935.07 SEWER TAPPER QUALIFICATIONS; LICENSE; REGISTRATION; BOND.

   No person shall tap, open or make connections with any sanitary or combined sewer within the City or cause the same to be done without first having procured a license and registering with the City in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 1333.

   In addition to meeting the requirements of Chapter 1333, an applicant must have a minimum of four years of acceptable experience in the construction of sewer lines. At least two years of his experience shall be as a foreman or field superintendent over a sewer construction crew or equivalent experience. The other two years experience shall be as a pipe layer or as an operator of sewer trenching equipment, such as a crane or backhoe, or equivalent experience.

   The applicant must possess all equipment necessary in the judgment of the City Engineer or his authorized representative, to adequately make connections to the public sewer system and to construct the related sewer systems being connected to the public sewer. Such equipment shall be of adequate capacity and maintained in proper working order so as to provide adequate performance at all times.

   A sewer tapper’s license shall authorize the licensee to tap, open and make connection with public sewers, drains and drainage facilities under the provisions of the ordinances of the City and laws of the State, provided that such license shall not be issued nor become effective until such applicant shall file with the Director of Finance a bond in the form prescribed by the City Engineer, with surety or sureties licensed to do business in the State and approved by the City Engineer in the amount of two thousand dollars ($2,000) and containing provisions that such licensee will indemnify and save harmless any person or the City from all loss or damage that may be either directly or indirectly occasioned by his opening, tapping or making connection with any public sewer or drain, or drainage facility, failure to properly perform the work or any work incident thereto. Should the surety or sureties withdraw from bond, or the bond for any reason becomes of no effect, then the license issued to such applicant shall immediately become void without notice.

   The owner of premises who is also the full-time resident shall not be required to post bond if he is deemed competent to perform the work set forth in this section and if he does personally perform the work. Provided that annual bonds covering all such work performed in the City by the same applicant shall be acceptable; and provided further that plumbers duly licensed and bonded pursuant to the regulations of the City Health Department shall not be required to post bond under this section.

   The licensee, in making excavations in any street, alley, public way or other public place shall in all respects be governed by the provisions of law and the ordinances of the City now in force or which may be hereafter adopted, regulating excavations. If the licensee violates any of the ordinances of the City or laws of the State relative to the excavating of streets or other public places, or the opening, tapping and/or connecting with public sewers, drains and drainage facilities, his license to operate will be subject to suspension and/or revocation in accordance with Section 1301.19.

   Any licensee who has his license suspended and/or revoked shall have the right to appeal such action in accordance with Section 1301.20.

   By acceptance of a sewer tapper’s license, the applicant assumes responsibility for restoring any pavement, curb, sidewalk, driveway, sewer pipe or appurtenance, shrubbery, lawn, or other facility in the public right of way which was disturbed or damaged by the operation.

   The City Engineer or his authorized representative shall have the authority to require the applicant before work is started in a public right of way, to have two men on the job: one operator of trenching equipment and one man as a pipe layer.

   Fraudulent statements or other misrepresentation made by the applicant in his application for a license, or failure to show adequate performance in laying of a sewer line, or failure to abide by any of the foregoing provisions, shall be grounds for the denial or revocation of the license.

(Ord. 07-074. Passed 5-1-07.)