For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ABANDONED FACILITY. A facility no longer in service or physically disconnected from a portion of the operating facility, or from any other facility, that is in use or still carries service. A facility is not abandoned unless declared so by the right-of-way user.
APPLICANT. Any person requesting permission to excavate or obstruct a right-of-way.
CITY. The City of Forest Lake, Minnesota. For purposes of § 98.28, city also means the city's elected officials, officers, employees, and agents.
COLLOCATE or COLLOCATION. To install, mount, maintain, modify, operate, or replace a small wireless facility on, under, within, or adjacent to an existing wireless support structure or utility pole that is owned privately or by the city or other governmental unit.
COMMISSION. The State Public Utilities Commission.
CONGESTED RIGHT-OF-WAY. A crowded condition in the subsurface of the public right-of-way that occurs when the maximum lateral spacing between existing underground facilities does not allow for construction of new underground facilities without using hand digging to expose the existing lateral facilities in conformance with M.S. § 216D.04, Subd. 3, over a continuous length in excess of 500 feet.
CONSTRUCTION PERFORMANCE BOND. Any of the following forms of security provided at the permittee's option:
(1) Individual project bond;
(2) Cash deposit;
(3) Security of a form listed or approved under M.S. § 15.73, Subd. 3;
(4) Letter of credit, in a form acceptable to the city;
(5) Self-insurance, in a form acceptable to the city; or
(6) A blanket bond for projects within the city, or other form of construction bond, for a time specified and in a form acceptable to the city.
DEGRADATION. A decrease in the useful life of the right-of-way caused by excavation in or disturbance of the right-of-way, resulting in the need to reconstruct such right-of-way earlier than would be required if the excavation or disturbance did not occur.
DEGRADATION COST. Subject to Minn. Rules, Part 7819.1100, means the cost to achieve a level of restoration, as determined by the city at the time the permit is issued, not to exceed the maximum restoration shown in Plates 1 to 13, set forth in Minn. Rules, Parts 7819.9900 to 7819.9950.
DEGRADATION FEE. The estimated fee established at the time of permitting by the city to recover costs associated with the decrease in the useful life of the right-of-way caused by the excavation, and which equals the degradation cost.
DEPARTMENT. The Forest Lake Department of Public Works.
DELAY PENALTY. The penalty imposed as a result of unreasonable delays in the permitted work within the right-of-way, including construction, excavation, obstruction, patching, or restoration as established by a permit.
EMERGENCY. A condition that poses a clear and immediate danger to life or health, or of a significant loss of property; or requires immediate repair or replacement in order to restore service to a customer.
EQUIPMENT. Any tangible asset used to install, repair, or maintain facilities in any right-of-way.
EXCAVATE. To dig into or in any way remove, physically disturb, or penetrate any part of a right-of-way.
EXCAVATION, MAJOR. To dig into or in any way remove, physically disturb, or penetrate any part of a right-of-way greater than a depth of 7 inches below existing grade and more than 10 square feet of surface area.
EXCAVATION, MINOR. To physically disturb ground or vegetation up to a depth of 7 inches below existing grade and no more than 10 square feet of surface area with no impact to existing public infrastructure and no removal of or damage to existing paved surfaces, including sidewalks, trails, or roads.
EXCAVATION PERMIT. The permit which, pursuant to this chapter, must be obtained before a person may conduct a major excavation in a right-of-way. An EXCAVATION PERMIT allows the holder to excavate that part of the right-of-way described in such permit.
EXCAVATION PERMIT, MINOR. The permit which, pursuant to this chapter, must be obtained before a person may conduct MINOR EXCAVATION in a RIGHT-OF-WAY. A MINOR EXCAVATION PERMIT allows the holder to disturb that part of the RIGHT-OF-WAY described in such permit.
EXCAVATION PERMIT FEE. Money paid to the city by an applicant to cover the costs as provided in § 98.13.
FACILITY or FACILITIES. Any tangible asset in the right-of-way required to provide utility service.
FIVE-YEAR PROJECT PLAN. Shows projects adopted by the city for construction within the next 5 years.
