The Allegheny County Department of Public Works shall, with the assistance
of the Division of Computer Services, create and maintain an Allegheny County
Utility Infrastructure Website that is made available to the public. This
website shall function as a database of the County's utility providers,
under the requirements of this chapter, and shall be searchable by users.
Participation in the program by the utility providers shall be voluntary.
For the purposes of this chapter, all entities that provide natural gas, electricity
or water service to private homes or businesses within Allegheny County shall
be deemed to be a utility.
The Department of Public Works shall, with the assistance of the Division
of Computer Services, create and maintain an Allegheny County Utility Infrastructure
Website. This website shall, at a minimum, incorporate search capabilities,
utility contact information, descriptions of infrastructure improvements performed
and budgets for past and future infrastructure improvements, notations of
service failures together with causes of such failures and remedial actions
taken, and descriptions of utilities' businesses, to the extent that
this information is forwarded to the Department of Public Works by the County's
various utility providers. Access to the Allegheny County Utility Infrastructure
Website shall be granted to all individuals at no cost to the user. Fees for
participation by utility providers may be established by the Department of
Public Works, but in no event shall such fees exceed $25 for initial listings
or $5 for updating previously listed information.
Every entity, however incorporated, that provides natural gas, electricity
or water service to private homes or businesses within Allegheny County shall
be eligible to participate in the Allegheny County Utility Infrastructure
Website, as established by this chapter. No business or individual shall be
compelled to participate in such website, nor shall any penalty be levied
against any business or individual that elects not to participate.
The Allegheny County Utility Infrastructure Website shall have searching
capabilities which shall include the ability to search for a utility provider
by name, provider address, service area ZIP code, type of service provided,
or the provider's telephone exchange.
Any information contained on the Allegheny County Utility Infrastructure Website shall be changed, edited or deleted at the request of the utility provider, subject to the fee provisions contained within §
271-2.
The provisions of this chapter shall not grant any individual, group
of individuals, organization, entity or any other person any right to bring
any action in or before a court, administrative agency or board or any similar
body premised upon participation or nonparticipation in the Allegheny County
Utility Infrastructure Website.