Utility Easement Specifications

 

Easements are typically designed into the electric utility system to provide access to specific pieces of equipment vital to keeping a flow of electricity to your homes and businesses. Utility easements are often being blocked by trees, gardens, fences, and buildings, which makes access to the equipment difficult if not impossible. 

Please be aware that just because there are no transformers or any other equipment on a property does not mean that there are not any utility easements attached to the property. Help us do our job as efficiently and effectively as possible by maintaining an open easement, after all, our next outage maybe at your house in your back yard.  

 

See below for the following excerpts of city ordinances pertaining to utility easements. Click on each ordinance to view all rules and regulations.

 

 

 
   (A)   Easements shall be wide enough to accommodate the utility proposed and whenever possible shall be centered on lot lines. Easements shall have continuity of alignment from block to block and at deflection points.
 
   (B)   Where a subdivision is traversed by a watercourse, drainageway, channel or stream, a storm water easement or drainageway right-of-way conforming substantially with the line of the watercourse shall be provided, together with the further width or construction, or both, as will be adequate for the storm water drainage of the area.
 
(Ord. 163, passed - -1981)
 
 
 
156.59 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS, EXCEPTIONS AND MODIFICATIONS
 
Yard Modifications
  •    No trees shall be planted in the right-of-way of any public utilities easement.
 
Accessory Buildings 
  •     A detached accessory building in any class of R Residence District not over one story and not exceeding 14 feet in height shall occupy not more than 30% of the area of any rear yard, provided further that no detached accessory building shall be located within five feet of any rear lot line or utility easement.
 
  Fences
  • Building permits are required to construct a fence in any location within the city limits.
  • A fence may be constructed to the property line or right-of-way line, in any class of R Residence District. The individual(s) constructing the fence is responsible for locating the abutting property line.
  • A fence shall not be constructed closer than ten feet to a property line or right-of-way line where there are overhead or underground existing or planned utility infrastructure. The city and the city municipal utility departments reserve existing and future utility easements along property lines and right-of-way lines, and the access thereto.
 
Swimming Pools
  • No residential swimming pool may be constructed without first obtaining a building or land use permit.
  • No residential swimming pool may be constructed beneath overhead utility lines of any type or above underground utility lines of any type.
  • No residential swimming pool may be constructed within 20 feet of any on-site sewer system facility.

(Ord. 266, passed 5- -2008; Ord. 282, passed 7-16-2012; Ord. 2017-05, passed 10-16-2017; Ord. 2020-01, passed 2-18-2020)