HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025 02-18 CC PacketCITY OF GEM LAKE
Heritage Hall
4200 Otter Lake Road | Gem Lake, MN 55110
651-747-2790/92 | 651-747-2795 (fax)
E-mail city@gemlakemn.org
City Council Meeting – February 18, 2025
Call to Order of City Council Meeting
By Mayor Artig-Swomley at 7:_____ p.m.
Call of Roll
Artig-Swomley Cacioppo Patrick Johnson Lindner
Swearing in of New Councilmembers
Approve Agenda and Minutes
• Accept the Agenda for the February 18, 2025, City Council Meeting
• Approve the Minutes from the January 21, 2025, City Council Meeting
• Accept the Minutes from the February 11, 2025, Planning Commission Meeting
Special Presentations/Public Hearings
• None
Consent Agenda
• Resolution #2025-006 February 2025 Donation to White Bear Lake Area Food Shelf
• Monthly Financial Report(s)
• Claims
Committee Reports
• Planning Commission
Old Business
• Newsletter Updates / Topics / Suggestions
• White Bear Lake Public Safety Contract Discussion
• Code Enforcement Issues Discussion
• Barnett KIA Project Update
• NOAA Radio
New Business
• Interim Use Permit (year 3) for Goats at 3944 Scheuneman Road
• City Owned Storm Sewer Replacement Project
• RWMWD 2027 Watershed Management Plan Update and Request for City Input
• Gateway District Met Council Discussion
• Planning Commission Position Approval
• Ordinance No. 113 – Right-of-Way Updates
• Generator Quote for Heritage Hall
• Future Charitable Gambling Donations
o White Bear Lake Emergency Food Shelf
Community Outreach to Other Cities and Government Bodies
Presentations from the Public, 2 minutes maximum
CITY OF GEM LAKE
Heritage Hall
4200 Otter Lake Road | Gem Lake, MN 55110
651-747-2790/92 | 651-747-2795 (fax)
E-mail city@gemlakemn.org
Open Items for Council Members to Bring Up
Future Council Meetings
• Next City Council Meeting, Tuesday, March 18, 2025
o Attendance Inquiry
• Next City Council Workshop, Monday, March 10, 2025 – CANCELED
Adjournment – The meeting adjourned at ________
City of Gem Lake City Council Meeting Minutes January 21, 2025 1
City of Gem Lake
City Council Meeting – January 21, 2025
Meeting Minutes
Mayor Gretchen Artig-Swomley called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Councilmembers Jim Lindner, Len
Cacioppo, Ben Johnson and Joshua Patrick were present. Also present: City Attorney Kevin Beck, City Treasurer
Tom Kelly, Metropolitan Council Member District 11 Dr. Gail Cederberg, Planning Commission Chair Don
Cummings, Acting City Clerk Melissa Lawrence, business owner Chriss Bettis and prospective business owners
Marie Vannelli, Roger Vannelli, Ron Vannelli and Mitchel Vannelli, and residents Dustin Marks, Sarah Ernhart,
Rick Bosak, Dave Wood, Steve Varley, and Carol Schacht.
Swearing in of New Councilmembers
Acting City Clerk Melissa Lawrence swore in the new Councilmembers individually with the official oath. Mrs.
Lawrence had each new Councilmember individually raise their right hand, repeat the oath back and sign the
affidavit. The Council welcomed back Mayor Artig-Swomley and Councilmember Johnson, who were re-elected to
four-year terms to the Gem Lake City Council and welcomed Councilmember Patrick to the Gem Lake City Council
who will also be serving a four-year term.
January 21, 2025, Agenda
A motion was introduced by Councilmember Linder to accept the agenda, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo.
Motion carried 5-0.
Minutes
A motion was introduced by Councilmember Lindner, seconded by Councilmember Johnson to approve the December
17, 2024, City Council Meeting minutes. Motion carried 3-0. Councilmember Cacioppo abstained because he was not
present at the December meeting. Councilmember Patrick abstained because he was not a member of the Council in
December 2024.
A motion was introduced by Councilmember Lindner, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo to accept the January
14, 2025, Planning Commission Meeting minutes. Motion carried 5-0.
Special Presentations/Public Hearings
Dr. Gail Cederberg – Metropolitan Council Member, District 11
Dr. Gail Cederberg introduced herself to the Council and those in attendance and updated everyone on what
the Metropolitan (Met) Council has been working on. The Met Council is made up of 7 counties, 16 Met
Council Districts, 182 Cities and Townships, 11 federally recognized Tribal Nations and many other
Indigenous communities. There are just over 3.2 million people as of 2023 with a projected growth of
610,000 more people by 2050. Ms. Cederberg shared that her committee assignments are the environmental
committee and management committee. She is also a representative on the clean water council and clean
water council policy committee. The Met Council is at the end of their planning for the 2050 Regional
Planning Vision which is a prosperous, equitable, and resilient region with abundant opportunities for all to
live, work, play and thrive. Gem Lake is classified as Suburban, with a minimum density goal for new
development of 7 units of housing per acre in the 2050 plan. There are no changes to Gem Lake’s 2040
MUSA (Metropolitan Urban Service Area). While the Council had no questions for Ms. Cederberg at the
time, Mayor Artig-Swomley shared that there may be some items in the near future that the City will reach
out to her about.
Consent Agenda
Resolution #2025-001 2025 Gem Lake Appointments List
Resolution #2025-002 January 2025 Donation to White Bear Lake Area Food Shelf
Monthly Financial Report(s)
Claims
City of Gem Lake City Council Meeting Minutes January 21, 2025 2
The monthly financial report(s) were not included as stated on the consent agenda list. No action will be
taken on that line item. All other items on the consent agenda were reviewed by the Council.
Councilmember Lindner introduced a motion to approve all the items listed on the consent agenda,
seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo. Motion carried 5-0.
Committee Reports
Commission Chair Don Cummings shared with the Council that an application for a home occupation went through
the commission for review and a recommendation was made to the Council. Cummings shared that the commission
will also begin reviewing Oridnnace No. 131 to ensure the language in it is still clear and up to date. The
commission wants to preserve characteristics of Gem Lake and make sure it is reflecting the comp plan. Mayor
Artig-Swomley stated that she would like to make sure there is consistency is a big focus when reviewing it. She
also wanted to share that two (2) applications have been received for the Planning Commission and she would like
the Commission to review them at the February meeting and make a recommendation to the City Council.
Old Business
Newsletter Updates / Topics / Suggestions
Mayor Artig-Swomley stated that she would like to see a newsletter go out by March. Some topics for the
next newsletter would include the presentation from the Met Council visit, cannabis ordinance, County
Road E corridor project, the swearing in of Councilmembers, and possibly a story on stormwater.
White Bear Lake Public Safety Contract Discussion
Mayor Artig-Swomley met with the White Bear Lake Mayor and discussed the issue of being charged
interest on the new Public Safety building. Mayor Artig-Swomley shared that she made the cities position
known. City Treasurer Tom Kelly made sure to subtract the interest calculation from the depreciation line
item on the bill. Mayor Artig-Swomley shared that she feels the City of White Bear Lake will not budge
and that Gem Lake should pay what the City of White Bear has billed for interest, with the understanding
that Gem Lake still feels this is not a reflection of the contract language, and to ask for a discount on the
interest for 2025. By paying what is owed it will help to maintain the relationship between White Bear
Lake and Gem Lake. City Treasurer Tom Kelly shared that based on the letter from the City of White Bear
Lake Gem Lake should expect to start being charged for ambulance services that are not currently being
billed separately in 2026.
Councilmember Lindner introduced a motion asking City Treasurer Tom Kelly to pay the amount owed to
White Bear Lake and request a discount a 25% discount for the remaining owed, seconded by
Councilmember Cacioppo. Motion carried 5-0.
Code Enforcement Issues Discussion
The City Clerk is in the process of trying to schedule a rental inspection for the property on Scheuneman
Road, but it has been a challenge. City Attorney Kevin Beck asked the clerk to forward the emails to him
so he can pursue it some more.
New Business
Special Home Occupation Request – 3907 Tessier Road
City Planner Evan Monson summarized the request for the special home occupation request through a
memo to the council. The applicant is proposing to use their detached garage as part of a home occupation.
The plans submitted by the applicant call for utilizing their existing detached garage as a home photo studio
for a pet photography business; the applicant currently runs the business out of a commercial space in
Minneapolis. The applicant states in their narrative that the driveway serving the detached garage can
accommodate at least four cars, while the ‘main’ driveway on the property can accommodate five to six
cars. Customers per day on-site vary; the applicant anticipates at most four customers on-site in a day and
having an average of two on-site customers per week. Most sessions are scheduled for Saturdays between
noon and 5pm, with occasional appointments after 5pm. The subject property is located at the intersection
of Goose Lake Road/CSAH 14 and Tessier Road. The site slopes to the north/northwest, with trees and
vegetation located throughout. The subject property includes a house with an attached garage and two
City of Gem Lake City Council Meeting Minutes January 21, 2025 3
detached accessory structures (three-car garage and a shed). The detached garage has its own driveway.
The development surrounding the subject property consists of single-family residences.
City Planner Evan Monson’s memo explained to the Council that they have three (3) options they can take
regarding the application, 1) approve of the request, with or without conditions, a draft resolution with the
Planning Commission’s findings and conditions was included in the meeting materials, 2) deny the request,
with findings for denial, and 3) table the request for further review/study. The Planning Commission
recommended approval of the requested Special Home Occupation for 3907 Tessier Road, with the
following conditions: 1) the applicant’s Home Occupation shall adhere to the requirements of Ordinance
No. 134, 2) the applicant’s Home Occupation shall adhere to other applicable local, State, and Federal
requirements, and 3) the applicant shall pay all fees and escrows associated with this request. Council
discussed the request and reviewed the recommended conditions and agreed with the Planning
Commission’s recommendation of approving the request.
Resolution #2025-003 – Approval of Special Home Occupation License
Councilmember Lindner introduced a motion to approve the special home occupation request
based on the conditions suggested, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo. Motion carried 5-0.
Office of Cannabis Management
The Office of Cannabis Management released draft regulation on January 13, 2025, and it is in the process
of a 30-day comment period. Along with this, the state created a sample ordinance for cities to adopt. Cities
have limited powers to regulate cannabis sales within their boundaries. These powers include where the
business can operate, hours of operations, whether the city requires the cannabis business to register, etc.
Also, cities can and should conduct annual stings of the business to check for age compliance. A license is
issued from the state of Minnesota.
Ordinance on Cannabis & CBD Sales & Distribution
The sample ordinance was presented to the council with some questions from the City Planner for
discussion on the sample ordinance. The council discussed what could be regulated by the city and decided
that hours of operation allowed would be 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., each day of the week. One license will be
allowed in the city of Gem Lake. An initial fee of $500.00 will be charged for registration with the city.
Councilmember Lindner introduced a motion to approve the sample ordinance with the city’s agreed upon
changes to what can be regulated, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo. Motion carried 5-0.
Tobacco and Edible Cannabinoid Products License
The Smoke Den is in the process of selling their business to an interested party. Licenses are not
transferable so the company taking over has applied for their licenses with the city. The licenses being
approved will not take effect until the Smoke Den vacates.
Resolution #2025-004 Puff N Stuff Dispensary Tobacco License 2025
Councilmember Lindner introduced a motion to approve the tobacco license, seconded by
Councilmember Cacioppo. Motion carried 5-0.
Resolution #2025-005 Puff N Stuff Dispensary Edible Cannabinoid Products License 2025
Councilmember Lindner introduced a motion to approve the edible cannabinoid license
registration contingent on the other company vacating, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo.
Motion carried 5-0.
MPCA Recent Well Testing
During the MPCA’s recent set of well testing’s, the chemical Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
was also tested for on top of the 1,4 dioxane. The MPCA had no reason to believe there would be any
PFAS contamination, but test results showed otherwise. The city was not told about the recent tests that
took place, and it was brought to the City Clerks attention by some residents that received a letter from the
MPCA regarding their test results. Acting City Clerk Melissa Lawrence reached out to the MPCA to ask
about the current testing and to invite them to a meeting at Heritage Hall to go over their findings.
City of Gem Lake City Council Meeting Minutes January 21, 2025 4
Representatives from the MPCA will be present at the March City Council meeting to go over recent test
results and findings.
Vadnais Heights Public Hearing for PUD at 0 Labore Road (PID #283022430031)
The City of Vadnais Heights received an application for a Planned Unit Development (PUD) at the
property located north of City Center Drive and west of Labore Road (PID #283022430031). As required
by City Code, the applicant must hold an informational open house. The open house will be held on
Wednesday, January 22 at the Vadnais Heights City Hall from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Vadnais Heights
Planning Commission will review the Concept PUD on January 28, followed by the Vadnais Heights City
Council on February 4. Both meetings will take place at 7:00 p.m. at Vadnais Heights City Hall, 800 East
County Road E. Mayor Artig-Swomley and Councilmember Cacioppo both plan to attend the open house.
Cintas AED Program
The AED machine that currently sits at Heritage Hall is outdated. In December White Bear Township
reached out about joining the Cintas AED Program. This program would include a new machine and a
monthly service agreement with Cintas. The machines being offered are the Zoll 3 and Zoll Plus. The Zoll
3 defibrillator was developed based on extensive usability testing with hundreds of trained and untrained
users. It was clear from the studies that users wanted three basic things: an AED that gives better support
for rescuers by being easy to use, easy to own and easy to maintain. The Zoll Plus is equipped with one-of-
a-kind Real CPR Help technology. Easy-to-follow instructions inform the user on how to attach pads to
the patient. A sensor in the pads “sees” each chest compression and communicates it to the AED. The
unique CPR feedback tool provides real-time feedback for depth and rate of chest compressions. Audio and
visual prompts help you to respond with confidence.
The Zoll 3 will cost $130.50 and the Zoll plus will cost $112.50 monthly. Both come with a trade-in rebate
for the old unit. Overall, the Zoll 3 is the better option. Councilmember Cacioppo introduced a motion to
approve the Cintas AED Program and Zoll 3 unit, seconded by Councilmember Lindner. Motion carried 5-
0.
2025 Elected Leaders Institute
The League of Minnesota Cities is hosting the 2025 Elected Leaders Institute. With the newly appointed
councilmember, Mayor Artig-Swomley felt it would be a good idea to send Councilmember Patrick to
some training. The training will take place in Plymouth, February 21-22. Councilmember Patrick is
available to attend the training. The fee to attend the training is $350.00. There is also training available for
elected leaders with more than two (2) years of experience. None of the Councilmembers were interested in
the training at this time. Councilmember Lindner introduced a motion to sign Councilmember Patrick up
for training, seconded by Councilmember Cacioppo. Motion carried 5-0.
MCFOA Conference Clerk Training
Acting City Clerk Melissa Lawrence was presented with an opportunity to attend training through the
Municipal Clerks and Finance Officers Association of Minnesota (MCFOA). The 2025 annual conference
will be held March 19-21 in Brooklyn Center. This training will take place of the training the clerk was
supposed to attend in February. The fee to attend the training is $325.00. Councilmember Lindner
introduced a motion for Acting City Clerk Melissa Lawrence to attend training in March, seconded by
Councilmember Cacioppo. Motion carried 5-0.
Spring Window Cleaning Quote
Acting City Clerk Melissa Lawrence received a quote from Squeegee Magic for spring window cleaning.
By scheduling now, the rates the city was given in 2024 are locked in for spring 2025. The quote is for
single pane in/out for $322.20 and then some interior glass for $56.03 totaling $378.23. Councilmember
Lindner introduced a motion to approve the spring window cleaning quote, seconded by Councilmember
Cacioppo. Motion carried 5-0.
