POLES AND WIRES

Kansas City Code ch. 64, art. IX

in effect

Kansas City Code § 64-321 Applicability of article.

Sec. 64-321. - Applicability of article. All telegraph, telephone, electric light and power companies, and all persons doing business in the city by erecting poles and laying conduits for the purpose of carrying electric wires over, under or through the streets or sidewalks of the city, are hereby subject to the regulations provided in this article. (Code of Gen. Ords. 1967, § 30.128)

Kansas City Code § 64-322 Supervision of erection of poles and laying of conduits.

Sec. 64-322. - Supervision of erection of poles and laying of conduits. (a) Commissioner of streets. The commissioner of streets, under the direction of the director of public works, shall have supervision of the erection of all telephone, telegraph, electric light and power poles, and of all excavations and fillings made for the laying of pipes or conduits, in all the streets or sidewalks of the city not under the control and supervision of the board of parks and recreation commissioners. (b) Board of parks and recreation commissioners. The board of parks and recreation commissioners shall have supervision of the erection of all telephone, telegraph, electric light and power poles, and of all excavations and fillings made for the laying of pipes or conduits, in all streets, parks, park strips and public grounds belonging to or under the control and management of the board of parks and recreation commissioners and such others as the city council may place under its control and management. (Code of Gen. Ords. 1967, § 30.129)

Kansas City Code § 64-323 Construction and maintenance standards; height of wires; marking of name of owner on poles.

Sec. 64-323. - Construction and maintenance standards; height of wires; marking of name of owner on poles. (a) All new metal and wood installations for the purpose of power, telephone, cable television and streetlights shall meet the current standards of ASTM and APWA standard specifications and design criteria adopted by the city, and standards and specifications in current use by the city. Whenever any pole, crossarm or fastening of wires has rotted or deteriorated so that the pole, crossarm or fastening shall constitute a source of danger to the public safety in the opinion of the director of public works or the board of parks and recreation commissioners, as the case may be, such pole, appurtenance or wire shall be put in a safe condition by the owner thereof. All underground and overhead cable installations for the purpose of power, telephone, cable television and streetlights shall meet the current standards set by the National Electrical Code (NEC), National Electrical Safety Code (NESC), ASTM and APWA standard specifications and design criteria adopted by the city, and standards and specifications in current use by the city. (b) Wires shall run at a height of not less than 18 feet from the grade of the street upon which the wires are erected, except that, whenever the director of public works or board of parks and recreation commissioners shall deem it necessary for the public safety or in the public interest, they may require the wires to be erected at a greater height. (c) Each pole shall be marked with the name of the owner in a conspicuous place. (Code of Gen. Ords. 1967, § 30.130)

Kansas City Code § 64-324 Placement of wires underground—Required on certain streets.

Sec. 64-324. - Placement of wires underground—Required on certain streets. All persons owning, operating, leasing or in any manner controlling wires and poles used in telephone, telegraph, electric light or power business in the streets and sidewalks of the city, within the territory bounded on the north by the north line of Second Street, on the south by the south line of 18th Street, on the west by the west line of Jefferson Street, and on the east by the east line of Forest Avenue, and in the area of any boulevard in the city, shall lay the wires in such places underground in pipes or conduits. The system and kind of pipe or conduit shall, before any work is done, be approved by the director of public works or the board of parks and recreation commissioners, as the case may be. (Code of Gen. Ords. 1967, § 30.131)

Kansas City Code § 64-325 Same—Permitted wires above ground in downtown business district.

Sec. 64-325. - Same—Permitted wires above ground in downtown business district. The director of public works shall have power to grant revocable permits to plant distributing or can poles in the alleys within the district described in section 64-324, for the sole purpose of distributing wires to patrons within the block in which it is proposed to plant such poles, and elsewhere where it is impossible or impracticable, for short distances, to place wires underground; provided that all clock, burglar alarm, commercial printer, night-watch and other messenger call box wires, carrying currents of low tension, and not fastened or attached to poles or other fixtures placed or set in the streets or other public places, within the limits named, shall be permitted to remain overhead. All such wires shall be not less than 35 feet above the surface and securely fastened; such wire or cable shall be covered throughout with insulation, to be approved by the traffic engineer; and each wire shall be tagged with lead tags, in such manner that it will be impossible to remove the tags without destroying the wire or the fixtures to which it is attached, plainly marked with the owner's name. (Code of Gen. Ords. 1967, § 30.132)

Kansas City Code § 64-326 Poles and conduits in alleys.

Sec. 64-326. - Poles and conduits in alleys. (a) Poles. Whenever in the judgment of the director of public works, or the board of parks and recreation commissioners, as the case may be, the use of any alley for such purpose is practicable, the poles and conduits of telephone, telegraph, electric light or power companies shall be placed upon and along alleys, instead of upon and along the streets next adjoining and parallel thereto. Where the poles are set in any alley, they shall be located as near the side line of the alley as practicable, and in such manner as not to incommode the public or adjoining property owners or residents. (b) Conduits. The director of public works, or the board of parks and recreation commissioners, as the case may be, may designate the portion of the alley in which pipes or conduits shall be laid. (Code of Gen. Ords. 1967, § 30.133)

Kansas City Code § 64-327 Submission of plat of proposed poles or conduits.

Sec. 64-327. - Submission of plat of proposed poles or conduits. Before anyone shall lay any conduit or erect any poles upon any street of the city, he shall submit for approval to the director of public works, or the board of parks and recreation commissioners, as the case may be, a map or plat showing the route of the proposed lines, stating the name of the street or sidewalk to be occupied, or, if an alley, the number of the block, and the name of the addition, and, as far as is practicable, the exact location of each pole and line of conduit. (Code of Gen. Ords. 1967, § 30.134)

Kansas City Code § 64-328 Approval of plat of proposed poles or conduits.

