For the purpose of this article, the words and phrases used herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary.

(a)   Approved shall mean approved by the chief building official, the electrical inspector or his or her designee.

(b)   Authorized person shall mean any individual, firm or corporation who or which is licensed under the provisions of this article to do the work as permitted under the specified provisions of this article.

(c)   City shall mean the territory within the corporate limits of this city.

(d)   Conductor shall mean a wire or cable or other form of metal suitable for carrying the electric current or potential.

(e)   Electrical construction or installation shall mean and include all work and materials used in installing, maintaining or extending a system of electrical wiring and all appurtenances, apparatus or equipment used in connection therewith, inside or attached to any building, structure, lot or premises, except industrial plants where fulltime maintenance is provided and other agencies providing inspections of installations and facilities. Electrical construction shall not be held to mean or include any of the following:

(1)   The replacement of lamps, fuses, bulbs or the connection of portable electrical equipment to suitable permanently installed receptacles and replacement of receptacles and switches, lighting fixtures and apparatus where no changes or alterations are made to the wiring;

(2)   Any work involved in the manufacturing, repair or testing of any electrical equipment or apparatus, but not including any permanent wiring; or

(3)   Any work in industrial establishments where inspections come under the scope of other inspection agencies.

(f)   Equipment shall mean conductors, materials, fittings, devices, appliances, fixtures, apparatus, motors and the like, used as a part of or in connection with an electrical installation.

(g)   Inspector shall mean the chief building official or any individual who has been appointed by the city as electrical inspector.

(h)   Person shall mean a natural person, his or her heirs, executors, administrators or assigns, and also includes a firm, partnership or corporation, its or their successors, assigns, or the agent of any of the aforesaid.

(i)    Special permission shall mean the written consent of the chief building official or the electrical inspector.

(j)    Special ruling shall mean a written ruling filed in the office of the chief building official or the electrical inspector.

(Code 2006)

The mayor or his or her authorized designee shall be responsible for the administration and enforcement of this article and appointment of an electrical inspector in accordance with section 4-104.

(Code 2006)

(a)   The governing body shall be the final determiner of the scope and meaning of all provisions of the electrical code which may be unclear, ambiguous, or requiring interpretation.

(b)   The electrical inspector shall have power to modify any of the provisions of the electrical code upon application in writing by the owner or lessee or his or her authorized agent, when there are practical difficulties in the way of carrying out the strict letter of the code. In approving modifications, the electrical inspector shall see that the spirit of the code is observed, public safety secured and substantial justice done. The particulars of a modification when granted or allowed and the decision of the inspector thereon shall be entered upon the records of the electrical inspector and a signed copy shall be furnished to the applicant.

(Code 2006)

(a)   Except as provided in subsection (b), it shall be unlawful for any person to engage in any electrical construction as defined in section 4-201 within the city without an electrical permit being first obtained therefor from the city clerk, after approval by the chief building official or his or her duly authorized assistant. The application for such permit shall be made and the permit obtained before any electrical construction work is commenced.

(b)   No electrical permit shall be required for any of the following:

(1)   The replacement of lamps, fuses, bulbs or the connection of portable electrical equipment to suitable permanently installed receptacles and replacement of receptacles and switches, lighting fixtures and apparatus where no changes or alterations are made to the wiring;

(2)   Any work involved in the manufacturing, repair or testing of any electrical equipment or apparatus, but not including any permanent wiring; or

(3)   Any work in industrial establishments where the issuance of electrical permits come under the scope of other agencies.

(Code 2006)

(a)   An electrical permit shall be issued upon an application in writing to the office of city clerk on a form or forms provided for the purpose. This application shall, among other things, disclose the following:

(1)   The name of the owner of the lot or tract of ground;

(2)   The location of the building or structure;

(3)   The electrical construction work proposed;

(4)   The class of occupancy;

(5)   The class of electrical construction;

(6)   The kind of materials to be used;

(7)   The estimated cost of the work;

(8)   The date work will commence;

(9)   Expected date of completion;

(10) Name and address of electrical contractor or contractors doing the work;

(11) Such other information as may be pertinent to the issuance of the required permit.

(b)   An application for an electrical permit shall be signed by the owner or his or her duly authorized agent, or an electrician or electrical contractor licensed by the city. If the application is made by the owner or his or her agent, it shall contain the name or names of the licensed electrician or electrical contractor or contractors doing the work described, or an electrical permit may be issued to the owner upon his or her application disclosing satisfactory evidence that the proposed work will be performed by the owner, himself or herself and not by a licensed electrical contractor, and likewise subject to the final approval of the electrical inspector for work performed.

(c)   Upon approval of the completed application and a determination that a permit should be issued, the chief building official or his or her assistant shall issue a permit to the owner, electrician or electrical contractor authorizing the electrical construction work covered by the application.

(d)   Any permit issued under this section shall be valid and subsisting for a period of not more than six months from the date of issuance unless the permittee shall have commenced, within the period so limited, the electrical construction work authorized by such permit. Electrical construction work commenced, for the purpose of this section, shall mean the beginning of electrical construction work other than the preparation of plans or the letting of an electrical contract.