City of Gem Lake City Council Meeting Minutes January 21, 2025 5
Future Charitable Gambling Donations
White Bear Lake Emergency Food Shelf
Mayor Artig-Swomley suggested that the Council donate in February $1,500.00 to the White Bear
Lake Emergency Food Shelf. Councilmember Lindner introduced a motion to request a donation
in the amount of $1,500.00 for the White Bear Lake Emergency Food Shelf, seconded by
Councilmember Cacioppo. Motion carried 5-0.
Community Outreach to Other Cities and Government Bodies
Councilmember Johnson shared with the Council that although he was unable to attend there was a great turnout at
the most recent corridor meeting of about 40-50 residents and business owners. There is an online survey that will
be released soon and can be shared on the city’s Facebook page.
Presentation from the Public, 2 Minutes Maximum
Some business owners in the public had additional questions on the cannabis regulations to which the Council
answered to the best of their ability.
Open Items for Council Members to Bring Up
Mayor Artig-Swomley shared that there has been some interest in the NOAA radios that the city will be ordering.
Final call this round is January 31. Councilmember Lindner volunteered to attend the Homeland Security training
available. Mayor Artig-Swomley also shared that the Acting City Clerk will be taking vacation in June and someone
will need to come and cover for the Planning Commission meeting and take minutes.
Future Council Meetings
City Council, Tuesday, February 18, 2025. City Council Workshop, Monday, February 10, 2025, is CANCELED.
Attendance Inquiry
At this time all in attendance will be at the February meeting.
Adjournment
Being there no further business, following a motion from Councilmember Lindner, seconded by Councilmember
Johnson, the meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, Melissa Lawrence
City of Gem Lake Planning Commission Meeting Minutes February 11, 2025 1
City of Gem Lake
Planning Commission Meeting – February 11, 2025
Meeting Minutes
Planning Commission Chair Don Cummings called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Commission Members Art
Pratt and Derek Wippich were present with one vacancy. Not present was Commission Member Stephanie Farrell.
Also present: City Planner Evan Monson, City Attorney Kevin Beck and Acting City Clerk Melissa Lawrence
February 11, 2025
A motion was introduced by Commissioner Pratt to accept the agenda, seconded by Commissioner Wippich. Motion
carried 3-0.
Minutes
A motion was introduced by Commissioner Pratt, seconded by Commissioner Wippich to approve the January 14,
2025, Planning Commission Meeting minutes. Motion carried 3-0.
Public Hearings
None
Old Business
Ordinance No. 131 Discussion Next Steps
City Planner Evan Monson summarized some of the suggested updates that he recommends to ensure the
ordinance is in line with state regulations and consistent with the comprehensive plan. Discussion on the
next steps to take and what to tackle first took place. City Planner Evan Monson is going to begin putting
some drafts together to present at the next meeting for review.
New Business
Planning Commission Applications Review
Two applications were received for the vacant Planning Commission position from Debra Suhadolnik of
the Villas of Gem Lake and Laurel Amlee former City Councilmember and lives and works in the Gateway
District. The Commission reviewed the applications and liked the idea of having someone on the
Commission that has ties to the Gateway District. The Commission is passing along a recommendation to
the City Council for approval. The Commission would like the new member to start for the March 11
meeting. Commission Member Wippich introduced a motion to recommend approval of inviting Laurel
Amlee to join the Planning Commission, seconded by Commission Member Pratt. Motion carried 3-0.
Ordinance No. 113 – Right-of-Way
City Planner Evan Monson summarized the updates suggested to the Right-of-Way Ordinance.
The current ordinance (No. 113) was adopted by the city in January of 2010. This version was consistent
with the current (at that time) model ordinance available from the League of Minnesota Cities (LMC).
Ordinance No. 113 covers: when permits are needed, permitting processes and procedures, permitting fees,
patching and restoration when work is conducted in the ROW, emergency vs. non-emergency situations,
mapping of items constructed within a ROW, moving above-ground items underground (or
undergrounding), and abandonment of facilities within a ROW.
Since 2010, State and Federal law related to management and access to ROW has changed, most notably
with regards to telecommunications. One of the bigger changes is “small cell wireless facilities”, which is
technology that allows for increased usage of wireless networks by cell phones. It is imperative that the city
ensures their ordinances are consistent with current State and Federal law. Staff has reviewed the current
version of Ordinance No. 113 and proposes the following changes as summarized below. These changes
are consistent with the latest model ordinance provided by LMC.
City of Gem Lake Planning Commission Meeting Minutes February 11, 2025 2
Section # Comments
Throughout •Administration section is added (Section 3), with the City Engineer designated to
administer the ordinance (consistent with current city practices).
•Replace references to “zoning administrator” with “city engineer.”
•New section (Section 7) added regarding small cell wireless facilities. Added
references to small cell wireless facilities where needed in other sections.
•Move fees to the Fee Schedule.
2 New definitions proposed to be added to Section 2.
5 Updates to payments and permit application language.
10 & 11 New sections regarding Joint Applications for ROW work and obligations, consistent with
language from model ordinance.
12 & 13 Revised language regarding permit denial and installation requirements, consistent with
language from model ordinance.
18 & 19 Updated language on requirements for mapping data, locating facilities, and
undergrounding, consistent with language from model ordinance.
24 Revised language regarding abandonment and removal of facilities within the ROW,
consistent with language from model ordinance.
The Commission should review the draft ordinance and consider any additional amendments. If the
Commission desires additional changes, direction regarding ordinance changes should be provided to staff.
Commission Member Wippich introduced a motion to recommend approval of the updates to Ordinance
No. 113 to the City Council, seconded by Commission Member Pratt. Motion carried 3-0.
Fee Schedule Update
On top of the changes made to Ordinance No. 113, City Planner Evan Monson suggested to be
consistent with other ordinances, and to ensure that fees are all in one location, permit fees
previously listed in Ordinance No. 113 are proposed to be added into the city’s Fee Schedule
(Ordinance No. 135). These would be placed in Section 13 of the fee schedule.
Open Items for Commission Members to Bring Up
Commission Member Pratt was asked to bring up the topic of ATV’s on Gem Lake in the winter to ice fish. While
the Ramsey County map does show that each property owner around the lake owns a portion of it, City Attorney
Kevin Beck shared that those property owners don’t actually own the lake, they own the land beneath the lake. If the
lake were to dry up, their land would extend to what is now available. There is no public access to the lake, which
means the only people that would be using the lake would be the people who surround it.
Future Meetings
City Council Meeting, Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at Heritage Hall, and Planning Commission Meeting, Tuesday,
March 11, 2025, at Heritage Hall.
Attendance Inquiry
Commissioner Cummings surveyed the Commission to see if any of the members would have any issues
attending the March 11 meeting. At that time Commissioner Wippich will not be in attendance.
Adjournment
There being no further business, following a motion from Commissioner Pratt, seconded by Commission Wippich,
the meeting adjourned at 7:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, Melissa Lawrence
City of Gem Lake
County of Ramsey
State of Minnesota
Resolution No. 2025-006
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY TREASURER TO DISTRIBUTE A
PORTION OF THE CHARITABLE GAMBLING FUNDS TO THE WHITE BEAR
LAKE AREA FOOD SHELF.
WHEREAS, the City of Gem Lake participates in the distribution of charitable gambling funds
received from the Country Lounge
WHEREAS, the City of Gem Lake distributes these funds to local 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
organizations
WHEREAS, the City of Gem Lake City Council suggested a donation at their January 21, 2025
meeting in support of the White Bear Lake Area Food Shelf.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the City of Gem Lake, Minnesota, the City
Treasurer is authorized to send $1,500.00 to support the White Bear Lake Area Food Shelf for
the month of February 2025.
The motion for adoption of the foregoing Resolution was duly introduced by Councilmember
__________ and supported by Councilmember __________, and upon vote being taken thereon,
the resolution passed with a vote of _____ in favor and _____ against.
ATTEST
I, Melissa Lawrence, the duly qualified Acting City Clerk of the City of Gem Lake, County of
Ramsey, State of Minnesota, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution is a true and
accurate representation of action taken by the City Council of the City of Gem Lake on the date
first written.
February 18, 2025
Melissa Lawrence, Acting City Clerk Date
From:Justin Gese
To:Gretchen Artig-Swomley
Cc:Melissa Lawrence; Dustin Cesafsky; Justin Gese
Subject:RE: Kia storm sewer replacement
Date:Monday, February 10, 2025 7:54:17 AM
Caution: This email originated outside our organization; please use caution.
Contractor confirmed it would be about $90-$100/LF of pipe, so the $15,000 is a good estimate
Justin M. Gese, PE (MN)
Principal, Sr. Eng/Mgr
Short Elliott Hendrickson, Inc.
612.209.0731 mobile
SEH - Building a Better World for All of Us®
SEH’s Amazing Projects video showcases the amazing things we can do when we come together as
partners and collaborators.
From: Gretchen Artig-Swomley <gretchen.artig-swomley@gemlakemn.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 21, 2025 1:20 PM
To: Justin Gese <jgese@sehinc.com>
Subject: Re: Kia storm sewer replacement
Melissa has put this item on the agenda for February, so when you have cost estimates, just let
Melissa know.
Sent from my iPad
On Jan 16, 2025, at 3:32 PM, Justin Gese <jgese@sehinc.com> wrote:
Caution: This email originated outside our organization; please use caution.
Mayor,
Did you have a chance to review this? I see it is not on the agenda for the next meeting.
Justin M. Gese, PE (MN)
Principal, Sr. Eng/Mgr
Short Elliott Hendrickson, Inc.
612.209.0731 mobile
SEH - Building a Better World for All of Us®
SEH’s Amazing Projects video showcases the amazing things we can do when we come
together as partners and collaborators.
From: Justin Gese <jgese@sehinc.com>
Sent: Friday, January 3, 2025 4:38 PM
To: Gretchen Artig-Swomley <gretchen.artig-swomley@gemlakemn.org>
Cc: 'Evan P. Monson' <evan.monson@tkda.com>; Dustin Cesafsky
<dcesafsky@sehinc.com>; Justin Gese <jgese@sehinc.com>
Subject: Kia storm sewer replacement
Mayor
As part of the Kia project, there is a portion of City owned storm sewer that will be
replaced by their project. This leaves about 140' of city owned 21" storm sewer
within the site that is old. The condition is unknown at this time.
Depending on the condition, we would recommend replacing this segment as a
city cost of about $15,000.
Would the City be willing to do that?
Thanks
Justin
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December 20, 2024
City Officials and Staff
Re: Notification of the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District’s 2027 Watershed
Management Plan Update and Request for City Input
Dear City Officials and Staff:
The Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District (RWMWD) Board of Managers (Managers) is in the
early stages of updating its Watershed Management Plan (Plan). The Plan will establish the goals,
policies, and actions for the RWMWD’s management of the watershed.
State law and rule govern the watershed planning process and require that watershed management
plans be updated every 10 years. The RWMWD adopted its current Plan in 2017 and anticipates
completing the updated Plan in 2027. During Plan development, the Managers will seek input from
cities, agencies, partners, and the diverse communities within the watershed. With this letter, the
Managers initially request your comments with respect to the following areas:
• Priority issues and your expectations for RWMWD involvement in these issues;
• Summaries of relevant water management goals;
• Pertinent water resource information; and
• Official controls and programs of your organization (if applicable)
Information may be provided to Greg Williams of Barr Engineering Co., Engineers for the RWMWD, by
email at gwilliams@barr.com. You may also contact Greg Williams to schedule a virtual meeting if you
prefer.
This Plan update notification is not your organization’s only opportunity to provide input. The RWMWD
Public Works Forum scheduled for January 21, 2025 will include an opportunity to discuss the Plan
update. As part of Plan development, a representative from your city will be invited to participate in a
broader Plan technical advisory committee (Plan TAC). The Plan TAC will meet periodically during Plan
development to discuss issues, priorities, goals, and/or implementation activities. In your response to
this letter, please identify the individual(s) from your organization who should participate in the Plan
TAC.
This request for city input serves as the official notification of plan update required by Minnesota Rules
8410.0045 Subp. 3 and Subp. 4. Please provide responses no later than February 20, 2025 to Greg
Williams at gwilliams@barr.com.
Thank you for your time and assistance in providing this requested information. If you have any
questions, please contact Greg Williams at gwilliams@barr.com.
City Officials and Staff
December 20, 2024
Page 2
Sincerely,
Tina Carstens
Administrator, Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District
c: City of Gem Lake
City of Landfall
City of Little Canada
City of Maplewood
City of North St. Paul
City of Oakdale
City of Roseville
City of St. Paul
City of Shoreview
City of Vadnais Heights
City of White Bear Lake
City of Woodbury
Memorandum
To: Gem Lake City Council Project Reference: Right-of-Way Ordinance Review
Copies To: Melissa Lawrence, City Clerk
Kevin Beck, Attorney TKDA Project No.: 22428.000
From: CJ Sycks, Planner Client No.:
Evan Monson, Planner
Date: February 12, 2025
SUBJECT: Discussion regarding the Gem Lake Right-of-Way (ROW) Ordinance No. 113
MEETING DATE: February 18, 2025
ITEMS REVIEWED: Gem Lake Ordinance No. 113, League of Minnesota Cities Model Ordinance
OVERVIEW
The City Council tasked the Planning Commission with reviewing Ordinance No. 113 regarding city right-of-way
(typically shortened to ROW). ROW includes the street and area on either side of the street used to support the
use of the street, such as sidewalks, shoulders, and ditches. ROW can also (per State Statute include cartways,
bicycle lanes, other dedicated rights-of-way for travel purposes, and utility easements of local governments. Areas
below and above the roadway are also part of the ROW. Private utilities (such as electric) and municipal utilities
(such as water or sewer infrastructure) are typically constructed within a ROW. A ROW ordinance allows a city to
manage the use and access to the ROW.
CURRENT ORDINANCE
The current ordinance (No. 113) was adopted by the city in January of 2010. This version was consistent with the
current (at that time) model ordinance available from the League of Minnesota Cities (LMC). Ordinance No. 113
covers:
• when permits are needed
• permitting processes and procedures
• permitting fees
• patching and restoration when work is conducted in the ROW
• emergency vs non-emergency situations
• mapping of items constructed within a ROW
• moving above-ground items underground (or undergrounding)
• abandonment of facilities within a ROW
Since 2010, State and Federal law related to management and access to ROW has changed, most notably with
regards to telecommunications. One of the bigger changes is “small cell wireless facilities,” which is technology
that allows for increased usage of wireless networks by cell phones. It is imperative that the city ensures their
ordinances are consistent with current State and Federal law.
Gem Lake – ROW Ordinance
Gem Lake City Council Meeting 2/18/2025
February 12, 2025
Page 2
ORDINANCE UPDATES
Staff has reviewed the current version of Ordinance No. 113 and proposes the following changes as summarized
below. These changes are consistent with the latest model ordinance provided by LMC.
Table 1: Summary of Updates
Section # Comments
Throughout
• Administration section is added (Section 3), with the City Engineer designated to
administer the ordinance (consistent with current city practices).
• Replace references to “zoning administrator” with “city engineer .”
• New section (Section 7) added regarding small cell wireless facilities. Added
references to small cell wireless facilities where needed in other sections.
• Move fees to the Fee Schedule.
2 New definitions proposed to be added to Section 2.
5 Updates to payments and permit application language.
10 & 11 New sections regarding Joint Applications for ROW work and obligations, consistent with
language from model ordinance.
12 & 13 Revised language regarding permit denial and installation requirements, consistent with
language from model ordinance.
18 & 19 Updated language on requirements for mapping data, locating facilities, and
undergrounding, consistent with language from model ordinance.
24 Revised language regarding abandonment and removal of facilities within the ROW,
consistent with language from model ordinance.
