(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 City, the issuance of Permits to Persons for such use or occupancy, and to set forth the policies of the City 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 rights-of-way within the City unless such Person first obtains a Permit conforming to the requirements set forth therein and in this chapter.
(d) The policy of the City with regard to Rights-of-Way is hereby declared to be:
(1) To promote public safety and protect public property;
(2) To promote the utilization of Rights-of-Way for the public health, safety and welfare and to promote economic development in the City;
(3) 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 City's citizens and taxpayers at reasonable rates;
(4) To promote cooperation among the City 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.
(5) To ensure adequate public compensation for the regulation of the private use of the Rights-of-Way and regulation thereof; and
(6) 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. Use by the City shall have first priority;
B. Use by another governmental entity with City's concurrence shall have second priority;
C. Utility Telecommunications Permittees shall have third priority;
D. Wireless Facility Permittees shall have fourth Priority; and
E. Special Permittees shall have fifth priority
provided, however, that the City may reasonably require Rights-of-Way Permittees to cooperate to accommodate use by other Permittees, and provided further that the City Manager may alter these priorities when the City Manager reasonably determines a deviation therefrom 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 City or any of its operations.
(f) Unless otherwise specifically stated in a Permit, all Permits granted hereunder shall be nonexclusive.
(Ord. 97-61. Passed 6-17-97; Ord. 2018-16. Passed 6-19-18.)