RESOLUTION NO. 12-68
A RESOLUTION SETTING CITY OF MONTICELLO POLICY WITH REGARD TO THE TIMING OF WATER MAIN REPAIRS
WHEREAS, the City of Monticello provides water to the citizens of Monticello, same representing one of the primary functions of the City, and
WHEREAS, as part and parcel of the City’s provision of water to its’ citizens, the City sees to the installation and maintenance of water lines, and
WHEREAS, it has been determined that a policy should be put in place to address the process related to the repair of broken water mains, the policy not only giving the Council an opportunity to consider the pros and cons of various considerations, but also to put the staff in a position of being fully aware of the City Council expectations.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MONTICELLO, IOWA:
ARTICLE 1: Water Main Repair Policy
This policy is intended to establish guidelines related to the repair of water mains once the potential break is discovered.
General Provisions:
(a) Recognition of potential water main break:
1. Water main breaks are usually discovered by the observation of unaccounted for water appearing above grade, either above a street, in a curb and gutter, or in adjacent right-of-way.
2. The observation of above grade water as noted above does not necessarily mean that a water main break has occurred, the break could also be in a service line, shut off, or valve, for example.
3. Once above grade water, or other evidence of a potential water main leak is discovered, the City staff member first becoming aware of the situation shall notify the P.W. Director, or the City Administrator if the P.W. Director is unavailable, notifying them of the situation, with the P.W. Director, or the City Administrator, as the case may be, recording the date and time of being put on notice of the potential break.
4. Within thirty-six (36) hours of the date and time noted in subparagraph (3), immediately above hereto, the P.W. Director shall see to the inspection and repair of the leak.
a. In all circumstances the P.W. Director shall be permitted to exercise judgment in exceeding the three day requirement, but in that event should be prepared to explain to the City Council the exigent circumstances that led to the extended repair schedule.
b. It is, however, the stated intent of the Council to only delay the necessary inspection and repair in the face of true exigent circumstances, not just mere hardships.
c. The P.W. Director, or in his absence the City Administrator, shall take immediate steps to obtain the quickest Iowa One Call that is permitted and appropriate.
d. The P.W. Director, or in his absence the City Administrator, shall have the authority to determine whether or not City staff are equipped to address the situation or if a private contractor should be hired to assist and/or to take care of the necessary work.
5. If it is believed that the leak is related to a service line, or other infrastructure for which a property owner is responsible, the P.W. Director shall proceed as noted in paragraph 4(a) – (d) unless the property owner is desirous of proceeding in that fashion under the same time frame. This provision recognizes the fact that although an educated guess can be made as to the cause of an evidenced leak, the leak can often times not be determined with certainty until after digging up and visibly identifying the source of the leak.
a. If the leak is discovered to be the responsibility of a property owner the P.W. Director, or City Administrator in his absence, shall consult with the property owner if the property owner is available, to determine how the property owner would like to proceed.
b. The property owner may choose to take over the repair at that time, locating and hiring contractors acceptable to the City to see to the repair in a fashion that is deemed acceptable by the City, all of same to happen within the time frame previously identified herein.
i. If the property owner is unable to proceed with the finalization of repairs within the previously outlined time frame the City shall continue with the repairs, carefully tracking all expenses related to the repair, and thereafter invoicing the property owner accordingly.
ii. The City Clerk shall invoice the property owner and follow normal collection procedures and protocols to collect the balance due.
6. The goal of this policy is to see the to the prompt repairs of leaks in the water system, recognizing the potential of leaks to undermine the streets, curb and gutter, city sidewalks and driveway approaches, as well as the fact that a water leak releases treated water that is not being metered to any particular user.
PASSED AND APPROVED this 7th day of May, 2012.
Dena Himes, Mayor
ATTEST:
Sally Hinrichsen, City Clerk