CITY FEE SCHEDULE
To be consistent with other ordinances, and to ensure that fees are all in one location, permit fees previously
listed in Ordinance No. 113 are proposed to be added into the city ’s Fee Schedule (Ordinance No. 135). These
would be placed in Section 13.
RECOMMENDATION
The Planning Commission reviewed the redlined and clean versions of the proposed revisions at their February
11th meeting and recommended the City Council approve of the changes.
If the City Council desires additional changes, direction regarding additional changes should be provided to staff.
Attachments:
1. Ordinance No. 113 ROW – Redlined
2. Ordinance No. 113 ROW – Clean
3. Ordinance No. 135 Fee Schedule
CIS:epm
Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 1
City Of Gem Lake, Ramsey County, Minnesota
Right-Of-Way
Ordinance No. 113
AN ORDINANCE TO ADMINISTER AND REGULATE THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY IN THE PUBLIC
INTEREST AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE AND REGULATION OF RIGHT-OF-WAY
PERMITS
Section 1. Findings, Purpose, and Intent. To provide for the health, safetysafety, and welfare of its citizens, and to
ensure the integrity of its streets and the appropriate use of the rights -of-way, the Citycity strives to keep its rights-
of-way in a state of good repair and free from unnecessary encumbrances. Accordingly, the City hereby enacts this
new Section of this Code relating to right -of-way permits and administration. This Section imposes reasonable
regulation on the placement and maintenance of facilities and equipment currently within its rights -of-way or to be
placed therein at some future time. It is intended to complement the regulatory roles of the state and federal
agencies. Under this Section, persons excavating and obstructing the rights-of-way will bear financial responsibility
for their work. Finally, this Section provides for recovery of out -of-pocket and projected costs from persons using
the public rights-of-way.
This Section shall be interpreted consistently with Minnesota Statutes Sections 237.16, 237.162, 237.163, 237.79,
237.81, and 238.086 (the “Act”) and the other laws governing applicable rights of the City and users of the right -of-
way. This Section shall also be interpreted consistent with Minnesota Rules 7819.0050 – 7819.9950 where possible.
To the extent any provision of this Section cannot be interpreted consistently with the Minnesota Rules, Minnesota
Rules, that interpretation most consistent with the Act and other applicable statutory case law is intended. This
Section shall not be interpreted to limit the regulatory and police powers of the City to adopt and enforce general
ordinances necessary to protect the health, safetysafety, and welfare of the public.
1. Election to Manage the Public Right-of-Way. In accordance with the authority granted to the City under
state and federal statutory, administrativeadministrative, and common law, the City hereby elects pursuant
to this Section to manage rights-of-way within its jurisdiction.
Section 2. Definitions.
Definitions. The following definitions apply in this Ordinance. References hereafter to “sections” are, unless
otherwise specified, references to sections in this Ordinance.The definitions included in Minnesota Statutes §
237.162, Minnesota Rules 7819.0100 Subparts 1 through 23, and Minnesota Rules 7560.0100 Subparts 1 through 12
are hereby adopted by reference and are incorporated into this Section as if set out in full.
1. Abandoned Facility. A facility no longer in service or physically disconnected from a portion of the
operating facility, or from any other facility, that is in use or still carries service. A facility is not abandoned
unless declared so by the right-of-way user.
2. Applicant. Any person requesting permission to excavate, obstruct, or otherwise place facilities in a right -
of-way.
3. City. The city of Gem Lake, Minnesota. For purposes of Section 23, ‘city’ also means the City’s elected
officials, officers, employees, and agents.
4. City Engineer. The City Engineer, or other employee designated by the City Council to administer this
Ordinance.
5. Collocate or Collocation. To install, mount, maintain, modify, operate, or replace a small wireless facility
on, under, within, or adjacent to an existing wireless support structure or utility pole that is owned privately,
or by the city or other governmental unit.
6. Commission. The State of Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.
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Commented [EM1]: Kevin: please double-check rules,
statutes, etc in this section
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Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 2
7. Construction Performance Bond. Any of the following forms of security provided at permittee’s option:
a. Individual project bond.
b. Cash deposit.
c. Security of a form listed or approved under Minn. Stat. § 15.73, subd. 3.
d. Letter of Credit, in a form acceptable to the city.
e. Self-insurance, in a form acceptable to the city.
f. A blanket bond for projects within the city, or other form of construction bond, for a time specified
and, in a form, acceptable to the city.
8. Degradation. A decrease in the useful life of the right-of-way caused by excavation in or disturbance of the
right-of-way, resulting in the need to reconstruct such right -of-way earlier than would be required if the
excavation or disturbance did not occur.
9. Degradation Cost. Subject to Minn. R. 7819.1100, means the cost to achieve a level of restoration, as
determined by the city at the time the permit is issued, not to exceed the maximum restoration shown in
plates 1 to 13, set forth in Minn. R., parts 7819.9900 to 7819.9950.
10. Degradation Fee. The estimated fee established at the time of permitting by the city to recover costs
associated with the decrease in the useful life of the right -of-way caused by the excavation, and which
equals the degradation cost.
11. Department. The department of the city tasked by the City Council to oversee public works.
12. Delay Penalty. The penalty imposed as a result of unreasonable delays in right-of-way excavation,
obstruction, patching, or restoration as established by permit.
13. Emergency. A condition that (1) poses a danger to life or health, or of a significant loss of property; or (2)
requires immediate repair or replacement of facilities in order to restore service to a customer.
14. Equipment. Any tangible asset used to install, repair, or maintain facilities in any right -of-way.
15. Excavate. To dig into or in any way remove or physically disturb or penetrate any part of a right -of-way.
16. Excavation Permit. The permit which, pursuant to this ordinance, must be obtained before a person may
excavate in a right-of-way. An Excavation permit allows the holder to excavate that part of the right -of-way
described in such permit.
17. Excavation Permit Fee. Money paid to the city by an applicant to cover the costs as provided in Section 8.
18. Facility or Facilities. Any tangible asset in the right-of-way used to provide Utility or Telecommunications
Service.
19. Five-Year Project Plan. Shows projects adopted by the city for construction within the next five years.
20. Local Representative. A local person or persons, or designee of such person or persons, authorized by a
registrant to accept service and to make decisions for that registrant regarding all matters within the scope
of this ordinance.
21. Management Costs. The actual costs the city incurs in managing its rights-of-way, including such costs, if
incurred, as those associated with registering applicants; issuing, processing, and verifying right -of-way or
small wireless facility permit applications; inspecting job sites and restoration projects; maintaining,
supporting, protecting, or moving user facilities during right -of-way work; determining the adequacy of
right-of-way restoration; restoring work inadequately performed after providing notice and the opportun ity
to correct the work; and revoking right-of-way or small wireless facility permits. Management costs do not
include payment by a telecommunications right-of-way user for the use of the right-of-way, unreasonable
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Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 3
fees of a third-party contractor used by the city including fees tied to or based on customer counts, access
lines, or revenues generated by the right-of-way or for the city, the fees and cost of litigation relating to the
interpretation Minn. Stat. §§ 237.162 or 237.163; or any ordinance enacted under those sections, or the city
fees and costs related to appeals taken pursuant to Section 25 of this ordinance.
22. Obstruct. To place any tangible object in a right-of-way so as to hinder free and open passage over that or
any part of the right-of-way, or so as to hinder maintenance of any city asset.
23. Obstruction Permit. The permit which, pursuant to this ordinance, must be obtained before a person may
obstruct a right-of-way, allowing the holder to hinder free and open passage over the specified portion of
that right-of-way, for the duration specified therein.
24. Obstruction Permit Fee. Money paid to the city by a permittee to cover the costs as provided in Section 8.
25. Patch or Patching. A method of pavement replacement that is temporary in nature. A patch consists of (1)
the compaction of the subbase and aggregate base, and (2) the replacement, in kind, of the existing
pavement for a minimum of two feet beyond the edges of the excavation in all directions. A patch is
considered full restoration only when the pavement is included in the city’s five -year project plan.
26. Pavement. Any type of improved surface that is within the public right -of-way and that is paved or
otherwise constructed with bituminous, concrete, aggregate, or gravel.
27. Permit. Has the meaning given “right-of-way permit” in this ordinance.
28. Permittee. Any person to whom a permit to excavate or obstruct a right-of-way has been granted by the
city under this ordinance.
29. Person. An individual or entity subject to the laws and rules of this state, however organized, whether
public or private, whether domestic or foreign, whether for profit or nonprofit, and whether natural,
corporate, or political.
30. Probation. The status of a person that has not complied with the conditions of this ordinance.
31. Probationary Period. One year from the date that a person has been notified in writing that they have been
put on probation.
32. Registrant. Any person who (1) has or seeks to have its equipment or facilities located in any right -of-way,
or (2) in any way occupies or uses, or seeks to occupy or use, the right -of-way or place its facilities or
equipment in the right-of-way.
33. Restore or Restoration. The process by which an excavated right-of-way and surrounding area, including
pavement and foundation, is returned to the same condition and life expectancy that existed before
excavation.
34. Restoration Cost. The amount of money paid to the city by a permittee to achieve the level of restoration
according to plates 1 to 13 of Minnesota Public Utilities Commission rules.
35. Public Right-of-Way or Right-of-Way (ROW). The area on, below, or above a public roadway, highway,
street, cartway, bicycle lane, or public sidewalk in which the city has an interest, including other dedicated
rights-of-way for travel purposes and utility easements of the city. A right -of-way does not include the
airwaves above a right-of-way with regard to cellular or other non-wire telecommunications or broadcast
service.
36. Right-of-Way Permit. Either the excavation permit, the obstruction permit, the small cell permit, or any
combination thereof depending on the context, required by this ordinance.
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Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 4
37. Right-of-Way User. (1) A telecommunications right-of-way user as defined by Minn. Stat., § 237.162,
subd. 4; or (2) a person owning or controlling a facility in the right-of-way that is used or intended to be
used for providing utility service, and who has a right under law, franchise, or ordinance to use the public
right-of-way.
38. Service or Utility Service. Includes (1) those services provided by a public utility as defined in Minn. Stat.
216B.02, subds. 4 and 6; (2) services of a telecommunications right -of-way user, including transporting of
voice or data information; (3) services of a cable communications systems as defined in Minn. Stat. ch.
238; (4) natural gas or electric energy or telecommunications services provided by the city; (5) services
provided by a cooperative electric association organized under Minn. Stat., ch. 308A; and (6) water, and
sewer, including service laterals, steam, cooling, or heating services.
39. Service Lateral. An underground facility that is used to transmit, distribute or furnish ‘gas, electricity,
communications, or water from a common source to an end-use customer. A service lateral is also an
underground facility that is used in the removal of wastewater fr om a customer’s premises.
40. Small Wireless Facility. A wireless facility that meets both of the following qualifications:
each antenna is located inside an enclosure of no more than six cubic feet in volume or could fit within
such an enclosure; and all other wireless equipment associated with the small wireless facility provided
such equipment is, in aggregate, no more than 28 cubic feet in volume, not including electric meters,
concealment elements, telecommunications demarcation boxes, battery backup power systems, grounding
equipment, power transfer switches, cutoff switches, cable, conduit, vertical cable runs for the con nection
of power and other services, and any equipment concealed from public view within or behind an existing
structure or concealment.
41. Supplementary Application. An application made to excavate or obstruct more of the right-of-way than
allowed in, or to extend, a permit that had already been issued.
42. Temporary Surface. The compaction of subbase and aggregate base and replacement, in kind, of the
existing pavement only to the edges of the excavation. It is temporary in nature except when the
replacement is of pavement included in the city’s two -year plan, in which case it is considered full
restoration.
43. Trench. An excavation in the pavement, with the excavation having a length equal to or greater than the
width of the pavement.
44. Telecommunications Right-of-Way User. A person owning or controlling a facility in the right -of-way, or
seeking to own or control a facility in the right-of-way that is used or is intended to be used for providing
wireless service, or transporting telecommunication or other voice or data info rmation. For purposes of this
ordinance, a cable communication system defined and regulated under Minn. Stat. ch. 238, and
telecommunication activities related to providing natural gas or electric energy services, a public utility as
defined in Minn. Stat. § 216B.02, a municipality, a municipal gas or power agency organized under Minn.
Stat. ch. 453 and 453A, or a cooperative electric association organized under Minn. Stat. ch. 308A, are not
telecommunications right-of-way users for purposes of this ordinance except to the extent such entity is
offering wireless service.
45. Two Year Project Plan. Shows projects adopted by the city for construction within the next two years.
46. Utility Pole. A pole that is used in whole or in part to facilitate telecommunications or electric service.
47. Wireless Facility. Equipment at a fixed location that enables the provision of wireless services between
user equipment and a wireless service network, including equipment associated with wireless service, a
radio transceiver, antenna, coaxial or fiber-optic cable, regular and backup power supplies, and a small
wireless facility, but not including wireless support structures, wireline backhaul facilities, or cables
between utility poles or wireless support structures, or not otherwise immediately adjacent to and directly
associated with a specific antenna.
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Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 5
48. Wireless Service. Any service using licensed or unlicensed wireless spectrum, including the use of Wi -Fi,
whether at a fixed location or by means of a mobile device, that is provided using wireless facilities.
Wireless service does not include services regulated under Titl e VI of the Communications Act of 1934, as
amended, including cable service.
49. Wireless Support Structure. A new or existing structure in a right-of-way designed to support or capable
of supporting small wireless facilities, as reasonably determined by the city.
Section 3. Administration. The City Engineer is the principal city official responsible for the administration of the
rights-of-way, right-of-way permits, and ordinances related thereto. The City Council may delegate any or all of the
duties hereunder.
Section 24. Permit RequirementRequired. Except as otherwise provided in this CodeOrdinance, no person may
obstruct or excavate any right-of-way, or install or place facilities in the right-of-way, without first having obtained
the appropriate permit from the Citycity.
1. Excavation Permit. An excavation permit is required to excavate that part of the right-of-way described in
such permit and to hinder free and open passage over the specified portion of the right-of-way by placing
facilities described therein, to the extent and for the duration specified therein.
2. Obstruction Permit. An obstructionA permit is required to hinder free and open passage over the specified
portion of right-of-way by placing equipment described therein on the right-of-way, to the extent and for
the duration specified therein. An obstruction permit is not required if a pers on already possesses a valid
excavation permit for the same project.
2.3. Small Wireless Facility Permit. A permit is required by a registrant to erect or install a wireless support
structure, to collocate a small wireless facility, or to otherwise install a small wireless facility in the
specified portion or the right-of-way, to the extent specified therein, provided that such permit shall remain
in effect for the length of time the facility is in use, unless lawfully revoked.
2.4. Permit Extensions. No person may excavate or obstruct the right-of-way beyond the date or dates
specified in the permit unless such person (1) makes a supplementary application for another right -of-way
permit before the expiration of the initial permit, and (2) a new permit or permit extension is granted.
3.5. Delay Penalty. In accordance with Minnesota Rule 7819.1000 Subpart 3, the City shall impose a delay
penalty for unreasonable delays in right-of-way excavation, obstruction, patching, or restoration. The
permittee shall not be assessed a delay penalty of delays in projec t commencement or completion are due to
circumstances beyond the control of the permittee. An application for permit extension is independent of
delay, anddelay and does not preclude the assessment of a delay penalty even if the extension is granted.
4.6. Permit Display. Permits issued under this Section shall be conspicuously displayed or otherwise available
at all times at the indicated work site and shall be available for inspection by the Zoning AdministratorCity
Engineer.
Section 35. Permit Applications. Application for a permit shall contain, and will be considered complete only upon
compliance with the requirements of the following provisions:
1. Submission of a completed permit application form, including all required attachments, scaled drawings
showing the location and area of the proposed project and the location of all known existing and proposed
facilities, and the following information:
1. Each permittee’s name, Gopher One-Call registration certificate number, address and, email
address, if applicable, and telephone and facsimile numbers.
