§ 480.3 — Notification center established — participation

Iowa § 480.3

• Jurisdiction: Iowa
• Title XI: NATURAL RESOURCES
• Ch. 480: UNDERGROUND FACILITIES INFORMATION

Text

1. a. A statewide notification center is established and shall be organized as a nonprofit
corporation pursuant to chapter 504.
(1) The center shall be governed by a board of directors, which shall represent and
be elected by operators, excavators, and other persons who participate in the center. The
board shall include two locators and two excavators to serve as nonvoting members. The
board, with input from all interested parties, shall determine the operating procedures and
technology needed for a single statewide notification center and establish a notification
process.
(2) In addition, the board shall either establish a competitive bidding procedure to select
a vendor to provide the notification service or retain sufficient and necessary staff to provide
the notification service.
(a) If a vendor is selected, the vendor contract shall be for a three-year period, which may
be extended upon the approval of the board for a period not exceeding an additional three
years. The terms of the vendor contract may be modified from time to time by the board and
the vendor. The contract shall be reviewed, with an opportunity to receive new bids, at the
end of the term of the contract.
(b) If the board retains staff to provide the notification service, the board, at the board’s
discretion, may review the notification service at any time and make a determination to use
the competitive bidding procedure to select a vendor.
b. Upon the selection of a vendor pursuant to paragraph “a”, the board shall notify the
chairperson of the utilities commission in writing of the selection. The board shall submit an
annual report to the chairperson of the utilities commission including an annual audit and
review of the services provided by the notification center and the vendor.
c. The board is subject to chapters 21 and 22.
2. a. The board shall implement the latest and most cost-effective technological
improvements for the center in order to provide operators and excavators with the most
accurate data available and in a timely manner to allow operators and excavators to perform
their responsibilities with the minimum amount of interruptions.
b. The center shall establish a communication system to facilitate the provision of notice
by operators, locators, and excavators.
3. Every operator shall participate in and share in the costs of the notification center. The
financial condition and the transactions of the notification center shall be audited at least
once each year by a certified public accountant. The notification center shall not provide any
form of aid or make a contribution to a political party or to the campaign of a candidate for
political or public office. In addition to any applicable civil penalty, as provided in section
480.6, a violation of this section constitutes a simple misdemeanor.
4. The center shall provide records to the utilities commission upon request as a part of
an investigation on behalf of the attorney general’s office.