HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-03-22 City CouncilCity of Palo Alto
City Manager’s Report
5
TO:HONOIL&BLE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: UTILITIES
DATE:MARCH 22, 2004 CMR:178:04
SUBJECT:PUBLIC HEARING AND ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE
ESTABLISHING UNDERGROUND UTILITY DISTRICTNO.40
(1700 TO 1900 BLOCK OF EDGEWOOD DRIVE)
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that Council adopt the attached Ordinance to create Under~ound
Utility District No. 40 and thereby amend section 12.16.020 of Chapter 12.16 of Title 12
of the Pa!o Alto Municipal Code.
BACKGROUND
At its meeting of January 20, 2004, the Council passed Resolution of Intent No. 8393 to
establish Under~ound Utility District No. 40. The Council meeting of March 22, 2004,
has been set as the date of the Public Hearing on the matter. Notices announcing the
meeting with a description of the project and a copy of the Resolution were mailed to all
property owners in the proposed district on February 18, 2004.
The Electric Utility’s under~ounding project areas are selected and recommended to
SBC and Comcast based on the age and maintainability of the existing overhead electric
system. SBC and Comcast determine whether the recommended area meets the criteria
for under~ounding, based on the guidelines established by the California Public Utility
Commission (CPUC). The attached Exhibit "C" shows the existing and planned
underground districts. Underground Utility District No. 40 meets the City’s and CPUC’s
guidelines for under~’ounding overhead utility lines.
Cost-sharing of underground utility district projects has been detem~ined by A~eement
between the City, SBC, and Comcast. The cost for joint trench bid items is determined
using a space/cost allocation formula, which divides the minimum trench area required
for each trench occupant, individually, by the sum of the minimum trench areas for all
occupants.
CMR:178:04 Page 1 of 3
DISCUSSION
This under~ound project will result in the removal of 9 poles. All of the poles are
located along rear lot easements.Completion of this project wilt result in higher
reliability and improved aesthetics.
If an under~ound district is created, the Utilities Department will prepare plans and
specifications and obtain bids for installation of the under~ound substructure
construction. Underground substructure construction consists of the installation of
conduits, vaults, pads and boxes. The Utilities Deparm~ent will then install the electric
distribution cables, transformers and switches upon completion of the substructure
installation. After the new under~ound system (cable, transformers, switches, etc.) has
been tested and energized, the property owners will be notified that they have 60 days to
connect to the new underground system. Upon completion of the new connections,
Utility crews will remove the overhead power lines, and telephone crews will complete
the project by removing the remaining telephone and CATV facilities and poles.
RESOURCE IMPACT
The total cost of the project is estimated at $320,000. The majority of the cost will be for
the substructure installation for under~ound facilities ($180,000). The remaining money
will be utilized for desig-n engineering ($25,000), electric equipment and cables
($100,000), and removal of overhead facilities ($15,000). SBC and Comcast will
reimburse approximately $75,000 to the City for the installation of telephone and CATV
conduits and boxes in accordance to an a~eement with the three parties (discussed
above). Funds for the construction and installation of this project have been budgeted in
the 2003-2004 Electric Fund Capital Improvement Pro~am.
The cost of the required service conversions on private property is borne by the
individual owners in accordance with Utility Rule and Regulation No. 17. The total cost
for the property owners requiring service conversions from overhead to under~ound has
been estimated at $72,000. The property owners have been offered the option of
financing their service conversion costs over a period of ten years in accordance with the
procedure given in Section 12.16.090 through 12.16.096 of the Palo Alto Municipal
Code.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
This recommendation is consistent with the Council-approved Utilities Strategic Plan to
invest in utility infrastructure to deliver reliable service. The project furthers Pro~am L-
80 (the continuation of cit3~,vide undergrounding of utility wires) and L-81(the use of
compact and we!l-designed utility elements) of the Comprehensive Plan.
CMR:178:04 Page 2 of 3
TIMELINE
Once the public hearing is completed and if Council decides to proceed with the project,
then the following will occur as proposed:
Date
March 22, 2004*
Action
Introduction and first reading of Ordinance
Establishing Project Area as Undergound Utility
District No. 40
Second reading and adoption of Ordinance.
Award of construction contract and Joint Construction
Aueement with SBC!Comcast.
