[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Troy 3-1-1973; amended in its entirety 9-5-2019 by Ord. No. 71. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Buildings — See Ch. 141.
Housing and property maintenance — See Ch. 176.
A. 
There is hereby created a board to be known as the "Electrical License Board of Examiners," which shall consist of three members as follows:
(1) 
One local representative from any one of the electrical inspection agencies listed in § 141-52, such representative to be the electrical inspector assigned to the City territory.
(2) 
Two master electricians with at least 10 years' experience in the City of Troy, primarily engaged in the electrical field.
B. 
Each member shall be appointed by the Mayor to serve a term of three years, unless sooner removed by the Mayor. Any appointed member may be removed by the Mayor for malfeasance in office, incapacity, or neglect of duty.
C. 
The administrator of the Board of Examiners shall be the City Clerk.
D. 
As of January 1, 2020, each member of the Board of Examiners shall receive a fee of $600 a year, and the administrator of the Board shall receive $1,200 a year. Each member of the Board of Examiners who is qualified to hold a Class A license shall be entitled to receive such license and/or renewals thereof without paying a fee.
E. 
The Board of Examiners shall elect its own Chair. A majority of the membership of the Board shall constitute a quorum to transact the business of the Board. The Board shall meet at the call of the Chair, who shall call a meeting whenever they or a majority of the Board shall consider such meeting desirable for the proper and efficient conduct of the business of the Board.
A. 
No person shall within the limits of the City engage in or carry on the business of installing, altering or repairing any electric wiring or electric apparatus for heat, light or power, nor shall any person in any manner undertake to execute such work unless such person is the holder of a Class A or Class B license as provided for in this chapter or is working for a company that employs an electrician who holds a Class A or Class B license as provided for in the chapter, except as provided in § 148-13.
B. 
Every company performing electrical work in the City of Troy must employ a licensed master electrician.
C. 
There shall be two classes of licenses, to be known as "Class A" and "Class B". A "Class A" license shall entitle the holder thereof to engage in or carry on the business of master electrician for the duration of the license. A "Class B" license shall entitle the holder thereof to carry on the business of master electrician but shall entitle such holder to undertake the execution of work in a single continuous installation only, such installation to be confined to one location or property, and such Class B license shall expire one year from the date of its issuance unless renewed before the expiration date.
A. 
Any person desiring to procure a Class A license as provided for in this chapter shall make application for such license to the City Clerk, using the form provided and submitting such documentation as shall be required by the Board.
B. 
The City Clerk shall within five days after the receipt of an application for a Class A license deliver such application to the Board of Examiners, who shall assess the application to determine the fitness of the applicant to take the written examination.
C. 
The Board shall examine applicants for licenses to determine the qualifications and fitness of the applicants to receive Class A licenses to engage in business as master electricians. The nature of the examinations conducted under this chapter shall be determined by the Board. The Board and the administrator shall adopt such written rules and regulations as they may deem necessary for such examinations.
D. 
Applicants must earn a minimum grade of 75% to pass the exam. An applicant who has failed in his/her first examination shall not be entitled to another examination until after 90 days from the date of such failure; an applicant who has failed twice or more shall not be entitled to any additional examination until after six months from the date of the last preceding failure.
Upon notification by the Board of Examiners that the applicant has passed the examination and that the applicant has met all the requirements of the Board to receive a Class A license, the City Clerk shall issue the license to engage in the business as provided for in § 148-3. All Class A licenses shall be numbered in the order in which they are issued, and each license shall state the class of license, the name and address of the holder, and the expiration date of the license.
[Amended 9-19-2024 by Ord. No. 50]
A. 
At the time of examination, approved applicants shall pay a nonrefundable exam fee of $100.
B. 
Upon passing the exam, a Class A license shall be issued for a fee of $200 and shall expire at the end of the calendar year in which it was issued.
C. 
For each subsequent annual renewal of a Class A license, a fee of $200 shall be paid.
D. 
All fees shall be paid to the City Clerk and shall be subsequently paid by the City Clerk to the Treasurer of the City.
A. 
