[Ord. No. 09-7340 §1, 4-27-2009]
A. 
Requirements. No electrical wiring and no devices, appliances or equipment for the transmission, distribution or utilization of electrical energy for any purpose shall be installed within or on any building or structure, nor shall any person undertake the alteration of such equipment without first securing a permit for said installation and/or alteration from public works.
B. 
A stop work order will be issued for any job found to be in progress where a permit has not been issued. Work may not resume until a permit has been applied for and secured.
C. 
The fee for such permit shall be double the normal fee.
D. 
Exceptions.
1. 
No permit shall be required for any wiring installation with a maximum cost of twenty-five dollars ($25.00).
2. 
No permit shall be required for the installation of wiring devices, appliances or equipment for the operation of signal or the transmission of intelligence where such wiring, devices and appliances or equipment operate at the voltage not exceeding fifty (50) volts between conductors and do not include generating or transforming equipment capable of supplying more than sixty (60) watts of energy.
3. 
No permit shall be required for the installation of electric wiring and apparatus in or on any electric-generating station, power house or substation or in connection with the distributing line in or on the streets or alleys for electric light and power, telegraph, telephone or cable television companies operating under a franchise granted by the City.
[Ord. No. 09-7340 §1, 4-27-2009]
A. 
No permit shall be issued until an application is filed in writing with the Electrical Inspector and until fees have been paid. Application shall be made on forms provided by the Electrical Inspector and shall be completed in such a manner as to advise him/her fully of the nature and extent of the proposed work. Such application shall include the following:
1. 
Location at which the work is to be done;
2. 
Name and address of the property owner;
3. 
Name and address of the person or firm in charge of the work;
4. 
Description of the work to be done;
5. 
Capacity in amperes of the entrance panel to be installed, if any;
6. 
Number of circuits to be installed; and
7. 
Estimated date of completion of work.
B. 
The application shall be, at the discretion of the Electrical Inspector, accompanied by such plans, specifications or information as may be necessary to determine whether the installation as described will be in conformity with the requirements of this Chapter. If it shall be found that the installation as described will in general conform with requirements of this Chapter and if the applicant has complied with all of the provisions of this Chapter, a permit for such installation shall be issued, provided however, that the issuance of the permits shall not be taken as permission to violate any of the requirements of this Chapter.
C. 
All permits for electrical work shall expire one (1) year from the date of issue.
[Ord. No. 09-7340 §1, 4-27-2009; Ord. No. 13-021 §1, 8-26-2013]
A. 
The following fees will be applied for all failed inspections, failure to show or provide appropriate access to the inspection site, for wrong addresses, and failure to have the address or building permit posted:
1. 
Any type of an electrical inspection for residential single-family or multifamily dwellings shall be twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per trip, except for those that have permits. Any reinspection shall be an additional fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00).
2. 
Any type of electrical inspection for commercial or industrial applications shall be fifty dollars ($50.00) per trip, except for those that have permits. Any reinspection shall be an additional fee of fifty dollars ($50.00).
[Ord. No. 09-7340 §1, 4-27-2009]
A. 
Upon the completion of each phase of the work authorized by any permit, it shall be the duty of the person installing the same to make written request for inspection.
B. 
It shall be unlawful for any person to make connection from a source of electrical energy to an electrical wiring, devices, appliance or equipment, for the installation of which a permit is required by this Article, until such certificate of approval has been issued.
C. 
It shall be unlawful for any person to make connections from a source of electrical energy to any electrical wiring, devices, appliances or equipment which has been disconnected or ordered to be disconnected by the Electrical Inspector until a certificate of approval has been issued by him/her authorizing the reconnection and use thereof
D. 
The Electrical Inspector or his/her assistant, if any, shall be authorized to make inspections.
E. 
The City will accept requests for electrical inspections by phone. Inspection requests, if possible, should be made twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the requested inspection, and all phone-in inspection requests must be made through the Public Works Department. Fees for all phone-in inspection requests must be paid within ten (10) days of the date of invoice.
[Ord. No. 13-021 §1, 8-26-2013]
[Ord. No. 09-7340 §1, 4-27-2009]
When a certificate of approval is issued pursuant to the preceding Section authorizing the connection for the use of temporary work, such certificate shall be issued to expire at the time to be stated therein not to exceed a period of ninety (90) days. A temporary certificate of approval is renewable but shall be revocable at the discretion of the Electrical Inspector.
[Ord. No. 09-7340 §1, 4-27-2009]
A preliminary certificate of approval may be issued authorizing the connection and use of certain specified portions of an incomplete installation. Such certificate shall be revocable at the discretion of the Electrical Inspector.
