Washington § 35.96.050 - Notice to owners to convert service lines to underground — Objections — Hearing — Time limitation for conversion.

When service from the underground electric and communication facilities is available in all or part of a conversion area, the city or town shall mail a notice to the owners of all structures or improvements served from the existing overhead facilities in the area, which notice shall state that:

(1) Service from the underground facilities is available;

(2) All electric and communication service lines from the existing overhead facilities within the area to any structure or improvement must be disconnected and removed within ninety days after the date of the mailing of the notice;

(3) Should such owner fail to convert such service lines from overhead to underground within ninety days after the date of the mailing of the notice, the city or town will order the electric and communication utilities to disconnect and remove the service lines;

(4) Should the owner object to the disconnection and removal of the service lines he or she may file his or her written objections thereto with the city or town clerk within thirty days after the date of the mailing of the notice and failure to so object within such time will constitute a waiver of his or her right thereafter to object to such disconnection and removal.

If the owner of any structure or improvement served from the existing overhead electric and communication facilities within a conversion area shall fail to convert to underground the service lines from such overhead facilities to such structure or improvement within ninety days after the mailing to him or her of the notice, the city or town shall order the electric and communication utilities to disconnect and remove all such service lines: PROVIDED, That if the owner has filed his or her written objections to such disconnection and removal with the city or town clerk within thirty days after the mailing of the notice then the city or town shall not order such disconnection and removal until after the hearing on such objections.

Upon the timely filing by the owner of objections to the disconnection and removal of the service lines, the legislative authority of such city or town, or a committee thereof, shall conduct a hearing to determine whether the removal of all or any part of the service lines is in the public benefit. The hearing shall be held at such time as the legislative authority of such city or town may establish for hearings on the objections and shall be held in accordance with the regularly established procedure set by the legislative authority of the city or town. If the hearing is before a committee, the committee shall following the hearing report its recommendation to the legislative authority of the city or town for final action. The determination reached by the legislative authority shall be final in the absence of an abuse of discretion.