(Code 2006)

Whenever an application for an electrical permit is made, the chief building official or the electrical inspector may, if he or she finds it necessary to determine whether electrical construction work described in the application will comply with the laws pertaining to such work, require that the applicant file a written description or drawing of the proposed electrical construction as may be prepared for the purpose. If such drawing or description is insufficient for the purposes of determining whether a permit should be issued, the building official may require the applicant to file complete electrical and engineering plans and specifications for such electrical construction, or any part thereof, as may be necessary for the inspector to determine compliance with this article. The filing of such plans and specifications and the approval thereof in connection with an application for a permit shall not in any way affect the authority of the city to deny or issue a permit, or to inspect any electrical construction work for conformity with this article.

(Code 2006)

The fee for an electrical permit shall be $10, however no fee shall be required to obtain a permit where the total estimated cost, the reasonable value of all services, labor and materials required, is under $100. The fee herein shall be paid to the city clerk upon obtaining an electrical permit and the same shall be credited to the general operating fund of the city.

(Code 2006)

A copy of the electrical permit shall be kept on the premises for public inspection during the performance of the work and until the completion of the same. The electrical inspector may require a certified copy of the approved plans to be kept on the premises at all times from the commencement of the work to the completion thereof.

(Code 2006)

(a)   The following license fees shall be paid for the calendar year or major fraction thereof:

(1)   General Electrician or Electrical Contractor, who shall qualify to engage in more than one kind of electrical construction work, the sum of $25;

(2)   Limited Electrician or Electrical Contractor, who shall qualify to engage in not more than one kind of electrical construction work, the sum of $25;

Any license issued on or after July 1 of each year shall be issued upon payment of one-half the annual license fee.

(b)   Each such license shall set forth the kind of electrical construction work in which the licensee may engage. The licensee shall display his or her license at any place where he or she may be engaged in contract work or produce the same on demand of any city officer. All licenses shall be renewable annually as in the case of an original license on or before the first day of January of the year for which issued.

(c)   It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to contract for any kind of work covered by this article without having a valid license issued by the city to perform such contracts.

(Code 2006)

Before any license shall be issued, to any electrician or electrical contractor required by this article to obtain a license and pay a fee to the city, the electrician or electrical contractor shall procure and maintain a liability insurance policy in the amount of $100,000 for the death or injury of any one person and $300,000 for the death or injury of any number of persons in any one accident and $50,000 for property damage in any one accident. Such policies of insurance shall be issued by some insurance company authorized to do business in the State of Kansas. An electrician or electrical contractor may qualify as to the insurance requirements by filing a certificate with the city clerk executed by the resident agent of such company for the purpose required by this article and that such insurer will not cancel the policy except upon giving 30 days notice in writing to the city, and that the certificate shall be filed for an annual period beginning January 1 and ending December 31 of such year.

(Code 2006; Ord. 935; Code 2023)

(a)   The license of any electrician or electrical contractor may be suspended temporarily, for a period of not to exceed 30 days at any one time, by the chief building official upon his or her own motion or upon a complaint of the city electrical inspector. Notice shall be given in writing to such electrician or electrical contractor giving reasonable notice of a time of hearing of the complaint or the matter alleged against such electrician or electrical contractor involving any one or more of the following:

(1)   Misrepresentation of a material fact by applicant in obtaining a license;

(2)   Use of license to obtain an electrical permit for another;

(3)   Failure or neglect to observe conditions of permit authorizing encumbering of streets or sidewalks for safety of public;

(4)   Performance of any electrical construction work without a permit where one is required by law; or

(5)   Willful disregard of any violation of the electrical construction laws, or failure to comply with any lawful order of the city electrical inspector.

(b)   Any licensee may within 15 days appeal in writing to the governing body from any order of the chief building official suspending his or her license for its final decision thereon. The governing body may upon such hearing terminate such suspension within not more than 30 days thereafter, or may revoke such license. If any license shall be revoked, the electrician or electrical contractor shall not be eligible for a new license during a period of six months thereafter. No fee shall be refunded in event of the suspension or revocation of any electricians or electrical contractor’s license.

(c)   It shall be unlawful to engage in the occupation or trade of electrician or electrical contractor during the time any license of such electrician or electrical contractor has been suspended or revoked.

(Code 2006)

Nothing herein contained shall prohibit any property owner from personally performing any electrical construction or installing electrical wiring or equipment within and upon his or her own residence and intended for his or her personal use and permanent occupancy; provided, the owner shall secure a permit, pay required fees, do work in accordance with this article. Personal electrical construction or installation performed by an owner under this section shall be by himself, herself, for himself or herself on his or her own residence, without compensation and no person shall be employed to assist him or her in any way on such work except an electrician or electrical contractor licensed by the city.

(Code 2006)

No electric materials for wiring of appliances or equipment shall be installed in the city unless they are in conformity with the provisions of this article and with the approved standards of construction for safety to life and property. Conformity of materials for wiring appliances and equipment to the standards of the Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. shall be prima facie evidence that the materials, devices, appliances and equipment comply with the requirements of this article.

(Code 2006)

This article shall not be construed to relieve from or lessen the responsibility or liability of any party owning, operating, controlling or installing any electrical equipment for damages to persons or property caused by any defect therein, nor shall the city be held as assuming any such liability, by reason of the inspection or reinspection authorized herein, or the certificate of approval of any work or equipment authorized herein or by reason of any permit or license granted herein.

(Code 2006)