Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-671-E Planning - NC 811 Membership agreement North Carolina 811, Inc. Membership Agreement THIS MEMBERSHIP AGREEMENT ("Agreement") is entered into this the day of , 2015, by and between North Carolina 811, Inc. ("Notification Center"), a North Carolina not-for-profit corporation, and Orange County ("Member"). Recitals Notification Center is a North Carolina not-for-profit member-owned corporation. Notification Center is sponsored by facility operators to receive and transmit to its members Notices of planned excavations, Design Notices, Emergency Notices and Damages, as contemplated by the Underground Utility Safety and Damage Prevention Act, N.C. Gen. Stat § 87-115 et seq. (the "Act"). DEFINITIONS: below: As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated "Notification Center" shall have the meaning set forth in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 87- 117(17); "Utility Member" and/or "Operator" shall have the meaning set forth in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 87-117 (18); "Locator" shall have the meaning set forth in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 87-117(13); "Facility" shall have the meaning set forth in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 87-117(12); "Operator" shall have the meaning set forth in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 87-117(18); "Associate Member" shall mean any person or entity that furnishes goods or services to any Operator, and other persons and entities that have an interest in the prevention of damage to any Facility and the promotion of safe excavation practices. "Damage" shall have the meaning set forth in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 87-117(4); "Excavate" or "Excavation" shall have the meaning set forth in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 87-117(13); "Transmission" shall mean the notification given by Notification Center to Member or Member's designated Locator of an Excavation, Design Notice, Damage and/or Emergency; 1 LOCAL GOVERNMENT DocuSign Envelope ID: 61EC9A58-09AB-40C7-B61D-D35BA499F8D8 "Notice" shall have the meaning set forth in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 87-117(16); and "Design Notice" shall have the meaning set forth in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 87-117(7); "Emergency" shall have the meaning set forth in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 87-117(8). Other terms used in this Agreement, but not defined herein, shall have the meaning set forth in the Act. Notification Center has three categories of members, as follows: (a) Category One members are Operators; (b) Category Two members are Locators; (c) Category Three members are Associate Members. Member has applied to become a Category One member of Notification Center. Member represents herein that it is entering into this Agreement on its own behalf and that it has authority to enter into this Agreement. In consideration of the Recitals and the mutual covenants and promises contained herein, the parties hereby agree as follows: 2. Term. This Agreement shall be effective from and after the date hereof and shall continue in effect until such time as either party terminates this Agreement, in accordance with the provisions regarding termination of membership contained in the Bylaws of Notification Center in effect as of the date of the execution of this Agreement. 3. Documents. Member acknowledges receipt of copies of the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of Notification Center, attached hereto, and agrees to abide by all of the terms and provisions thereof. Notification Center retains the authority to amend the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws from time to time through lawful action of Notification Center's duly authorized Board of Directors. Amended versions of the Notification Center's Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws shall be posted on the Notification Center's website, www.nc811.org, or otherwise distributed to Member. 4. Fees and Charges. Member agrees to timely pay either (a) the transmission fees charged by Notification Center to Category One members, or (b) the annual membership fees charged by Notification Center to Category One members, as established from time to time by the Board of Directors of Notification Center. 5. Duties of Category One Members. Member shall provide to Notification Center an electronic database in a format acceptable to Notification Center that contains a reasonable, detailed description of Member's Facilities located within the 2 LOCAL GOVERNMENT DocuSign Envelope ID: 61EC9A58-09AB-40C7-B61D-D35BA499F8D8 geographic areas in North Carolina as to which Notification Center is to provide Member notification of each Transmission ("Notification Area"). Member shall provide Notification Center with an update of the electronic database of its Notification Area on an annual basis, at a minimum. Member shall comply with all of its obligations pursuant to the Act as to Notification Center. 6. Duties of Notification Center. The Notification Center shall provide the necessary personnel, equipment and a toll-free telephone number for the receipt of Notice of each Transmission within the Notification Area. Notification Center will maintain records of receipt of each Transmission in the manner and duration required by the Act. Notification Center shall promptly relay to Member and/or its designated Locator each Transmission received within Member's Notification Area. Notification Center shall comply with all of its obligations pursuant to the Act as to Member. 