(A) A permit shall be required for the replacement, relocation, repair, modification or removal of any existing utility or facility and any manner or form of work relating to the construction or placement of a new utility or facility within the right-of-way of any county highway. For all provisions of this chapter, a single service connection permit shall be considered a utility or facility permit. All work associated with a utility or facility to be placed or already existing within the right-of-way of a county highway shall be performed at no cost to the county.
(B) Any public utility company, municipal corporation, or other public or non-public corporation, association or person may request permission to locate, place or construct upon, under, or along any highway, utilities or facilities provided that the entity receive written consent from the WCDOT in accordance with this chapter. The WCDOT has the right to deny, on a non-discrimination basis, any application for the placement of utilities or facilities for any reasonable cause or for safety concerns when such placement would, in the opinion of the WCDOT, be detrimental to current or future needs of the county highway system.
(C) A permit for work relating to a utility or facility shall be valid for a period not to exceed 90 days from the date of issuance and all rights arising from or created by such issued permit shall expire and terminate if the work contemplated under the permit has not been initiated. The County Engineer, upon written request, may extend the term of a permit for such a period of time as the County Engineer may determine. If the utility or facility work is to be completed as part of an access permit, the proposed utility or facility shall be included on the engineering plans submitted for that review process, but shall be permitted separately with a utility or facility permit.
COMMENTARY:
Examples of types of utilities can include, but are not limited to, electric lines, telephone lines, telecommunication lines, cable television lines, natural gas transmission lines, storm sewers, watermains, and sanitary sewer lines. Wireless antenna installation are covered under the "Wireless Telecommunication Facilities Ordinance".
(Ord. 20-231, passed 7-16-2020)