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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinances Book 17, Page 1128, Ordinance Number 72-8-6891128 / ORDINANCE NO. 72-8-689 AN ORDINANCE PERTAINING TO THE LICENSING OF ELECTRICIANS AND CREATING SECTION 7-38 "LICENSE REQUIRED OF ELECTRICIANS", OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES CITY OF PADUCAH, KENTUCKY WHEREAS, improperly installed electrical circuits in violation of the National Electrical Code and the Standards of Safety are dangerous to the lives and safety of residents of the community and to their property, and WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners of the City of Paducah has found and determined that there is a need for the regulation and licensing of all persons doing electrical wiring and making installations, NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF PADUCAH, KENTUCKY: SECTION 1. That the following section be created and added to Article II of Chapter 7 of the Code of Ordinances City of Paducah, Kentucky. "Sec. 7-38. License required of electricians. (a) Definitions. (1) "Electrician" means every person doing work of installing, repairing or maintaining any electrical wiring or equipment subject to the provisions of this section. (2) "Electrical contractor" means any person, firm, partnership or corporation engaged in the business of or holding themselves out to the public as being engaged in the business of installing or repairing, or contract- ing to install or repair any electrical wiring, conduits, devices, fixtures, equipment, or other electrical materials for carrying, using or consuming electrical energy for which a license is required by this section. (3) "Master electrician" is any electrician who has successfully passed the required examination under this section for master electrician, and who has a minimum of five years experience in the field of electrical installation under the National Electrical Code. 1129 (4) "Journeyman electrician" shall mean any.electrician who has successfully passed an examination pursuant to this section for journeyman electrician and who has worked a minimum of three years in the field of electrical installation under the National Electrical Code. (5) "Apprentice electrician" means all persons who are legally under the Kentucky State Electrician Apprentice- ship Training Program, and it shall further mean a person engaged in the practical installation or alteration of electrical wiring who has not yet qualified to be eligible for an electrical contractor's license, master electrician's license of journeyman electrician's license. (6) "Electrical wiring" means the installation or repair of electrical wiring, appliances, apparatus, or any electrical device. (b) Application of section. The provisions of this section shall apply to all voltage circuits and equipment, all installations of electrical conductors, wiring, conduits, fixtures, devices, appliances or other electrical equipment or materials, herein defined as "Electrical wiring" within or on public or private buildings, structures or premises, except that the provisions of this section shall not apply to the following: (1) Equipment and wiring used by utility firms for generation and distribution of electricity, up to and including electric service drops installed on the premises of consumers of electricity. (2) Equipment and wiring used in the operation of radio or television broadcasting systems, telephone or telegraph systems, or other communications systems. (3) Equipment and wiring owned by and installed and used on the premises of, or in, any industrial plant, commercial facilities of a specialized nature, such as railroads and 1130 railroad rolling stock, and other transportation systems, property of a governmental agency where the equipment and wiring are installed by employees of said agency. (4) Automotive wiring. (5) Electrical appliances and equipment being manufactured, and such appliances and equipment, if the work can be done without altering wiring existing on the premises where the appliabces are installed. (c) Compliance with section. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, partnership or corporation to make any installation of electrical wiring or perform any electrical work for which a license is required by this section without first obtaining the required electrical contractor's, master electricial or journeyman electrician license. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the homeowner from performing electrical work on property used or to be used by the pwner as his own residence. The work of an apprentice electrician shall at all times be under the direct guidance of a person holding an electricians license pursuant to this section; provided, however, no more than one apprentice electrician for every three electricians will be allowed to work on projects without special permission of the building and electrical inspector of the City of Paducah. (d) Types of licenses. There shall be two types of licenses, a master electrician license and a journeyman electrician license, and an electrical contractor may hold either type of license. General contractors need not have an electrician's license, but no electrical work shall be performed by them except under the supervision of a licensed electrician. Apprentice electricians shall be issued a registration card. There shall be no fee charged for electricians' licenses, but any person not an employee of a duly licensed business in the City of Paducah shall possess a current occupational business license from the City of Paducah, Kentucky, and no electrician's license shall be issued or maintained as valid unless the applicant and holder shall have such occupational license. It shall be the responsibility of the building and electrical inspector to coordinate this activity with the business license inspector. 