7. Indemnification. To the extent permitted by North Carolina law, Member agrees to indemnify, save and hold harmless Notification Center, its officers, agents and employees, from and against any and all liabilities, claims, losses, damages, expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees), or costs for personal injuries and/or property damage arising out of (1) any Transmission within Member's Notification Area, (2) any marking, or failure to mark, the location of any Facility of Member, (3) any Excavation by any person which injures or damages any Facility of Member, unless such losses, damages or injuries shall be caused by the intentional wrongdoing or negligent act or omission of the Notification Center, provided further that such liability, claim, loss, damage, expense or cost for which Member is required to indemnify Notification Center arises out of acts for which the defenses of governmental immunity, statutory or common law immunity is not available. The indemnification provided by Member herein shall not be construed as a waiver of any applicable defense of governmental, statutory, or common law immunity, and shall not prevent the Member from asserting any defense of such immunity; and if a court of competent jurisdiction determines that no such immunity applies, then the indemnity provided for herein shall apply to the extent enforceable under North Carolina law. 8. No Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement shall not confer any rights or remedies upon any person other than the Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns. 9. Succession and Assignment. Member may not assign this Agreement or any of its rights, interests, or obligations hereunder without the prior written approval of Notification Center. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Member may assign its rights, interests and obligations hereunder, without approval of Notification Center to the parent, subsidiary, or affiliate of Member, or to any entity into which Member is merged or to which Member sells all or substantially all of its assets. Notification Center may not assign, sublet, or transfer its interest, duties, or obligations hereunder, without the prior written consent of Member. This 3 LOCAL GOVERNMENT DocuSign Envelope ID: 61EC9A58-09AB-40C7-B61D-D35BA499F8D8 Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns. 10. Notices. Any notice, request, demand, claim or other communication hereunder ("Notice") shall be in writing. The term "Notice," as used in this section, shall not include or apply to a Notice of Excavation, Emergency, Damage and/or Design Notice. Any contractual notice may be given by any method listed below and shall be deemed received on the date stated to the right of each such method, as follows: Personal delivery: Upon delivery Overnight courier service, charges prepaid: One business day after receipt by addressee as shown on the records of the courier service Facsimile transmission: The next business day following the date of transmission as shown on the sender's records Registered or Certified U.S. Date of delivery as shown on return receipt Mail, Return Receipt Requested, postage prepaid: Any notice shall be addressed as follows: If to Notification Center: 2300 W. Meadowview Road Suite 227 Greensboro, NC 27407 Attn: Executive Director If to Member: Orange County Planning P. 0. Box 8181 Hillsborough, NC 27278 Either Party may change the address to which contractual Notices are to be delivered by giving the other Party contractual notice in the manner herein set forth to the address herein stated, or as subsequently and correctly amended per the terms of the Agreement. 11. Governing Law. All matters relating to this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina, without regard to its choice of law provisions, and venue for any action relating to this Agreement shall be Guilford County Civil Superior Court or the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. 4 LOCAL GOVERNMENT DocuSign Envelope ID: 61EC9A58-09AB-40C7-B61D-D35BA499F8D8 12. Amendments and Waivers. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement shall be valid unless the same is in writing and signed by both parties. No waiver of breach or violation of any provision shall be deemed to extend to any prior or subsequent breach or violation of the same or any other provision, or affect, in any way, any rights arising by virtue of any prior or subsequent breach of warranty or violation. 13. Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the Entire Agreement between the Parties and supersedes any prior understandings, agreements, or representations by or between the Parties, written or oral, to the extent they relate in any way to the subject matter hereof. 14. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is deemed invalid, illegal or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, such provision shall be deemed stricken and the remainder of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect to the fullest extent permitted by law. 15. E-Verify Compliance. Notification Center shall comply with E-Verify, the federal E-Verify program operated by the United States Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies, or any successor or equivalent program used to verify the work authorization of newly hired employees pursuant to federal law and as in accordance with N.C.G.S. § 64-25 et seq. In addition, to the best of Notification Center's knowledge, any subcontractor employed by Notification Center as a part of this Agreement, shall be in compliance with the requirements of E-Verify and N.C.G.S. § 64-25 et seq. Notification Center shall execute an E-Verify affidavit, which is attached hereto. [THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE REMAINS BLANK INTENTIONALLY] 5 LOCAL GOVERNMENT DocuSign Envelope ID: 61EC9A58-09AB-40C7-B61D-D35BA499F8D8 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized representatives effective as of the date first written above. This instrument has been pre-audited in accordance with N.C. Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act. (Signature of Finance Officer) Paul Laughton, Finance Director Orange County (SEAL) (Name of Member) By: (Signature) Bonnie Hammersley Type or Print Name Name/Title Title County Manager Approved as to form and legality, John Roberts, County Attorney Name/Title Date: ------- North Carolina 811, Inc. (SEAL) (Signature) Louis Panzer (Type or Print Name) Title: Executive Director 6 LOCAL GOVERNMENT DocuSign Envelope ID: 61EC9A58-09AB-40C7-B61D-D35BA499F8D8    The application of Orange County as a Category One member of North Carolina 811, Inc. is hereby approved. This is day of 2015. On behalf of the Board of Directors of North Carolina 811, Inc. (Signature) Lyman M. Horne (Type or Print Name) Board President Title 7 LOCAL GOVERNMENT DocuSign Envelope ID: 61EC9A58-09AB-40C7-B61D-D35BA499F8D8