Adopted: May 13, 2025 – Ordinance No. 25-19
The Parish Council adopted Ordinance 25-19 to repeal and replace outdated utility permitting regulations, with the following changes:
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Repealed:
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Chapter 42 – Utilities, Article III – Water Systems, Sec. 42-54 – Fiberoptic Cable Permitting Process.
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Chapter 14 – Fees and Charges, Article III, Sec. 14-42(13) – Utilities.
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Enacted:
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New Section: Chapter 36 – Streets, Sidewalks, & Other Public Places, Article I, Sec. 36-11 – Excavation on Parish Property or Within Parish Rights-of-Way Permitting Process.
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New Fee Section: Chapter 14 – Fees and Charges, Sec. 14-36(6) – Streets, Sidewalks, and Other Public Places.
This ordinance did not change the amount of fees being charged. It only relocated fee-related language to match the updated permitting requirements.
This revision of the Code of Ordinances updated and clarified the permitting process for the excavation, installation, and/or removal of private utilities and infrastructure within Parish property and rights-of-way, to ensure the proper restoration of public property and reimbursement of costs incurred due to negligence or non-compliance with permit conditions.
Sec. 42-54 – 36-11 - Excavation on Parish property or within Parish Rights-of-Way FiberOptic Cable Permitting Process.
A permit shall be required for the installation, removal, or any other activity involving excavation related to private utility lines, wires, cables, conduits, pipes, water pipelines, fiber-optic cables, directional boring, or any similar infrastructure on Parish property or within Parish rights-of-way. This includes, but is not limited to, all activities that involve digging, trenching, or any other form of excavation that may affect public land or infrastructure.
- Application for permit. To obtain a permit, the applicant shall first file an application in writing on a form furnished by the department of Planning and Zoning for that purpose. Such application shall:
- Provide a set of plans for the installation or removal process.
- Provide a map of the installation or removal locations.
- Provide one of the following options to ensure the restoration of any public property:
- Provide Pre-installation or pre-removal pictures and of all sewer and drain main lines and service laterals along the proposed utility line, wire, cable, conduit, pipe, fiber-optic cable, directional boring, or any similar infrastructure installation or removal route. Post-installation or post-removal pictures and videos of all sewer and drain main lines and service laterals along the proposed utility line, wire, cable, conduit, pipe, fiber-optic cable, directional boring, or any similar infrastructure installation or removal route. Post pictures and videos shall be reviewed and approved by Utilities and/or Public Works.; or
- Provide a $1,000,000 surety bond to guarantee the restoration of any damaged public property and cover costs incurred due to negligence, recklessness, or non-compliance with permit conditions. The surety bond must remain in full force and effect for the duration of the project and for 12 months after project completion. Parish acceptance of the surety bond is required before the issuance of a permit.
- Indicate which one of the above options will be provided to guarantee the restoration of any public property and/or cover costs incurred due to negligence, recklessness, or non-compliance with permit conditions.
- Fees. All installers applicants shall pay a $150 fee plus a $10 technology fee. See subsection 14-42(13) for fees.
- Approval of installation/removal. Utilities and/or Public Works shall review the proposed installation or removal permit application to determine if Parish Utilities may be affected which would require the All installers shall applicant to submit the application to the Parishwide Water, Sewer, and Drainage Board for final approval prior to submission to the Parish Council. If the Parishwide Water, Sewer, and Drainage Board approves the application, the application All applications shall be submitted to the Parish Council for final approval.
- Permit issuance. If the Parish Council approves the application, the Planning and Zoning Department shall issue the permit. Hydro excavation may be required in some locations.
- Post-installation. The parish requires post-installation pictures of all sewer and drain main lines and service laterals along the fiber optic cable installation route.
(Ord. No. 23-32, Exh., 7-25-2023)
Sec. 14-42. Utilities.
The fees and charges required by or referenced in chapter 42 of this Code are as follows:
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(13) Fiberoptic cable permitting process fees. All installers shall pay a fee of $150.00 plus a $10.00 technology fee.
(Code 1988, §§ 28:2, 28:3, 28:5, 28:6, 28:230, 28:258, 28:300, 28:302; Mo. of 11-5-1959; Mo. of 3-17-1960; Ord. No. 88-108, 12-22-1988; Ord. No. 84-37, 5-24-1984; Ord. No. 84-63, 10-11-1984; Ord. No. 85-95, 1-10-1985; Ord. No. 85-74, 12-12-1985; Ord. of 9-24-1987; Ord. No. 84-63, 10-11-1987; Ord. No. 89-09, 1-26-1989; Ord. No. 90-1, 1-25-1990; Ord. No. 92-46, 7-23-1992; Ord. No. 93-93, 11-9-1993; Ord. No. 94-54, 9-27-1994; Ord. No. 93-27, 3-25-1993; Ord. No. 96-143, 12-10-1996; Ord. No. 97-132, 12-9-1997; Ord. No. 97-136, 12-22-1997; Ord. No. 97-137, 12-22-1997; Ord. No. MM-62, 10-24-2000; Ord. No. MM1-03, 2-13-2001; Ord. No. 07-39, 7-10-2007; Ord. No. 07-64, 9-25-2007; Ord. No. 08-46, 8-26-2008; Ord. No. 09-26, 7-14-2009; Ord. No. 09-31, 8-11-2009; Ord. No. 10-25, 8-10-2010; Ord. No. 10-34, 11-23-2010; Ord. No. 11-46, 11-8-2011; Ord. No. 16-54, 12-13-2016; Ord. No. 23-32, Exh., 7-25-2023)
Sec. 14-36. Streets, sidewalks and other public places.
The fees and charges required by or referenced in chapter 36 of this Code are as follows:
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(6) Excavation on Parish property or within Parish Rights-of-Way. A permit fee of $150.00 plus a $10 technology fee shall be submitted for each application received.
(Code 1988, §§ 24:170, 26:23, 26:156; Ord. of 1-25-1982; Ord. No. 83-31, 9-8-1983; Ord. No. 84-31, 2-9-1984; Ord. No. 84-19, 3-22-1984; Ord. No. 97-67, 7-8-1997; Ord. No. 03-43, 6-24-2003; Ord. No. 08-43, 8-12-2008; Ord. No. 09-37, 11-10-2009; Ord. No. 18-09, § 1, 4-10-2018; Ord. No. 23-03, 1-24-2023)