Sec. 64-328. - Approval of plat of proposed poles or conduits. If the director of public works or board of parks and recreation commissioners, as the case may be, shall approve the map or plat showing the route of the proposed line of poles or conduits submitted for the approval of the director or the board, as provided in section 64-327, the director or the board shall note such approval thereon. In case such proposed route fails to meet with the approval of the director or the board, the director or the board shall have power and authority to change and alter such proposed route or the location of any conduit or pole thereon, and, if in the opinion of the director or the board such changes and alterations are for the best interests of the city, it shall be the duty of the director of public works or the board of parks and recreation commissioners, as the case may be, to designate on the map or plat all such alterations and changes made in such route. (Code of Gen. Ords. 1967, § 30.135)

Kansas City Code § 64-329 Authority to require changes in poles, conduits or wires.

Sec. 64-329. - Authority to require changes in poles, conduits or wires. The right is hereby reserved to the director of public works, or the board of parks and recreation commissioners, as the case may be, at any time to direct any alterations in the location of conduits and poles and also in the height at which wires shall run, but, before any such alteration is made, at least five days' notice in writing shall be given to the president or local officer of each of the companies affected by the proposed alteration and a reasonable opportunity shall be afforded the representative of such company or any citizen interested to be heard therein. When any such alteration shall be ordered, the company shall, within five days thereafter, commence such alterations and complete the alterations as soon as practicable, and upon failure to do so shall be guilty of an ordinance violation. (Code of Gen. Ords. 1967, § 30.136)

Kansas City Code § 64-330 Change of conduit to conform to grade of street.

Sec. 64-330. - Change of conduit to conform to grade of street. Whenever the city shall grade or regrade any street or sidewalk along or across which any pipes or conduits have been laid, the owner or user of such pipe or conduit shall, at his own expense, change such pipe or conduit to conform to the grade of the street or sidewalk so graded or regraded on an order therefor from the director of public works or the board of parks and recreation commissioners, as the case may be. (Code of Gen. Ords. 1967, § 30.137)

Kansas City Code § 64-331 Removing lamppost.

Sec. 64-331. - Removing lamppost. No person shall take up, remove or in any way disturb any lamppost without first having obtained a permit in writing from the director of public works. Every person taking up, removing or in any way disturbing any lamppost as provided in this section shall replace the lamppost in as good a condition as found. (Code of Gen. Ords. 1967, § 30.141; Ord. No. 34245, 8-4-67)

Kansas City Code § 64-332 Rights reserved to city.

Sec. 64-332. - Rights reserved to city. Nothing in this article shall be so construed as in any manner to affect the right of the city in the future to prescribe any other mode to conduct telephone, telegraph, electric light or power wires over or under its thoroughfares, or to prescribe any further regulations. Nothing in this article shall be construed as relieving any person from the duty to remove poles from the streets and place the wires underground when required to do so by ordinance of the city. (Code of Gen. Ords. 1967, § 30.142)

Kansas City Code § 64-333 Enforcement of rights of city.

Sec. 64-333. - Enforcement of rights of city. The city shall have the additional right to collect any fine by any appropriate legal or equitable action, and to enforce its rights in any way permitted by law, and, so long as any person is in default under this article, no permits shall be granted to such person. (Code of Gen. Ords. 1967, § 30.143)

Kansas City Code § 64-334 Additional requirements for telecommunication lines and other cables and conduits not authorized by franchise.

Sec. 64-334. - Additional requirements for telecommunication lines and other cables and conduits not authorized by franchise. (a) Generally. In addition to the other requirements of this chapter, owners of telecommunication lines and other cables and conduits not authorized by a franchise shall comply with the requirements set out in subsections (b) through (e) of this section. (b) Authorization. Such telecommunication lines and other cables and conduits may be located in public rights-of-way and easements only when such placement is authorized by ordinance. (c) Notification of change in ownership. Whenever the ownership of any telecommunication lines or other cables and conduits changes, the director of public works, or board of parks and recreation commissioners, as applicable, shall be notified of the change in ownership. (d) Insurance. The permittee or owner shall keep in force insurance issued by a company approved by the director of finance, meeting the following conditions: (1) The policy shall provide for liability insurance with either a combined single-limit policy of $500,000.00 or a single-limit policy with limits of $300,000.00 bodily injury and $100,000.00 property damage. (2) The city shall be added as an additional insured to such policy by separate endorsement. (3) The policy shall contain a separate endorsement requiring the insurance company to notify the city in writing of any change in or cancellation of the policy at least ten days prior thereto. (4) Before the permit is issued, and annually thereafter, the permittee or owner shall deposit with the director of public works, or the board of parks and recreation commissioners, as applicable, a certificate of insurance evidencing that the coverage required by this section is in force and that the endorsements required by subsections (d)(2) and (3) of this section have been issued. (e) Filing of plans on completion of construction. The permittee shall file with the director of public works, or the board of parks and recreation commissioners, as applicable, at the completion of the construction, plans detailing the actual placement of the telecommunication lines or other cables or conduit. (Code of Gen. Ords. 1967, § 30.144; Ord. No. 58865, 1-10-86)

Source: City of Kansas City, Missouri, Code of Ordinances, Charter and Zoning and Development Code (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/mo/kansas_city/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COORKAMIVOII_CH64STSIPUPL_ARTIXPOWIFetched: 10/28/2026