§ 5.5.04 STREET IMPROVEMENTS.
   (A)   General provisions.
      (1)   All street construction shall be in accordance with the latest edition of the State Department of Transportation, Division of Highways, "Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction."
      (2)   The final surfacing and curb shall not be placed on streets following significant street and/or utility construction until after May 1 of the year following utility construction; except with the approval of the Common Council. All final surfacing and curb construction shall be completed by October 31.
      (3)   All sanitary sewer, sanitary sewer services, watermain, water services, storm sewer, natural gas, cable TV, telephone and underground electrical power shall be installed at least 1 year prior to placing the final street surfacing unless exempted by special action of the Common Council.
      (4)   No utility trenches shall be cut into newly paved streets within 5 years from date of final surfacing except in an emergency. The City Administrator and/or the Public Works Director, or his duly appointed agent, at their discretion, may jointly permit cuts into a new street and authorize the Public Works Director or his duly appointed agent to issue a street cut permit. Repair of said street cut shall parallel new street construction (i.e., sand lift, compacted and surface material to match the existing surface material). Whenever any such work is performed by the City, or at the request of the City, all costs of such work shall be paid by the property owner, within 30 days from billing. Upon failure to make such payment within said 30 days, such costs shall be charged against the affected property as a special assessment.
(Am. Ord. 472, passed 8-21-84)
   (B)   Street Improvement Plan. The City shall establish a 5 Year Capital Street Improvement Plan.
      (1)   Priorities for the initial 5 year plan shall be recommended by the Public Works Committee with the approval by the Council. Each year thereafter, the committee shall update the plan by adding a fifth year project, keeping in mind the spirit of the resolution to produce an orderly program of street improvement.
      (2)   The Public Works Committee shall, in their budget proposal, budget to do at least 1 block each year and more if budget limits permit.
      (3)   Each street improvement project shall be constructed in its entirety if conditions dictate (upgrade sewer lines, lower water main to prevent freezing, install sewer and water laterals to vacant lots). All improved streets shall include curb and gutter and hard surface.
   (C)   Grade of streets; damages.
      (1)   The Council shall establish the grade of all streets and alleys in the City, and change and reestablish the same as it may deem expedient; provided, that whenever it shall change or alter the permanently established grade of any street, any person sustaining damages to his property on such street shall have a right to recover such damages in the manner set forth herein.
      (2)   The grade of all streets shall be established and described, and the adoption of such grades and all alterations thereof shall be recorded by the City Clerk. No street shall be worked until the grade thereof is established and recorded in the manner herein set forth.
   (D)   Street construction or reconstruction standards.
      (1)   Reconstruction of existing unsurfaced or deteriorated surfaced local streets.
         (a)   Minimum width.
            1.   26 feet on streets with no parking allowed; or
            2.   36 feet on streets where parking will be allowed.
         (b)   Minimum construction standards.
            1.   18" pit run.
            2.   30" concrete curb and gutter.
            3.   6" crushed aggregate base course.
            4.   3" bituminous surfacing.
      (2)   Construction of new local streets for new street openings.
         (a)   Minimum width: 36 feet for streets (cul-de-sac: 32 feet width).
         (b)   Minimum construction standards.
            1.   18" pit run.
            2.   30" concrete curb and gutter.
            3.   6" crushed aggregate base course.
            4.   3" bituminous surfacing.
      (3)   Bituminous overlay of existing bituminous or concrete surfaced local streets:
         (a)   Only streets with suitable existing bituminous or concrete surfacing and base course as determined by the Director of Public Works and Public Works Committee shall be overlaid.
         (b)   Overlay thickness shall be determined by the Director of Public Works and Public Works Committee.
         (c)   Overlay width shall be the existing width of the street.
         (d)   Overlay shall not be over curbing and existing blacktop shall be a minimum of 4 feet on both sides to allow matching of surfaces.
      (4)   Other streets: Other streets shall be those not designated local, such as collector and arterial streets, as included on the current Medford "Functional Street System Map" and other streets serving commercial and industrial areas.
         (a)   Minimum width: 40 feet.
         (b)   Construction standards to be determined by an engineering study considering soil type and traffic volumes.
   (E)   Special assessments for improvements to existing streets open to travel prior to January 1, 1981.
      (1)   Existing unsurfaced local streets: Street construction consisting of tree, grading, construction of base course, adjustment of manhole castings, and boulevard restoration shall be completed by the City or a City contractor and the cost assessed to the City.
      (2)   Bituminous overlay construction of existing bituminous or concrete surfaced local streets.
      (3)   Expected useful life:
         (a)   Concrete pavement: 30 years.
         (b)   Hot laid bituminous pavement: 15 years.
         (c)   Cold laid bituminous pavement: 7 years.
         (d)   Turnover and seal cost: 5 years.
         (e)   Curb and gutter.
            1.   With concrete pavement: 30 years.
            2.   All others: 15 years.
      (4)   Assessment cost.
         (a)   Unsurfaced local streets.
            1.   Curb and gutter 100% of cost assessed to abutting property.
            2.   Hard surfacing.
               a.   One-third of cost to each abutting property owner.
               b.   One-third of cost to City.
         (b)   Overlay construction after useful life.
            1.   One-third of cost to each abutting property owner.
            2.   One-third of cost to City.
         (c)   Expected useful life period: City will maintain during expected useful life.
      (5)   Bituminous overlay and reconstruction on existing bituminous or concrete surfaced streets other than residential streets: Bituminous overlays or reconstruction of streets other than local as indicated on the Medford "Functional Street System Map" shall be constructed by the City or a City contractor. The assessment to abutting frontage shall be an amount equal to the current estimated assessment for an overlay or reconstruction on an existing surfaced street consistent with subdivision (E)(2) of this section. Additional construction costs will be paid by the City or grants-in-aid.
   (F)   Special assessments for new streets and roads. Refer to Chapter 15.5.17 - Other Financial Conditions.
   (G)   Excavation in street or alley right-of-way. All public utilities, private utilities, and private contractors shall obtain a street cut permit prior to digging, excavating, trenching, augering or jacking within any street or alley right-of-way. The cost of the permit shall be established by Council, and the permit shall be issued by the Director of Public Works. The permit shall be subject to the following conditions:
      (1)   The trench backfill shall be mechanically compacted to prevent settlement of the street in the location where such digging or excavation is done.
      (2)   The backfill materials shall be approved by the Director of Public Works.
      (3)   The street surface shall be restored to as good a condition as it was before such cutting, digging and excavating. Restoration shall be with like thicknesses and kinds of construction materials as originally existed or as determined by the Director of Public Works.
      (4)   Should said street settle or become defective because of such cutting, digging and excavating within a period of 2 years, the Director of Public Works may order repairs of said street at permittee expense.
      (5)   Any person or persons doing any work or causing same to be done which shall construct and maintain barricades and lights to prevent accidents and shall be liable for all damages caused by failure to do so or for negligence resulting from his carelessness in the prosecution of such work.
(Ord. 428, passed 10-7-80)