HomeMy WebLinkAbout40-19RESOLUTION 40-19
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF :THE TOWN OF LOS ALTOS HILLS
FOR THE FORMATION OF AN UNDERGROUND UTILITY DISTRICT IN THE
AREA AROUND THE EL MONTL FIDE STATION
WHEREAS, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has authorized electric and
telecommunication utilities to convert overhead utility lines and facilities to underground
pursuant to Electric Rule 20 and Telecommunication Rule 32; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to certain criteria, CPUC rules allow participating cities and counties
to establish legislation authorizing the creation' of underground utility districts within which
existing overhead electric distribution and telecommunication distribution and service
facilities will be converted to underground; and
WHEREAS, the Town of Los Altos Hills, has adopted an ordinance, codified as Chapter 3
UNDERGROUND UTILITY DISTRICTS under Title 7 Public Works in the Town of Los
Altos Hills Municipal Code, authorizing the City Council to designate -areas within which all
existing overhead. poles, overhead wires and overhead equipment associated with the
distribution of electric power, telecommunication services and cable television should be
removed and replaced with underground wires and facilities; and
WHEREAS, the Town in consultation with the Los Altos Hills County Fire District (Fire
District) has determined that the public necessity, health, safety, or welfare requires
undergrounding the existing overhead utilities and removal of the utility poles in the area
around the El Monte Fire Station. would allow the Town to maintain an unobstructed
emergency route that would otherwise be blocked if the roadways were blocked by fallen
utility poles; and
WHEREAS, the Director of Public Works for the Town, -of Los Altos Hills has consulted with
the affected public utilities and such utilities have agreed that the proposed underground
conversion district, designated an Underground Utility District in the area around the El Monte
Fire Station and more particularly described in Exhibit A attached hereto and incorporated
herein by reference, meets the criteria established by the rules of the CPUC, to wit,
That the street or road or right-of-way is extensively used by the general public and
carries a heavy volume of pedestrian or vehicular traffic, and
That the street or road or right-of-way is considered an arterial street or major collector
as - defined in the Governor's Office of Planning and Research General Plan
Guidelines, and
WHEREAS, each year the Town. of Los Altos Hills is notified by PG&E regarding the
allocation of work credits for conversion of overhead electric distribution lines and facilities
to underground, known as Rule 20A allocations; and
Resolution 40-19 Page 1
WHEREAS, the Director of Public Works for Town of Los Altos Hills has consulted with
PG&E and determined that the City has accumulated Rule 20A work credits and PG&E has
agreed that the City may borrow against future credits as part of the funding required for the
proposed overhead to underground conversion project; and .
WHEREAS, the Town of Los Altos Hills and the affected utilities have agreed that each
utility shall complete the engineering of their respective portion of the Overhead to
Underground Utility Conversion Project in the area around the El Monte Fire Station; and
WHEREAS, the Town of Los Altos Hills and the affected utilities have agreed that PG&E
shall be responsible for preparation of the trench profile and composite drawings and that
PG&E shall be designated as "trench lead" to manage trenching, installation of substructures,
and pavement restoration and such other work; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the Town of Los Altos Hills has now received the report
from the Director of Public Works recommending that the area identified in Exhibit A should.
be designated as an underground utility district within which all existing overhead poles,
overhead wires and overhead equipment associated with the distribution of electric power,
telecommunication services and cable television should be removed and replaced with
underground wires and facilities; and
WHEREAS, upon the recommendation of the Director of Public Works, the City Council of
the Town of Los Altos Hills has determined that the proposed Underground Utility District in
the area around the El Monte Fire Station is categorically exempt from environmental review
pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act; and
WHEREAS, the Town of Los Altos Hills has notified all affected property owners within the
proposed Underground Utility District in the area around the El Monte Fire Station and
inviting same to attend a public hearing to discuss formation of the proposed district; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the Town of Los Altos Hills held public hearings at which
time the Council did receive and consider the recommendation of the Director of Public Works
and did hear any and- all objections or protests that were raised by the owners of property
Within the. above described district pertaining to designating this area an underground utility
district;
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the Town of Los Altos Hills does RESOLVE as
follows:
SECTION 1. The public interest requires the removal of all existing utility poles,
excepting those poles supporting streetlights or traffic signals, if applicable, overhead wires
and associated overhead structures and installation of underground wires and facilities for
supplying electric power, communication, or similar associated services within the areas as
shown in Exhibit A, attached hereto, with such area being designated as the Underground
Utility District in the area around the El Monte Fire Station; and
Resolution 40-19 Page .2
SECTION 2. That the utility companies, cable television services and other affected
services shall commence work on installation of underground facility installation in
Underground Utility District in the area around the El Monte Fire Station and that as each
phase of the project is complete and ready for conversion from overhead to underground utility
facilities, all fronting property owners shall be notified, of the schedule for conversion of
utility service lines; and
SECTION 3. The electric utility shall use the underground conversion allocation
computed pursuant to decisions of the California Public Utilities Commission for the purpose
of providing to each premises requiring it in an Underground Utility District in the area around
the El Monte Fire Station a maximum of one hundred feet of individual electric service
trenching and conductor (as well as backfill, paving and conduit, if required) and each other
serving utility shall provide service trenching and conductor in accordance with its rules and
tariffs on file with the California Public Utilities Commission or as. required by its Franchise
Agreement with the Town of Los Altos Hills, and
SECTION 4. The electric utility shall use said underground conversion allowance
allocation, up to a maximum amount of $1500 per service entrance excluding permit fees, for
the conversion of electric service panels to accept underground service in the Underground
Utility District in the area around the El Monte Fire Station, and each property owner shall be
financially responsible for any and all costs not covered by the electric utility for the
installation and maintenance of the conduit and termination box located on, under or within
any structure on the premises served pursuant to Section 7-3.09 of the Los Altos Hills
Municipal Code; and
SECTION 5. That upon notification as specified in Section 2, all property owners in
an Underground Utility District in the area around the E1 Monte Fire Station shall have
underground electrical entrance facilities installed and inspected pursuant to the Town of Los
Altos Hills Electrical Code and Chapter 3 UNDERGROUND UTILITY DISTRICTS under
Title 7 Public Works in the Town of Los Altos Hills Municipal Code; and
SECTION 6. That upon completion of the underground distribution system, the
electrical utility is authorized to discontinue overhead electric service in the Underground
Utility District; and
SECTION 7. That once all services have been converted from overhead to
underground, the utility companies, cable television services and other affected services shall
remove all poles (except as specified above) and associated overhead facilities in an
Underground Utility District in the area around the El Monte Fire Station, by approximately
December 31, 2027.
The above and foregoing Resolution was passed and adopted by the City Council of the Town
of Los Altos Hills at a regular meeting held on the 20th day of June 2019 by the following
vote:
Resolution 40-19 Page 3
AYES: Spreen, Wu, Corrigan, Tankha, Tyson
NOES: None
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: None
BY:
ger Spr en, Mayor
ATTEST:
Deborah Padovan, City Clerk
Resolution 40-19 Page 4
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Resolution 40-19
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