HIGH DENSITY CORRIDOR. A designated portion of the public right-of-way within which telecommunications right-of-way users having multiple and competing facilities may be required to build and install facilities in a common conduit system or other common structure.
HOLE. An excavation in the right-of-way having a length that is equal to or less than the width of the pavement or adjacent pavement of the right-of-way for the section of the roadway where the work is occurring.
LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE. A local person or persons, or designee of such person or persons, authorized by a registrant to accept service and to make decisions for that registrant regarding all matters within the scope of this chapter.
MANAGEMENT COSTS. The actual costs the city incurs in managing its rights-of-way, including but not limited to: costs associated with registering applicants seeking permission to excavate or obstruct a right-of-way; issuing, processing, and verifying right-of-way or small wireless facility permit applications; inspecting job sites and restoration projects; maintaining, supporting, protecting, or moving user facilities during right-of-way work; determining the adequacy of right-of-way restoration; restoring work inadequately performed after providing notice and the opportunity to correct the work; and revoking right-of-way or small wireless facility permits. MANAGEMENT COSTS do not include payments by a telecommunications right-of-way user for the use of the right-of-way, unreasonable fees of a third-party contractor used by the city including fees tied to or based on customer counts, access lines, or revenues generated by the right-of-way or for the city, the fees and cost of litigation relating to the interpretation of Minnesota Session Laws 1997, Chapter 123, M.S. §§ 237.162 or 237.163, or any ordinance enacted under those sections, or the city fees and costs related to appeals taken pursuant to § 98.30 of this chapter.
MICRO WIRELESS FACILITY. A small wireless facility that is no larger than 24 inches long, 15 inches wide, and 12 inches high, and whose exterior antenna, if any, is no longer than 11 inches.
OBSTRUCT. To place any tangible object upon a right-of-way so as to hinder free and open passage over that or any part of the right-of-way.
PATCH or PATCHING. A method of pavement replacement that is temporary in nature. A patch consists of the compaction of the subbase and aggregate base, and the replacement, in kind, of the existing pavement for a minimum of 2 feet beyond the edges of the excavation in all directions. A patch is considered full restoration only when the pavement is included in the city's 5-year project plan.
PAVEMENT. Any type of improved surface that is within the public right-of-way and that is paved or otherwise constructed with bituminous, concrete, aggregate, or gravel.
PERMIT. Has the meaning given "right-of-way permit" in M.S. § 237.162.
PERMITTEE or PERMIT HOLDER. Any person to whom a permit to excavate or obstruct a right-of-way has been granted by the city under this chapter.
PERSON. An individual or entity subject to the laws and rules of this state, however organized, whether public or private, whether domestic or foreign, whether for profit or nonprofit, and whether natural, corporate, or political.
REGISTRANT. Any person who has or seeks to have its equipment or facilities located in any right-of-way, or in any way occupies or uses, or seeks to occupy or use, the right-of-way or place its facilities or equipment in the right-of-way.
RESTORE or RESTORATION. The process by which an excavated right-of-way and surrounding area, including pavement and foundation, is returned to the same condition and life expectancy that existed before excavation.
RESTORATION COST. The amount of money paid to the city by a permittee to achieve the level of restoration according to Plates 1 to 13 of Minnesota Public Utilities Commission rules set forth in Minn. Rules, Parts 7819.9900 to 7819.9950.
RIGHT-OF-WAY or PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY. The area on, below, or above a public roadway, highway, street, cartway, bicycle lane, or public sidewalk in which the city has an interest, including other dedicated rights-of-way for travel purposes and utility easements of the city. A right-of-way does not include the airwaves above a right-of-way with regard to cellular or other non-wire telecommunications or broadcast service.
RIGHT-OF-WAY PERMIT. The EXCAVATION PERMIT or MINOR EXCAVATION PERMIT, depending on the context, required by this chapter.
RIGHT-OF-WAY USER.
(1) A telecommunications right-of-way user as defined by M.S. § 237.162, Subd. 4; or
(2) A person owning or controlling a facility in the right-of-way that is used or intended to be used for providing utility service, and who has a right under law, franchise, or ordinance to use the public right-of-way.