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Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 6
2. The name, address, and e-mail address, if applicable, and telephone and facsimile numbers of a
local representative. The local representative or designee shall be available at all times. Current
information regarding how to contact the local representative in an emergency shall be provided at
the time of application.
3. A certificate of insurance or self-insurance:
1. Verifying that an insurance policy has been issued to the permittee by an insurance
company licensed to do business in the State of Minnesota, or a form of self
insuranceself-insurance acceptable to the Zoning AdministratorCity Engineer.
2. Verifying that the permittee is insured against claims for personal injury, including death,
as well as claims for property damage arising out of the (1) use and occupancy of the
right-of-way by the permittee, its officers, agents, employees and permittees, and (2)
placement and use of facilities and equipment in the right-of-way by the permittee, its
officers, agents, employees and permittees, including, but not limited to, protection
against liability arising from completed operations, damage of undergrou nd facilities and
collapse of property;.
3. Naming the City as an additional insured as to whom the coverages required herein are in
force and applicable and for whom defense will be provided as to all such coverages .;
4. Requiring that the Zoning AdministratorCity Engineer be notified thirty (30) days in
advance of cancellation of the policy or material modification of a coverage term .;
4.
5. Indicating comprehensive liability coverage, automobile liability coverage, workers
compensation and umbrella coverage in amounts established by the Zoning
AdministratorCity Engineer sufficient to protect the City and the public and to carry out
the purposes and policies of this Section.
6. The City may require a copy of the actual insurance policies.
7. If the person is a corporation, a copy of the certificate required to be filed under
Minnesota Statute § 300.03 as recorded and certified to by the Secretary of State.
8. A copy of the person’s order granting a certificate of authority from the Minnesota Public
Utilities Commission or other applicable state or federal agency, where the person is
lawfully required to have such certificate from said commission or other state or federal
agency.
2. Payment of money due to the Citycity for:
1. Ppermit fees, estimated restoration costs and other management costs.,
2. Pprior obstruction or excavations.;
3. Aany undisputed loss, damage, or expense suffered by the Citycity because of applicant’s prior
excavations or obstructions of the rights-of-way or any emergency actions taken by the Citycity.;
4. Ffranchise fees or other charges, if applicable.
3. Payment of disputed amounts due the city by posting security or depositing in an escrow account an
amount equal to at least 110 percent of the amount owing.
4. Posting an additional or larger construction performance bond for additional facilities when applicant
requests an excavation permit to install additional facilities and the city deems the existing construction
performance bond inadequate under applicable standards.
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Commented [EM2]: Currently the city just has a $200
fee for ‘utility work within ROW’, is there other fees we
want to add into the fee schedule?
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Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 7
Section 46. Issuance of permit; Cconditions.
1. Permit Issuance. If the applicant has satisfied the requirements of this Section, the Zoning
AdministratorCity shall issue a permit.
2. Conditions. The Zoning AdministratorCity Engineer may impose reasonable conditions upon the issuance
of the permit and the performance of the applicant thereunder to protect the health, safety and welfare or
when necessary to protect the right -of-way and its current use. In addition, a permittee shall comply with all
requirements of local, statestate, and federal laws, including but not limited to Minnesota Statutes
§216D.01-.09 (Gopher One Call Excavation Notice System) and Minnesota Rules Section Chapter 7560.
Trenchless Excavation. As a condition of all applicable permits, permittees employing trenchless
excavation methods, including but not limited to Horizontal Directional Drilling, shall follow all
requirements set forth in Minnesota Statutes, Section 216D and Minnesota Rules Section 7560, and shall
require potholing or open cutting over existing underground utilities before excavating, as determined by
the City.
Section 7. Small Wireless Facility Permits.
1. Small Wireless Facility Conditions. In addition to Section 6.2, the erection or installation of a wireless
support structure, the collocation of a small wireless facility, or other installation of a small wireless facility
in the right-of-way, shall be subject to the following conditions:
a. A small wireless facility shall only be collocated on the particular wireless support structure, under
those attachment specifications, and at the height indicated in the applicable permit application.
b. No new wireless support structure installed within the right-of-way shall exceed 50 feet in height
without the city’s written authorization, provided that the city may impose a lower height limit in
the applicable permit to protect the public health, safet y and welfare or to protect the right-of-way
and its current use, and further provided that a registrant may replace an existing wireless support
structure exceeding 50 feet in height with a structure of the same height subject to such conditions
or requirements as may be imposed in the applicable permit.
c. No wireless facility may extend more than 10 feet above its wireless support structure.
d. Where an applicant proposes to install a new wireless support structure in the right -of-way, the
city may impose separation requirements between such structure and any existing wireless support
structure or other facilities in and around the right -of-way.
e. Where an applicant proposes collocation on a decorative wireless support structure, sign or other
structure not intended to support small wireless facilities, such equipment shall be consistent with
the City’s aesthetic standards regarding wireless equipme nt as adopted by the City Engineer. Such
standards shall ensure that wireless equipment is installed with a stealth design and that equipment
does not detract from the character of the area in which it is installed. In addition, the City
Engineer shall adopt standards that ensure city assets can continue to effectively perform their
intended function. Standards shall be made available with the application required for a small cell
permit.
f. Where an applicant proposes to replace a wireless support structure, the city may impose
reasonable restocking, replacement, or relocation requirements on the replacement of such
structure.
a.g. A permit will be deemed void if the approved equipment is not installed within one (1) year of
issuance of the permit.
1.2. Small Wireless Facility Agreement. A small wireless facility shall only be collocated on a small wireless
support structure owned or controlled by the city, or any other city asset in the right -of-way, after the
applicant has executed a standard small wireless facility collocation agreement with the city. . The standard
collocation agreement may require payment of the following:
2.a. Rent to collocate on the city structure.
3.b. Yearly fee for maintenance associated with the collocation;collocation.
4.c. A monthly fee for electrical service as follows:
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Commented [EM3]: Maximums per State Stat:
(1) up to $150 per year for rent to occupy space on a
wireless support structure;
(2) up to $25 per year for maintenance associated with
the space occupied on a wireless support structure; and
(3) a monthly fee for electricity used to operate a small
wireless facility, if not purchased directly from a utility, at
the rate of:
(i) $73 per radio node less than or equal to 100 max
watts;
(ii) $182 per radio node over 100 max watts; or
(iii) the actual costs of electricity, if the actual costs
exceed the amount in item (i) or (ii).
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Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 8
5.i. A fee per radio node less than or equal to 100 maximum watts;watts.
6.ii. A fee per radio node over 100 maximum watts; or
7.iii. The actual costs of electricity, if the actual cost exceed the foregoing.
8.
9.3. The standard collocation agreement shall be in addition to, and not in lieu of, the required small wireless
facility permit, provided, however, that the applicant shall not be additionally required to obtain a license or
franchise in order to collocate. . Issuance of a small wireless facility permit does not supersede, alteralter,
or affect any then-existing agreement between the city and applicant.
4. Action on Small Wireless Facility Permit Applications.
a. Deadline for Action. The city shall approve or deny a small wireless facility permit application
within 90 days after filing of such application or within any timeline established by state law. The
small wireless facility permit, and any associated building permit application, shall be deemed
approved if the city fails to approve or deny the application within the review periods established
in this section.
b. Consolidated Applications. An applicant may file a consolidated small wireless facility permit
application addressing the proposed collocation of up to 15 small wireless facilities, or a greater
number if agreed to by a local government unit, provided that all small wireless facili ties in the
application:
i. are located within a two-mile radius.
ii. consist of substantially similar equipment; and
iii. are to be placed on similar types of wireless support structures.
c. In rendering a decision on a consolidated permit application, the city may approve some small
wireless facilities and deny others, but may not use denial of one or more permits as a basis to
deny all small wireless facilities in the application.
d. Tolling of Deadline. The 90-day deadline for action on a small wireless facility permit application
may be tolled if:
i. The city receives applications from one or more applicants seeking approval of permits
for more than 30 small wireless facilities within a seven-day period. In such case, the city
may extend the deadline for all such applications by 30 days by informing the affected
applicants in writing of such extension.
ii. The applicant fails to submit all required documents or information, and the city provides
written notice of incompleteness to the applicant within 30 days of receipt the
application. Upon submission of additional documents or information, the city shall have
ten days to notify the applicant in writing of any still-missing information.
iii. The city and a small wireless facility applicant agree in writing to toll the review period.
10.e.
Section 58. Permit Fees. The City Council establishes fees for permits, and shall from time to time examine and
adjust as needed to conform to the City’s actual costs of regulation, management, degradation, city engineering, and
make-ready or construction costs associated with collocation of small wireless facilitiesfees for permits and
applications governed by this Ordinance. Said fees shall be in the City Fee Schedule as adopted by Ordinance.
1. Excavation Permit Fee. A fee shall be collected with an application for an excavation permit, and the
amount of the fee is determined by the type of excavation proposed:
1. Hole excavation: $125.00
2. Emergency Hole: $55.00
3. Trench: $125.00 + $70 per 100 lineal feet of trench
2. Obstruction Permits Fee. A fee of $50.00 plus $.05 per lineal foot of obstruction shall be collected with an
application for a permit to obstruct a right-of-way.
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Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 9
3. Payment of Permit Fees. No excavation permit or obstruction permit shall be issued without payment of
permit fees.
4. Permit Extension Fee. A fee of $55.00 shall be collected with an application for extension of an existing
right-of-way permit.
5. Delay Penalty. If the Zoning Administrator finds that a delay penalty is warranted under Section 2.3, the
penalty shall be $60.00 for the first three (3) days of delay, and $10.00 per day thereafter.
6. Non refundable. Permit fees that were paid for a permit that the Zoning Administrator has revoked for a
breach as stated in Section 14 are not refundable.
7.1. Application to Ffranchises. Unless otherwise agreed to in a franchise, management costs may be charged
separately from and in addition to the franchise fees imposed on a right -of-way used in the franchise.
Section 69. Supplementary Applications.
1. Limitation on Area. A right-of-way permit is valid only for the area of the right -of-way specified in the
permit. No permittee may do any work outside the area specified in the permit, except as provided herein.
Any permittee which determines that an area greater than that specified in the permit must be obstructed or
excavated must before working in that greater area (1) make application for a permit extension and pay any
additional fees required thereby, and (2) be granted a new permit or permit extension .
2. Limitation on Dates. A right-of-way permit is valid only for the dates specified in the permit. No permittee
may begin its work before the permit start date or, except as provided herein, continue working after the
end date. If a permittee does not finish the work by the permit end date, it must apply for a new permit for
the additional time it needs, andneeds and receive the new permit or an extension of the old permit before
working after the end date of the previous permit. This supplementary application must be submitted before
the permit end date.
Section 10. Joint Applications.
1. Joint Application. Registrants may jointly apply for permits to excavate or obstruct the right -of-way at the
same place and time.
2. Shared Fees. Registrants who apply for permits for the same obstruction or excavation, which the city does
not perform, may share in the payment of the obstruction or excavation permit fee. In order to obtain a joint
permit, registrants must agree among themselves as to the portion each will pa y and indicate the same on
their applications.
3. City Projects. Registrants who join in a scheduled obstruction or excavation performed by the city,
whether or not it is a joint application by two or more registrants or a single application, are not required to
pay the excavation or obstruction and degradation portions of the permit fee, but a permit would still be
required.
Section 11 . Other Obligations.
1. Compliance with other Laws. Obtaining a right-of-way permit does not relieve permittee of its duty to
obtain all other necessary permits, licenses, and authority and to pay all fees required by the city or other
applicable rule, law, or regulation. A permittee shall comply with all requirements of local, state, and
federal laws, including but not limited to Minn. Stat. §§ 216D.01 -.09 (Gopher One Call Excavation Notice
System) and Minn. R., ch. 7560. A permittee shall perform all work in conformance with all applicable
codes and established rules and regulations, and is responsible for all work done in the right-of-way
pursuant to its permit, regardless of who does the work.
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Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 10
2. Prohibited Work. Except in an emergency, and with the approval of the city, no right-of-way obstruction
or excavation may be done when seasonally prohibited or when conditions are unreasonable for such work.
3. Interference with ROW. A permittee shall not so obstruct a right-of-way that the natural free and clear
passage of water through the gutters or other waterways shall be interfered with. Private vehicles of those
doing work in the right-of-way may not be parked within or next to a permit area, unless parked in
conformance with city parking regulations. The loading or unloading of trucks must be done solely within
the defined permit area unless specifically authorized by the permit.
4. Trenchless Excavation. As a condition of all applicable permits, permittees employing trenchless
excavation methods, including but not limited to Horizontal Directional Drilling, shall follow all
requirements set forth in Minnesota Statutes, Section 216D and Minnesota Rules Chapter 7560, and shall
require potholing or open cutting over existing underground utilities before excavating, as determined by
the City.
Section 712. Denial of permit. The City may deny a permit for failure to meet the requirements and conditions of
this Section ordinance or if the City determines that the denial is necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare
or when necessary to protect the right-of-way and its current use. The denial or revocation of a permit must be made
in writing and must document the basis for the denial. The city must notify the applicant or right -of-way user in
writing within three business days of the decision to deny or revoke a permit. If an applica tion is denied, the right-
of-way user may address the reasons for denial identified by the city and resubmit its application. If the application
is resubmitted within 30 days of receipt of the notice of denial, no additional application fee shall be impos ed. The
city must approve or deny the resubmitted application within 30 days after submission.
Sections 8-9. (RESERVED).
Section 1013. Installation Requirements. The excavation, backfilling, patching and restoration, and all other work
performed in the right-of-way shall be done in conformance with Minn. R. 7819.1100 and 7819.5000 and other
applicable local requirements, in so far as they are consistent with the Minn. Stat., §§ 237.162 and 237.163.
Installation of service laterals shall be performed in accordance with Minn. R., ch 7560 and these ordinances.
Service lateral installation is further subject to those requirements and conditions set forth by the city in the
applicable permits and/or agreements referenced in Section 17 of this ordinance.excavation, backfilling, patching
and restoration, and all other work performed in the right-of-way shall be done in conformance with Minnesota
Rules 7819.1100 and other applicable local requirements, in so far as they are not inconsistent with the Minnesota
Statutes § 237.162 and § 237.163.
Section 1114. Right-of-Way Patching and Restoration.
1. Timing. The work to be done under any excavation permit, and the patching and restoration of the right -of-
way as required herein, must be completed within the dates specified in the permit, increased by as many
days as work could not be done because of circumstances beyond the control of the permittee or when work
was prohibited as unseasonable or unreasonable under Section 1417.
2. Patch and Restoration. Permittee shall patch its own work. The City may choose either to have the
permittee restore the right-of-way or to restore the right-of-way itself.
1. City Restoration. If the City restores the right-of-way, permittee shall pay the costs thereof within
thirty (30) days of billing. If following such restoration, the pavement settles due to permittee’s
improper backfilling, the permittee shall pay to the City, within thirt y (30) days of billing, all costs
associated with having to correct the defective work.
2. Permittee Restoration. If the permittee restores the right-of-way itself, it shall at the time of
application for an excavation permit post a construction performance bond in accordance with the
provisions of Minnesota Rules 7819.3000.
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Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 11
3. Degradation Fee in Lieu of Restoration. In lieu of right-of-way restoration, a right-of-way user
may elect to pay a degradation fee. However, the right -of-way user shall remain responsible for
patching and the degradation fee shall not include the cost to accomplish these responsibilities.
3. Standards. The permittee shall perform patching and restoration according to the standards and with the
materials specified by the City and shall comply with Minnesota Rule 7819.1100.
