Ordinance provides mechanism for neighborhoods interested in burying their utility lines.
In November 2006, the City Council passed an ordinance that provides a mechanism for interested residents to pursue burying the utility lines in their neighborhood. The Utility Improvement District ordinance requires 100% participation in order for the improvement district to be approved by the City Council. If there is a member of the district who does not want to contribute financially to the project, the City may still authorize those improvements on that resident’s property if the other members of the district are willing to fund that portion of the improvement. While the City will not contribute financially to these projects, it will dedicate staff time to determine the feasibility of the undergrounding project. The City facilitates the process by coordinating the project with residents and the utility companies.
The process for establishing a utility improvement district includes:
- Complete an application ($1,000 application fee)
- City staff report on the feasibility of the district
- Application considered by the City Council