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The League supports increasing MNOPS <br />fines for violators of state pipeline safety <br />requirements, bringing state penalties in <br />line with federal penalties. <br />The League opposes mandatory damage <br />reporting and recommends a simple <br />standardized form to encourage cities to <br />voluntarily report damages. The League <br />opposes requirements that would force <br />cities to mark underground facilities of all <br />sizes and materials. <br />The League recognizes that trenchless <br />excavation presents concerns to cities. <br />Private property owners in the excavation <br />area must receive advance notice of any <br />trenchless or other excavation activities <br />that could affect the quality of utility <br />services. Notice must include at least one <br />phone number for assistance in case of <br />any service problems. <br />Contractors must comply with city <br />permits requiring that the drill head be <br />visible when crossing any paint marks <br />and moving through the pothole at the <br />depth that the city allows for the <br />installation. <br />Cities must not be required to locate <br />privately -owned water and sewer laterals <br />and must not be held responsible for <br />actions by excavators when the city <br />determines not to locate such facilities. <br />Excavators should be responsible for <br />locating and protecting any private <br />service lateral that is impacted by <br />excavation activities conducted on private <br />property beyond the public right-of-way. <br />SD -8. Utility Relocation Under <br />Design -Build Road Construction <br />Issue: The Minnesota Department of <br />Transportation (MnDOT) has promoted <br />legislation relating to the design -build <br />construction process that would require <br />private and public utilities to be responsible <br />for utility relocation necessitated by road <br />construction. The policy, if enacted, would <br />create unanticipated costs for utilities owned <br />and operated by cities. Municipally -owned <br />utilities would be unreasonably held to the <br />same standards as privately -owned utilities <br />that exist in the public right-of-way. <br />Response: The League of Minnesota <br />Cities supports use of the design -build <br />procedure, however, municipal utilities <br />that exist in the public right-of-way <br />should not be penalized under this <br />process. Municipal utilities legitimately <br />exist in the public right-of-way. When a <br />MnDOT construction project requires the <br />relocation of utilities, the cost of <br />relocating municipal utilities should be <br />shared equitably between MnDOT and <br />affected municipal utilities. <br />SD -9. National Fire Protection <br />Association (NFPA) Standards <br />Issue: The National Fire Protection <br />Association (NFPA) is an international <br />association of individuals and trade and <br />professional organizations that deals with <br />fire and life safety. The NFPA has <br />advocated legislation that would mandate <br />two standards: NFPA 1710, Organization <br />and Deployment of Fire Suppression <br />Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, <br />and Special Operations to the Public by <br />Career Fire Departments, and NFPA 1720, <br />Organization and Deployment of Fire <br />Suppression, Emergency Medical <br />Operations, and Special Operations to the <br />Public by Volunteer Fire Departments. <br />NFPA standards 1710 and 1720 define <br />minimum response times, minimum fire <br />company staffing levels, initial full alarm <br />response levels, and extra alarm response <br />levels. Although NFPA codes and standards <br />League of Minnesota Cities <br />2016 City Policies Page 5 <br />