The Legislature finds that, in many areas of the state, landowners, cities, public agencies, and public utilities desire to convert existing overhead electric and communication facilities to underground locations by means of special assessment proceedings. The Legislature hereby declares that a public purpose will be served by providing a procedure to accomplish this conversion and that it is in the public interest to provide for the conversion by proceedings taken pursuant to this division.
Source:
Section 5896.1, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=SHC§ionNum=5896.1..