Des Moines, IA Pertaining to Right-of-Way and Community Gardens

Type: Ordinance
Status: Adopted on 2/9/04
Source File: http://ci.des-moines.ia.us/mayor_council/ordinanc/2004/14314.htm
Text:
Be It Ordained by the City Council of the City of Des Moines, Iowa:
Section 1. That the Municipal Code of the City of Des Moines, Iowa, 2000, adopted by Ordinance No. 13,827, passed June 5, 2000, and amended by Ordinance No. 14,043, passed January 28, 2002, by amending Section 2-563 of Chapter 2, Administration, Sections 74-201 and 74-202 of Chapter 74, Parks and Recreation, Section 102-666 of Chapter 102, Streets, Sidewalks, Skywalks and Other Public Places and Section 122-15 of Chapter 122, Vegetation, and adding and enacting a new Article VII, Flowers and Ornamental Plantings on Right-of-Way and City property thereof, relating to community garden leases to allow plantings on right-of-way and city property, as follows: 
Sec. 2-563. Duties of city engineer.
The city engineer shall serve as the chief civil engineer and shall have administrative responsibility for the following matters, subject to such administrative procedures as may be established by the city manager:
(1) The design and construction of all city infrastructure and building facilities included in the capital improvement program (CIP) as adopted annually by the city council.
(2) The installation, timing and maintenance of traffic control devices; the conduct of engineering studies of traffic accidents and the development of remedial measures; the planning for the operation of traffic on city streets and highways; the planning and maintenance of the street lighting system; the planning, maintenance and operation of public municipal parking facilities; and the issuance of permits as authorized by city ordinances for activities occurring in the street right-of-way.
(3) Erosion control, stormwater management, and sewer system evaluation and permitting.
(4) The operation and maintenance of the Des Moines Regional Wastewater Reclamation Authority (WRA), WRA sewers, flow metering facilities in the WRA system, and all sanitary sewer pumping stations and equalization basins. The city engineer shall serve as the Des Moines Regional Wastewater Reclamation Authority Operating Agency Director.
(5) The operation and maintenance of the city stormwater utility. The city engineer shall serve as the director of the city stormwater utility.
(6) All property acquisition and relocation activities.
(7) Other related duties and functions as may be assigned by state law, by city ordinance or council resolution, or by the city manager.
Article VI. Community Gardens on Right-of-Way and City Property
Sec. 74-201. Community garden leases. 
(1) Persons or entities desiring to plant or place flowers, plants, or shrubs on any city right-of-way or city real property shall execute a community garden lease which identifies all areas of the proposed planting or placement, and abide by the terms of such lease, including insurance and indemnification responsibilities, if any, established by the city risk manager. Persons or entities executing a community garden lease shall be exempt from the permit requirements of section 102-660 of this code.
(2) The community garden lease shall be denied if such plantings or placement is likely to create a public danger or nuisance or would be harmful to existing trees, shrubs, flowers, plants or facilities. 
(3) City right-of-way means the surface and space above and below any public street, boulevard or sidewalk and the property between the lot lines or property lines and the curblines upon the public streets. 
Sec. 74-202. Administration.
The park and recreation director shall be responsible for the administration of the community garden leases. The director of the park and recreation department, or his or her designee, is authorized to execute community garden leases on right-of-way and other city real property on behalf of the city and may delegate any or all of his or her duties under this article. 
Sec. 102-660. Persons subject to registration, permitting and licensing.
(a) Each person who occupies, uses, or seeks to occupy or use the right-of-way or any equipment located in the right-of-way or who has or seeks to have equipment located in any right-of-way shall register with the department. All such registrations shall be filed with the city on or before the registration deadline established by the city council by resolution, notice of which deadline shall be published in advance thereof in a newspaper of general circulation in Polk County. No person may, after the registration deadline, construct, install, repair, remove, or relocate equipment located in any right-of-way or perform any other work on or use any equipment or any part thereof located in any right-of-way, without first being registered with the department. No person shall obstruct or excavate in any street right-of-way without obtaining appropriate permits as required by division 2 of this article.
(b) No person shall construct a tree well in any right-of-way unless such tree well is shown in an approved site plan and a permit for such has been obtained pursuant to division 2 of this article.
(c) No person shall construct an irrigation system in any right-of-way unless a permit for such has been obtained pursuant to division 2 of this article.
(d) No person shall plant a street tree or any ornamental plantings in the right-of-way unless either a permit for such has been obtained pursuant to chapter 122 of this Code or a community garden lease has been obtained pursuant to chapter 74 of this Code. Persons constructing or maintaining tree wells or irrigation systems in the right-of-way or planting or maintaining street trees or ornamental plantings in the right-of-way shall not be deemed to use or occupy the right-of-way for purposes of this division and shall not be required to register such use.
(e) A person having a franchise from the city for the provision of a utility service shall be required to register as provided in this division, and pay an annual management fee, obtain right-of-way permits and pay right-of-way permit fees to excavate in or obstruct the right-of-way as provided in division 2 of this article. However, if such franchise provides for the payment of a franchise fee, the franchisee shall not be required to pay such annual management fee or permit fees.
(f) City utilities and enterprises which occupy and use right-of-way for the provision of municipal utility and enterprise services city shall be required to register as provided in this division, and pay annual management fees, obtain right-of-way permits and pay right-of-way permit fees to excavate in or obstruct the right-of-way as provided in division 2 of this article. City work crews and city contractors performing work in the right-of-way on behalf of the city shall be required to obtain right-of-way permits and pay right-of-way permit fees to excavate in or obstruct the right-of-way as provided in division 2 of this article.
(g) Governmental entities or agencies of the federal government, the state, or the county which occupy and use right-of-way for the provision of communications or utility services for governmental purposes shall be required to comply with the registration requirements of this division, except the insurance and bonding requirements associated therewith. Such governmental entities and agencies shall be required to pay annual management fees and obtain right-of-way permits and pay right-of-way permit fees to excavate in or obstruct the right-of-way as provided in division 2 of this article. Such governmental entities or agencies shall be exempt from the licensing requirements of division 3 of this article.
Sec. 122-15. Permit to plant in streets.
(a) No person shall plant or set out any tree in or on any public highway, street or boulevard or other city property without first obtaining a permit from the forestry division, which shall designate where such plantings may be done.
(b) The permit shall be denied if such planting is likely to create a public danger or nuisance or would be harmful to existing trees, shrubs, flowers, plants or facilities.
(c) A person obtaining the permit shall be exempt from the permit requirements of section 102-660 of this Code.
Sec. 2. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and publication as provided by law.
Category:City Governments
Category:Community Gardens
Category:Iowa
Category:Ordinances