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safety interests in utility coordination, the 1995 Oregon Legislature established the Oregon <br />Utility Notification Center (OUNC) as a public corporation with the rule-making authority: of <br />a state agency. A key provision of the legislation creating the OUNC was a requirement <br />that a!1 operators of underground facilities subscribe to the center by July '!, 1997_ Prior to <br />this time, the utility notification system was voluntary and not all underground fiacility <br />operators participated in the system. As such, excavators could not always be assured <br />that all operators of underground #acilities in the area of a proposed excavation were <br />notified and were thus responsible for individually notifying other possible facility <br />operators. If a facility whose operator was not notified is damaged, the excavator might be <br />held liable for any damage which the excavation caused. <br />The City of Eugene has subscribed to the utility notification center since its early <br />development and maintains a notification system modem connection at the Maintenance <br />Division office at 1820 Roosevelt Blvd. The Maintenance Planning Section has the <br />responsibility for receiving and distributing notifications to the .various .divisions of the City <br />responsible for underground facilities. <br />1.D THE UTILITY INSPECTOR <br />1.D.1 General <br />The "Utility Inspector" is a term used to describe those individuals~employed by the City to <br />perform the duties described herein. Inspections of the permittee s-work by the Uti}ity <br />Inspector shall in-no way relieve the permittee from the obligation of performing all work <br />.within the public way in strict accordance with the requirements of the City of Eugene <br />,.Standard Specifications, provisions of this manual, the'Eugene Code, and related <br />'~ administrative rules. 'Nor shall this inspection relieve the permittee of the permittee's <br />responsibility of performing any required corrections in case the work is later found <br />deficient. <br />The Eugene Code places the responsibility with the City Engineer of seeing #hat all <br />conditions and specifications #or work within the public way are satisfactorily performed in <br />line with. sound engineering practice. Responsibility for'the inspection, permit review and <br />locates for the construction-related activities of licensees, franchised utilities and EWEB <br />within the Public Way has been delegated by the City Engineer to the Utility Inspector. <br />In general, the primary function of the. Utility Inspector. is to see that construction work <br />performed within the public way is performed in the best interest of the City of Eugene and <br />the general public. When work is not being performed in a manner acceptable under the <br />Eugene Code or adopted. rules and standards, the Inspector will so inform the permittee's <br />representative in charge and require the necessary corrections be made. <br />The Utility Inspector shall maintain accurate records of the number of inspections each <br />month, locates performed, requests for locates, right-of-way cut permits issued and <br />incidents of damage to City facilities. Licensees, franchised utilities and EWEB submit <br />monthly reports of all right-of-way cuts made by their staff or contractors and these <br />Utiaity & R1VV Permit Policy <br />3 <br />tom;;. <br />12/01/97 <br />