Substructure (conduits, vaults, etc.) installation by
Contractor
Installation of under~ound facilities (cable, switches,
etc.)
Resolution determining properties electing to pay
service conversion cost over a period of 10 years
Service conversion work by property o~ners
2.] April 5, 2004*
3.July 2004*
4.July 2004 through August 2004
5.September 2004 tl~ough October
2004
6.July 2004*
7.Noveriaber 2004 through December
2004
8. Pole removal and project completion I January 2005
*Denotes CouncilAction
ENX, rIRONMENTAL RE~.qEW
This project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act under
Section 15~0_.
ATTACHMENTS
A: Ordinance
B: Underuound Utility District No. 40 Boundary Map
C: Under~ound Conversion Projects ~
PREPARED BY:
PATRICK
Senior Electric
DEPARTMENT HEAD:
J
~f Utilities
ct Engineer.
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
HARRISON
Assistant City Manager
CMR:178:04 Page 3 of 3
***NOT YET APPROVED***
ORDINANCE NO.
ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO
AMENDING SECTION 12.16.020 OF CHAPTER 12.16 OF
TITLE 12 OF THE PALO ALTO M-GNICIPAL CODE BY
ESTABLISHING trNDERGROUND UTILITY DISTRICT NO. 40
The Council of the City of Pa!o Alto does ORDAIN as
follows:
SECTION i. Findings and Declarations.
finds and declares as follows:
The City Council
(a)This Council, on January 20, 2004, adopted
Resolution No. 8393, declaring its intention to amend Section
12.16.020 of Chapter 12.16 of Title 12 of the Palo Alto Municipa!
Code by establishing Underground Utility District No. 40 in the
City and by such Resolution appointed Monday, March 22, 2004, at
the hour of 7:00 p.m., in the Counci! Chambers, City Hal!, at 250
Hamilton Avenue, Pa!o Alto, California, as the time and place of
hearing protests and receiving evidence for and against the
proposed action and notice of direction.
(b) Notice was given of the time and place therein
stated in the manner provided by law, as appears from the
affidavits on file in the office of the City Clerk.
(c) This matter came on regularly for hearing at the
time therein fixed.
(d) All written protests and other written
communications were publicly read at this meeting and evidence duly
taken and al! persons desiring to be heard were fully heard.
(e) The public necessity, health and safety require the
removal of poles and overhead lines and associated overhead
suruc~u_es~ ’ r from that certain area described in Resolution No. 8393.
SECTION 2. Section 12.16.020 of Chapter 12.16 of Title 12
of the Palo Alto Municipal Code is hereby amended by adding
Subsection (40) thereto to read as fol!ows:
"(40) District No. 40. All of the area in the County
of Santa Clara, City of Palo Alto, encompassing the
areas contiguous with portions of the North side of
1700-1900 block of Edgewood Drive. Al! as more
particularly described as 1700-1900 Edgewood Drive
Underground Utility District Number 40," on file in
the office of the City Clerk."
040309 cl 0072373
***NOT YET APPROVED***
SECTION 3. The "Underground Utility District Maps" re~e_red
to in Section 12.16.020 shall be amended to add to the areas shown
on the map those referred to in Resolution No. 8393.
SECTION 4. The City Council hereby finds that the adoption
of this ordinance constitutes the approval of a project that is
categorically exempt from environmental review under the California
Environmental Quality Act.
SECTION 5. This ordinance shal! become effective upon the
expiration of thirty (30) days from its passage.
INTRODUCED:
PASSED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTENTIONS:
ABSENT:
ATTsST :
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Mayor
APPROVED:
Senior Asst. City Attorney City Manager
Director of Utilities
040309 d 0072373
2
CMR:178:04 - ATTACHMENT B
APPROV~-D
P, Vc~lc~±h
SR. ENGINEER/MANAGER
ENGP~ Jc~mshid
DR~N J~mshid
CHKD. p, Vc~lc~±h
1700-1900 Ed~ewood Dr.
UG Convffrsion
_ Project Boundary
.~\II~_. __.~_.. ~~ P,,,. L.]11-y o~ rmo ~to
REV.
mAP#
18
19
SAP# 4000057!5
DATE 1. APPFI
C~# SCALE
HD3 NTS
DESCRIPTION
W.O.# / DRAWING #
22103
SHEET 1 OF 1
CMR:178:04 - ATTACHMENT C ,
PROJECT