Topic: Relocation Letters

Happy spring! As we enter the busy summer construction season, we wanted to highlight the process of relocating utilities within the public right-of-way in the City of Portland.  

Under Portland City Code 17.56.060, the Director of the Bureau of Transportation may direct any person owning, operating, or managing a public utility within the City and using facilities located in the public right-of-way to temporarily or permanently remove, relocate, change, or alter the position of facilities installed in the public right-of-way whenever required.   

Except in the case of an emergency or as otherwise agreed to by the Director of the Bureau of Transportation, the temporary or permanent removal, relocation, change or alteration must be completed within 30 days following the date of the written relocation notice (30 Day Relocation Letter). 

Under administrative rule 10.45, PBOT outlines how this process works to allow utilities and project managers time to design, apply for and receive permits, and implement the relocation of facilities. Find more information here: http://www.portland.gov/policies/transportation/other-rights-way-permits/trn-1045-relocation-process-public-utilities

What does this mean for you? 

Here are some best practices to ensure that everything is completed in a timely manner: 

1. Look at the plans that are sent and determine conflicts, prior to the City sending out a Utility Relocation Demand letter.   
2. If you are a pole owner, please note that you are responsible for your lessees. Determine an action plan and identify everyone that needs to be involved
3. Connect the project manager from your organization to the project manager from the City early in the process. This will allow you to participate in utility coordination design meetings and conversations. 
4. Start working on a design that fits both your organizations and the City’s needs and discuss it with the City’s project manager. 
5. Finalize a design and, if a pole owner, share the design with your lessees. 
6. Apply for a street opening permit. https://www.portland.gov/transportation/permitting/utilities-structures-sewers
7. Schedule the work and coordinate with the City project manager on timeline
8. Apply for a temporary street use permit. https://www.portland.gov/transportation/permitting/temporary-street-use-permitting-tsup 
9. Complete the work and call for inspection. 

Relocation timelines 

When the final letter is sent, you have 30 days to relocate your facilities. When you receive a letter, it is imperative that you act with immediacy. If you cannot, reach out to the project manager. There are potential legal and financial ramifications for not relocating within a project’s timeline including, but not limited to incurring delay costs.  

To use the public right-of-way, it is a franchised (or otherwise legally obligated) utility’s responsibility to work with the City of Portland during projects. 

Have questions about the relocation letter process? Please reach out to pbotutilitypermits@portlandoregon.gov