project and final
inspection, all financial guarantee for maintenance will remain in
place and will be returned to the permittee upon reinspection of the
work by the Township in two years, or 24 months from the time of issuing
the final completion certificate when all work was satisfactorily
completed.
(2) Procedure for release of maintenance guarantee or
deposit. In the event that any improvements which may be required
have not been installed or corrected as provided in this article or
in accordance with the approved permit, the township is hereby granted
the power to enforce any financial security by appropriate legal and
equitable remedies. If proceeds of the maintenance guarantee or deposit
are insufficient to pay the cost of installing or making repairs or
corrections to all the improvements covered by said financial security,
the township may, at its option, install all or part of such improvements
and may institute appropriate legal or equitable action to recover
the funds necessary to complete the remainder of the improvements.
All of the proceeds, whether resulting from the financial security
or from any legal or equitable action brought against the applicant,
or both, shall be used solely for the installation of the improvements
covered by such security and not for any other municipal purpose.
The certificate of insurance required of the
applicant under § 170-4.1B(4) of this article shall indicate
that he is insured against claims for damages for personal injury
as well as against claims for property damages which may arise from
or out of the performance of the work, whether such performance be
by himself, his subcontractor or anyone directly or indirectly employed
by him. Such insurance shall include protection against liability
arising from completed operations. Such insurance shall provide complete
third-party coverage for the Township of West Hanover. The amount
of such insurance shall be prescribed by the Engineer in accordance
with the nature of the risks involved; provided, however, that the
liability insurance for bodily injury in effect shall be in an amount
not less than $100,000 for each person and $300,000 for each accident
and for property damages an amount not less than $50,000. Failure
of applicant to file such certificate shall be grounds for denying
a permit.
Any person, firm or corporation who or which
is found to be in violation of any provision of this article shall,
upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than
$1,000 and/or undergo imprisonment for a term not to exceed 90 days.
Each and every day or portion thereof in which any violation of the
provisions of this article is committed or continued shall constitute
a separate offense.