4. Duty to correct defects. The permittee shall correct defects in patching, or restoration performed by
permittee or its agents. Permittee upon notification from the Zoning AdministratorCity Engineer, correct all
restoration work to the extent necessary, using the method require by the Zoning AdministratorCity
Engineer. Said work shall be completed within five (5) calendar days of the receipt of the notice from the
Zoning AdministratorCity Engineer, not including days during which work cannot be done because of
circumstances constituting force majeure or days when work is prohibited as unseasonable or unreasonable
under Section 1417.
5. Failure to Restore. If the permittee fails to restore the right-of-way in the manner and to the condition
required by the Zoning AdministratorCity Engineer, or fails to satisfactorily and timely complete all
restoration required by the Zoning AdministratorCity Engineer, the City at its option may do such work. In
that event the permittee shall pay to the City, within thirty (30) days of billing, the cost of restoring the
right-of-way. If permittee fails to pay as required, the City may exercise its rights under the cons truction
performance bond.
Section 1215. Inspection.
1. Notice of Completion. When the work under and permit hereunder is completed, the permittee shall
furnish a completion certificate in accordance Minnesota Rules 7819.1300 . or other as-built documentation
as deemed necessary by the City Engineer.
2. Site Inspection. Permittee shall make the work-site available to City personnel and to all others as
authorized by law for inspection at all reasonable times during the execution of and upon completion of the
work.
3. Authority of Zoning AdministratorCity Engineer.
1. At the time of inspectioninspection, the Zoning AdministratorCity Engineer may order the
immediate cessation of any work which poses a serious threat to life, health, safety or well
beingwellbeing of the public.
2. The Zoning AdministratorCity Engineer may issue an order to the permittee for any work that
does not conform to the terms of the permit or other applicable standards, conditions, or codes.
The order shall state that failure to correct the violation will be cause for revocation of the permit.
Within ten (10) days after issuance of the order, the permittee shall present proof to the Zoning
AdministratorCity Engineer that the violation has been corrected. If such proof has not been
presented within the required time, the Zoning AdministratorCity Engineer may revoke the permit
pursuant to Section 1417.
3. Supplementary Notification. If the obstruction or excavation of the right-of-way begins later or
ends sooner than the date given on the permit, permittee shall notify the Zoning AdministratorCity
Engineer of the accurate information as soon as this information is known.
Section 1316. Work Done Without a Permit.
1. Emergency Situations. Each person with facilities in the right-of-way shall immediately notify the City of
any event regarding its facilities that it considers being an emergency. Excavator’s notification to Gopher
State One Call regarding an emergency situation does not fulfi ll this requirement. The owner of the
facilities may proceed to take whatever actions are necessary to respond to the emergency. Within two (2)
business days after the occurrence of the emergency the owner shall apply for the necessary permits, pay
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Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 12
the fees associated therewith and fulfill the rest of the requirements necessary to bring itself into
compliance with this Section for the actions it took in response to the emergency.
If the City becomes aware of an emergency regarding facilities, the Citycity will attempt to contact the
local representative of each facility owner affected, or potentially affected, by the emergency. In any event,
the City may take whatever action it deems necessary to respond to the emergency, the cost of which shall
be borne by the person whose facilities occasioned the emergency.
2. Non-Emergency Situations. Except in an emergency, any person who, without first having obtained the
necessary permit, obstructs or excavates a right -of-way must subsequently obtain a permit, and as a penalty
pay double the normal fee for said permit, pay double all the other fees required by this code, deposit with
the City the fees necessary to correct any damage to the right-of-way and comply with all of the
requirements of this Section.
Section 1417. Revocation of Permits.
1. Substantial Breach. The City reserves its right, as provided herein, to revoke any right -of-way permit,
without a refund, if there is a substantial breach of the terms and conditions of any statute, ordinance, rule
or regulation, or any material condition of the permit. A su bstantial breach by permittee shall include, but
shall not be limited to, the following:
1. The violation of any material provision of the right -of-way permit;permit.
2. An envision or attempt to evade any material provision of the right -of-way permit, or the
perpetuation or attempt to perpetrate any fraud or deceit upon the City or its citizens;citizens.
3. Any material misrepresentation of fact in the application for a right-of-way permit;permit.
4. The failure to complete the work in a timely manner; unless a permit extension is obtained or
unless the failure to complete work is due to reasons beyond the permittee’s control; or
5. The failure to correct, in a timely manner, work that does not conform to a condition indicated on
an order issued pursuant to Section 1815.
2. Written Notice of Breach. If the City determines that the permittee has committed a substantial breach of
a term or condition of any statute, ordinance, rule, regulationregulation, or any condition of the permit that
City shall make a written demand upon the permittee to remedy such violation. The demand shall state
continued violations might be cause for revocation of the permit. A substantial or revised conditions on the
permit to mitigate and remedy the breach.
3. Response to Notice of Breach. Within twenty-four (24) hours of receiving notification of the breach,
permittee shall provide the City with a plan, acceptable to the City, which will cure the breach.
Permittee’s failure to so contact the City, or the permittee’s failure to submit an acceptable plan, or
permittee’s failure to reasonably implement the approved plan, shall be cause for immediate revocation of
the permit.
4. Reimbursement of City Costs. If a permit is revoked, the permittee shall also reimburse the City for the
City’s reasonable costs, including restoration costs and the costs of collection and reasonable attorneys’ fees
incurred in connection with such revocation.
Section 1518. Mapping Data.
1. Information Required. Each permittee shall provide mapping information required by the City in
accordance with Minnesota Rules 7819.4000 and 7819.4100. Within ninety (90) days following completion
of any work pursuant to a permit, the permittee shall provide the Zoning AdministratorCity Engineer
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Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 13
accurate maps and drawings certifying the “as-built” location of all equipment installed, owned and
maintained by the permittee. Such maps and drawings shall include the horizontal and vertical location of
all facilities and equipment and shall be provided in a format consistent with the city’s electronic mapping
system, when practical or as a condition imposed by the Zoning administratorCity Engineer. Failure to
provide maps and drawings pursuant to this subsection shall subject the permittee to the delay penalties
established in accordance with Section 1.048 and may affect the grant of any future permits for right-of-
way excavation or obstruction.
2. Service Laterals. All permits issued for the installation or repair of service laterals, other than minor
repairs as defined in Minn. R. 7560.0150, subp. 2, shall require the permittee’s use of appropriate means of
establishing the horizontal locations of installed service laterals and the service lateral vertical locations in
those cases where the City Engineer reasonably requires it. Permittees or their subcontractors shall submit
to the City Engineer evidence satisfactory to the City Engineer of the installed service lateral locations.
Compliance with this subdivision 2 and with applicable Gopher State One Call law and Minnesota Rules
governing service laterals installed after Dec. 31, 2005, shall be a condition of any city approval necessary
for:All permits issued for the installation or repair of service laterals, other than minor repairs as defined in
Minnesota Rules 7560.0150 Subpart 2, shall require the permittee’s use of appropriate means of
establishing the horizontal locations of installed service laterals, and the service lateral vertical locations in
those cases where the City reasonably requires it. Permittees or their subcontractors shall submit to the City
evidence of the installed service lateral locations. Compliance with this Section and with applicable Gopher
State One Call law and Minnesota Rules governing service laterals shall be a condition of any City
approval necessary for:
a. (1) payments to contractors working on a public improvement project (including those under
Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 429); and
2.b. (2) City approval under development agreements or other subdivision or site plan approval under
Minn. Stat. ch. 462. The City Engineer shall reasonably determine the appropriate method of
providing such information to the city. Failure to provide prompt and accurate information on the
service laterals installed may result in the revocation of the permit issued for the work or future
permits to the offending permittee or its subcontractors.City approval of performance under
development agreements, or other subdivision or site plan approval under the City’s official land
use controls. The City shall reasonably determine the appropriate method of providing such
information. Failure to provide prompt and accurate information on the service laterals installed
may result in the revocation of the permit issued for the work or for future permits to the offending
permittee or its subcontractors.
Section 1619. Location of Facilities; Undergrounding.
1. Purpose. Placement, location, and relocation of facilities must comply with the Act, with other applicable
law, with other applicable standards adopted by the city engineer, and with Minn. R. 7819.3100, 7819.5000,
and 7819.5100, to the extent the rules do not limit authority otherwise avai lable to cities.The purpose of
this section is to promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the public and is intended to foster (1)
safe travel over the right-of-way, (2) non-travel related safety around homes and buildings where overhead
feeds are connected and (3) orderly development in the City. Location and relocation, installation and
reinstallation of Facilities in the right -of-way must be made in accordance with this section. This section is
intended to be enforced consistently with state and federal law regulating right-of-way users, specifically
including but not limited to Minnesota Statutes, §§ 161.45, 237.162, 237.163, 300.03, 222.37, 238.084 and
216B.36 and the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Title 47, USC Section 253 .
2. Undergrounding of Facilities. Unless otherwise agreed in a franchise between the applicable right -of-way
user and the City, facilities places in the public right-of-way must be located, relocated and maintained
underground pursuant to the terms and conditions of this section and in ac cordance with applicable
construction standards.
3. Undergrounding of New Facilities. A new facility or a permanent extension of facilities must be installed
and maintained underground when supplied to:
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Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 14
1. a new installation of buildings, sings, streetlights or other structures;structures.
2. a new subdivision of land; or
3. a new development containing new commercial or industrial buildings.
4. Undergrounding of Permanent, Relocated or Reconstructed Facilities. A permanent replacement,
relocationrelocation, or reconstruction of a facility of more than 300 feet must be located, and maintained
underground, with due regard for seasonal working conditions. For purposes of this section, reconstruction
means any substantial repair of or any improvement to existing facilities. Undergrounding is required
whether a replacement, relocation or reconstruction is initiated by the right -of-way user owning or
operating the facilities, or by the City in connection with (1) the present or future use by the City or other
local government unit of the right-of-way for a public project, (2) the public health or safety, or (3) the
safety and convenience of travel over the right-of-way.
5. Corridors. The City may assign specific corridors within the right-of-way, or any particular segment
thereof as may be necessary, for each type of facilities that is or, pursuant to current technology, the City
expects will someday be located within the right-of-way. All excavation, obstruction, or other permits
issued by the City involving the installation or repla cement of facilities shall designate the proper corridor
for the facilities at issue. Any registrant who has facilities in the right-of-way in a position at variance with
the corridors established by the city shall, no later than at the time of the next reconstruction or excavation
of the area where the facilities are located, move the facilities to the assigned position within the right-of-
way, unless this requirement is waived by the city for good cause shown, upon consideration of such factors
as the remaining economic life of the facilities, public safety, customer service needs, and ha rdship to the
registrant.
6. Limitation of Space. The Zoning AdministratorCity Engineer shall, to the extent possible, accommodate
all existing and potential users of the right-of-way. In doing so, the Administrator shall be guided by
consideration of the public interest, including the public’s needs for the particular utility service, the
condition of the right-of-way, the time of year with respect to essential utilities, the protection of existing
facilities in the right-of-way, and future City plans for public improvements and development projects.
6.7. Nuisance. One year after the passage of this Ordinance, any facilities found in a right-of-way that have not
been registered shall be deemed to be a nuisance. The city may exercise any remedies or rights it has at law
or in equity, including, but not limited to, abating the nuisance, or taking possession of the facilities and
restoring the right-of-way to a useable condition.
Section 1720. Retirement of Overhead Facilities. The City Council may determine whether it is in the public
interest that all facilities within the City, or within certain districts designated by the City, be permanently placed and
maintained underground by a date certain or target date, independently of undergrounding required pursuant to
Section 16 19 of this Ordinance. The decision to underground existing facilities must be preceded by a public
hearing, after notice published for two (2) consecutive weeks and written notice mailed to the utilities affected at
least 30 days prior to the hearing. At the hearinghearing, the City Council must consider, at a maximum, all of the
issues stated in 17.2 below and make findings. Undergrounding of existing facilities may not take place until the
City Council has, after hearing and notice, adopted a plan in accordance with 1720.3 below.
1. Public Hearings. A hearing must be open to the public and may be continued from time to time. At each
hearinghearing, any person interested must be given an opportunity to be heard. The subject of the public
hearings shall be the issue of whether Facilities in the right -of-way in the City, or located within a certain
district, shall all be located underground by a date certain. Hearings are not necessary for the
undergrounding required under Section 16 19 of this Ordinance.
2. Public Hearing Issues. The issues to be addressed at the public hearings include but are not limited to:
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Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 15
1. The costs and benefits to the public of requiring the undergrounding of all facilities in the right -of-
way.
2. The feasibility and cost of undergrounding all facilities by a date certain as determined by the City
Council and the affected unities.
3. The tariff requirements, procedure and rate design for recovery or intended recovery of
incremental costs for undergrounding by the utilities from ratepayers within the Citycity.
4. Alternative financing options available if the Citycity deems it in the public interest to require
undergrounding by a date certain and deems it appropriate to participate in the cost otherwise
borne by the ratepayers.
Upon completion of the hearing or hearings, the City Council must make written findings on whether it is
in the public interest to establish a plan under which all facilities will be underground, either Citywide or
within districts designated by the City.
3. Undergrounding Plan. If the City finds that it is in the public interest to underground all or substantially
all facilities in the public right of way, the City must establish a plan for such undergrounding. The plan for
undergrounding must include at least the following elem ents:
1. Timetable for the undergrounding.
2. Designation of districts for the undergrounding unless, undergrounding plan is Citywide .
3. Exceptions to the undergrounding requirement and procedure for establishing such expectations.
4. Procedures for the undergrounding process, including but not limited to coordination with City
projects and provisions to ensure compliance with nondiscrimination requirements under the law.
5. A financing plan for funding of the incremental costs if the Citycity determines that it will finance
some of the undergrounding costs, and a determination and verification of the claimed additional
costs to undergrounding incurred by the utility.
6. Penalties or other remedies for failure to comply with the undergrounding.
Section 1821. Damage to Other Facilities. When the City foes work in the right-of-way and finds it necessary to
maintain, support, or move facilities to protect its workers or its project, the Zoning AdministratorCity Engineer
shall notify the local representative as early as reasonably possible. The costs associated therewith will be billed to
that facility owner and must be paid within thirty (30) days from the date of billing. Each facility owner shall be
responsible for the cost of repairing any facilities in the right-of-way which it or its facilities damages. Each facility
owner shall be responsible for the cost of repairing any damage to the facilities of another caused during the City’s
response to an emergency occasioned by that owner’s facilities.
Section 2219. Right-of-way Vacation. If the City vacated a right-of-way that contains facilities, the facility owner’s
rights in the vacated right-of-way are governed by Minnesota Rules 7819.3200.
Section 2023. Indemnification and Liability. By applying for and accepting a permit under this Sectionordinance,
a permittee agrees to defend and indemnify the City in accordance with the provisions of Minnesota Rule
7819.1250.
Section 2124. Abandoned Facilities.
1. Discontinued Operations. A registrant who has determined to discontinue all or a portion of its operations
in the city must provide information satisfactory to the city that the registrant’s obligations for its facilities
in the right-of-way under this ordinance have been lawfully assumed by another registrant.
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Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 16
2. Removal. Any registrant who has abandoned facilities in any right -of-way shall remove it from that right-
of-way if required in conjunction with other right-of-way repair, excavation, or construction, unless this
requirement is waived by the city.Any person who has abandoned facilities in any right -of-way shall
remove them from that right-of-way if required in conjunction with other right-of-way repair, excavation,
or construction, unless the Zoning Administrator waives this requirement. Failure to remove abandoned
facilities may affect the grant of any future permits to the person responsible for the abandoned facilities.
