AGENDA REPORT
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL AND
CORONA UTILITY AUTHORITY ACTION
DATE: 09/02/2020
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
Honorable President and Board Members
FROM: Public Works Department
Department of Water and Power
SUBJECT:
Title
City Council consideration of a Grant of Easement and Agreement for installation and conveyance of facilities located within Assessor Parcel Number (APN) 108-050-013, in favor of Southern California Edison Company (SCE).
End
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the:
a. City Council authorize the Mayor to execute a Grant of Easement to Southern California Edison Company for electrical facilities located on property identified as APN 108-050-013.
b. City Council authorize the City Manager, or Department of Water and Power General Manager, to execute the Agreement for Installation and Conveyance of Facilities located on property identified as APN 108-050-013.
c. Corona Utility Authority review, ratify, and to the extent necessary, direct the City Council to take the above actions.
Body
ANALYSIS:
SCE has requested an easement within APN 108-050-013 for installation and maintenance of electrical facilities. The requested easement is located within the City-owned parcel on the west side of Rimpau Avenue between East Chase Drive and East Foothill Parkway, as shown on Exhibit “A” (“Property”). The Property is currently being used for the Lester Water Treatment Plant (WTP).
An existing SCE service and transformer was installed in 1995 to serve power to the WTP. In 2006, a cellular communications tower was constructed on the Property with electrical service provided from the SCE transformer.
The City subsequently entered into an agreement with AT&T to lease a portion of the Property for the purpose of constructing another cell tower on the Property pursuant to Conditional Use Permit CUP#2017-0106. The electrical service that is needed to operate AT&T’s cell tower and support facilities is proposed to be provided from the SCE transformer. All work required to construct the AT&T Tower and provide electrical service is being performed at no cost to the City.
The addition of a third customer that will be served by the existing transformer changes the transformer to a distribution point and requires the ducts and structures to be brought into SCE inventory. Additionally, SCE requires that an electrical utility easement be granted for their existing facilities.
The proposed easement totals approximately 276 square-feet and consists of the area occupied by existing SCE improvements, as shown on Exhibit “B.” Tucker Appraisal Service prepared an appraisal of the utility easement value, as shown on Exhibit “C.” The easement was valued at $4,740. The cost to prepare the appraisal was $2,500. SCE will pay to the City the sum of $7,240 plus all applicable fees prior to recordation of the Grant of Easement.
The original transformer installation in 1995 included construction of a 6-foot by 8-foot concrete slab box for mounting the transformer and providing access to connect wiring beneath the transformer. The addition of a third customer and conversion to a distribution point requires that the City convey title to the existing slab box to SCE. SCE has indicated that it does not reimburse for customer-owned structures if the conveyance is required as a result of new business. The proposed Agreement for Installation and Conveyance of Facilities between the City and SCE for the conveyance of the concrete slab box is attached hereto as Exhibit “D.”
Staff supports SCE’s request for an easement encompassing the existing SCE transformer, vault, and underground conduits in service since 1995. Staff supports conveyance of the existing concrete slab vault to SCE as necessary to convert the SCE service to a distribution point and provide electrical service to the new AT&T cell tower.
The City Attorney has reviewed and approved as to form the easement deed and agreement for installation and conveyance of facilities.
COMMITTEE ACTION:
Not applicable.
STRATEGIC PLAN:
Not applicable.
FISCAL IMPACT:
All applicable fees, appraisal cost, and the value of the permanent utility easement will be paid by SCE. The existing concrete slab vault to be conveyed to SCE is 25 years old and is largely depreciated with minimal residual value.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the common sense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action merely grants an electrical easement for an existing transformer, concrete slab vault, and other electrical facilities and there is no possibility that approving this action will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: VERNON R. WEISMAN, P.E., DISTRICT ENGINEER
REVIEWED BY: TOM KOPER, P.E., ACTING PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
REVIEWED BY: TOM MOODY, GENERAL MANAGER
REVIEWED BY: KIM SITTON, ACTING ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR
REVIEWED BY: ROGER BRADLEY, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER
SUBMITTED BY: JACOB ELLIS, CITY MANAGER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Attachments:
1. Exhibit A - Lester WTP Location Map
2. Exhibit B - Grant of Easement with Legal Descriptions
3. Exhibit C - Appraisal
4. Exhibit D - Agreement of Installation and Conveyance of Facilities