(a) The purpose of this Chapter is to provide requirements for the use or occupation of any and all Rights of Way and Public Property in the Village, the issuance of Permits to Persons for such use or occupancy and to set forth the policies of the Village related thereto.
(b) This Chapter does not take the place of any franchise, license, or permit which may be additionally required by law. Each Permittee shall obtain any and all such additional franchises, licenses, or permits necessary to the operations and conduct of its business.
(c) No Person shall use, occupy, own or operate facilities in, under, or over any Right of Way within the Village unless such Person first obtains a Franchise and/or Permit conforming to the requirements set forth therein and in this Chapter.
(d) The policy of the Village with regard to Rights of Way is hereby declared to be:
(1) To promote public safety and protect public property;
(2) To promote the efficient utilization of Rights of Way for the public health, safety, and welfare.
(3) To assure that rights of way are environmentally and aesthetically protected;
(4) To promote economic development in the Village;
(5) To promote the availability of a wide range of utility, communication and other services, including the rapid deployment of new technologies and innovative services, to the Village's citizens and taxpayers at reasonable rates;
(6) To promote cooperation among the Village and Franchisees and Permittees in the occupation of Rights of Way, and work therein, in order to minimize public inconvenience during work in the Rights of Way and avoid uneconomic, unneeded, and unsightly duplication of facilities;
(7) To ensure adequate public compensation for the administration of the regulation of the private use of the Rights of Way; and
(8) To promote and require reasonable accommodation of all uses of Rights of Way and to establish the following priority of use of Rights of Way, when all requested usage of Rights of Way by Permittees cannot be accommodated:
A. The Village;
B. Another governmental entity with Village's concurrence or other uses required by law;
C. Utility Companies;
D. Telecommunications, General Permittees and Franchisees;
E. Special Permittees; and
F. Residential Permittees; provided, however, that the Mayor may reasonably require Right of Way Permittees and Franchisees to cooperate to accommodate use by other Permittees and Franchisees, and may alter this priority when the Mayor reasonably determines a deviation herefrom to be in the public interest.
(e) Nothing in this Chapter should be construed to apply the provisions of this Chapter to facilities owned or operated by the Village or any of its operations.
(f) Unless otherwise specifically stated in a Permit, all Permits or Franchises granted hereunder shall be nonexclusive.
(Ord. 1266. Passed 7-23-07.)