UTILITY COORDINATION

THERESA MENDOZA

THERESA.MENDOZA@INDY.GOV

317-327-2302

PROJET MANAGER/UTILITY LIAISON

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS/ENGINEERING

SEPTEMBER 2020

TODAY’S OBJECTIVES

▪ LOCAL PROJECTS VS. FEDERAL PROJECTS

▪ CITY WEBSITE - INDY.GOV/RESOURCES

▪ UTILITY COORDINATION PROCESS FOR DPW’S LOCAL

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

▪ UNMARKED UTILITIES

▪ LACK OF UTILITY RESPONSE

▪ ADDITIONAL PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS

LOCAL VS FEDERAL PROJECTS

▪ Locally Funded Projects follow the DPW’s Utility Coordination Process for Capital Improvements

• Utilizes DPW Form Letters

• Adheres to a shorter review timeframe

• Can be expedited and stages can be abbreviated (if approved by DPW)

▪ Federally Funded Projects will use INDOT’s Process

• Utilize INDOT Form Letters

• Adheres to a longer timeframe (minor and major)

• Less likely to be combine or abbreviate process due to funding

CITY WEBSITE

COORDINATION STAGES

▪ Initial Notice = 30 day

▪ Verification of Facilities = 30 days

▪ Preliminary Final Plan and Utility Work Plan Request = 45 days

▪ Approved Work Plan and Notice to Proceed (NTP)

• Pre-Bid Meeting

• Pre-Construction Meeting

INDIANA 811 / IUPPS

Process Begins with Utility Liaison initiating Design Tool Inquiry.

DESIGN TOOL VS DESIGN TICKET

Design Tool Design Ticket

Ensures utilities will mark their underground lines

No No

Ability to email yourself or someone else the Member Utility info identified in the results

Yes Yes

Provides a ticket number as reference No Yes

A copy of the Design Ticket/Design Tool Inquiry is transmitted to the Member Utilities

No Yes

**Utilities are required to respond to the Design Ticket within ten (10) full working days after receiving the Design Ticket.

Missing or incorrect information? Contact me.

NOTE: It is the Utility’s responsibility to update their information with 811.

INITIAL NOTICE

▪ Sent by the DPW Project Manager via email (or USPS) to affected Utilities and DPW Stakeholders

▪ Letter introduces the Designer to the Utilities

▪ Letter introduces the project scope and project limits

▪ All letters must copy the DPW PM and the Utility Coordination email (UtilityCoordination@indy.gov)

▪ Utilities have 30 days to respond

▪ Designer takes over Utility Coordination Process after this stage

STAKEHOLDER LIST

▪ List is sent in addition to the utilities. Stakeholders are not State-Certified Utilities, but are Organizations that may have stake in the project and should be able to review and offer comments. Examples: KIB, Surveyor Office, Forestry Dept.

▪ Stakeholder list can found on the City website and it updated regularly. Always make sure you have the most updated version of this list.

▪ Should you discover any errors, please notify me immediately.

UTILITIES NOT MARKED

▪ Design Tickets for Survey are not always marked. There are several reasons why there are no markings. Companies send files instead of marking site, they may have missing/inaccurate records, the marks faded, etc…

▪ If marks are faded, request a remark though 811 or call DPW Dispatch at 317-327-1620. An additional notice of two full working days is required for the remark, so plan accordingly .

VERIFICATION OF FACILITIES▪ Designer sends Verification of Facilities Letter and copies

DPW Project Manager and DPW Utility Coordination email –utilitycoordination@indy.gov.

▪ Utilities and Stakeholders review the accuracy of plans to location their existing facilities. This is the time to request design changes.

▪ If needed, Designer will hold Preliminary Utility Coordination Meeting

• Designer discusses schedule, determines ROW clearing and surveying activities, talks over relocation plans and any Utility Relocation Agreements (URAs)

▪ Utilities have 30 days to respond to this correspondence.

PRELIMINARY FINAL PLAN AND WORK PLAN

▪ Designer sends letter/plans to Utilities and Stakeholders. Copies are emailed to the DPW Project Manager and DPW Utility Coordination email – utilitycoordination@indy.gov.

▪ Utilities have a 45-day timeframe to review and submit their Work Plan back to the Designer for approval

▪ Designer determine if coordination of relocation activities are needed between utilities and begin scheduling construction activities

▪ Designers obtain contact information for Contractors for each affected utility

▪ Work Plans are required for ALL projects, even if no conflicts exist

LACK OF UTILITY RESPONSE

▪ Follow up with the Utility if the Work Plan deadline date has passed.

▪ If you are not getting a response, I will step in and assist. Please email me directly at Theresa.Mendoza@indy.gov but copy the UC email at utilitycoordination@indy.gov.

▪ They City can place a hold on a Utility Company’s license

▪ Deny ROW permits for future work within the County

APPROVED WORK PLAN AND NOTICE TO PROCEED (NTP)

▪ Designer and DPW PM sign the Approved Work Plan. This letter outlines the utility’s responsibilities working within the City of Indianapolis and its Right-of-Way

▪ Designer or DPW PM send a copy of the Approved Work Plan back to each utility company. This way the utility knows that what they have proposed has been approved.

▪ Notice to Proceed (NTP) is typically given at the Pre-Bid Meeting, but is also emailed to each utility so that construction activities can commence.

MEETINGS

▪ Pre-Bid Meeting

Held before project is awarded. Designer will answer any questions the from the Contractor

▪ Pre-Construction Meeting

Held after the project has bid, but before construction begins. This meeting shall be used to introduce the Contractor’s project team to the utilities and to get an updates on the current status of remaining relocations.

• Process was outlined in DPW Design Memorandum 2017.11 issued on December 13, 2017

• DPW Projects already are required to obtain INDR and USACE permits for construction in floodways and wetlands, so an additional review through BNS would be redundant. However, to satisfy FEMA requirements for those projects boundaries within a floodway or within the 100-year floodplain, BNS will offer an abbreviated review.

• Designer submits the Floodplain Permit Application along with final plans to BNS at Infrastructure@indy.gov. Remember to copy the DPW PM and the Utility Coordination email. This permit is gratis (no fee). The permit will be issued via automated email from BNS.

FLOOD PERMITS

▪ ROW permits should be obtained by the Contractor/Excavator, but sometimes obtained by an Engineer/Surveyor.

▪ Issued through the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services (BNS) Online through the Citizens Access Portal.

▪ Please make sure a copy of the permit is on site at all times.

• READ the permit – to ensure that the description matches the work being performed

• UPDATE the emergency name and number if contractor/excavator has changed

• REVISE the permit if description or dates are incorrect

RIGHT-OF-WAY (ROW) PERMITS