Personnel and equipment of the District, are in many instances required to gain access to the Customer's property by traversing privately owned access routes. In many instances, the access routes include privately constructed roadways, driveways, and bridges that have not been constructed or maintained in accordance with state or county standards
While the Board of Commissioners of the District recognizes the responsibility to provide services to all persons and properties within the District, it also recognizes its responsibility to use reasonable means to protect District personnel and equipment from unreasonable risks that could result in injury to persons or damage to property.
In order to provide reasonable protection to District personnel and equipment without impairing the District's ability to provide service in all parts of the District, it is the policy of the District to impose the following requirements and conditions.
The District requires that all privately owned bridges have the maximum weight limit of the bridge, as determined by a qualified engineer, conspicuously posted on or adjacent to the bridge. The property owner shall furnish a copy of the engineering inspection report to the District.
In the event any bridge shall not be inspected or posted as required above, or in the event the weight of District vehicles shall exceed the posted limit, vehicles, other than light-weight vehicles, shall not be permitted to cross such bridge.
In the event the District should discover any private roads, over which District vehicles would be required to travel, that are deemed to be unsafe or unusable in the opinion of District personnel because of road grade, road width, unstable surface conditions, vehicle height limitations or other factors, the District vehicles shall not be permitted to travel on such roads.
In the event that District personnel shall become aware of any unsafe or un-posted bridge or unsafe private roadways, the District shall notify the reputed owners of all improved properties served by such bridge or roadway in writing of such fact as soon as is reasonably possible.
After having been notified by the District, Property owners who prevent District Representatives from accessing a tree on their property for the purpose of trimming or removal, that has been identified as a "danger tree" by a certified Arborist, and is in danger of falling onto the District's power lines or other District equipment, will be held responsible for all costs of repair and power restoration, should the "danger tree" fall onto the District's power lines or other District equipment.
The District requires safe and unobstructed access to its facilities at all times when outages occur or when property or life is threatened by unsafe conditions. Customers preventing immediate and unobstructed access to District facilities on their property, when outages or emergencies exist, will be held liable for damages and will be responsible for the cost to repair or replace damaged District facilities resulting from the inability to make emergency repairs in a timely manner.
Failure to comply with the current District Electrical Service Requirements and Facility Access Policy or pay any fees, costs or charges when due will result in any or all of the following:
Discontinuation of the Customer's services;
A deposit is charged to their account until the requirements of the District have been met;
If fees, costs or charges are outstanding, restriction on Customer opening additional accounts with the District until the amount is paid; and/or
Legal or other action as may be available to the District to collect those debts owed.
The District will not charge an additional fee to Customers who voluntarily comply with the District Electrical Service Requirements and Facility Access Policy within (30) thirty days of being notified by doing one of the following, provided the option chosen resolves the access issue.
Permanently remove the safety hazard, debris or obstruction; trim or remove brush or other vegetation; or take action in any other way necessary to comply with the District's required access distances.
If a Customer has a padlocked gate, allow the installation of a District padlock to ensure that both the Customer and District Representatives have access at all times to the Customer's property and District facilities.
Install a lockbox of their choice on or near their gate that will allow a District padlock to be installed. The lockbox will hold the Customer key or code allowing authorized District Representatives required access.
Program a District code, unique to each Customer, into the locking mechanism on their electronic gate.
Keep aggressive or dangerous animals at least 25' from District equipment and pathways or otherwise kenneled, penned, or secured, thus allowing District Representatives safe access at all times to District facilities on the Customer's property
All costs, with the exception of item "2", shall be in accordance with the current District Schedule of Deposits and Charges. Costs to Customers falling in category "2" shall be on a case-by-case basis. Customer shall sign any and all documents reasonably required by the District to assure Customer pays for the costs, fees and charges incurred
Customers with unrestrained aggressive or dangerous animals, Customers who in any way prevent or are unable to allow District Representatives safe and unobstructed access at all times to District facilities located on the Customer's property, or Customers who otherwise violate the District Electrical Service Requirements and Facility Access Policy shall choose among those applicable options in Sections 12 and 13 below, or face the consequences of Section 14 below.
A Customer's aggressive or dangerous animals shall, at all times, be kept restrained a minimum distance of25' from all meters, transformers, poles, and other District facilities on the Customer's property; including pathways required to access District facilities on the Customer's property. lf25'cannot be maintained, the animal must be kept inside a secure building or enclosure at all times to prevent its interfering with District Representatives' safe access to District equipment.
Customers with aggressive or dangerous animals that harm, threaten, or in any way endanger a District Representative will immediately be reported to the appropriate authorities.
Overhead power lines shall be accessible at all times for inspection, vegetation management, maintenance, repair, or replacement by authorized District Representatives or other utilities contractually authorized to attach their equipment to District poles.
All surface areas above underground cables, whether direct buried or in conduit, must be accessible for future District operations including, but not limited to, maintenance, location, repair, and replacement. The Customer shall not construct any structure, obstruction, or landscaping, over the buried cable route that would restrict access at any time. In the course of facility maintenance or replacement in easement areas, the District is not responsible for restoring such structure, obstruction, or landscaping to the original condition.
When feasible, all District poles located on a Customer's property shall have a minimum of 6' o unobstructed clearance around the pole and shall be located in an area accessible at all times by District truck.
No equipment, devices, or wiring, other than service entrance equipment belonging to a Customer, shall be attached to District-owned poles except with approval and by contract with the District. Any such attachments shall only be allowed in strict accordance with District specifications and regulations.
Customers and the general public are not allowed to attach satellite dishes, antennas, clotheslines, ropes, signs, fences or any other equipment to; drive nails or staples into; or deface District-owned poles.
District poles shall not be enclosed or obstructed in any way that will prevent the District's safe access by truck for maintenance, inspection, repair, replacement, or removal.
The Customer shall maintain a minimum clearance of 1O' in the direction of all doors on pad-mounted equipment located on their property; whether in front, back or on the sides of the equipment. A minimum clearance of 3' shall be maintained on sides or back of pad-mounted equipment without doors. A minimum clearance of 15' shall be maintained between District pad-mounted equipment and combustible fuel storage tanks including propane tanks. At no time shall any obstruction be built or placed on or above District pad-mounted equipment. (See Electrical Service Requirements Drawing - # 34)
Except when precluded by service voltage drop limits, pad-mounted equipment, and substructures shall be installed near property lines and along streets or unrestricted drive frontage such that the pad-mounted equipment is readily accessible at all times by truck. (See Electrical Service Requirements Drawing - # 12 & 34)
Transformers and other equipment shall not be located at the rear of the Customer's property unless unrestricted access is available by truck from an alley or street along their property line.
At no time shall access to the District's pad-mounted transformers and other padmounted equipment on the Customer's property be blocked by fences with locked gates, landscaping, trees, buildings, debris, vehicles, aggressive or dangerous animals, or other obstructions.
