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HomeMy WebLinkAboutReso 106-97 PbWk Maint PoliciesRESOLUTION NO. 106 - 97 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN ADOPTING AMENDED PUBLIC WORKS MAINTENANCE POLICIES WHEREAS, the City of Dublin adopted Public Works Maintenance Policies in February of 1990; and WHEREAS, the circumstances surrounding performance of work under certain of those policies have changed since the policies were originally adopted; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Dublin hereby adopts amended Public Works Maintenance Policies attached as Exhibit "A". PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 2nd day of September, 1997. AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: Councilmembers Barnes, Burton, Howard, Lockhart and Mayor Houston None None ]Von¢ g:~agenmisckresopol K2/G/9-2-97/resoplcy. doc CITY OF DUBLIN PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT MAINTENANCE POLICIES ADOPTED FEBRUARY 12, 1990 CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. 16-90 AMENDED SEPTEMBER 2, 1997 CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. '!06-97 The following policies are established guidelines for the City's maintenance responsibilities and procedures on public rights-of- way and for public facilities. The adoption of these policies is not intended to create a new or different standard of care against which the City's actions or omissions may be measured for the purpose of determining liability. These policies should not be construed to create liability on the part of the City where none previously existed, nor shall these policies be construed as a waiver of immunities or claim presentation requirements under the California Tort Claims Act. The performance of maintenance and repair as set forth in these policies is subject to the City's actual or constructive knowledge of a defect or dangerous condition, giving rise to the need for such maintenance and/or repair, the appropriation of funding for the maintenance and/or repair if additional funding is required, and the availability of City Staff to perform the maintenance and/or repair. g:\forms\pwpolicy 8/97 TREE TRIMMING RESIDENTIAL The residential tree trimming program is designed to provide right-of-way clearance of eight (8) feet above the sidewalk and sixteen (16) feet above the street. Only trees that are at the edge of the front yard (or side yard on a corner lot) are included in the City's annual tree-trimming program. No other private property trees will be trimmed by the City. Trimming will be limited to branches on the street side only. Notices will be delivered to residents whose trees are on the list approximately two weeks before the trimming is done. Residents will have an opportunity to do their own trimming if they wish. The maintenance department will do a survey and compile a list of trees needing trimming for right-of- way clearance. During the course of the year, residents may request to have their trees placed on the list for evaluation. The property owner is responsible for any damage that occurs as a result of a fallen tree or broken limb. The maintenance department may determine that a tree needs trimming immediately in order to alleviate a potential hazard over the public right-of-way. The maintenance crew may elect to do this trimming but will only remove growth that presents a hazard to the public right-of-way. Diseased trees are the responsibility of the property owner. The County Agricultural Commissioner is able to provide information regarding pesticides and disease control. Trees on private property that need to be removed are the responsibility of the property owner. If a tree in a planter strip is causing sidewalk damage and the property owner requests that the tree be removed, the City will remove it at no cost to the property owner. Bushes or shrubs that grow over the right-of-way are the responsibility of the property owner. Action will be taken on a complaint basis only. The property owner will be given notice that trimming is needed; if the property owner does not trim, the maintenance crew will do the trimming. CITY-OWNED TREES OR TREES WITHIN MAINTENANCE EASEMENTS City-owned trees located in sidewalk tree wells or in street medians on major arterials will be completely maintained by the City maintenance crew or its subcontractors, including, but not limited to, trimming, watering, fertilizing, and spraying for pest control. The cost of said maintenance will be paid by the City. Privately-owned trees located within maintenance easements in maintenance assessment districts will be completely maintained by the City maintenance crew or its subcontractors, as defined in Item 1 above. The cost of said maintenance will be paid by the property owners within the maintenance assessment district. 