16 - Micro-Trenching Ordinance - Laserfiche WebLink

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Item No. 16 r TO: Mayor, Mayor Pro -Tem & City Council FROM: Robert G. Vine, Assistant City Manager Chris Donnan, Interim City Engineer SUBJECT: Micro -Trenching Ordinance DATE: June 13, 2022 BACKGROUND: The City of Paris is experiencing internet fiber being installed within our city limits and should expect more fiber to be installed in the very near future. When deploying a fiber network, traditional trenching methods can be expensive and time-consuming, and cause extensive disruption to the local area, specifically to public roadways. Streets have to be closed while they are dug up, disrupting residents, drivers and local authorities. Costs for labor, permits and restoration fees are high, adding to budgets and even making some projects uneconomic. Consequently, many installers are now switching to micro trenching (also known as slot -cut trenching). This offers substantial benefits over traditional methods as it involves using a diamond circular saw to cut a 0.5 - 1.5 inch wide, and up to a 4 -inch deep trench. After the micro -trench is constructed, microduct is installed in the bottom of the trench and it is then backfilled and sealed, speeding up the project. By comparison, traditional trenches are at least 12 inches wide, in order to fit the size of the smallest excavator buckets, and deployments take more passes to backfill. These factors combined mean that micro trenching is typically 60% cheaper than traditional excavations, as well as being much less disruptive to the urban environment. STATUS OF ISSUE: This proposed ordinance sets forth the guidelines for constructing a micro -trench within the city limits of The City of Paris, and establishes the requirement of a permit prior to any micro -trench being constructed and articulates the necessary steps required to successfully be awarded a permit. This proposed ordinance regulates the limits of removal, trench width and location of these