[Ord. No. 09-7340 §1, 4-27-2009]
A. 
If, upon inspection, an electrical installation is not found to be fully in compliance with this Chapter, the Electrical Inspector shall at once forward to the person installing the wiring a written notice stating the defects which have been found.
B. 
An additional fee shall be charged to reinspect work previously found to be non-compliant. The reinspect fee for residential service shall be twenty-five dollars ($25.00). The reinspect fee for commercial service shall be fifty dollars ($50.00).
[Ord. No. 09-7340 §1, 4-27-2009]
When any part of a wiring installation is to be hidden from view by the permanent placement of part of the building, the person installing the wiring shall make written request for inspection to the office of the City Clerk. Such parts of the wiring installation shall not be concealed until they have been inspected and approved by the Electrical Inspector or until forty-eight (48) hours, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, shall have elapsed from the time of the receipt by the City Clerk of such request, provided however, that on large installations where the concealment of parts of wiring proceeds continuously, the person installing the wiring shall so state by written request in order that inspections may be made during the progress of the work.
[Ord. No. 09-7340 §1, 4-27-2009]
A. 
All installations shall be in strict conformity with the provisions of this Chapter, the National Electrical Code and the Statutes of this State and shall be in conformity with the approved standards of construction for safety to life and property. In any case where no specific standards for installation are prescribed by such Statutes or by the National Electrical Code, such type of installation as may be directed by the Electrical Inspector shall be used.
B. 
All wiring in commercial and industrial buildings shall be installed in an approved electrical conduit system. Apartments in the downtown historical area of the City shall also be wired in an approved conduit system. This does not include apartment buildings outside the downtown area (that are sprinklered and are three stories or less), provided they meet 2011 NEC and NFPA 70.
[Ord. No. 13-021 §1, 8-26-2013]
C. 
All wiring in commercial and industrial buildings and/or apartment buildings shall be enclosed in conduit.
D. 
A minimum spacing of three (3) inches must be maintained around all communication cables. Communication cables may not be run through common access holes with power cables.
E. 
A main disconnect must be installed on the outside of the building near the electric service meter for all new installations and service upgrades for all residential, commercial or industrial applications.
F. 
"Knob and Tube" (K&T) wiring is prohibited. Wherever this method of wiring is found during rewiring or service upgrades, it must be removed and replaced.
G. 
All outside receptacles must be installed on dedicated circuits.
H. 
Ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) units installed on whirlpool tubs must be accessible. If the tub does not have a hinged access panel, the GFCI unit must be installed outside of the tub and located a minimum distance of five (5) feet from the tub.
I. 
Installation of twin or piggy-back breakers is not permitted in new construction. Electrical panels for new construction must have capacity adequate for the project. Twin or piggy-back breakers may be installed in existing panels in existing structures as long as the panel is designed for such installation.
J. 
Installation of electrical panels in clothes and storage closets, bedrooms, or bathrooms are prohibited. Where electrical panels are installed in utility rooms or mechanical rooms, those rooms shall not be used for storage.
[Ord. No. 13-021 §1, 8-26-2013]
K. 
Residential electric generators must have a manual transfer disconnect switch installed to disconnect from the electric utility company while the generator is in use. A manual transfer switch must be installed even when a generator features an automatic transfer switch. The City requires a service upgrade at the time of installation of the generator, if the service needs upgrading. Generator installation requires a permit and an electrical inspection.
[Ord. No. 13-021 §1, 8-26-2013]
L. 
Article 410.10D of the 2011 NEC requires that bath and shower areas must all be GFCI-protected, and wall luminaries must be located a minimum of five (5) feet from the tub or shower's edge and marked for damp locations.
[Ord. No. 13-021 §1, 8-26-2013]
M. 
Light switches or other switching devices shall not be permitted within five (5) feet of any shower, tub, whirlpool, hot tub, or any other water fixture where a person is to be covered or immersed in water. This includes bathrooms, exercise rooms, gyms, etc.
[Ord. No. 13-021 §1, 8-26-2013]
N. 
Any outlet adjacent to a tub, shower, whirlpool, hot tub, etc., shall have a permanent barrier separating the outlet from personal access. The barrier in a bathroom shall be from the floor or cabinet edge extending upward to the ceiling and shall be at least two (2) feet deep from the attaching wall.
[Ord. No. 13-021 §1, 8-26-2013]
O. 