Each Class A license shall expire at the end of the calendar year in which it was issued, consistent with § 148-6 herein. Each Class A license shall be renewed, without further examination, if the complete application for renewal and appropriate renewal fee are received by the City Clerk on or before December 15 of each calendar year. A completed renewal application shall include proof of completing at least six hours of continuing education in the electrical field during the current calendar year, and either proof of workers' compensation/disability insurance (NYS Form C-105.2) or proof of exemption (NYS Form CE-200).
B. 
The City Clerk shall accept the filing of all late applications received after December 15, provided the late application is received by the City Clerk within nine months of the filing deadline. The applicant must pay the annual filing fee plus a late filing fee of $250 upon submission of the late renewal application. Upon receipt of the late renewal application and all fees, the City Clerk shall issue the renewal license.
C. 
Renewal applications received after nine months of the filing deadline shall be required to retake the licensing examination.
A. 
Any person desiring to procure a Class B license as provided for in this chapter shall make application for such license to the Department of Code Enforcement using the form provided and submitting such documentation as shall be required by the Department and the appropriate fees.
B. 
The Department shall within 10 days after receipt of any application for a Class B license assess the application to determine the fitness of the applicant to execute the work described therein.
Upon approval of the Class B license application, the Department of Code Enforcement shall inform the City Clerk, who shall issue the Class B license. All Class B licenses shall state the class of license, the name and address of the holder, and the location of the property covered by the license.
A. 
Each Class B license and subsequent renewal shall be issued at the following rates:
(1) 
Residential (three units or fewer): $200.
(2) 
Antenna/solar: $300.
(3) 
Commercial: $500.
B. 
All fees shall be paid to the City Clerk and shall be subsequently paid by the City Clerk to the Treasurer of the City.
A. 
Upon presentation to the Board of Examiners of charges that the holder of any license has willfully violated any of the provisions of any ordinances of the City or any neighboring community or county with which the Board has a reciprocal agreement applying to electrical work or is incompetent to comply with such provisions, the Board of Examiners shall fix a time and place for a meeting to consider such charges and shall notify the holder of the license to be present at such meeting. Such notification shall be in writing and shall be delivered to the holder at least five days in advance of the meeting.
B. 
If upon a hearing of the Board of Examiners of all evidence offered it shall be decided by the Board of Examiners that such holder of a license has willfully violated any of the provisions of any such ordinance, or by continued violation has proven his/her incompetency to comply with any of the provisions of any such ordinance, then the Board of Examiners shall revoke the license of such holder. When a license has been revoked, a new license shall not be granted to the same person, firm or corporation until a period of at least 90 days has elapsed after such revocation.
A. 
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to persons engaged in solely selling or solely in the attachment of ordinary electrical appliances to existing circuits where no joining or splicing of electrical conductors is required; nor to persons, firms or corporations, copartnerships and associations regularly employing electricians for the installation, maintenance, repair, altering and extension of the electric wires, conductors, electrical machinery, apparatus, or appliances in their own property and/or property occupied by them; nor to the installation, maintenance or repair of elevators; nor to any work involved in the manufacture, test or repair of electrical machinery, apparatus, materials and equipment or to its assembly, installation and wiring, when such assembly, installation and wiring are done by a person, firm or corporation engaged in electrical manufacturing as their principal business; nor to the work in connection with the erection, construction, maintenance or repair of lines for the transmission of electricity from the source of supply to the service connection of the premises where used; nor to the public service companies or municipal plants authorized to generate or sell electricity or to the work of such companies installing, maintaining and repairing on the consumer's premises of service connections, meters and other apparatus and appliances remaining the property of such companies after installation or to emergency repairs of wiring and appliances on consumers' premises necessary for the protection of life or property; nor to the work of companies incorporated for the transmission of intelligence by electricity in installing, maintaining or repairing wires, apparatus or fixtures or other appliances.
B. 
Nothing herein contained, however, shall be construed so as to prohibit or prevent any person from installing, altering or extending the electric wires, conductors, apparatus, fixtures, machinery, appliances or appurtenances in his/her own property.
Any person who shall violate any provision of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be subject to a fine of not more than $250 or to imprisonment for not more than 15 days, or to both such fine and imprisonment, and each day on which such violation continues shall constitute a separate offense. In addition to the penalty imposed, the license of the person violating the same may be revoked.