8/97 Page 2 WEED ABATEMENT Weeds that grow in the medians or other City right-of-way areas or that are in maintenance assessment district areas will be removed by the City. Weeds that grow on private property are the responsibility of the property owner and may be required by the Fire Department or Zoning Investigator to be cut in accordance with City ordinances. DRAINAGE o Drainage that ori.qinates on a city street or on City property will be maintained by the City. This includes drainage that runs across private property in pipes for which there is an easement. Drainage originating from private property, or private drainage passing through private property, is the responsibility of the property owner. The City has an annual catch basin cleaning and flushing program for storm drain catch basins within the public rightrof-way. If a resident reports a catch basin that is emitting an odor or otherwise needs cleaning, the maintenance crew will respond. Catch basins and drainage inlets on private property, including, but not limited to, those within parking lots, are the responsibility of the private property owner. Catch basin grate repair for City-maintained lines is a regular program through the Maintenance Department. Maintenance of private property concrete or earthen v-ditches or channels is the responsibility of the property owner (see Watercourse Ordinance No. 52-87). V-ditches within maintenance easements in maintenance assessment districts shall be maintained by the City, and the cost of that maintenance will be paid by the property owners within the maintenance assessment district. Channels which belong to or lie within easements dedicated to the Alameda coUnty Flood Control District (Zone 7) will be maintained by the ACFCD. SIDEWALK AND CURB AND GUTTER REPAIR The City has an annual sidewalk repair and maintenance program that is designed to eliminate hazardous sidewalk areas. This policy is a courtesy to residents and has been implemented on a one- year-at-a-time basis per City Council approval; maintenance of sidewalks is the legal responsibility of the property owner according to the 1911 Street Improvement Act. Residents that report hazardous sidewalk areas will be advised that a City inspector will determine whether their sidewalk may be put on the annual repair list. The maintenance department may provide temporary ramping if the situation warrants. However, the property owner is still legally responsible if an accident occurs as a result of the hazard, and if they wish to repair it sooner themselves, they may do so according to City specifications and by obtaining an encroachment permit. Page 3 8/97 Sidewalk that is damaged as a result of the resident's actions (such as driving a heavy vehicle over it) must be repaired at the property owner's expense. STREET SURFACE MAINTENANCE Pothole patching and emergency repair on public streets will be performed by the City's maintenance department. Temporary repair will be made within 24 hours of receiving notice that such repair is needed. Permanent repair will be accomplished as soon thereafter as possible. The City's pavement management program provides for regular repair and asphalt overlay or slurry seal of City streets. Slurry seal is scheduled on a five- to seven-year cycle. Street overlay is programmed based on the severity of the street distress and the available funds budgeted. STREET SWEEPING AND CITY TRASH RECEPTACLE PICKUP street sweeping is provided by the City on a regular basis. The City is divided into five sweeping zones, and each zone is swept on a specific day of the week. The residential areas are swept on the second and fourth weeks of the month and may be swept more often during the heavy leaf.fall season as determined by the Public Works Director and/or Maintenance Superintendent. The commercial areas are swept weekly. Residential streets are swept during the day, beginning early in the morning; the commercial districts are swept at night. The sweeper will attempt to clean all streets, including courts, unless prevented from doing so by parked cars or other obstructions. During the fall, the sweeper will remove leaves that fall naturally into the street and/or gutter but is not required to pick up leaves originating in yards which have intentionally been piled in the street by residents. Responses to complaints will be handled by the sweeping contractor and the results reported to the Public Works Director. The Public Works Director or his designee will determine whether an emergency sweeping callout is necessary. Street-side trash receptacles on major arterials, bike/pedestrian paths, and bus stops not having bus shelters will be emptied on at least a weekly basis by Livermore Dublin Disposal. More heavily used cans will be emptied as needed. The Livermor;e/Amador Valley Transit Authority is responsible for emptying trash receptacles located at the bus stops which have bus shelters. BEAUTIFICATION AND CLEAN-UP The maintenance crew will pick up litter or any other material in the right-of-way along non-residential streets. If the person who dropped the material can be positively identified, he or she may be required to clean it up or be billed and/or cited; otherwise, this is done at City expense. Litter pickup is done on a regular basis as part of the beautification program but may also be done on a callout basis if the material represents a hazard. 