Unless the particular provision or the context otherwise requires, wherever the following terms are used in the grading ordinance, they shall have the meaning ascribed to them in this section:
"Applicant" means any person seeking or receiving grading approval, in accordance with the terms of the grading ordinance, to perform grading after the issuance of a building permit or the approval of improvement plans, or to commence grading prior to such issuance or approval.
"Best management practices" means any program, technology, technique, process, siting criteria, operating method, measure or device which controls, prevents, removes or reduces pollution, erosion, and sediment transport, including, but not limited to, any best management practices required or implemented under the city's Stormwater Management and Discharge Control Code, set forth in Chapter 13.16.
"City council" means city council of the city of Sacramento.
"Civil engineer" means a professional engineer registered as a civil engineer by the state of California.
"Compaction" means the increase of density of a soil or rock fill by mechanical means.
"Cut (excavation)" means the removal of naturally occurring earth materials by manual or mechanical means, and the conditions resulting therefrom.
"Director" means director of the department of utilities of the city of Sacramento, or his or her authorized designees.
"Drainage waters" means surface waters which collect, or are accumulated, on the ground and which, by means of drainage ways or water courses, flow off the surface to larger rivers, streams, or lakes. Such waters shall include, but are not limited to, natural precipitation and irrigation waters.
"Drainage way" means a depression in the earth's surface such as a swale, ravine, gully, slough, draw, hollow, or ditch in which surface water collects for drainage.
"Earth material" means any rock, natural soil or fill and/or any combination thereof.
"Embankment (fill)" means the deposit of soil, rock or other materials placed by artificial means and the conditions resulting therefrom.
"Encroachment permit" means a written permit issued by the department of public works authorizing certain work within a publicly maintained right-of-way.
"Engineering geologist" means a registered geologist certified as an engineering geologist by the state of California.
"Erosion" means the washing or wearing away and transportation of earth material as a result of the movement of wind, water, or ice.
"Erosion and sediment control plan (ESC plan)" consists of a set of best management practices or equivalent measures designed to control surface runoff and erosion, retain sediment on a particular site and prevent pollution of site runoff during the period beginning when any preconstruction- or construction-related grading or soil storage first occurs, until all final improvements and permanent structures are completed.
"Excavation (cut)" means the removal of naturally occurring earth materials by manual or mechanical means, and the conditions resulting therefrom.
"Existing grade" means the elevation of the ground surface at a given point prior to excavating or filling.
"Fill (embankment)" means the deposit of soil, rock or other materials placed by artificial means and the conditions resulting therefrom.
"Finish grade" means the final grade of the site after excavating or filling which conforms to the approved final grading plan. The finish grade is also the grade at the top of a paved surface.
"Geologic hazard" means any condition in naturally occurring earth materials which may endanger life, health or property.
"Geotechnical engineer" means a civil engineer registered by the state of California who is qualified in the field of soil mechanics and soil engineering and has the authority to use the title "soil engineer."
"Grade" means the vertical location of the ground surface.
"Grading" means any land excavation or filling or combination thereof, or the removal, plowing under or burial of vegetative groundcover.
"Grading plan" means a plan prepared in accordance with this chapter showing grading and related work.
"Manual of standards" means a compilation of administrative procedures, technical standards and design specifications adopted by the city of Sacramento for controlling construction-related grading, surface runoff, erosion and sedimentation. This manual of standards shall be titled "Administrative and Technical Procedures Manual for Grading and Erosion and Sediment Control."
"Owner" means the legal owner of the property where the grading work is to be done, as shown on the latest equalized assessment roll in the office of the county assessor.
"Parcel (lot)" means the land described as a lot or parcel in a recorded deed or shown as a lot or parcel on a subdivision map or parcel map on file in the Sacramento County recorder's office.
"Permit" means either a building permit or a separate grading permit.
"Person" means any person, firm, corporation, or public agency whether principal, agent, employee, or otherwise.
"Post construction erosion and sediment control plan (PC plan)" consists of a set of best management practices or equivalent measures designed to control surface runoff and erosion and to retain sediment on a particular site after all final structures and permanent improvements have been erected or installed.
"Preliminary grading plan" means a plan that shows the proposed grading work in relation to the existing site prepared and submitted with the application for a grading permit.
"Rainy season" means the period of the year during which there is a substantial risk of rainfall. For the purpose of this chapter, the rainy season is defined as from October 1st to April 30th, inclusive.
"Rough grade" means the stage at which the grade approximately conforms to the approved plan.
"Sediment" means any material transported or deposited by water, including soil debris or other foreign matter.
"Site" means any lot or parcel of land or combination of contiguous lots or parcels of land, whether held separately or joined together in common ownership or occupancy, where grading is to be performed or has been performed.
"Slope" means an inclined ground surface the inclination of which may be expressed as the ratio of horizontal distance to vertical distance.
"Soil" means all earth material of any origin that overlies bedrock and may include the decomposed zone of bedrock which can be excavated readily by mechanical equipment.
"Vegetation" means plant life or total plant cover of an area.
"Watercourse" means any natural or manmade channel in which water flows continuously or intermittently in a definite direction and course, or which is used for the holding, delay or storage of waters, or which functions at any time to convey or store stormwater runoff. (Ord. 2003-058 §§ 1-2; prior code § 9.31.1505)