(a) Required. No person shall move, or cause to be moved, any building or oversize load upon, over, along, or across any highway without first obtaining a permit to do so from the Engineer as provided for in this chapter. Applications for such permits shall be made with the Engineer not less than forty-eight (48) hours prior to the proposed entry of any building or oversize load upon any highway within the City, which building or load:
(1) Exceeds sixteen (16) feet in width;
(2) Exceeds eighteen (18) feet in height;
(3) Is to proceed along non-designated truck routes; or
(4) Is judged by the Engineer to require advance notice.
The Engineer may shorten or extend such time period as he or she deems necessary or appropriate in order to carry out the provisions of this chapter. No person shall move or cause to be moved any building or oversize load upon, over, along, or across any highway contrary to the terms, provisions, and conditions of a permit issued hereunder by the Engineer or in violation of any provision of this chapter or of the Vehicle Code. This section shall not apply to an oversize load moved by a authorized public officer in the event of flood, fire, earthquake, or other public disaster or act of God, or for the purpose of national defense.
(b) Types of permits and fees. The following types of permits and fees shall apply for moving any building or oversize load within the City:
(1) One-day Permits. The Engineer may issue a one-day permit to move a specified building, or separate section thereof, or a specified oversize load on specifically designated City highways during a time specified by the Engineer.
(2) Temporary permits. The Engineer may issue a temporary permit to move any number of specified, identical, oversize loads on specifically designated City highways at specified times by six (6) or less specified vehicles for a time not to exceed thirty (30) consecutive calendar days.
(3) Annual permits. The Engineer may issue an annual permit to move any number of oversize loads on specifically designated City highways at specified times by six (6) or less vehicles as provided in the permit by the Engineer during a period of time not to exceed 365 consecutive calendar days provided each of such oversize loads does not exceed fourteen (14) feet in width, fifteen (15) feet in height, and one hundred (100) tons in gross weight and conforms to the weight, axle number, and wheel loading requirements of the State as provided in Cal. Veh. Code §§ 35550 and 35551. The Engineer may, at the time of the issuance of such annual permit, reduce the gross weight limitations set forth in this section provided the specifically designated City highways to be used in moving such oversize loads would, in his or her opinion, be materially damaged thereby.
(4) Fees: Deposits. All permits issued pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be accompanied by the fees established by the City by resolution of the Council to defray the costs of administering the provisions of this section, together with any deposits which may be deemed necessary.
(c) Public liability and property damage insurance. The applicant for the permit required by this section shall indemnify and save harmless the City and all officers and employees thereof from any suits, claims, or actions brought by any person or persons for, or on account of, any injuries or damages sustained because of, or arising from, moving or relocating any building or oversize load upon, over, along, or across City highways. The applicant shall furnish to the City, and maintain during the period for which a moving permit is issued, a public liability and property damage insurance policy insuring the City, and its officers and employees while acting within the scope of their duties, against all claims, suits, or actions arising out of or in connection with the movement of, or having on a City highway, a building or oversize load. Such policy shall provide coverage in amounts as determined by the Engineer, but not less than One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) for bodily injury for each person, Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000.00) for bodily injury for each accident, and property damage insurance of not less than One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00).
Such insurance or a certificate thereof shall be placed on file with the Engineer prior to the issuance of any moving permit.
(d) Permit information. The application for any moving permit required by this chapter shall be made on a form furnished by the Engineer and shall contain the following information:
(1) The present location and the proposed location to which the building or oversize load is to be moved;
(2) The length of time for which the permit is requested;
(3) A complete description of the vehicle or vehicles to be operated, including the make, license number, number of axles, wheel loading ratios, height, width, gross weight, and name of the registered owner of the vehicles. In the case of annual or temporary permits contemplating the use of more than one vehicle, the permittee may substitute or add vehicles or loads being operated or transported under such permit, upon the submission to the Engineer of the required information regarding such vehicles or loads and his or her approval thereof, by addendum to the permit at least twenty four (24) hours prior to their operation or transportation, along with any additional permit fees as are required;
(4) A complete description of the load to be moved, including the height, width, length, and gross weight of such load, and, if the request is for a temporary or annual permit for an oversize load, the number of trips contemplated for each load described. If the request is for moving a building, the number of sections in which the building or structure will be moved and the type and number of conveyances upon which the building or structure is to be moved;
(5) The proposed route or routes of travel for any movement of such building or oversize load upon, over, along, or across any City highway;
(6) The date and hour of the proposed entry onto, and the date and hour of clearance of the building or oversize load from, any City highway. In the case of temporary or annual permits for the movement of oversize loads, the proposed days and times during the day such movement will occur on City highways;
(7) Such other information and data as the Engineer determines is necessary and required to carry out the provisions of this chapter; and
(8) If the application is for moving a building within the City, the application shall be accompanied by a certificate in writing from the Chief Building Official to the effect that the Building Department has issued a permit and approved the relocating of such building within the City in compliance with City building regulations.
