(a) All persons taking out permits to excavate within the street limits or public places of the City shall notify, forty-eight (48) hours in advance, the Utilities Protection Service and/or all utilities before commencing actual work and such utility companies shall furnish information necessary for the protection of their installations.
(b) The permit holder shall take all necessary working precautions and be responsible for any damage to existing utilities, such as sewers, sewer laterals, gas lines, water lines, electrical conduits, poles, railroad tracks, fences, buildings or other structures and facilities adjacent to the work, unless it can be proven that such damage was caused by faulty information, materials and maintenance provided by the utility company involved. All repairs shall be made to the satisfaction of the City.
(c) All underground utilities uncovered during the progress of the work shall be properly shored, and the work shall be conducted so as not to interfere with the operation of such utilities or endanger the operation of such utilities, without consent of the owners thereof.
(d) The permit holder shall further be responsible for maintaining the normal drainage with temporary structures and to maintain traffic, unless a permit is granted by the Director of Public Service and Safety to close such area to traffic. Every excavation or opening shall be guarded by barricades twenty-four (24) hours per day and shall be lighted during the time from sunset to sunrise with two or more lights. The permit holder shall save the City harmless from any and all damages to persons and property resulting from such excavation or opening or from want of reasonable diligence and care.
(e) The backfilling of any trench of a new sanitary sewer, lateral, storm sewer, inlet connection, water main, water service connection, gas main, electrical conduit, telephone conduit, etc., or the repair thereof, within the pavement or sidewalk area of any dedicated street or alley within the corporate limits of the City, or any other street or alley in which the City has jurisdiction, shall be made in the following manner.
(1) The first six inches to twelve inches over the pipe shall be of sand or fine earth. If earth is used, it must be free of any stones, brick or pieces thereof, broken concrete or any hard material that might damage the sewer, pipe or conduit and shall be thoroughly tamped to cinch the pipe in place.
(2) The remainder of the backfill to the bottom of the existing or proposed pavement and to the top of the existing surface of the street, shall be of an approved grade of sand, gravel, limestone, granulated slag, air cooled slag or other approved backfill. If limestone, granulated or air-cooled slag is used, the backfill shall be mechanically compacted in eight-inch layers, loose measurement, until the trench is completely filled. If the backfill is of sand or bank gravel, the City may waive the mechanical compaction and the trench thoroughly flushed with water.
(3) The material for backfill and the device for mechanically compacting the backfill must have the approval of the City.
(f) The permit holder shall be responsible to check and maintain excavations to grade until a final surface is made. If the permit holder fails to properly maintain the work, the City has the right to take whatever action is necessary to protect the public and invoice the permit holder for all costs associated with this action.
(g) The repair of the pavement or road surface shall vary depending upon the type of pavement and surface. However, when it becomes necessary to excavate an existing brick street, the same shall be restored with brick to as good as, or better than, the original condition. In all cases, repairs of the road surface shall be as directed by the Director of Engineering, Planning and Building, or designee. In the event a registered contractor, upon proper notification, fails to make the repairs within thirty days, the bonding company shall be notified to take the appropriate action to effect repairs. Failure of the bonding company to proceed immediately shall be cause for revocation of the registration of the contractor.
(h) In the event a street must be closed under a permit issued by the Director of Public Service and Safety or as a necessary function of a City contract, the permit holder or contractor shall notify the Fire and Police Departments.
(i) The Director of Public Service and Safety may, at any time, revoke any permit, or may elect to restore and replace any street, avenue, drive, alley, lawn, sidewalk, sewer, public ground or improvement, and charge the cost and expense thereof to the person obtaining such permit. Failure of a contractor to whom the permit was issued to pay such cost within sixty days will be sufficient cause to revoke the registration of such person.
(Ord. 11564/02. Passed 5-22-02.)