No person shall make any tunnel, opening or excavation of any kind in or under the surface of any street without first securing a permit from the municipality for each separate undertaking. However, any person maintaining pipes, lines or other underground facilities in or under the surface of any street may proceed with an opening without a permit when emergency circumstances demand the work to be done immediately, provided the permit could not reasonably and practically have been obtained beforehand. Such person shall thereafter apply for a permit on the first regular business day on which the office of the Service Director is open for business, and such permit shall be retroactive to the date when the work was begun. In all cases where emergency openings are necessary, the Police Department shall be notified prior to such opening.
(1974 Code, § 903.02)