(A) Permit. It shall be unlawful to use any vault, space, room or structure under any street or sidewalk in the Village without having first secured a permit therefor as is herein required. Such permits shall be issued by the Building Director on order of the Board of Trustees. Applications for a permit to use or maintain a vault, space, room or structure under any street or sidewalk in the Village shall be made in writing to the Building Director and shall state thereon specifically the size of the space intended to be used or maintained and the purpose for which it is to be used. Each application shall contain an agreement by the applicant to abide by all the regulations contained in this section.
(B) Bond. Each applicant for a permit to use or maintain a vault, space, room or structure under any street or sidewalk in the Village shall file with the application a bond in the sum of $5,000; with a surety to save the Village harmless from any liability resulting from or caused by any accidents from such vault, room or structure. In addition, each such applicant shall also file a certificate evidencing that the applicant has in force a general liability insurance policy in an amount not less than $100,000, which shall name the Village as an additional insured and shall insure the Village from any liability resulting from or caused by any accidents from the vault, room or structure. Each applicant will also be required to sign an agreement which states that the applicant shall hold the Village harmless from any liability the Village might incur resulting from or caused by any accidents from the vault, room or structure.
(C) Transfer. Whenever any premises abutting on any vault, space, room or structure under any street or sidewalk in the Village for which a permit has been issued, shall be conveyed, or whenever the interest, lease or right of occupancy of the person holding the permit shall be transferred or conveyed, the grantee or transferee must make application for a transfer of the permit to him and must furnish a bond as is required in this section. A fee of $40 shall be required for such transfer, and upon the payment of the fee and the full compliance with the contents hereof a new permit shall be issued.
(D) Annual fee. The annual fee to be paid for such permits shall be $50 for each 5,000 cubic feet or fraction thereof included in the vault, room or structure used or maintained under the permit.
(E) Protection of openings. All openings through the sidewalk or street into any vault, room or structure shall be kept covered and guarded. If the opening is a manhole or trap door, an adequate, strong, metal cover must be provided and such cover must be equipped with a rough surface. Such cover shall be flush with the sidewalk pavement.
(F) Storage of explosives or inflammable liquids; cesspools. No vault, space, room or structure under any street or sidewalk in the Village shall be used for the storage of explosives or of inflammable liquids nor shall a cesspool be located therein.
(G) Construction. Vaults, rooms, spaces or structures shall be firmly constructed so as to support the sidewalk over them, with the maximum load which the sidewalk will carry, with a margin of safety of 50% over this maximum load or weight. A minimum load of 250 pounds per square foot shall be provided for. The Building Director shall inspect all such rooms, spaces, vaults or structures to see to the enforcement of the provisions of this section.
(1997 Code, § 9.18) (Am. Ord. C0-00-22, passed 11-20-2000; Am. Ord. CO-09-27, passed 10-6- 2009; Am. Ord. CO-2021-21, passed 8-17-2021) Penalty, see § 10.99