Chapter 4 · Buildings and Construction

Article 4. Plumbing and Gas-Fitting Code

Sections 4-401 to 4-409 · 9 sections

4-401 Uniform plumbing code incorporated.

(a)There is hereby adopted and incorporated by reference, for the purpose of establishing rules and regulations for the practice of plumbing and gas-fitting, including the installation, maintenance, extension and alteration of all pipes, fixtures, appliances and appurtenances in connection with sanitary sewers and public and private water and fuel gas systems, the Uniform Plumbing Code, 2012 Edition, as recommended by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, such code being made as a part of the ordinances and code of the city as if the same had been set out in full herein, all as authorized and in the manner prescribed by K.S.A. 12-3009 through 12-3012 including any amendments thereto. One copy of the uniform code 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 provisions of such code shall be punished as provided in section 1-116.

4-402 Definitions.

Wherever the term Administrative Authority is used in the code, it shall be held to mean the Building Inspector of the City of Oberlin, Kansas.

(Prior Code § 4-403; Ord. 455)

4-403 Permits, fee.

It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation, to uncover a public sewer, for any purpose, or to open or take off any manhole, flush tank or inlet cover, or to make, or cause to be made any connections with the mains or laterals of the public sewers of the city, or to build any sewer connections or do any plumbing work, except minor repairs as hereinafter defined, on or in any building or structure connected with any part of the public sewer system of the city, at the time such plumbing work is done, without having first received a written plumber’s permit from the Building Inspector of the city, granted upon written application describing contemplated work, the premises to be sewered or on which plumbing work is to be done and the plumbing fixtures to be put in. This permit will be issued only upon payment to the City Clerk of a fee of $10 and no permit shall be issued to any person whose bond has not been approved by the Mayor and Council. No permit shall be issued to make connection with any main outside of a sewer district or to make connection with a main or lateral for the purpose of sewering any property which has not been specially assessed, or which is not legally liable to special assessment for the cost of sewer laterals until a written application shall have been presented to the Mayor and Council and the fee which shall be fixed and determined in each application by the Council shall have been paid.

(Prior Code § 4-404; Ord. 455)

4-404 Appeals.

Whenever the Building 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 the 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 Building Inspector of the City Council within 30 days from the date of the decisions appealed.

(Prior Code § 4-405; Ord. 455)

4-405 Permits not required.

No permit shall be required under this article for minor repair work or temporary repairs in case of an emergency. By minor repair work is meant the repairs of leaks in pipes, traps or cocks, opening up stoppage in waste or supply pipes, traps or drains, or replacing broken fixtures when waste pipes are not disturbed and replacing frozen pipes inside buildings.

(Prior Code § 4-406; Ord. 455)

4-406 Bonding necessary; when.

No permit as described in section 4-303 of this article shall be issued to any person, firm or corporation until such person, firm or corporation has given to the city a bond in the sum of $2,500 to be approved as to its sufficiency by the Mayor and Council, conditioned that such person, firm or corporation, will faithfully comply with all the terms and conditions of this article and all rules and regulations made in pursuance thereof, and of all ordinances of the city governing street excavations, and indemnify and hold the city blameless against all costs, expenses, damages or injuries sustained by reason of the carelessness or negligence of the person, firm or corporation or of any agent or employee thereof operating under this article or any amendments thereto, or any rules or regulations made in pursuance thereof, or by the laws of the state. No bond for this purpose shall run longer than two years, and the bond shall remain in full force and effect as to any work done or excavation made for six months after such work or excavations had been completed. A permit issued under this article maybe revoked when the person, firm or corporation to whom such permit has been issued shall not have in their employ an employee capable of wiping a joint as herein provided, or if by any reason a bond given in accordance with the provision hereof shall become worthless; provided further that, the Building Inspector may issue a temporary permit to any person, firm or corporation without having complied with the provision of this article as to having given bond, in the following circumstances:

(a)When the person, firm or corporation seeking such temporary permit is in the employ of a public utility corporation, or firm or individual engaged in a business known and designated as a public utility and the particular building in which, or the location at which such plumbing is to be installed is the property of such public utility; and

(b)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 plumbing to be installed is to be installed in the building covered by such contractor’s bond.

(Prior Code § 4-407; Ord. 455)

4-407 Permit to individual.

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

(Prior Code § 4-408; Ord. 455)

4-408 Right of entry.

The Building Inspector, in the discharge of their official duties and upon proper identification, shall have authority to enter any building, structure or premises at any reasonable hour to perform their duties as required in this article.

(Prior Code § 4-409; Ord. 455)

4-409 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 certificate or permit issued thereunder, shall severally for each and every such violation and non-compliance respectively, be guilty of a violation, 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; and all such persons shall be required to correct or remedy such violations or defects within a reasonable ti.me. 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.

(Prior Code § 4-410; Ord. 455)