Chapter 4 · Buildings and Construction

Article 3. Electrical Code

Sections 4-301 to 4-310 · 10 sections

4-301 Adoption of electrical code by reference.

(a)The standard code known as the National Electrical Code of 2014, a publication of the National Fire Protection Association, the same being a standard code for the installation of electrical wiring and apparatus and available in book and pamphlet form is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this article as authorized and in the manner prescribed by K.S.A. 12-3009 through 12-3012. One copy shall be marked or stamped “Official Copy as Incorporated by the Code of the City of Oberlin” and shall be filed with the City Clerk to be open to inspection and available to the public at all reasonable hours of business.

(b)Any person violating any provision of such code shall be punished as provided in section 1-116 of this code of ordinances.

4-302 Electrical inspector’s office created; inspections.

There is hereby created the office of Electric Inspector of the city, who is hereby authorized, empowered and directed to regulate and determine the placing of electric wires or other appliances for electric lights, heat or power in the city and to cause all such wires, appliances or apparatus to be placed, constructed and guarded so as not to cause fires or accidents, endangering life or property and to be constructed so as to keep to a minimum the loss or waste of electric current. The Electrical Inspector shall enforce all provisions of this article and they are hereby granted the authority to enter all buildings in the city in the performance of their duties between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. daily; except that, in emergency and within the limits of reason, the Electrical Inspector may enter buildings for such purposes at other designated hours.

(Ord. 457)

4-303 Permits, bonding.

(a)It shall be unlawful, except as herein otherwise provided, for any person, firm or corporation to place any wires of any kind or description in or about any building in the city intended for the purpose of conveying electric current or furnishing light, heat or power, unless such person, firm or corporation has made application to the City Clerk and secured a permit authorizing such person, firm or corporation to engage in the business of electric wiring within such city. Such permit shall not be issued, except as herein otherwise provided, until such person, firm or corporation has made payment to the City Clerk of a fee of $10 and has filed with the City Clerk a good and sufficient bond to the city in the penal sum of $2,500, guaranteeing that such person, firm or corporation will perform the duties of electric wirers in compliance with the rules set forth in this article, and hold the city harmless against all costs, expenses, damages or injuries, sustained by reason of the carelessness of negligence of the person, firm or corporation or any agent or employee thereof operating under this article or by any rules or regulations made in pursuance thereof or by reason of the laws of the state or any ordinance of the city. Such bond shall be subject to the approval of the Mayor and Council before such permit is issued, but this section shall not apply to any person in the employ of the city working under the direction of the Building Inspector or Electrical Inspector.

(b)Such bonds shall be signed by two or more good and sufficient sureties or executed by a surety company authorized to transact business in the state. The person, firm or corporation who shall sign such bond, either as principal or surety, shall be liable thereon, first to the city and second to any person who shall be in any way damaged by the failure of the principal in such bond to perform the duties of electric wireman in compliance with the rules set forth in this article. Such bond shall not be held to guarantee the fulfillment of any contract made by any person, firm or corporation engaged in the business of doing electric wiring, but only that such wiring as is done by such person, firm or corporation, shall be done in compliance with the rules set forth in this article. The Electrical Inspector is authorized to revoke the permit of any person, firm or corporation engaged in the business of electric wiring in the city in the manner and for cause hereinafter provided; provided that, the Electrical Inspector may issue a temporary permit to any person, firm or corporation having complied with the provisions of this article in the following circumstances, to-wit: when the person, firm or corporation seeking such temporary permit is in the employ of a contractor, who has given bond to insure the proper construction of building and the electrical wiring or apparatus to be installed in the building covered by such contractor’s bond.

(Ord. 457)

4-304 Permit to individual.

Any individual desiring to perform their own electrical work personally shall not be required to make the required bond, but shall be required to obtain the regular permit and certificate of approval for that particular job. Such work done by an individual must be done by them personally on their own property and not be a way of performing a service to the public generally.

(Ord. 457)

4-305 Appeals.

Whenever the Electrical Inspector shall disapprove an application or refuse to grant a permit applied for under this article, or when it is claimed that the provisions of this code do not apply or that the true intent and meaning of the code have been misconstrued or wrongly interpreted, the applicant may appeal from the decision of the Electrical Inspector to the City Council within 30 days from the date of the decision appealed.

(Ord. 457)

4-306 Certificate of approval.

All persons, firms or corporations are hereby forbidden to make any electric connections by means of which electric current may be conveyed or maintained, on or about any building in the city until the owner or their authorized agent shall have secured from the Electrical Inspector a certificate that the wiring of such building has been inspected and approved.

(Ord. 457)

4-307 Notice to electrical inspector.

It shall be the duty of every person, firm or corporation who shall place wiring as above described in any building in the city to report to the Electrical Inspector immediately upon completion of such wiring and before such wiring has been concealed or covered by any lath, plaster, ceiling or any other material whatsoever, and the Electrical Inspector shall within 24 hours thereafter make careful inspection of the wiring so reported. Immediately upon completion of such inspection, the Electrical Inspector, if the wiring so inspected has been approved, shall issue to the owner of such building or their agent, a certificate to the effect that such wiring has been approved, and authorize the delivery and maintenance of electric current to such building. If the Electrical Inspector’s report be that such wiring does not comply with the requirements of the Electrical Inspector and of this article then no certificate shall be issued until all the requirements of the Electrical Code shall be complied with, such compliance to be ascertained by the Electrical Inspector upon actual examination.

(Ord. 457)

4-308 Unlawful connections.

Any person, firm or corporation who, without the consent of the governing body of the city shall make a connection of any wire, conduit or device, to any electric service line or transmission line used to carry electricity, by the electric plant owned and operated by the city for public or private use, or who shall deface, puncture, remove, reverse or alter an electric meter used to measure electricity furnished by the city, or the connection thereof, for the purpose of securing unmeasured electricity or electric current unlawfully, owned by the city, or who shall prevent any such electric meters from properly measuring or registering electricity, or electric current, owned or furnished over the transmission lines of the city; or any person, firm or corporation who shall knowingly take, receive, use or convert to their own use, or the use of another, any electricity, or electric current which has not been measured, owned or furnished by the city; or who shall cause, procure, permit, aid or abet any person to do any of the aforesaid acts, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof in the Municipal Court of the city, shall be punished by a fine of not less than $10, nor more than $100. In default of payment of such fine upon such conviction, such person shall be imprisoned in the city jail until the same is fully paid.

(Ord. 225)

4-309 Existence of unmeasured electricity.

The existence of any of the connections of meters, alterations for use of unmeasured electricity or electric current as set out in section 4-308 of this article, shall be prima facie evidence of intent to violate, and of the violation of this article, by the person, firm or corporation using or receiving the benefit from the use of the electricity or electric current passing through such connections or meters, or being used unmeasured as aforesaid.

(Ord. 225)

4-310 Penalty.

(a)Any person who shall violate any of the provisions of this article, or who shall violate or fail to comply with any order made thereunder, or any certificates or permit issued thereunder, shall severally for each and every such violation and non-compliance respectively be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not less than $5, nor more than $100, or by imprisonment for not less than five days, nor more than 30 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. The imposition of one penalty for any violation shall not excuse the violation or permit it to continue. All such persons shall be required to correct or remedy such violations or defects within a reasonable time. When not otherwise specified, each ten days that prohibited conditions are maintained shall constitute a separate offense.

(b)The application of the above penalty shall not be held to prevent the enforced removal of prohibited conditions.

(Ord. 457)