§ 20-58. Construction and maintenance standards.

(a)

The following shall be required when facilities are constructed in the right-of-way, and to the extent applicable, for as long as the facilities remain in the right-of-way:

(1)

The department must be notified 24 hours in advance that construction is ready to proceed by the owner, their contractor or representative. At the time of notification, the owner will inform the department of the number (or other information) assigned from the appropriate one-call notification center. "Notification center" means the same as in V.T.C.A., Utilities Code § 251.101 or a successor section.

(2)

All construction shall be in conformance with all city codes and applicable local, state and federal laws.

(3)

Three-by-three foot informational signs stating the identity of the person doing the work, telephone number and owner's identity and telephone number shall be placed at the location where construction is to occur 48 hours prior to the beginning of work in the right-of-way and shall continue to be posted at the location during the entire time the work is occurring. An informational sign will be posted on public right-of-way 100 feet before the construction location commences and each 300 feet thereafter, unless other posting arrangements are approved or required by the city manager.

(4)

Erosion control measures (e.g., silt fence) and advance warning signs, markers, cones and barricades must be in place before work begins.

(5)

Lane closures on major thoroughfares will be limited to between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. unless the city manager grants prior approval. Arrow boards will be required for lane closures on all arterials and collectors, with all barricades, advanced warning signs and 36-inch reflector cones placed according to the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. A lane closure or traffic control plan must be filed and approved prior to any lane closures, regardless of whether the work being done requires a permit or not.

(6)

Without affecting the legal relationship between the owner and their contractor, owners are responsible for the workmanship of, and any damages by, their contractors or subcontractors. A responsible representative of the owner will be available to the department at all times during construction.

(7)

Owner shall be responsible for storm water management, erosion control and excavation safety measures that comply with city, state and federal guidelines. Requirements shall include, but not be limited to, silt fencing around any excavation that will be left overnight, silt fencing in erosion areas until reasonable vegetation is established, barricade fencing around open holes, and high erosion areas will require wire-backed silt fencing. Upon request owner may be required to furnish documentation submitted or received from federal or state government.

(8)

Owner or contractor or subcontractor will notify the department immediately of any damage to other utilities, either city or privately owned.

(9)

It is the city's policy not to cut streets or sidewalks; however, when a street or sidewalk cut is required, prior approval must be obtained from the city and all requirements of the department shall be followed. Repair of all street and sidewalk removals must be made promptly to avoid safety hazards to vehicle and pedestrian traffic, and shall be in accordance with city standard specifications and details for restoration within public rights-of-way

(10)

Installation of facilities must not interfere with city utilities, in particular gravity dependent facilities. Facilities shall not be located over, or within two feet, horizontally or vertically, of any water or sanitary sewer mains, unless approved by the city manager.

(11)

New facilities must be installed to a depth approved by the department.

(12)

All directional boring shall have a locator place bore marks and depths while the bore is in progress. Locator shall place mark at each stem with paint dot and depth at least every other stem.

(13)

The working hours in the rights-of-way are 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Work that needs to be performed after 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday must be approved in advance by the department. No work will be done, except for emergencies, on city holidays. Lane closures on collectors and arterials will not be allowed between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., and between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on weekdays or for more than two hours during any non-peak traffic period, unless otherwise approved by the city manager.

(14)

Persons working in the right-of-way are responsible for obtaining line locates from all affected utilities or others with facilities in the right-of-way prior to any excavation. Use of a geographic information system or the plans of records does not satisfy this requirement.

(15)

Owner will be responsible for verifying the location, both horizontal and vertical, of all facilities. When required by the department, owner shall verify locations by potholing, hand digging or other method approved by the department prior to any excavation or boring.

(16)

Placement of all manholes and/or handholes must be approved in advance by the department. Handholes or manholes will not be located in sidewalks, unless approved by the city manager.

(17)

Locate flags shall not be removed from a location while facilities are being constructed.

(18)

When construction requires pumping of water or mud, the water or mud shall be contained in accordance with city ordinances and federal and state law and the directives of the department.