(e) Conditions for granting permits. The Engineer shall have the right to require any reasonable conditions for granting a permit to move, or cause to move, any building or oversize load upon, over, along, or across any public highway and to take all actions he deems necessary to protect the public highway or property of any person and the public health, peace, safety, and welfare, including, but not limited to, the following:
(1) The right to inspect all rollers, trucks, wheels, dollies, tractors, or other proposed apparatus or equipment proposed to be used in the moving operations and the right to require the use of only such apparatus and equipment as in his judgment will not cause injuries to highways, pavement, or other property or persons;
(2) The right to restrict the number of trips and the weight, length, width, height, and size of a building or oversize load;
(3) The times and dates of the periods during which trips may be made;
(4) The right to require a police escort for all trips made under such permit as deemed necessary by the Police Chief to protect the public safety. The actual cost of such police escort shall be borne by the permittee, who shall make a deposit in advance;
(5) The right to require every person moving, or causing to be moved, any building or oversize load within the City to provide warning flags, extra lights, or reflectors in such locations on the building or oversize load so as to clearly indicate the existence of a hazard in all directions from which traffic may approach;
(6) The right to require the applicant to notify and obtain the written approval of any person or public utility whose property or facilities will be unduly disturbed or endangered by the applicant moving an overload upon, over, along, or across City highways. All costs for the protection of such property or facilities, or the relocation or temporary removal and replacement of the same, shall be home by the applicant;
(7) The right to require the moving of any building or oversize load to be accomplished under the supervision of a City Inspector. The permittee shall pay the City an amount equal to the compensation for, and transportation of, such inspector, plus overhead costs during the time he is assigned to inspect such move; and
(8) The right to require any other reasonable conditions he or she deems necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter and to protect the public health, peace, safety, and welfare.
(f) Issuance of permits. If, after receiving an application for a permit to move a building or oversize load, accompanied by the required fees and deposits and insurance or certificate thereof, and after the Engineer has determined within the reasonable period of time that the movement as proposed in the application will not be detrimental to the public health, peace, safety, and welfare, and that the permittee has complied with all fire, police, safety, sanitary, health, building, planning, and general welfare requirements of the pertinent rules, regulations, Codes, ordinances, and other laws of the City or State relating thereto in effect at the time, the Engineer shall issue a permit to move a building, or sections thereof, or an oversize load or loads subject to such reasonable terms, provisions, and conditions as required by this chapter and as he or she deems necessary to protect the public highways and property or structures of any person and the public health, peace, safety, and welfare. The granting of such permit shall in no way relieve the permittee from liability for damages to public highways or to any persons or property.
(g) Denial of permits. The Engineer shall have the authority, within his or her discretion, to deny the issuance of a permit if, in his or her opinion, the moving of a building or oversize load will cause damages to City-owned property or will be detrimental to the public health, peace, safety, and welfare or will be in violation of any pertinent rules, regulations, Codes, ordinances, and other laws of the City or State.
(h) Flammable and explosive materials. No person shall transport explosive, flammable, or corrosive materials by means of any building or oversize load within the City.
(i) Suspension and revocation of permits. The Engineer may at any time suspend or revoke a permit issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter when he or she has reasonable cause to believe a permittee has violated, or is causing or permitting a violation of, this chapter, including the conditions set forth by the Engineer in granting such permit or any pertinent laws of the City or the State or when it has been shown to his or her satisfaction that the activities so permitted are being conducted in a manner detrimental to the public health, peace, safety, or welfare of the City. The Engineer may also suspend or revoke any permit hereunder if he or she has probable cause to believe the permittee, or any agent, official, or employee of the permittee, has misrepresented, falsified, or concealed any material fact in the application therefor.
(j) Permits to be carried in vehicles or with operators. Every building or oversize load permit, or facsimile thereof, shall be carried in the vehicle to which it refers and shall be presented upon demand to any peace officer or duly authorized agent of the City charged with the care and protection of the City highways.
(§ 1, Ord. 1879, eff. February 5, 1976, as amended by § 1, Ord. 1893, eff. May 6, 1976)