8/97 Page 4 The maintenance crew will also perform litter pickup services within maintenance easements in maintenance assessment districts. The cost of this service is paid for by property owners within the maintenance assessment districts. POSTING ON PUBLIC PROPERTY/REMOVAL OF ENCROACHMENTS Municipal Code Section 7.04.070 provides that posting on public property is prohibited, except that real estate open house signs may be located in the public right of way under certain conditions and on specific days of the week per Muncipal Code Section 8.08.050(K). Other types of signs, such as garage sale signs, posters, handbills, etc., that are typically placed in the public right-of-way (sidewalk, street median, shoulder of road, street light, or utility poles, or any other public property) are prohibited at all times. This Ordinance was enacted because the placement of signs in the right-of-way can impede visibility or otherwise be hazardous to pedestrians or motorists. The Maintenance Superintendent may remove, or cause to be removed, signs or other encroachments that have been placed or posted on public property. Signs will be removed on a complaint basis or if the maintenance crew is working in the area and sees a sign in the public right-of-way. Paper or cardboard signs will be disposed of immediately. Wood, plastic, or metal signs will be retained at the Corporation Yard for a period of thirty (30) days following pickup and then disposed of. CONSTRUCTION DIRT AND DEBRIS Dirt, mud, or debris left in the. right-of-way by a contractor is to be cleaned up by that contractor. He will be given adequate time, as determined by the Public Works Director, to clean the street himself, if it is possible to notify him. If he does not, the City maintenance crew may clean the street and charge the contractor according to the fee schedule for emergency callouts. Emergency situations will be handled at the discretion of the Public Works Director or his designee. STREET LIGHTS Street lights are owned by the City and are maintained through a contract with Alameda County. Energy for street lights is provided by PG&E. The cost of energy and maintenance is paid for through the City's street light maintenance assessment district. The maintenance department will make periodic surveys of street lights along major arterial streets. Residents reporting street light outages should call the Public Works Department. In order to process a request for street light service, the caller will need to provide the street address nearest the light and, if possible, the "pole number," which is a three- or four-digit number located on the side of the pole itself. Repairs will be made within 5 working days unless the problem is of an extraordinary nature. Page 5 8/97 TRAFFIC SIGNALS Traffic signals within the City of Dublin are maintained through a contract with Alameda County. (Signals on Alcosta Boulevard at Davona Drive and at San Ramon Road are maintained by the City of San Ramon or their contractor.) If a signal is completely out of service, temporary traffic control may be provided by the police department or temporary stop signs placed by the maintenance crew until power is restored. Requests for signal maintenance should be routed through the Public Works Department during normal business hours or through Police Dispatch at night. Street lights integral with the signal system are owned by the City. The energy cost for these street lights is paid for under the City-wide street light maintenance assessment district. The City is responsible for traffic signal timing and phasing. STREET SIGNS Installation and replacement .of regulatory signs and street name signs on accepted public streets will be handled by the City maintenance crew. Requests for new traffic control signs (STOP, etc.), pavement markings, and other devices shall be submitted to the Public Works Director's office in writing. Such requests will require review by Staff. The following items require approval of the City Council in most cases: STOP Signs* YIELD Signs* Speed Limit Changes Weight Limits Loading Zones Limited Parking Zones No Parking Zones** Bus Stops *Except that STOP and YIELD signs that meet the City's adopted warrants may be approved and installed by Staff. **Except that the City Manager may approve up to 15 feet of no parking zone adjacent to a driveway. 3. Signs will be checked for damage and reflectivity on an annual basis and will be replaced as needed. Replacement of missing or damaged STOP signs is considered an emergency and receives an immediate response from the maintenance department. 8/97 Page 6 WATER LEAKS Water distribution or sewer leaks and related problems are generally the responsibility of the Dublin San Ramon Services District (DSRSD). The provider shall be responsible for repair of any damage caused by said leaks. Leaks or breaks in the City's irrigation system are the responsibility of the City's maintenance department. If it is difficult to determine the source of the leak, DSRSD will be requested to locate the break by use of hydrophones. City Staff will request that residents report water leaks directly to DSRSD or provide a telephone number that DSRSD can call in the event that additional information is needed. EMERGENCY CALLOUTS ] The City maintenance crew will respond on an emergency basis to situations that present a hazard. Examples include, but are not limited, hazardous material spills on public property, obstructions in the right-of-way, a need for traffic control due to a malfunctioning signal, or flooding that threatens either public or private property. The Maintenance Superintendent or his designee is the primary contact on emergency callouts. If there is a responsible party and it is possible for that party to remove the hazard in a timely manner, that partY must be given an opportunity to do so. This judgment should be made at the discretion of the Police or Fire Department Incident Commander. If the hazard is on private property, the property owner will be responsible for its removal unless the hazard poses a danger to a public facility. Page 7 8/97