Section 2225. Appeal. A right-of-way user that: (1) has been denied registration; (2) has been denied a permit; (3)
has had permit revoked; (4) believes that the fees imposed are invalid; or (5) disputes a determination of the City
regarding Section 1.169 Subdivision 2 of this Ordinance, may have the denial, revocation, fee imposition, or
decision reviewed, upon written request, by the City Council. The City Council shall act on a timely written request
at its next regularly scheduled meeting. A decision by the City Council affirming the denial, revocation, or fee
imposition will be writing and supported by written findings establishing the reasonableness of the decision.
Section 2326. Reservation of Regulatory and Police Powers. A permittee’s rights are subject to the regulatory and
police powers of the City to adopt and enforce general ordinances necessary to protect the health, safetysafety, and
welfare of the public.
Section 2427. Severability. If any portion of this chapterordinance is for any reason held invalid by any court of
competent jurisdiction, such portion shall be deemed a separate, distinct, and independent provision and such
holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions thereof. Nothing in this chapterordinance precludes the
city from requiring a franchise agreement with the applicant, as allowed by law in addition to the requirements set
forth herein.
Section 2528. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and
publication.
Dated: , 20102025
Gretchen Artig-SwomleyRobert Uzpen, Mayor William ShortMelissa Lawrence, Acting City
Clerk
Summary of Ordinance 113 approved by City Council and published in the White Bear Press on 1 -27-2010.
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Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 17
City of Gem Lake, Ramsey County, Minnesota
Right of Way (ROW)
Ordinance No. 113
This ordinance to administer and regulate the public right-of-way in the public interest and to provide for the
issuance and regulation of right-of-way permits, was originally enacted by the City in January 2010. The City
Council has made amendments to the Ordinance in keeping with changes in State law and the wishes of the
community. The following table indicates the original Ordinances and the said amendments.
Ordinance Description Enactment
113 Ordinance adopted January 2010
113 Amendment adding and revising definitions, adding
requirements regarding small wireless facilities,
moving fees to the Fee Schedule, and updating
processes and procedures.
Month 202X
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Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 1
City Of Gem Lake, Ramsey County, Minnesota
Right-Of-Way
Ordinance No. 113
AN ORDINANCE TO ADMINISTER AND REGULATE THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY IN THE PUBLIC
INTEREST AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE AND REGULATION OF RIGHT-OF-WAY
PERMITS
Section 1. Findings, Purpose, and Intent. To provide for the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens, and to
ensure the integrity of its streets and the appropriate use of the rights-of-way, the city strives to keep its rights-of-
way in a state of good repair and free from unnecessary encumbrances. Accordingly, the City hereby enacts this new
Section of this Code relating to right-of-way permits and administration. This Section imposes reasonable regu lation
on the placement and maintenance of facilities and equipm ent currently within its rights-of-way or to be placed
therein at some future time. It is intended to complement the regulatory roles of the state and federal agencies. Under
this Section, persons excavating and obstructing the rights-of-way will bear financial responsibility for their work.
Finally, this Section provides for recovery of out-of-pocket and projected costs from persons using the public rights-
of-way.
This Section shall be interpreted consistently with Minnesota Statutes Sections 237.16, 237.162, 237.163, 237.79,
237.81, and 238.086 (the “Act”) and the other laws governing applicable rights of the City and users of the right -of-
way. This Section shall also be interpreted consistent with Minnesota Rules 7819.0050 – 7819.9950 where possible.
To the extent any provision of this Section cannot be interpreted consistently with the Minnesota Rules, Minnesota
Rules, that interpretation most consistent with the Act and other applicable statutory case law is intended. This
Section shall not be interpreted to limit the regulatory and police powers of the City to adopt and enforce general
ordinances necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public.
1. Election to Manage the Public Right-of-Way. In accordance with the authority granted to the City under
state and federal statutory, administrative, and common law, the City hereby elects pursuant to this Section
to manage rights-of-way within its jurisdiction.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following definitions apply in this Ordinance. References hereafter to “sections” are, unless otherwise specified,
references to sections in this Ordinance.
1. Abandoned Facility. A facility no longer in service or physically disconnected from a portion of the
operating facility, or from any other facility, that is in use or still carries service. A facility is not abandoned
unless declared so by the right-of-way user.
2. Applicant. Any person requesting permission to excavate, obstruct, or otherwise place facilities in a right -
of-way.
3. City. The city of Gem Lake, Minnesota. For purposes of Section 23, ‘city’ also means the City’s elected
officials, officers, employees, and agents.
4. City Engineer. The City Engineer, or other employee designated by the City Council to administer this
Ordinance.
5. Collocate or Collocation. To install, mount, maintain, modify, operate, or replace a small wireless facility
on, under, within, or adjacent to an existing wireless support structure or utility pole that is owned privately,
or by the city or other governmental unit.
6. Commission. The State of Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.
7. Construction Performance Bond. Any of the following forms of security provided at permittee’s option:
a. Individual project bond.
Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 2
b. Cash deposit.
c. Security of a form listed or approved under Minn. Stat. § 15.73, subd. 3.
d. Letter of Credit, in a form acceptable to the city.
e. Self-insurance, in a form acceptable to the city.
f. A blanket bond for projects within the city, or other form of construction bond, for a time specified
and, in a form, acceptable to the city.
8. Degradation. A decrease in the useful life of the right-of-way caused by excavation in or disturbance of the
right-of-way, resulting in the need to reconstruct such right-of-way earlier than would be required if the
excavation or disturbance did not occur.
9. Degradation Cost. Subject to Minn. R. 7819.1100, means the cost to achieve a level of restoration, as
determined by the city at the time the permit is issued, not to exceed the maximum restoration shown in
plates 1 to 13, set forth in Minn. R., parts 7819.9900 to 7819.9950.
10. Degradation Fee. The estimated fee established at the time of permitting by the city to recover costs
associated with the decrease in the useful life of the right-of-way caused by the excavation, and which
equals the degradation cost.
11. Department. The department of the city tasked by the City Council to oversee public works.
12. Delay Penalty. The penalty imposed as a result of unreasonable delays in right-of-way excavation,
obstruction, patching, or restoration as established by permit.
13. Emergency. A condition that (1) poses a danger to life or health, or of a significant loss of property; or (2)
requires immediate repair or replacement of facilities in order to restore service to a customer.
14. Equipment. Any tangible asset used to install, repair, or maintain facilities in any right -of-way.
15. Excavate. To dig into or in any way remove or physically disturb or penetrate any part of a right -of-way.
16. Excavation Permit. The permit which, pursuant to this ordinance, must be obtained before a person may
excavate in a right-of-way. An Excavation permit allows the holder to excavate that part of the right-of-way
described in such permit.
17. Excavation Permit Fee. Money paid to the city by an applicant to cover the costs as provided in Section 8.
18. Facility or Facilities. Any tangible asset in the right-of-way used to provide Utility or Telecommunications
Service.
19. Five-Year Project Plan. Shows projects adopted by the city for construction within the next five years.
20. Local Representative. A local person or persons, or designee of such person or persons, authorized by a
registrant to accept service and to make decisions for that registrant regarding all matters within the scope
of this ordinance.
21. Management Costs. The actual costs the city incurs in managing its rights-of-way, including such costs, if
incurred, as those associated with registering applicants; issuing, processing, and verifying right -of-way or
small wireless facility permit applications; inspecting job sites and restoration projects; maintaining,
supporting, protecting, or moving user facilities during right-of-way work; determining the adequacy of
right-of-way restoration; restoring work inadequately performed after providing notice and the opportunity
to correct the work; and revoking right-of-way or small wireless facility permits. Management costs do not
include payment by a telecommunications right-of-way user for the use of the right-of-way, unreasonable
fees of a third-party contractor used by the city including fees tied to or based on customer counts, access
lines, or revenues generated by the right-of-way or for the city, the fees and cost of litigation relating to the
Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 3
interpretation Minn. Stat. §§ 237.162 or 237.163; or any ordinance enacted under those sections, or the city
fees and costs related to appeals taken pursuant to Section 25 of this ordinance.
22. Obstruct. To place any tangible object in a right-of-way so as to hinder free and open passage over that or
any part of the right-of-way, or so as to hinder maintenance of any city asset.
23. Obstruction Permit. The permit which, pursuant to this ordinance, must be obtained before a person may
obstruct a right-of-way, allowing the holder to hinder free and open passage over the specified portion of
that right-of-way, for the duration specified therein.
24. Obstruction Permit Fee. Money paid to the city by a permittee to cover the costs as provided in Section 8.
25. Patch or Patching. A method of pavement replacement that is temporary in nature. A patch consists of (1)
the compaction of the subbase and aggregate base, and (2) the replacement, in kind, of the existing
pavement for a minimum of two feet beyond the edges of the excavation in all directions. A patch is
considered full restoration only when the pavement is included in the city’s five -year project plan.
26. Pavement. Any type of improved surface that is within the public right -of-way and that is paved or
otherwise constructed with bituminous, concrete, aggregate, or gravel.
27. Permit. Has the meaning given “right-of-way permit” in this ordinance.
28. Permittee. Any person to whom a permit to excavate or obstruct a right -of-way has been granted by the
city under this ordinance.
29. Person. An individual or entity subject to the laws and rules of this state, however organized, whether
public or private, whether domestic or foreign, whether for profit or nonprofit, and whether natural,
corporate, or political.
30. Probation. The status of a person that has not complied with the conditions of this ordinance.
31. Probationary Period. One year from the date that a person has been notified in writing that they have been
put on probation.
32. Registrant. Any person who (1) has or seeks to have its equipment or facilities located in any right -of-way,
or (2) in any way occupies or uses, or seeks to occupy or use, the right -of-way or place its facilities or
equipment in the right-of-way.
33. Restore or Restoration. The process by which an excavated right-of-way and surrounding area, including
pavement and foundation, is returned to the same condition and life expectancy that existed before
excavation.
34. Restoration Cost. The amount of money paid to the city by a permittee to achieve the level of restoration
according to plates 1 to 13 of Minnesota Public Utilities Commission rules.
35. Public Right-of-Way or Right-of-Way (ROW). The area on, below, or above a public roadway, highway,
street, cartway, bicycle lane, or public sidewalk in which the city has an interest, including other dedicated
rights-of-way for travel purposes and utility easements of the city. A right-of-way does not include the
airwaves above a right-of-way with regard to cellular or other non-wire telecommunications or broadcast
service.
36. Right-of-Way Permit. Either the excavation permit, the obstruction permit, the small cell permit , or any
combination thereof depending on the context, required by this ordinance.
37. Right-of-Way User. (1) A telecommunications right-of-way user as defined by Minn. Stat., § 237.162,
subd. 4; or (2) a person owning or controlling a facility in the right -of-way that is used or intended to be
Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 4
used for providing utility service, and who has a right under law, franchise, or ordinance to use the public
right-of-way.
38. Service or Utility Service. Includes (1) those services provided by a public utility as defined in Minn. Stat.
216B.02, subds. 4 and 6; (2) services of a telecommunications right-of-way user, including transporting of
voice or data information; (3) services of a cable communications systems as defined in Minn. Stat. ch.
238; (4) natural gas or electric energy or telecommunications services provided by the city; (5) services
provided by a cooperative electric association organized under Minn. Stat., ch. 308A ; and (6) water, and
sewer, including service laterals, steam, cooling, or heating services.
39. Service Lateral. An underground facility that is used to transmit, distribute or furnish ‘gas, electricity,
communications, or water from a common source to an end-use customer. A service lateral is also an
underground facility that is used in the removal of wastewater fr om a customer’s premises.
40. Small Wireless Facility. A wireless facility that meets both of the following qualifications:
each antenna is located inside an enclosure of no more than six cubic feet in volume or could fit within
such an enclosure; and all other wireless equipment associated with the small wireless facility provided
such equipment is, in aggregate, no more than 28 cubic feet in volume, not including electric meters,
concealment elements, telecommunications demarcation boxes, battery backup power systems, grounding
equipment, power transfer switches, cutoff switches, cable, conduit, vertical cable runs for the con nection
of power and other services, and any equipment concealed from public view within or behind an existing
structure or concealment.
41. Supplementary Application. An application made to excavate or obstruct more of the right-of-way than
allowed in, or to extend, a permit that had already been issued.
42. Temporary Surface. The compaction of subbase and aggregate base and replacement, in kind, of the
existing pavement only to the edges of the excavation. It is temporary in nature except when the
replacement is of pavement included in the city’s two -year plan, in which case it is considered full
restoration.
43. Trench. An excavation in the pavement, with the excavation having a length equal to or greater than the
width of the pavement.
44. Telecommunications Right-of-Way User. A person owning or controlling a facility in the right-of-way, or
seeking to own or control a facility in the right -of-way that is used or is intended to be used for providing
wireless service, or transporting telecommunication or other voice or data info rmation. For purposes of this
ordinance, a cable communication system defined and regulated under Minn. Stat. ch. 238, and
telecommunication activities related to providing natural gas or electric energy services, a public utility as
defined in Minn. Stat. § 216B.02, a municipality, a municipal gas or power agency organized under Minn.
Stat. ch. 453 and 453A, or a cooperative electric association organized under Minn. Stat. ch. 308A, are not
telecommunications right-of-way users for purposes of this ordinance except to the extent such entity is
offering wireless service.
45. Two Year Project Plan. Shows projects adopted by the city for construction within the next two years.
46. Utility Pole. A pole that is used in whole or in part to facilitate telecommunications or electric service.
47. Wireless Facility. Equipment at a fixed location that enables the provision of wireless services between
user equipment and a wireless service network, including equipment associated with wireless service, a
radio transceiver, antenna, coaxial or fiber-optic cable, regular and backup power supplies, and a small
wireless facility, but not including wireless support structures, wireline backhaul facilities, or cables
between utility poles or wireless support structures, or not otherwise immediately adjacent t o and directly
associated with a specific antenna.
Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 5
48. Wireless Service. Any service using licensed or unlicensed wireless spectrum, including the use of Wi-Fi,
whether at a fixed location or by means of a mobile device, that is provided using wireless facilities.
Wireless service does not include services regulated under Title VI of the Communications Act of 1934, as
amended, including cable service.
49. Wireless Support Structure. A new or existing structure in a right-of-way designed to support or capable
of supporting small wireless facilities, as reasonably determined by the city.
Section 3. Administration. The City Engineer is the principal city official responsible for the administration of the
rights-of-way, right-of-way permits, and ordinances related thereto. The City Council may delegate any or all of the
duties hereunder.
Section 4. Permit Required. Except as otherwise provided in this Ordinance, no person may obstruct or excavate
any right-of-way, or install or place facilities in the right-of-way, without first having obtained the appropriate
permit from the city.
1. Excavation Permit. A permit is required to excavate that part of the right-of-way described in such permit
and to hinder free and open passage over the specified portion of the right -of-way by placing facilities
described therein, to the extent and for the duration specified t herein.
2. Obstruction Permit. A permit is required to hinder free and open passage over the specified portion of
right-of-way by placing equipment described therein on the right-of-way, to the extent and for the duration
specified therein. An obstruction permit is not required if a person already possesses a valid excavation
permit for the same project.
3. Small Wireless Facility Permit. A permit is required by a registrant to erect or install a wireless support
structure, to collocate a small wireless facility, or to otherwise install a small wireless facility in the
specified portion or the right-of-way, to the extent specified therein, provided that such permit shall remain
in effect for the length of time the facility is in use, unless lawfully revoked.
4. Permit Extensions. No person may excavate or obstruct the right-of-way beyond the date or dates
specified in the permit unless such person makes a supplementary application for another right -of-way
permit before the expiration of the initial permit, and a new permit or permit extension is granted.
