The ordinance codified in this Division 2 shall be known as and may be cited as the “undergrounding of utilities ordinance.” (Ord. 9672 Ch. 1 § 113, 1968.)

Unless the provision or the context otherwise requires, the general provisions, rules of construction and definitions shall govern the construction of this Division 2. (Ord. 9672 Ch. 1 § 100, 1968.)

A. “Board” means the board of supervisors of the county of Los Angeles.
B. “Commission” means the Public Utilities Commission of the state of California.
C. “Commissioner” means the road commissioner of the county of Los Angeles.
D. “Electric or communication facilities” means poles, towers, supports, wires, conductors, guys, stubs, platforms, crossarms, braces, transformers, insulators, cutouts, switches, communication circuits, appliances, attachments and appurtenances used or useful in supplying and maintaining electric, communication, television or radio signals, or similar or associated service.
E. “Overhead electric or communication facilities” means electric or communication facilities located principally above the surface of the ground.
F. “Person” includes any individual, firm, copartnership, joint venture, association, corporation, estate, trust, business trust, city, public corporation, municipal corporation, political subdivision, district, and their agents and employers.
G. “Shall” is mandatory and “may” is permissive.
H. “Underground electric or communication facilities” means electric or communication facilities located principally below the surface of the ground.
I. “Underground utility district” or “district” means an area within the county of Los Angeles within which overhead electric or communication facilities are prohibited as such area is described in an ordinance adopted pursuant to the provisions of Section 16.32.060 of this chapter.
J. “Utility” includes all persons or entities supplying, operating, or maintaining electric, communication, television or radio signals, or similar or associated service, by means of electric or communication facilities. (Ord. 9672 Ch. 1 §§ 101--110, 1968.)

The singular number includes the plural, and the plural, the singular. (Ord. 9672 Ch. 1 § 111, 1968.)

Whenever a power is granted to, or a duty is imposed upon a public officer, the power may be exercised or the duty may be performed by a deputy of the officer or by a person authorized, pursuant to law or ordinance, by the officer unless Division 2 of this title expressly provides otherwise. (Ord. 9672 Ch. 1 § 112, 1968.)

A. When the board, from time to time, after consultation with the utility affected, and after holding public hearings on the subject, finds either or both of the following are in the general public interest:
1. That existing overhead electric or communication facilities presently located within certain designated areas, or sections thereof, of the county be removed and replaced with underground electric or communication facilities; and
2. That any future or new electric communication facilities located within certain designated areas, or sections thereof, of the county be underground electric or communication facilities it may, by amendment to this Division 2, declare such designated areas, or sections thereof, an underground utility district, and may, by amendment to this Division 2, add to, modify, amend or delete certain designated areas, or sections thereof, from existing districts. Each amendment shall include a description of the area, or sections thereof, comprising the district, or sections thereof, affected by the particular amendment.
B. The board’s findings may be based on one or more of the following reasons:
1. Such undergrounding will avoid or eliminate an unusually heavy concentration of overhead electric or communication facilities;
2. Such designated areas, or sections thereof, are extensively used by the general public and carry a heavy volume of pedestrian or vehicular traffic;
3. Such designated areas, or sections thereof, adjoin or pass through civic areas or public recreation areas or areas of unusual scenic interest to the general public;
4. Overhead electric or communication facilities within such designated area have been or will be converted to underground locations; therefore, additional or new electric or communication facilities thereafter installed in said area after such conversion has been completed should be underground to conform to the undergrounding pattern. (Ord. 10209 § 1, 1971: Ord. 9672 Ch. 2 § 200, 1968.)

Upon receipt of a written notice to do so from the commissioner, utilities supplying, operating or maintaining overhead electric or communication facilities in a district shall, within the time required by the notice, commence and diligently prosecute to completion work to remove and replace existing overhead electric or communications facilities located in the section or sections of the district specified in the notice, with underground electric or communication facilities. (Ord. 9672 Ch. 3 § 300, 1968.)

At the same time as the notice to utilities provided for in Section 16.32.070 is sent, the commissioner shall also send written notice to the affected property owners within the district, advising them of their responsibility as set forth in Section 16.32.130. Such notice shall be mailed to the owner as shown on the last equalized assessment roll of the county of Los Angeles. (Ord. 9672 Ch. 3 § 301, 1968.)