(19)

A person may be required to place certain facilities within the public rights-of-way underground according to applicable city requirements absent a compelling demonstration by the person that, in any specific instance, this requirement is not reasonable, not feasible or it is not equally applicable to other similar users of the public rights-of-way.

(20)

A person shall perform operations, excavations and other construction in the public rights-of-way in accordance with all applicable city requirements, including the obligation to use trenchless technology whenever commercially economical and practical and consistent with obligations on other similar users of the public right-of-way. The city shall waive the requirements of trenchless technology if it determines that the field conditions warrant the waiver, based upon information provided to the city by the person. All excavations and other construction in the public rights-of-way shall be conducted so as to minimize interference with the use of public and private property. A person shall follow all reasonable construction directions given by the city in order to minimize any such interference.

(21)

All facilities installed in the right-of-way shall be capable of being identified through a GIS shape file or other means as acceptable to the city manager or designee. Said identification shall be provided at the time of application and shall be visible on the facilities when installed.

(22)

Above ground wires shall be located on only one side of the right-of-way.

(23)

The right-of-way user or contractor must obtain any needed permits for electrical work and provide sealed engineered drawings for conduit size, circuit size, calculations for amperage, or any other required information. Provider shall be responsible for obtaining any required electrical power service to any installation. Any such electrical supply must be separately metered and must match city infrastructure voltage and shall not require the installation of a separate or new pole. Such meter shall have a ground box.

(24)

Right-of-way users shall complete construction as expeditiously as possible and lane closures or work that inconveniences the traveling public shall be minimized. Lane closures shall not last longer than four hours, unless a different period of time is shown on the permit. A traffic control plan is required for all lane closures, regardless of whether a permit is required.

(25)

Right-of-way work shall be completed in the amount of time shown on the permit; but if no completion time is shown on the permit the work shall be complete in not more than six months. If no time is shown for permit expiration, the permit shall expire not later than six months from the date it was issued.

(26)

All right-of-way work and facilities installed shall be done in a good workman like manner; shall meet all applicable codes; shall be maintained and kept in good repair and shall be aesthetically pleasing.

(27)

All efforts shall be made to avoid or minimize negative visual impact to the surrounding area and to enhance the safety requirement for vehicles and pedestrians, particularly in areas where small children or other vulnerable members of the population may be located.

(28)

Installations which require ancillary ground equipment with a footprint of 25 square feet or more shall be spaced at least 300 feet apart.

(29)

The name, address and phone numbers of the contractor or subcontractor who will perform the actual construction, including the name and telephone number of an individual with the contractor who will be available at all times during construction. Such information shall be required prior to the commencement of any work.

(30)

A statement that the requirements of section 20-8, registration, are met.

(31)

A traffic control plan, which shall specify the traffic control measures to be provided, SWPPP, and trench safety plan may also be required based on the proposed scope of work. An approved traffic control plan shall be required any time work will require traffic lane closures or sidewalk closures, regardless of whether a permit is required.

(32)

A traffic control plan approved by the city manager, which shall specify the traffic control measures to be provided, SWPPP, and trench safety plan may also be required based on the proposed scope of work. An approved traffic control plan shall be required any time work will require traffic lane closures or sidewalk closures, regardless of whether a permit is required.

(33)

Any proposed work that involves the installation of facilities shall not cause any interference with city public safety radio system, traffic signal light system or other city communications systems or components, regardless of whether or not a permit is required. The right-of-way user shall provide evidence in a form acceptable to the city that the proposed installation will be compatible with said city systems and will not cause any interference with the city public safety radio system, traffic signal light system or other city communications systems or components. No installation shall be allowed to be installed or to remain in the right-of-way that causes any such interference.

(34)

All facilities installed in the right-of-way shall be in earth tone colors or in colors that blend with the surroundings, or if on a service pole or municipally owned pole shall match the color and finish of the pole, or must be approved by the city.

(b)

To the extent applicable, the above requirements shall continue during the entire time that the installed facilities remain in the right-of-way.

(Ord. No. 2000-41, § 2, 4-18-00; Ord. No. 2017-049, § 2, 8-15-17)