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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 8197~~i ORDINANCE NO ~7 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO 8140 SECTION 1211 AS AMENDED REGULATING GAS METERS PROVIDING FOR THIS ORDINANCE TO BE CUMULATIVE PROVIDING FOR A SAVINGS CLAUSE PROVIDING FOR A PENALTY CLAUSE PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION IN THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER PROVIDING FOR ENGROSSMENT AND ENROLLMENT AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH TEXAS SECTION I That Section 1211 of Ordinance No 8140 as amended is hereby amended to read as follows ~. SEC 1211 - GAS METER LOCATIONS (a) All gas meter locations shall be approved by the Administrative Authority and the serving gas supplier (b) Where more than one (1) meter is set on a particular premise they .shall all be set at one location except where this is impractical In multiple meter installations each separate gas piping system shall be identified by the per- mittee in a manner satisfactory to the serving gas supplier serving the gas (c) All gas meters shall be preceded by a main supply shut-off valve and shall be placed as to be at all times readily accessible for inspection, reading test- ing and shutting off the gas supply All service piping or main supply shut-off valves must be outside of the building and readily accessible (d) In order that gas may be supplied the gas piping inlet shall be located with respect to the proposed meter loca- tion in accordance with the local ser w- ing gas supplier instructions (e) Access to enclosed gas meters shall be throughran opening or door not less in size than twenty-two (22) inches by twenty- four (24) inches but in no event smaller than that specified by the local serving gas supplier ~~~ -„ w (f) Gas meters shall not be located under a show window or under interior stairways or in engine boiler heater or electric meter rooms Where not pro- hibited by other regulation gas meters may be located in the open under exterior stairways (g) The serving gas supplier shall be responsible for the maintenance of all yard gas service lines from the gas main to the gas meter measuring point Where such existing lines need replacement the gas service supplier shall do so without charge to the customer except as approved by the City Council through the gas rate structure SECTION II That this ordinance shall be cumulative of all ordinances except where the provisions of this ordinance are in direct conflict with the provisions of such ordinances, in which event conflicting provisions of such ordinances are hereby repealed SECTION III That it is hereby declared to be the intention of the City Council that the sections paragraphs sentences clauses and phrases of this ordinance are severable and if any phrase clause, sentence paragraph or section of this ordinance shall be declared unconstitutional by the valid judgment or decree of any court of competent jurisdiction such unconstitutionality shall not affect any of the remain- ing phrases, clauses sentences paragraphs and sections of this ordinance since the same would have been enacted by the City Council without the incorporation in this ordinance of any such unconstitutional phrase clause sentence para- graph or section SECTION 3V, That all rights or remedies of the City of Fort Worth Texas, are expressly saved as to any and all violations - 2 - :~ ,° of Ordinance No 7626 of the City of Fort Worth Texas and as to any other ordinance affecting plumbing which have occurred at the time of the effective date of this ordinance and as to such accrued violations and all pending litigation both civil and criminal whether pending in court or not under such ordinances same shall not be affected by this ordinance but may be prosecuted until final disposition by the courts SECTION V That any person violating any of the provisions of this ordinance shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and each such person shall be guilty of a separate offense for each day or portion thereof during which any violation of any provision of this ordinance is committed, continued or permitted and each violation shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding Two Hundred Dollars ($200 00) SECTION VI That the City Secretary of the City of Fort Worth is hereby authorized to publish the text of the Code, as hereby amended setting forth the Fort Worth Plumbing Code in pamphlet form for general distribution among the interested public and such provisions of this ordinance as so published shall be admissible in evidence in all courts without further proof than the production of said pamphlet as provided,~in Section 3 Chapter XXVI of the Charter of the City of Fort Worth Texas SECTION VII That the City Secretary of the City of Fort Worth Texas is hereby directed to publish the caption penalty clause and effective date of this ordinance for five (5) - 3 - ~e ~~f r.~r ky t days in the official newspaper of the City of Fort Worth as authorized by TEX REV CIV STATS art 11766-1 SECTION VIII That the City Secretary of the City of Fort Worth is hereby directed to engross and enroll this ordinance by copying the caption and penalty clause of same in the minutes of the City Council of Fort Worth, Texas, and by filing the ordinance in the ordinance records of said City SECTION IX That this ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after the date of passage and publication as above specified APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALI'T'Y City Attorney ADOPTED C~~~%~~~-WiL C ~Q D EFFECTIVE - 4 - r ~ // 5~ DATE REFERENCE SUBJECT Proposed Plumbing Code PAGE NUMBER Amendment - Pot Gas Meters 10/21/80 G-4729 1 or 2 In certain older sections of the City the gas meters are buried underground in the parkway When the streets are rebuilt the "pot meters are replaced with conventional meters located above the ground but at the property line The meters are placed at the property line because of various City codes Lone Star is responsible to get gas to the property line and the homeowner is responsible for getting the gas across his property to his home Lone Star is prohibited by ordinance from performing plumbing work without charge on private property The Code thus effectively prohibits Lone Star from replacing pot meters with conventional meters and relocating them to the side of the house unless the homeowner pays for a plumber or Lone Star to put a gas line from the property line to the house and build the meter loop For many homeowners with the old pot meters such service-would be cost prohibitive and this results in the placement of above ground meters near sidewalks rather than near the house when pot meters are replaced According to figures provided by Lone Star Gas Company approximately 13 500 of the pot meters are in use today The pot meters are replaced when streets are rebuilt or when the meters are no longer functional The staff has discussed several possible solutions to the problem of loca- tion with community groups and officials of Lone Star Gas Company It is recommended that the best permanent solution requires an amendment to the Plumbing Code The attached proposed amendment was referred to the Plumbing Board on October 5 1980 but the Plumbing Board took no action and referred the matter to the City Council for review and resolution stating that it is a policy decision It is proposed that the Plumbing Code be amended to allow Lone Star Gas Company to assume responsibility for the yard line up to the point where the gas is metered The property owner will be responsible for the meter riser on the customer side of the meter and testing the lines in his home if such tests are needed Since the City has encouraged Lone Star Gas Company officials to cooperate in removing the pot meters it is proposed that reasonable costs incurred by Lone Star Gas be considered allowable investment in plant and equipment for rate making purposes The removal of these pot-type meters will enhance the renovation efforts that are underway in several of our CNR areas and remove a potentially dangerous situation The attached revision will not bring about the relocation of existing above ground meters ;0