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 2007)

The standard code known as the National Electrical Code of 2002, 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. 12-3009:3012.  Three copies shall be marked or stamped “Official Copy as Incorporated by the Code of the City of Greensburg,” and shall be filed with the city clerk to be open to inspection and available to the public at all reasonable hours of business.

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

(Code 2007)

The following sections of this article are in addition to the provisions of the standard code incorporated by reference in section 4-302.

(Code 2007)

The public officer 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 4-204 of this chapter, which shall apply in a like manner to this article.

(Code 2007)

The public officer shall have the following duties:

(a)   To enforce all regulations relating to electrical construction, alteration, repair or removal;

(b)   To examine all buildings requiring electrical construction in the process of erection, construction, alteration or relocation in the city for the purpose of determining whether the work is in compliance with the permit given and in compliance with the regulations of the city pertaining to such work, including zoning regulations; and

(c)   To keep comprehensive records of applications, of permits or certificates issued, of inspections made, of reports rendered, and of notices or orders issued.  All such records shall be open to public inspection during stated office hours, but shall not be removed from the office of the building official or electrical inspector without his or her written consent.

(Code 2007)

The public officer shall have the following powers:

(a)   To enter any building or structure or premises at any reasonable hour, whether complete or in the process of erection, to perform the duties contained in this chapter;

(b)   To adopt and enforce all such prudent emergency measures as he or she may deem necessary and expedient for the public safety under the laws of the city;

(c)   May cause any work done in violation of this chapter to be discontinued until he or she shall have satisfactory evidence that the work will be done in accordance with the electrical regulations of the city, subject to the right of any installer or owner to appeal to the governing body.

(Code 2007)

(a)   The public officer, or his or her authorized designee 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 public officer 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 2007)

(a)   Except as provided in subsection (b), it shall be unlawful for any person to engage in any electrical construction as defined in section 4-301 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 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.

(Code 2007)

(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)   Upon approval of the completed application and a determination that a permit should be issued, the public officer 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.

(c)   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 2007)

The fee for an electrical permit shall be $48.00.  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 2007; Ord. 985, Ord. 1033)

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 2007)

If in the judgment of the public officer, after an inspection, any electrical conductors, appliances or equipment in any building are unsafe or dangerous to persons or property, the inspector shall have the power to cause the wires or appliances to be disconnected from the source of electrical energy supplying these conductors or equipment, and may, at his or her discretion, seal the control switches for the same in an open or disconnected position, whereupon he or she shall give notice to the owner, or his or her agent, or by posting such notice at the site and shall also notify the utilities serving the premises.  Thereafter, it shall be unlawful for any person to cause or permit electric current to be supplied to the electrical conductors, appliances or equipment so sealed until they shall have been made safe and the inspector shall have issued a certificate of approval to that effect.

(Code 2007)

An electrician or electrical contractor for purposes of this article shall be any person, firm, co-partnership, corporation, association, or any combination thereof, whether a resident or not of the city:

(1)   Who or which undertakes with or for another, for a fixed sum, price, fee or any other compensation to install, construct, alter, repair, add to, or move any electrical installation or performs any electrical construction work in the city, for which an electrical construction permit may now or hereafter be required by the laws of the city.

(Code 2007)

(a)   Each electrician or electrical contractor shall before entering upon any electrical construction work subject to regulation by city laws, apply to the city clerk for an electrician’s or electrical contractor’s license and receive the same as hereinafter provided and have in his or her possession a valid license authorizing him, her or it to engage in the trade or occupation of electrician or electrical contractor in the city.

(b)   No permit for any electrical construction work shall be issued for any such work to be performed by an electrician or electrical contractor, as defined, who has not first obtained a license upon making a proper application and payment of the license fee as required.

(c)   It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, company, association or corporation to enter into a contract or agreement with another so as to bring himself, herself, or itself under the definition of an electrician or electrical contractor herein, or to perform any work as an electrician or electrical contractor or any work under a contract for any work involving electrical construction, without first having obtained an electrician’s or electrical contractor’s license issued by the city.

(Code 2007)

Application for an electrician’s or electrical contractor’s license shall be made upon a form to be supplied by the city. New Licenses shall provide proof of licensure in another jurisdiction or letters of reference for the applicant are required. The license or letters of reference must verify proficiency in the same trade that the electrician or electrical contractor has referenced in his application for registration in the City of Greensburg.

(Code 2014)

The following license fees shall be paid for the calendar year:

(1)   General Electrician or Electrical Contractor, who shall qualify to engage in more than one kind of electrical construction work, the sum of $100.00 for initial license and $75.00 per year thereafter.

(Code 2007; Ord. 985; Ord. 1033)

An electrical contractor must procure and maintain a liability insurance policy in the amount of $1,000,000 for each occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate for bodily injury, and $100,000 each occurrence for property damage. Such policies of insurance shall be issued by an insurance company authorized to do business in the State of Kansas. An 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, stating that the required policy of insurance has been issued by 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 1and ending December 31 of such year.

(Code 2007; Code 2014)

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 satisfy the electrical inspector as to his or her ability to perform such work or install such electrical wiring, secure a permit, pay required fees, do work in accordance with this article, and apply for an inspection and receive a certificate of approval.  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 2007)

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 2007)

If any section of the National Electrical Code or of this article shall be held unconstitutional or otherwise invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, then such section shall be considered separate and apart from the remaining provisions of the National Electrical Code or of this article, the section is to be completely severable from the remaining provisions which shall continue in full force and effect.

(Code 2007)