5. Delay Penalty. In accordance with Minnesota Rule 7819.1000 Subpart 3, the City shall impose a delay
penalty for unreasonable delays in right-of-way excavation, obstruction, patching, or restoration. The
permittee shall not be assessed a delay penalty of delays in project commencement or completion due to
circumstances beyond the control of the permittee. An application for permit extension is independent of
delay and does not preclude the assessment of a delay penalty even if the extension is granted.
6. Permit Display. Permits issued under this Section shall be conspicuously displayed or otherwise available
at all times at the indicated work site and shall be available for inspection by the City Engineer.
Section 5. Permit Applications. Application for a permit shall contain, and will be considered complete only upon
compliance with the requirements of the following provisions:
1. Submission of a completed permit application form, including all required attachments, scaled drawings
showing the location and area of the proposed project and the location of all known existing and proposed
facilities, and the following information:
1. Each permittee’s name, Gopher One-Call registration certificate number, address, email address,
and telephone number.
2. The name, address, e-mail address, and telephone number of a local representative. The local
representative or designee shall be available at all times. Current information regarding how to
contact the local representative in an emergency shall be provided at the time of ap plication.
Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 6
3. A certificate of insurance or self-insurance:
1. Verifying that an insurance policy has been issued to the permittee by an insurance
company licensed to do business in the State of Minnesota, or a form of self-insurance
acceptable to the City Engineer.
2. Verifying that the permittee is insured against claims for personal injury, including death,
as well as claims for property damage arising out of the (1) use and occupancy of the
right-of-way by the permittee, its officers, agents, employees and permittees, and (2)
placement and use of facilities and equipment in the right-of-way by the permittee, its
officers, agents, employees and permittees, including, but not limited to, protection
against liability arising from completed operations, damage of underground facilities and
collapse of property.
3. Naming the City as an additional insured as to whom the coverages required herein are in
force and applicable and for whom defense will be provided as to all such coverages .
4. Requiring that the City Engineer be notified thirty (30) days in advance of cancellation of
the policy or material modification of a coverage term .
5. Indicating comprehensive liability coverage, automobile liability coverage, workers
compensation and umbrella coverage in amounts established by the City Engineer
sufficient to protect the City and the public and to carry out the purposes and policies of
this Section.
6. The City may require a copy of the actual insurance policies.
7. If the person is a corporation, a copy of the certificate required to be filed under
Minnesota Statute § 300.03 as recorded and certified to by the Secretary of State.
8. A copy of the person’s order granting a certificate of authority from the Minnesota Public
Utilities Commission or other applicable state or federal agency, where the person is
lawfully required to have such certificate from said commission or other state or federal
agency.
2. Payment of money due to the city for:
1. Permit fees, estimated restoration costs and other management costs.
2. Prior obstruction or excavations.
3. Any undisputed loss, damage, or expense suffered by the city because of applicant’s prior
excavations or obstructions of the rights-of-way or any emergency actions taken by the city.
4. Franchise fees or other charges, if applicable.
3. Payment of disputed amounts due the city by posting security or depositing in an escrow account an
amount equal to at least 110 percent of the amount owing.
4. Posting an additional or larger construction performance bond for additional facilities when applicant
requests an excavation permit to install additional facilities and the city deems the existing construction
performance bond inadequate under applicable standards.
Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 7
Section 6. Issuance of permit; Conditions.
1. Permit Issuance. If the applicant has satisfied the requirements of this Section, the City shall issue a
permit.
2. Conditions. The City Engineer may impose reasonable conditions upon the issuance of the permit and the
performance of the applicant thereunder to protect the health, safety, and welfare or when necessary to
protect the right-of-way and its current use. In addition, a permittee shall comply with all requirements of
local, state, and federal laws, including but not limited to Minnesota Statutes §216D.01 -.09 (Gopher One
Call Excavation Notice System) and Minnesota Rules Chapter 7560.
Section 7. Small Wireless Facility Permits.
1. Small Wireless Facility Conditions. In addition to Section 6.2, the erection or installation of a wireless
support structure, the collocation of a small wireless facility, or other installation of a small wireless facility
in the right-of-way, shall be subject to the following conditions:
a. A small wireless facility shall only be collocated on the particular wireless support structure, under
those attachment specifications, and at the height indicated in the applicable permit application.
b. No new wireless support structure installed within the right-of-way shall exceed 50 feet in height
without the city’s written authorization, provided that the city may impose a lower height limit in
the applicable permit to protect the public health, safety and welfare or to protect the right-of-way
and its current use, and further provided that a registrant may replace an existing wireless support
structure exceeding 50 feet in height with a structure of the same height subject to such conditions
or requirements as may be imposed in the applicable permit.
c. No wireless facility may extend more than 10 feet above its wireless support structure.
d. Where an applicant proposes to install a new wireless support structure in the right -of-way, the
city may impose separation requirements between such structure and any existing wireless support
structure or other facilities in and around the right-of-way.
e. Where an applicant proposes collocation on a decorative wireless support structure, sign or other
structure not intended to support small wireless facilities, such equipment shall be consistent with
the City’s aesthetic standards regarding wireless equipment as adopted by the City Engineer. Such
standards shall ensure that wireless equipment is installed with a stealth design and that equipment
does not detract from the character of the area in which it is installed. In addition, the City
Engineer shall adopt standards that ensure city assets can continue to effectively perform their
intended function. Standards shall be made available with the application required for a small cell
permit.
f. Where an applicant proposes to replace a wireless support structure, the city may impose
reasonable restocking, replacement, or relocation requirements on the replacement of such
structure.
g. A permit will be deemed void if the approved equipment is not installed within one (1) year of
issuance of the permit.
2. Small Wireless Facility Agreement. A small wireless facility shall only be collocated on a small wireless
support structure owned or controlled by the city, or any other city asset in the right -of-way, after the
applicant has executed a standard small wireless facility collocation agreement with the city. The standard
collocation agreement may require payment of the following:
a. Rent to collocate on the city structure.
b. Yearly fee for maintenance associated with the collocation.
c. A monthly fee for electrical service as follows:
i. A fee per radio node less than or equal to 100 maximum watts.
ii. A fee per radio node over 100 maximum watts; or
iii. The actual costs of electricity, if the actual cost exceed the foregoing.
Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 8
3. The standard collocation agreement shall be in addition to, and not in lieu of, the required small wireless
facility permit, provided, however, that the applicant shall not be additionally required to obtain a license or
franchise in order to collocate. Issuance of a small wireless facility permit does not supersede, alter, or
affect any then-existing agreement between the city and applicant.
4. Action on Small Wireless Facility Permit Applications.
a. Deadline for Action. The city shall approve or deny a small wireless facility permit application
within 90 days after filing of such application or within any timeline established by state law. The
small wireless facility permit, and any associated building permit application, shall be deemed
approved if the city fails to approve or deny the application within the review periods established
in this section.
b. Consolidated Applications. An applicant may file a consolidated small wireless facility permit
application addressing the proposed collocation of up to 15 small wireless facilities, or a greater
number if agreed to by a local government unit, provided that all small wireless facili ties in the
application:
i. are located within a two-mile radius.
ii. consist of substantially similar equipment; and
iii. are to be placed on similar types of wireless support structures.
c. In rendering a decision on a consolidated permit application, the city may approve some small
wireless facilities and deny others, but may not use denial of one or more permits as a basis to
deny all small wireless facilities in the application.
d. Tolling of Deadline. The 90-day deadline for action on a small wireless facility permit application
may be tolled if:
i. The city receives applications from one or more applicants seeking approval of permits
for more than 30 small wireless facilities within a seven -day period. In such case, the city
may extend the deadline for all such applications by 30 days by informing the affected
applicants in writing of such extension.
ii. The applicant fails to submit all required documents or information, and the city provides
written notice of incompleteness to the applicant within 30 days of receipt the
application. Upon submission of additional documents or information, the city shall have
ten days to notify the applicant in writing of any still-missing information.
iii. The city and a small wireless facility applicant agree in writing to toll the review period.
Section 8. Permit Fees. The City Council establishes fees for permits, and shall from time to time examine and
adjust as needed to conform to the City’s actual costs of regulation, management, degradation, city engineering, and
make-ready or construction costs associated with collocation of small wireless facilities. Said fees shall be in the
City Fee Schedule as adopted by Ordinance.
1. Application to Franchises. Unless otherwise agreed to in a franchise, management costs may be charged
separately from and in addition to the franchise fees imposed on a right -of-way used in the franchise.
Section 9. Supplementary Applications.
1. Limitation on Area. A right-of-way permit is valid only for the area of the right-of-way specified in the
permit. No permittee may do any work outside the area specified in the permit, except as provided herein.
Any permittee which determines that an area greater than that s pecified in the permit must be obstructed or
excavated must before working in that greater area (1) make application for a permit extension and pay any
additional fees required thereby, and (2) be granted a new permit or permit extension.
2. Limitation on Dates. A right-of-way permit is valid only for the dates specified in the permit. No permittee
may begin its work before the permit start date or, except as provided herein, continue working after the
end date. If a permittee does not finish the work by the permit end date, it must apply for a new permit for
the additional time it needs and receive the new permit or an extension of the old permit before working
after the end date of the previous permit. This supplementary application must be s ubmitted before the
permit end date.
Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 9
Section 10. Joint Applications.
1. Joint Application. Registrants may jointly apply for permits to excavate or obstruct the right -of-way at the
same place and time.
2. Shared Fees. Registrants who apply for permits for the same obstruction or excavation, which the city does
not perform, may share in the payment of the obstruction or excavation permit fee. In order to obtain a joint
permit, registrants must agree among themselves as to the portion each will pay and indicate the same on
their applications.
3. City Projects. Registrants who join in a scheduled obstruction or excavation performed by the city,
whether or not it is a joint application by two or more registrants or a single application, are not required to
pay the excavation or obstruction and degradation portions of the permit fee, but a permit would still be
required.
Section 11 . Other Obligations.
1. Compliance with other Laws. Obtaining a right-of-way permit does not relieve permittee of its duty to
obtain all other necessary permits, licenses, and authority and to pay all fees required by the city or other
applicable rule, law, or regulation. A permittee shall comply with all requirements of local, state, and
federal laws, including but not limited to Minn. Stat. §§ 216D.01-.09 (Gopher One Call Excavation Notice
System) and Minn. R., ch. 7560. A permittee shall perform all work in conformance with all applicable
codes and established rules and regulations, and is responsible for all work done in the right -of-way
pursuant to its permit, regardless of who does the work.
2. Prohibited Work. Except in an emergency, and with the approval of the city, no right-of-way obstruction
or excavation may be done when seasonally prohibited or when conditions are unreasonable for such work.
3. Interference with ROW. A permittee shall not so obstruct a right-of-way that the natural free and clear
passage of water through the gutters or other waterways shall be interfered with. Private vehicles of those
doing work in the right-of-way may not be parked within or next to a permit area, unless parked in
conformance with city parking regulations. The loading or unloading of trucks must be done solely within
the defined permit area unless specifically authorized by the permit.
4. Trenchless Excavation. As a condition of all applicable permits, permittees employing trenchless
excavation methods, including but not limited to Horizontal Directional Drilling, shall follow all
requirements set forth in Minnesota Statutes, Section 216D and Minnesota Rules Chap ter 7560, and shall
require potholing or open cutting over existing underground utilities before excavating, as determined by
the City.
Section 12. Denial of permit. The City may deny a permit for failure to meet the requirements and conditions of
this ordinance or if the City determines that the denial is necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare or when
necessary to protect the right-of-way and its current use. The denial or revocation of a permit must be made in
writing and must document the basis for the denial. The city must notify the applicant or right -of-way user in writing
within three business days of the decision to deny or revoke a permit. If an application is denied, the right-of-way
user may address the reasons for denial identified by the city and resubmit its application. If the application is
resubmitted within 30 days of receipt of the notice of denial, no additional applicatio n fee shall be imposed. The city
must approve or deny the resubmitted application within 30 days after submission.
Section 13. Installation Requirements. The excavation, backfilling, patching and restoration, and all other work
performed in the right-of-way shall be done in conformance with Minn. R. 7819.1100 and 7819.5000 and other
applicable local requirements, in so far as they are consistent with the Minn. Stat., §§ 237.162 and 237.163.
Installation of service laterals shall be performed in accordance with Minn. R., ch 7560 and these ordinances.
Service lateral installation is further subject to those requirements and conditions set forth by the city in the
applicable permits and/or agreements referenced in Section 17 of this ordinance.
Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 10
Section 14. Right-of-Way Patching and Restoration.
1. Timing. The work to be done under any excavation permit, and the patching and restoration of the right -of-
way as required herein, must be completed within the dates specified in the permit, increased by as many
days as work could not be done because of circumstances beyond the control of the permittee or when work
was prohibited as unseasonable or unreasonable under Section 17.
2. Patch and Restoration. Permittee shall patch its own work. The city may choose either to have the
permittee restore the right-of-way or to restore the right-of-way itself.
1. City Restoration. If the City restores the right-of-way, permittee shall pay the costs thereof within
thirty (30) days of billing. If following such restoration, the pavement settles due to permittee’s
improper backfilling, the permittee shall pay to the City, within thirt y (30) days of billing, all costs
associated with having to correct the defective work.
2. Permittee Restoration. If the permittee restores the right-of-way itself, it shall at the time of
application for an excavation permit post a construction performance bond in accordance with the
provisions of Minnesota Rules 7819.3000.
3. Degradation Fee in Lieu of Restoration. In lieu of right-of-way restoration, a right-of-way user
may elect to pay a degradation fee. However, the right-of-way user shall remain responsible for
patching and the degradation fee shall not include the cost to accomplish these responsibilities.
3. Standards. The permittee shall perform patching and restoration according to the standards and with the
materials specified by the City and shall comply with Minnesota Rule 7819.1100.
4. Duty to correct defects. The permittee shall correct defects in patching, or restoration performed by
permittee or its agents. Permittee upon notification from the City Engineer, correct all restoration work to
the extent necessary, using the method require by the City Engineer. Said work shall be completed within
five (5) calendar days of the receipt of the notice from the City Engineer, not including days during which
work cannot be done because of circumstances constituting force majeure or days when wor k is prohibited
as unseasonable or unreasonable under Section 17.
5. Failure to Restore. If the permittee fails to restore the right-of-way in the manner and to the condition
required by the City Engineer, or fails to satisfactorily and timely complete all restoration required by the
City Engineer, the City at its option may do such work. In that event the permittee shall pay to the City,
within thirty (30) days of billing, the cost of restoring the right -of-way. If permittee fails to pay as required,
the City may exercise its rights under the construction performance bond.
Section 15. Inspection.
1. Notice of Completion. When the work under and permit hereunder is completed, the permittee shall
furnish a completion certificate in accordance Minnesota Rules 7819.1300 or other as-built documentation
as deemed necessary by the City Engineer.
2. Site Inspection. Permittee shall make the work-site available to City personnel and to all others as
authorized by law for inspection at all reasonable times during the execution of and upon completion of the
work.
3. Authority of City Engineer.
1. At the time of inspection, the City Engineer may order the immediate cessation of any work which
poses a serious threat to life, health, safety, or wellbeing of the public.
2. The City Engineer may issue an order to the permittee for any work that does not conform to the
terms of the permit or other applicable standards, conditions, or codes. The order shall state that
failure to correct the violation will be cause for revocation of the permit. Within ten (10) days after
Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 11
issuance of the order, the permittee shall present proof to the City Engineer that the violation has
been corrected. If such proof has not been presented within the required time, the City Engineer
may revoke the permit pursuant to Section 17.
3. Supplementary Notification. If the obstruction or excavation of the right-of-way begins later or
ends sooner than the date given on the permit, permittee shall notify the City Engineer of the
accurate information as soon as this information is known.
Section 16. Work Done Without a Permit.
