City Council
MEETING DATE: 6/26/2017
TITLE:
Title
Resolution Amending Resolution No. 90-94, Master Undergrounding Plan (M.U.P.) to Add Additional Line Section Areas
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FROM:
Pat Milos - Community Development Director
John A. Corella, P.E. - City Engineer
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends the City Council adopt a Resolution amending Resolution No. 90-94 adopting the Master Undergrounding Plan (M.U.P.) to include and re-Prioritize the Line Sections as specified on Exhibit A of the M.U.P. to add Priority 1: Line Section - E. of Cathedral Canyon Drive, W. of Van Fleet Street and S. of East Palm Canyon Drive, N. of "D" Street with Voltage designated as Low/High; and Priority 2: Line Section - Ramon Road north alley, W. of Date Palm Drive with Voltage designated as Low/High; and reprioritize Resolution No. 90-94 M.U.P. Exhibit A Priorities 1 through 32 to Priorities 3 through 34.
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BACKGROUND:
Chapter 8.3 of the Cathedral Municipal Code (Code) establishes the cause, definitions and obligations with respect to the undergrounding of overhead utilities. These overhead utilities typically are for the provision of electrical service and may include other utility services, such as, telephone, cable service and/or traffic signal interconnect wires.
Chapter 8.3 further defines the type of wires and lines and the requirements for undergrounding new facilities, existing facilities, defining what is considered an underground project, establishment of underground districts, exceptions and appeals to this Chapter of the Code and the establishment of underground fees.
DISCUSSION:
The M.U.P. described in the Code is the plan that shows key community and regional transmission lines that are proposed to be undergrounded due to specific findings. These findings specifically address the City's effort to: 1. Reduce fire and electrical hazards; 2. Reduce electrical outages due to weather or human interaction; and 3. Reduce visual blight. The latter especially relates to the enhancement of the natural beauty and aesthetic environment of the City. The M.U.P. establishes construction priorities by location and importance.
The M.U.P., when first adopted, established a development fee for defraying the cost of undergrounding these designated and prioritized line sections. This fee of $0.15 per square foot was adopted by City Council Resolution when the M.U.P. was first established and is required to be paid by all new development projects. Credits against this fee can be given to projects that participate in undergrounding the M.U.P. Exhibit A specified Prioritized Line Sections.
The money collected through the M.U.P. fee is held in a designated fund and can only be spent on undergrounding projects within the City, but may be spent anywhere within the City regardless of where in the City they are collected.
It is Staff's obligation to review the M.U.P. to determine if the Line Sections and priorities are up to date and/or remove Line Section Priorities that have been completed. In Staff's latest review, it was determined that two Line Sections were omitted and comply with the findings requirements as outlined in the Code. In addition, these Line Sections were given new Priorities, 1 and 2 respectively. These Line Sections are as follows:
-- Priority 1: Line Section - E. of Cathedral Canyon Drive, W. of and Van Fleet Street and S. of East Palm Canyon Drive, N. of "D" Street and with Voltage designated as Low/High; and
--Priority 2: Line Section - Ramon Road north alley, W. of Date Palm Drive with Voltage designated as Low/High.
In addition, the original Resolution No. 90-94 M.U.P. Exhibit A Priorities 1 through 32 were determined to still meet the findings, but need to be reprioritized as 3 through 34.
Staff is requesting that the City Council adopt a Resolution amending Resolution No. 90-94 adopting the Master Undergrounding Plan (M.U.P.) to include and re-prioritize the Line Sections as specified on Exhibit A of the M.U.P.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no additional fiscal impact related to this action as the current M.U.P. fee of $0.15 per square foot will not change.
The M.U.P. fee has not changed since 1990. Staff is proposing to solicit a consultant to review the current M.U.P. fee and evaluate the Line Sections and costs to determine if any M.U.P. fee increases are merited. Staff will bring this before the City Council for review by separate action.
ATTACHMENTS:
Resolution including Exhibit A