LAWTON - Changes to the municipal building code that Councilman George Gill said “will speed up demolition and will save the city money and time” were approved by the City Council.
Public Utilities Director Rusty Whisenhunt and Community Services Director Charlotte Brown said the amendments were proposed because city staff has received multiple complaints about the time involved in issuing demolition permits.
An ordinance added language about disconnection of utilities when a structure is to be razed. The amended ordinance allows the city to cap the water and sewer mains and charge the property owner for those services; requires removal of all driveways on the property except for the final 4 feet of the approach that connects to the street; and scraps the existing requirement for sod or grassing to be installed on the lots for stabilization.
Currently, utility companies are required to send in clearances once the meters have been pulled, and then a plumber caps the water service line at the corporation stop and also caps the sewer main. City inspectors then perform an inspection to verify that the lines have been capped correctly.
“Some of the contractors have damaged city mains in their attempt to cap them properly,” Whisenhunt reported.
“If the water main is under the street, the contractor has to call the Public Utility Department for Water Distribution to assist them in closing it at the corporation stop. Depending on the workload for Water Distribution, this can cause some delays in getting the demolition permit.”
The ordinance will enable demolition contractors to get their permits faster, by just receiving the electric, gas and the water meter disconnect clearances. “Staff will notify Public Utilities of a needed water and sewer main cap and Public Utilities will send out a crew to do the work,” Whisenhunt said. “The demolition contractor will no longer have to wait on this main capping in order to demolish the house.”
The ordinance requires the removal of driveways from the property except for the final 4 feet of the approach that connects to the street. The ordinance also repeals the requirement for installation of sod or grass on the property. “This requirement has not been enforced in the past,” Brown explained.
A companion resolution imposes a $400 fee for disconnecting either a water main or a sewer main.
The fees “are for the city to send a crew to properly cap the water and sewer mains for properties that are being demolished,” Brown wrote. “By the city utilizing a crew for this work, the contractor will be able to proceed quicker with the demolition, she said.
For demolitions performed by property owners, the fees will be charged with the building permit. When a demolition is being completed by a contractor at the request of City Hall, the fees will be added to the liens filed against the property.