All single-family and multifamily dwelling bathrooms shall be GFCI-protected; including all luminaries, outlets, switches, fans or any other electrical devices or any other type equipment.
[Ord. No. 13-021 §1, 8-26-2013]
P. 
Approved fittings must be used for ENT conduit (blue smurf tube). PVC coupling and connectors will not be allowed. Glued-on PVC fittings are not allowed. Approved fittings must be used for Carlon-type nonmetallic flexible conduit. PVC couplings and connectors are not approved connectors and will not be accepted in the City.
[Ord. No. 13-021 §1, 8-26-2013]
Q. 
All smoke detectors shall be one-hundred-twenty-volt hard-wired and shall communicate by either hard-wire or remote communication. This applies to new, remodeled, or occupancies in single-family and multifamily dwellings.
[Ord. No. 13-021 §1, 8-26-2013]
R. 
Temporary Services. If the temporary service hooks to a pad mount transformer or power pedestal, the temporary meter base shall be for that application. The use of a flex line up the leg of an overhead installation will not be accepted in the City. For an overhead installation, wiring shall meet those standards set forth by Empire District and the 2017 NEC. Aluminum wiring is not allowed on a temporary meter installation. A ground rod shall be driven at all sites. Underground temporary poles may hook the meter base ground into the Empire District transformer pedestal instead of having it own dedicated ground rod.
[Ord. No. 13-021 §1, 8-26-2013; Ord. No. 18-034, 12-17-2018]
S. 
For all kitchens, the two small appliance circuits shall be limited to a total of four (4) duplex outlets on one GFCI each circuit. Additional small appliance circuits may be added with the same limitations and requirements as stated above.
[Ord. No. 13-021 §1, 8-26-2013]
T. 
Emergency lights shall be installed in all restrooms in commercial and industrial buildings. This includes churches and any other structures of this type.
[Ord. No. 13-021 §1, 8-26-2013]
U. 
All applications. For heat pumps, air-conditioning units and any other external type of unit, the electrical disconnects must be readily accessible. There must be an unrestricted access of three (3) feet in front of the electrical disconnect, or the electrical disconnect will be required to be located to the side of the unit. The one-hundred-twenty-volt GFCI outlet that is required within twenty-five (25) feet of these units shall also be on the same side of the structure as the units. Multiple units on different sides or roof heights require a GFCI outlet on each side or each level of the units.
[Ord. No. 13-021 §1, 8-26-2013]
V. 
Underground services shall have expansion joints with approved expansion fittings. All underground metal sweep elbows, forty-five-degree elbows, or any other conduit that is offset or fabricated that are metal shall be bonded regardless of depth below grade, if connected with PVC conduit or PVC nipple to the meter base.
[Ord. No. 13-021 §1, 8-26-2013]
W. 
For all siding material other than brick, nail plates shall be required both inside and outside of buildings with two-by-four wood stud walls, where wiring is installed horizontally or vertically through studs or plates. Bathrooms and kitchens must have nail plates installed to protect wiring in the area where upper or lower cabinets are installed.
[Ord. No. 13-021 §1, 8-26-2013]
[Ord. No. 09-7340 §1, 4-27-2009]
A. 
No electrical materials, devices, appliances or equipment shall be used or installed in the City unless they are in conformity with the provisions of this Chapter and with the Statutes of this State. The maker's name, trademark or other identification symbol shall be placed on all electrical material, devices, appliances and equipment used or installed under this Chapter.
B. 
Approved rigid conduit, electrical metal tubing or metal raceways shall be required for all wiring hereinafter installed for light, heat or power purposes in or on all buildings located within the corporate limits of the City with the following exceptions:
1. 
All frame construction dwellings may be wired with any approved wiring method, including the 3-wire rounded non-metallic wiring.
2. 
Armored cable may be used for short flexible connections for reflectors in show windows, for concealed wiring in bars or appliances or motors of not more than two (2) horsepower.
3. 
Wiring on or in masonry walls shall be made in rigid or flexible electrical metallic conduit only. Any changes to any other type of wiring after leaving masonry shall be made only in an approved junction box.
4. 
Aluminum wiring is not permitted. Wherever aluminum wiring is found during rewiring or service upgrades, it must be replaced.
[Ord. No. 09-7340 §1, 4-27-2009]
This Chapter shall not be construed to relieve from or lessen the liability of any party owning, operating, controlling or installing any electrical wiring devices, appliances or equipment for damages to persons or property caused by any defects therein, nor shall the City be held as assuming any such liability by reason of the inspections authorized hereon or certificates of approval issued as provided in this Chapter.