1131 (e) Applications and examinations for licenses. Applications shall be made at the building and electrical inspector's office in the City Hall for examinations for electrical licenses, and all applications shall be in writing and on forms to be provided by the said inspector. The examinations shall be offered at least every three months in January, April, July and October or at such other times as may be deemed necessary or reasonable by the inspector. Applicants for master electrician licenses shall have at least five years experience in the field of electrical wiring under the National Electrical Code, and shall be required to pay an examination fee of $10.00. Applicants for journeyman electrician licenses shall have at least three years experience in the field of electrical wiring under the National Electrical Code, and shall pay an examination fee of $5.00. All examinations shall be in writing and shall be based upon the National Electrical Code. Said examinations shall be administered under the direction and supervision of the building and electrical inspector of the City of Paducah. Initial examinations shall be approved by the Board of Commissioners before given to applicants, and a minimum score of 75% shall be required for passage. Thereafter all new examinations shall be subject to approval and adoption by the building and electrical inspector and a panel of four certified and licensed master electricians of the City of Paducah to be appointed by the Mayor. (f) Suspension and revocation of license. Any electrician's license issued in accordance with this section may, after a hearing by the building and electrical inspector, be suspended for a definite length of time, or revoked, if the holder of any such license shall wilfully or by reason of incompetence violate any statute or the National Electrical Code relating to the installation, alteration, maintenance or repair of electrical wiring as defined in this section, or for the wilful violation of any provision of this section. Any person, firm, partnership or corporation may register an appeal with a Board of Review consisting of three licensed and certified master electricians to be appointed by the Mayor, if the request and appeal is made to the office of the Mayor within fifteen 1132 days after the notice of such decision by the building and electrical inspector has been received by the complainant, the review panel shall proceed to determine if the action complained of was in conformity with the provisions of this section, and shall conduct a hearing into the cause for suspension or revocation within fifteen days after the appeal is lodged or within ten days after appointment by the Mayor, whichever is less, and said panel shall render a decision in accordance with its findings of fact. Within thirty days after entry of a final order by the review panel, any aggrieved party may petition the McCracken Circuit Court for review pursuant to the rules of civil procedure. (g) Records to be maintained. The office of the building and electrical inspector shall keep records on all licensed master and journeyman electricians and on all applicants for licenses and upon all registered apprentices. Records of licensed master and journeyman electricians shall be available to the business license inspector at all times. (h) Inspections and certifications for electrical wiring. Nothing in this section shall eliminate the requirements for electrical inspections of all electrical wiring. Each licensed electrician shall hereafter be required to place a sticker with his name and number on each electrical entrance service box installed by him. (i) Renewal of licenses. All persons holding a license issued pursuant to this section shall be required to apply for a new license and take a new examination within six months after the adoption of any new National Electrical Code by the City of Paducah. All examinations for such license renewals shall be based only upon changes between the former Code and the provisions of the new Code. All licenses issued on the basis of examination for an old Code shall expire six months after the adoption of a new Electrical Code by the City. (j) Penalty for violation of section. Any person violating any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be fined not less than $25.00 nor more than $250.00 for each violation, and each time or each day this section or the requirements and provisions hereof are violated shall constitute a separate offense." 1133 SECTION 2. If any of the provisions, paragraphs or sentences of this ordinance, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or application of this ordinance which can be given effect without the invalid provisions or applications, and to this end the provisions of this ordinance are declared to be saparable. SECTION 3. All ordinances or parts of ordinances or section in the Code of Ordinances City of Paducah, Kentucky, in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance, are hereby repealed. SECTION 4. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its adoption, provided, however, all persons affected by this ordinance shall be given to and including December 31, 1972 in which to obtain and be examined for the required license. Mayor passed by the Board of Commissioners August 29, 1972 Recorded by Sarah Thurman, City Clerk, August 29, 1972.