Upon receipt of an application in writing therefor from the utilities or any person having the responsibility set forth in Section 16.32.130, stating the reasons for the request and the facts upon which such reasons are based, the commissioner may revoke, amend or modify the notice referred to in Section 16.32.070 if he finds that hardship or injustice to the utilities or such persons would result, or if the general public interest would be adversely affected if the utilities were required to comply with the terms of the notice. (Ord. 9672 Ch. 3 § 302, 1968.)

Division 2 of this title shall, unless otherwise provided herein, not apply to the following types of facilities:
A. Any county facilities or equipment installed under the supervision and to the satisfaction of the commissioner;
B. Poles or electroliers used exclusively for street lighting;
C. Overhead wires (exclusive of supporting structures) crossing any portion of such district within which overhead wires have been prohibited, or connecting to buildings on the perimeter of such district, when such wires originate in an area from which poles, overhead wires and associated overhead structures are not prohibited;
D. Overhead wires attached to the exterior surface of a building by means of a bracket or other fixture and from one location on the building to another location on the same building or to an adjacent building without crossing any public street;
E. Antennae, associated equipment and supporting structures used by a utility for furnishing communication services;
F. Equipment appurtenant to underground facilities, such as surface-mounted transformers, pedestal-mounted terminal boxes and meter cabinets, and concealed ducts;
G. Temporary poles, overhead wires and associated overhead structures used or to be used in conjunction with construction projects. (Ord. 11408 §§ 1 and 2, 1976; Ord. 9672 Ch. 4 § 402, 1968.)

Notwithstanding the provisions of Division 2 of this title, a person or utility who now has the authority, by franchise or otherwise, to install, operate and maintain overhead electric or communication facilities in such district may, upon complying with the provisions of Ordinance 3597, as now or hereafter amended, of the county of Los Angeles, and as codified in Division 1 of this title, install, operate and maintain overhead electric or communication facilities in such district for a period not to exceed 30 days, in order to provide emergency service; and the commissioner may grant on such terms as he may deem appropriate, in cases of unusual circumstances, special permission to any such person or utility to erect, construct, install, place, keep, maintain, employ, use or operate overhead electric or communication facilities in such district. (Ord. 9672 Ch. 4 § 401, 1968.)

If underground construction is necessary to provide utility service within a district, the supplying utility shall furnish that portion of the conduits, conductors and associated equipment required to be furnished by it under its applicable rules, regulations and tariffs on file with the commission. (Ord. 9672 Ch. 5 § 500, 1968.)

It shall be the responsibility of every person owning, operating, leasing, occupying or renting a building or structure which is obtaining utility service from overhead electric or communication facilities required to be removed and relocated pursuant to this Division 2, to construct and provide that portion of the service connection on his property between the facilities referred to in Section 16.32.120 and the termination facility on or within said building or structure being served, all in accordance with the applicable rules, regulations and tariffs of the respective utility or utilities on file with the commission, and with all applicable state law and county ordinances. (Ord. 9672 Ch. 5 § 501, 1968.)

The county shall remove at its own expense all county-owned equipment from all poles required to be removed under the provisions of this Division 2 in ample time to enable the owner or user of such poles to remove the same within the time specified in the notice sent pursuant to Section 16.32.070 of this chapter. (Ord. 9672 Ch. 5 § 502, 1968.)

Except as herein provided, it is unlawful for any person or utility to erect, construct, install, place, keep, maintain, continue, employ, use or operate overhead electric or communication facilities in a district after such district has been converted to underground electric or communication facilities, except as said overhead electric or communication facilities may be required to furnish service to an owner or occupant of property prior to the performance by such owner or occupant of the underground work necessary for such owner or occupant to continue to receive utility service as provided in Section 16.32.130 of this chapter, and for such reasonable time required to remove such facilities after said work has been performed. (Ord. 9672 Ch. 4 § 400, 1968.)

It is unlawful for any person to violate any provision or to fail to comply with any of the requirements of Division 2 of this title. Any person violating any provision of this Division 2 or failing to comply with any of its requirements, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $500.00, or by imprisonment in a County Jail for not more than six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment. Each such person shall be deemed guilty of a separate offense for each day during any portion of which any violation of any of the provisions of this Division 2 is committed, continued or permitted by such person, and shall be punishable therefor as provided for in this Division 2. (Ord. 9672 Ch. 10 § 1000, 1968.)

If any provision or clause of the ordinance codified in Division 2 of this title, or application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of said ordinance which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of said ordinance be declared to be severable. (Ord. 9672 Ch. 11 § 1100, 1968.)