SERVICE or UTILITY SERVICE. Includes, but is not limited to:
(1) Those services provided by a public utility as defined in M.S. § 216B.02, Subds. 4 and 6;
(2) Services of a telecommunications right-of-way user, including transporting of voice or data information;
(3) Services of a cable communications systems as defined in M.S. Ch. 238;
(4) Natural gas or electric energy or telecommunications services provided by a governmental unit;
(5) Services provided by a cooperative electric association organized under M.S. Ch. 308A; and
(6) Water and sewer, including service laterals, steam, cooling, or heating services.
SERVICE LATERAL. An underground facility that is used to transmit, distribute, or furnish gas, electricity, communications, or water from a common source to an end-use customer. A SERVICE LATERAL is also an underground facility that is used in the removal of wastewater from a customer's premises.
SMALL WIRELESS FACILITY.
(1) A WIRELESS FACILITY that meets both of the following qualifications:
(a) Each antenna is located inside an enclosure of no more than 6 cubic feet in volume or, in the case of an antenna that has exposed elements, the antenna and all its exposed elements could fit within an enclosure of no more than 6 cubic feet; and
(b) All other wireless equipment associated with the small wireless facility, excluding electric meters, concealment elements, telecommunications demarcation boxes, battery backup power systems, grounding equipment, power transfer switches, cutoff switches, cable, conduit, vertical cable runs for the connection of power and other services, and any equipment concealed from public view within or behind an existing structure or concealment, is in aggregate no more than 28 cubic feet in volume.
(2) A SMALL WIRELESS FACILITY shall also include a MICRO WIRELESS FACILITY as defined in this section.
SUPERINTENDENT or PUBLIC WORKS SUPERINTENDENT. The Superintendent of the Department of Public Works, or his or her designee.
SUPPLEMENTARY APPLICATION. An application made to excavate or obstruct more of the right-of-way than allowed in, or to extend, a permit that had already been issued.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS RIGHT-OF-WAY USER. A person owning or controlling a facility in the right-of-way, or seeking to own or control a facility in the right-of-way, that is used or is intended to be used for providing wireless service, or transporting telecommunication or other voice or data information. For purposes of this chapter, a cable communication system defined and regulated under M.S. Ch. 238, and telecommunication activities related to providing natural gas or electric energy services, a public utility as defined in M.S. § 216B.02, a municipality, a municipal gas
or power agency organized under M.S. Ch. 453 and 453A, or a cooperative electric association organized under M.S. Ch. 308A, are not telecommunications right-of-way users for purposes of this chapter except to the extent such entity is offering wireless service.
TEMPORARY SURFACE. The compaction of subbase and aggregate base and replacement, in kind, of the existing pavement only to the edges of the excavation. It is temporary in nature except when the replacement is of pavement included in the city's 2-year project plan, in which case it is considered full restoration.
TRENCH. An excavation in the pavement, with the excavation having a length equal to or greater than the width of the pavement.
TWO-YEAR PROJECT PLAN. A plan which shows projects adopted by the city for construction within the next 2 years.
UTILITY POLE. A pole that is used in whole or in part to facilitate telecommunications or electric service.
WIRELESS FACILITY. Equipment at a fixed location that enables the provision of WIRELESS SERVICES between user equipment and a wireless service network, including equipment associated with wireless service, a radio transceiver, antenna, coaxial or fiber-optic cable, regular and backup power supplies, and a SMALL WIRELESS FACILITY, but not including wireless support structures, wireline backhaul facilities, or cables between utility poles or wireless support structures, or not otherwise immediately adjacent to and directly associated with a specific antenna.
WIRELESS SERVICE. Any service using licensed or unlicensed wireless spectrum, including the use of wi-fi, whether at a fixed location or by means of a mobile device, that is provided using wireless facilities. WIRELESS SERVICE does not include services regulated under Title VI of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, including cable service.
WIRELESS SUPPORT STRUCTURE. A new or existing structure in a right-of-way designed to support or capable of supporting SMALL WIRELESS FACILITIES, as determined by the city.
(Ord. 679, passed - -2018)