1. Emergency Situations. Each person with facilities in the right-of-way shall immediately notify the City of
any event regarding its facilities that it considers being an emergency. Excavator’s notification to Gopher
State One Call regarding an emergency situation does not fulfi ll this requirement. The owner of the
facilities may proceed to take whatever actions are necessary to respond to the emergency. Within two (2)
business days after the occurrence of the emergency the owner shall apply for the necessary permits, pay
the fees associated therewith and fulfill the rest of the requirements necessary to bring itself into
compliance with this Section for the actions it took in response to the emergency.
If the City becomes aware of an emergency regarding facilities, the city will attempt to contact the local
representative of each facility owner affected, or potentially affected, by the emergency. In any event, the
City may take whatever action it deems necessary to respond to the emergency, the cost of which shall be
borne by the person whose facilities occasioned the emergency.
2. Non-Emergency Situations. Except in an emergency, any person who, without first having obtained the
necessary permit, obstructs or excavates a right-of-way must subsequently obtain a permit, and as a penalty
pay double the normal fee for said permit, pay double all the other fees required by this code, deposit with
the City the fees necessary to correct any damage to the right -of-way and comply with all of the
requirements of this Section.
Section 17. Revocation of Permits.
1. Substantial Breach. The City reserves its right, as provided herein, to revoke any right-of-way permit,
without a refund, if there is a substantial breach of the terms and conditions of any statute, ordinance, rule
or regulation, or any material condition of the permit. A substantial breach by permittee shall include, but
shall not be limited to, the following:
1. The violation of any material provision of the right -of-way permit.
2. An envision or attempt to evade any material provision of the right -of-way permit, or the
perpetuation or attempt to perpetrate any fraud or deceit upon the City or its citizens.
3. Any material misrepresentation of fact in the application for a right-of-way permit.
4. The failure to complete the work in a timely manner; unless a permit extension is obtained or
unless the failure to complete work is due to reasons beyond the permittee’s control; or
5. The failure to correct, in a timely manner, work that does not conform to a condition indicated on
an order issued pursuant to Section 15.
2. Written Notice of Breach. If the City determines that the permittee has committed a substantial breach of
a term or condition of any statute, ordinance, rule, regulation, or any condition of the permit that City shall
make a written demand upon the permittee to remedy such violation. The demand shall state continued
violations might be cause for revocation of the permit. A substantial or revised conditions on the permit to
mitigate and remedy the breach.
Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 12
3. Response to Notice of Breach. Within twenty-four (24) hours of receiving notification of the breach,
permittee shall provide the City with a plan, acceptable to the City, which will cure the breach.
Permittee’s failure to so contact the City, or the permittee’s failure to submit an acceptable plan, or
permittee’s failure to reasonably implement the approved plan, shall be cause for immediate revocation of
the permit.
4. Reimbursement of City Costs. If a permit is revoked, the permittee shall also reimburse the City for the
City’s reasonable costs, including restoration costs and the costs of collection and reasonable attorneys’ fees
incurred in connection with such revocation.
Section 18. Mapping Data.
1. Information Required. Each permittee shall provide mapping information required by the City in
accordance with Minnesota Rules 7819.4000 and 7819.4100. Within ninety (90) days following completion
of any work pursuant to a permit, the permittee shall provide the City Engineer accurate maps and drawings
certifying the “as-built” location of all equipment installed, owned, and maintained by the permittee. Such
maps and drawings shall include the horizontal and vertical location of all facilities and equipment and
shall be provided in a format consistent with the city’s electronic mapping system, when practical or as a
condition imposed by the City Engineer. Failure to provide maps and drawings pursuant to this subsection
shall subject the permittee to the delay penalties established in accordance with Section 8 and may affect
the grant of any future permits for right-of-way excavation or obstruction.
2. Service Laterals. All permits issued for the installation or repair of service laterals, other than minor
repairs as defined in Minn. R. 7560.0150, subp. 2, shall require the permittee’s use of appropriate means of
establishing the horizontal locations of installed service laterals and the service lateral vertical locations in
those cases where the City Engineer reasonably requires it. Permittees or their subcontractors shall submit
to the City Engineer evidence satisfactory to the City Engineer of the installed service lateral locations.
Compliance with this subdivision 2 and with applicable Gopher State One Call law and Minnesota Rules
governing service laterals installed after Dec. 31, 2005, shall be a condition of any city approval necessary
for:
a. (1) payments to contractors working on a public improvement project (including those under
Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 429); and
b. (2) City approval under development agreements or other subdivision or site plan approval under
Minn. Stat. ch. 462. The City Engineer shall reasonably determine the appropriate method of
providing such information to the city. Failure to provide prompt and accurate information on the
service laterals installed may result in the revocation of the permit issued for the work or future
permits to the offending permittee or its subcontractors.
Section 19. Location of Facilities; Undergrounding.
1. Purpose. Placement, location, and relocation of facilities must comply with the Act, with other applicable
law, with other applicable standards adopted by the city engineer, and with Minn. R. 7819.3100, 7819.5000,
and 7819.5100, to the extent the rules do not limit authority otherwise available to cities.
2. Undergrounding of Facilities. Unless otherwise agreed in a franchise between the applicable right-of-way
user and the City, facilities places in the public right-of-way must be located, relocated, and maintained
underground pursuant to the terms and conditions of this section and in accordance with applicable
construction standards.
3. Undergrounding of New Facilities. A new facility or a permanent extension of facilities must be installed
and maintained underground when supplied to:
1. a new installation of buildings, sings, streetlights, or other structures.
Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 13
2. a new subdivision of land; or
3. a new development containing new commercial or industrial buildings.
4. Undergrounding of Permanent, Relocated or Reconstructed Facilities. A permanent replacement,
relocation, or reconstruction of a facility of more than 300 feet must be located, and maintained
underground, with due regard for seasonal working conditions. For purposes of this section, reconstruction
means any substantial repair of or any improvement to existing facilities. Undergrounding is required
whether a replacement, relocation or reconstruction is initiated by the right-of-way user owning or
operating the facilities, or by the City in connection with (1) the present or future use by the City or other
local government unit of the right-of-way for a public project, (2) the public health or safety, or (3) the
safety and convenience of travel over the right-of-way.
5. Corridors. The City may assign specific corridors within the right-of-way, or any particular segment
thereof as may be necessary, for each type of facilities that is or, pursuant to current technology, the City
expects will someday be located within the right-of-way. All excavation, obstruction, or other permits
issued by the City involving the installation or repla cement of facilities shall designate the proper corridor
for the facilities at issue. Any registrant who has facilities in the right-of-way in a position at variance with
the corridors established by the city shall, no later than at the time of the next reconstruction or excavation
of the area where the facilities are located, move the facilities to the assigned position within the right -of-
way, unless this requirement is waived by the city for good cause shown, upon consideration of such factors
as the remaining economic life of the facilities, public safety, customer service needs, and hardship to the
registrant.
6. Limitation of Space. The City Engineer shall, to the extent possible, accommodate all existing and
potential users of the right-of-way. In doing so, the Administrator shall be guided by consideration of the
public interest, including the public’s needs for the particular utility service, the c ondition of the right-of-
way, the time of year with respect to essential utilities, the protection of existing facilities in the right -of-
way, and future City plans for public improvements and development projects.
7. Nuisance. One year after the passage of this Ordinance, any facilities found in a right-of-way that have not
been registered shall be deemed to be a nuisance. The city may exercise any remedies or rights it has at law
or in equity, including, but not limited to, abating the nuisance, or taking possession of the facilities and
restoring the right-of-way to a useable condition.
Section 20. Retirement of Overhead Facilities. The City Council may determine whether it is in the public interest
that all facilities within the city, or within certain districts designated by the city, be permanently placed and
maintained underground by a date certain or target date, independently of undergrounding required pursuant to
Section 19 of this Ordinance. The decision to underground existing facilities must be preceded by a public hearing,
after notice published for two (2) consecutive weeks and written notice mailed to the utilities affected at least 30
days prior to the hearing. At the hearing, the City Council must consider, at a maximum, all of the issues stated in
17.2 below and make findings. Undergrounding of existing facilities may not take place until the City Council has,
after hearing and notice, adopted a plan in accordance wit h 20.3 below.
1. Public Hearings. A hearing must be open to the public and may be continued from time to time. At each
hearing, any person interested must be given an opportunity to be heard. The subject of the public hearings
shall be the issue of whether Facilities in the right-of-way in the City, or located within a certain district,
shall all be located underground by a date certain. Hearings are not necessary for the undergrounding
required under Section 19 of this Ordinance.
2. Public Hearing Issues. The issues to be addressed at the public hearings include but are not limited to:
1. The costs and benefits to the public of requiring the undergrounding of all facilities in the right -of-
way.
Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 14
2. The feasibility and cost of undergrounding all facilities by a date certain as determined by the City
Council and the affected unities.
3. The tariff requirements, procedure and rate design for recovery or intended recovery of
incremental costs for undergrounding by the utilities from ratepayers within the city.
4. Alternative financing options available if the city deems it in the public interest to require
undergrounding by a date certain and deems it appropriate to participate in the cost otherwise
borne by the ratepayers.
Upon completion of the hearing or hearings, the City Council must make written findings on whether it is
in the public interest to establish a plan under which all facilities will be underground, either Citywide or
within districts designated by the City.
3. Undergrounding Plan. If the City finds that it is in the public interest to underground all or substantially
all facilities in the public right of way, the City must establish a plan for such undergrounding. The plan for
undergrounding must include at least the following elem ents:
1. Timetable for the undergrounding.
2. Designation of districts for the undergrounding unless, undergrounding plan is Citywide .
3. Exceptions to the undergrounding requirement and procedure for establishing such expectations.
4. Procedures for the undergrounding process, including but not limited to coordination with City
projects and provisions to ensure compliance with nondiscrimination requirements under the law.
5. A financing plan for funding of the incremental costs if the city determines that it will finance
some of the undergrounding costs, and a determination and verification of the claimed additional
costs to undergrounding incurred by the utility.
6. Penalties or other remedies for failure to comply with the undergrounding.
Section 21. Damage to Other Facilities. When the City foes work in the right-of-way and finds it necessary to
maintain, support, or move facilities to protect its workers or its project, the City Engineer shall notify the local
representative as early as reasonably possible. The costs associated therewith will be billed to that facility owner and
must be paid within thirty (30) days from the date of billing. Each facility owner shall be responsible for the cost of
repairing any facilities in the right-of-way which it or its facilities damages. Each facility owner shall be responsible
for the cost of repairing any damage to the facilities of another caused during the City’s response to an emergency
occasioned by that owner’s facilities.
Section 22. Right-of-way Vacation. If the City vacated a right-of-way that contains facilities, the facility owner’s
rights in the vacated right-of-way are governed by Minnesota Rules 7819.3200.
Section 23. Indemnification and Liability. By applying for and accepting a permit under this ordinance, a
permittee agrees to defend and indemnify the City in accordance with the provisions of Minnesota Rule 7819.1250.
Section 24. Abandoned Facilities.
1. Discontinued Operations. A registrant who has determined to discontinue all or a portion of its operations
in the city must provide information satisfactory to the city that the registrant’s obligations for its facilities
in the right-of-way under this ordinance have been lawfully assumed by another registrant.
2. Removal. Any registrant who has abandoned facilities in any right-of-way shall remove it from that right-
of-way if required in conjunction with other right -of-way repair, excavation, or construction, unless this
requirement is waived by the city.
Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 15
Section 25. Appeal. A right-of-way user that: (1) has been denied registration; (2) has been denied a permit; (3) has
had permit revoked; (4) believes that the fees imposed are invalid; or (5) disputes a determination of the City
regarding Section 9 Subdivision 2 of this Ordinance, may have the denial, revocation, fee imposition, or decision
reviewed, upon written request, by the City Council. The City Council shall act on a timely written request at its
next regularly scheduled meeting. A decision by the City Council affirming the denial, revocation, or fee imposition
will be writing and supported by written findings establishing the reasonableness of the decision.
Section 26. Reservation of Regulatory and Police Powers. A permittee’s rights are subject to the regulatory and
police powers of the City to adopt and enforce general ordinances necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare
of the public.
Section 27. Severability. If any portion of this ordinance is for any reason held invalid by any court of competent
jurisdiction, such portion shall be deemed a separate, distinct, and independent provision and such holding shall not
affect the validity of the remaining portions thereof. Nothing in this ordinance precludes the city from requiring a
franchise agreement with the applicant, as allowed by law in addition to the requirements set forth herein.
Section 28. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and
publication.
Dated: , 2025
Gretchen Artig-Swomley, Mayor Melissa Lawrence, Acting City Clerk
Right-of-Way Ordinance No. 113 16
City of Gem Lake, Ramsey County, Minnesota
Right of Way (ROW)
Ordinance No. 113
This ordinance to administer and regulate the public right-of-way in the public interest and to provide for the
issuance and regulation of right-of-way permits, was originally enacted by the City on January 19, 2010, and
published on January 37, 2010. The City Council has made amendments to the Ordinance in keeping with changes
in State law and the wishes of the community. The following table indicates the original Ordinances and the said
amendments.
Ordinance Description Enactment
113 Ordinance adopted January 2010
113 Amendment adding and revising definitions, adding
requirements regarding small wireless facilities,
moving fees to the Fee Schedule, and updating
processes and procedures.
Month 202X
Updated January 1, 2025 9
Administration Fee Comments
Administrative Charge $50.00
Copying Documents
1 to 100 Pages $0.25/page MN Statutes, Section 13.03
1 to 100 Pages – Double Sided $0.50/page MN Statutes, Section 13.03
Over 100 Pages Actual Cost of Data Collection & Copies MN Statutes, Section 13.03
Document Research $100.00/hr Minimum 15 minutes
Mailing (Postage) and Packaging of Documents and Plans $40.00
Property Assessment and Searches
Property Assessment Searches $50.00 Per Address/PIN
If needed within 24 Hours $100.00 Per Address/PIN
Return Check Charges $30.00
Use of City Professional Services
Outside Consultants (Planner, Engineer, Attorney, etc.) Actual Cost to the City
Zoning Administrator Actual Cost to the City Minimum 1 hour
Miscellaneous Fees Fee Comments
Burning Permit Refer to the City of White Bear Lake page for permit and fees
Comprehensive Plan, Local Water Management Plan, Water
Distribution or Sewer Plan $200.00 Per Document plus Postage
City Codes or Ordinances As indicated on the front page of said document
Land Mining (400 yards or more) $2,500.00, plus $3,000.00 escrow for review
Tree & Vegetation Permits When a building permit has not been issued
Per Development/Subdivision $1,500.00
Escrow for Review $3,000.00
Per Building Site $250.00
Escrow for Review $750.00
Right-Of-Way Fees Fee Comments
Excavation Permit Hole excavation: $125.00
Emergency Hole: $55.00
Trench: $125.00 + $70 per 100 lineal feet of
trench
Obstruction Permit $50.00, plus $.05 per lineal foot of obstruction
Small Wireless Facility Permit $150.00
Small Wireless Facility - Colocation Agreement $150 per year for rent to collocate on a city structure, plus $25 per year for maintenance
associated with the collocation.
Monthly fee for electrical service as follows:
• $73 per radio node less than or equal to 100 maximum watts.
• $182 per radio node over 100 maximum watts. or
• The actual costs of electricity, if the actual cost exceed the foregoing.
Permit Extensions $55.00
Delay Penalty Fee $60.00 for the first three (3) days of delay, and
$10.00 per day thereafter
White Bear Township Fees for Services to the City of Gem Lake
Flat rate of $95.00 per hour for all services (Accounting Clerk/Receptionist, Building Inspector, Clerk Treasurer, Finance Analyst and Officer, Para Legal Secretary,
Planner, Secretary Receptionist, Public Works Director and all public works staff)