These changes apply to online and call center requests effective early April 2021.
To all Gopher State One Call users:
Please take a moment to review the following Gopher State One Call locate request process changes. The target effective date for these changes is early April 2021. They apply to both web-submitted and call center requests.
Dynamic High-Volume Ticket Alert Notice
A dynamic high-volume ticket alert notice will be in place Mondays and Tuesdays from mid-April to mid-October. It is recommended during these high-volume times that you extend your requested start date and time out one-half to one full day. This will allow additional time for the locators to mark your site. This alert will be for the following 11 counties: HENNEPIN, DAKOTA, RAMSEY, WASHINGTON, ANOKA, ST. LOUIS, OLMSTED, SCOTT, WRIGHT, CARVER and STEARNS. However, we encourage providing additional response time on all locates regardless of the county.
Meet Ticket Recommendations for Projects with Long Duration of Work
During the Normal Ticket locate request process, you will be prompted to request a Meet Ticket if your duration of work is longer than one month. You will be able to revert back to a Normal Ticket if you so choose. Gopher State One Call recommends the use of a Meet ticket if your project is going to be completed in phases or will last longer than one month. This will provide increased communication between excavators and locators, and provide greater efficiency for locators.
Update Ticket Process Change
The Update Ticket process will change such that on the second Update (refresh marks/extend life) request for the same ticket, the marking instructions will be cleared and new marking instructions will need to be entered. A new ticket number will be assigned, and this new number will be able to be tracked back to the original request.
White Lining Responses
If you answer “yes” to the white lining question, you will be prompted to state what type of material you have marked with. If you answer “no,” you will be prompted to state why you are not white lining. Either response will be automatically entered into the Remarks field of the ticket. Remember, white lining is required by Minnesota State Statute 216D.
Mark Entire Lot Instructions
If you state “Mark Entire Lot,” or similar language, on your locate request, you will be prompted to provide more precise marking instructions. Precise marking instructions enable locators to more quickly identify the area to be marked and reduce unnecessary markings.
Reminder of New Start Time Policy
Starting on December 1, 2020, web-submitted notifications of intent to excavate have been assigned a work start date and time that is either a) requested by the excavator, or b) assigned by the notification center to comply with the legal minimum 48 hours (not including weekends and holidays) required when measured from the time of acceptance of the notification after any review by the notification center has been completed.
Example: On a very busy Monday morning in May, if the GSOC Notification Center takes 30 minutes to review and process an incoming Normal web ticket due to high web ticket request volume—and if the submitter requested a start date and time of 48 hours from when the request was sent to the notification center—the start date and time will be adjusted by adding 30 minutes to the request.
To avoid issues with start date and time changes, please consider providing a start date and time that is more than the exact 48 hours (excluding weekends and holidays) from when you are submitting the ticket. Remember that you can file your locate requests up to 14 calendar days prior to your excavation.
For additional questions, please contact:
Barbara Cederberg
Chief Operations Officer, GSOC
651-681-7307
barbara.cederberg@gopherstateonecall.org
Kim Boyd
General Manager, GSOC
651-681-5700
kim.boyd@gopherstateonecall.org