City of Canandaigua, NY Electrical Inspections

[Amended 3-4-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-003]

Qualifications.

The Agency shall be authorized by the State of New York to conduct business within New York State.

The Agency shall furnish the City of Canandaigua with proof of financial responsibility and organizational continuity, approval of which lies solely within the discretion of the City of Canandaigua.

(3)

The Agency shall not solicit of any person or entity or require as condition of inspection any waiver of responsibility of an error, omission, or recommendation made by its inspectors, or for any other action of its inspectors.

(4)

The Agency shall require all wiring to meet standards of the latest revision of the National Electrical Code, and of any applicable code prescribed by the State of New York and applicable rules and regulations of the City of Canandaigua.

(5)

The Agency shall not compete with any other agency in any manner which would cause it to reduce the quality of its inspections. The Agency shall not knowingly accept an application at any given location from any applicant who has received violations from another Agency. The Agency shall make such inquiry on its standard application form. The Agency, in order to be authorized to carry out a particular inspection, must be named on the building permit application as the inspection Agency. No changing from the Agency designated on the application to another Agency will be allowed and inspections by an Agency other than the one designated on the application will not be accepted.

(6)

Each Agency is required to maintain a file of current inspection charges with the City of Canandaigua. Established charges will be applied uniformly and will not be discounted. Inspections and reports shall be made only by qualified electrical inspectors. The Agency shall have a minimum of two inspectors. The Agency shall insure that the inspectors they employ have adequate experience, education and training as follows:

(a)

Inspectors shall have a minimum of five years' full-time work experience as a journeyman electrician prior to employment as an electrical inspector.

(b)

New electrical inspectors shall complete a two-month training program prior to doing electrical inspections as prescribed by the Agency.

(c)

All inspectors shall be a member of the International Association of Electrical Inspectors.

(d)

Have a working knowledge of the principles of electricity necessary to interpret the National Electrical Codes, New York State Codes, and the City of Canandaigua Codes.

(e)

Know the requirements of the National Electrical Codes, New York State Codes and any other applicable requirements.

(f)

Be familiar with the construction practices of the electrical wiring trade.

(g)

Affirmation by Agency and each individual inspector that it, he or she presently does not and will not engage in or have any interest, direct or indirect, with any wholesaler or retailer of electrical equipment that transacts any business in the State of New York; and that the individual inspector will not engage in the work of an electrician anywhere within the State of New York, except that an inspector may do electrical work on his own personal dwelling residence. However, if any inspector does electrical work on his own personal dwelling residence in the City of Canandaigua for which a license is required pursuant to this Code, such electrical work shall be inspected by another authorized person who is qualified to conduct inspections in the City of Canandaigua.

(7)

The Agency agrees to maintain adequate records so that it can provide the City of Canandaigua, its customer, and municipal officials with records of inspection when requested. Such records will be maintained for a minimum of six years.

(8)

The Agency will maintain an office in the Rochester service area staffed to receive telephone calls during normal business days for a minimum of six hours per day.

(9)

The Agency shall establish a system to receive applications and issue inspection reports in accordance with the following:

(a)

The Agency shall provide an application form and shall provide a copy to the City of Canandaigua Office of Code Enforcement and the applicant/customer at the time of application.

(b)

The Agency shall issue a certificate to the City of Canandaigua giving notice that an inspection of the electrical service entrance has been made, and that it is safe to energize the service. The certificate shall be issued in a timely manner to insure that customers are not subjected to undue delay in receiving electrical service.

(c)

The Agency, in subsequent inspections of the wiring system, shall provide within three business days written notification of any noncompliance. This notice shall be served on the City of Canandaigua Office of Code Enforcement and the applicant/customer.

(d)

Upon a finding of compliance, the Agency shall issue a certificate of final compliance and shall provide a copy of the certificate to the City of Canandaigua Office of Code Enforcement and the applicant/customer.

(10)

When requested by the City of Canandaigua, the Agency will perform inspection and reinspection of an existing dwelling and submit a formal report to the City of Canandaigua Office of Code Enforcement and customer in letter form.

(11)

All charges for inspections, reinspections and reports regarding same, as provided above, shall be without cost to the City of Canandaigua.

(12)

Each Agency seeking acceptance to provide electrical inspection services within the City of Canandaigua shall submit documentation certifying the aforementioned requirements of the City Manager, Code Enforcement Officer, and the Fire Chief must unanimously approve such application for the Agency to be approved as an electrical inspection agency. Acceptance or denial in writing from the City Manager will be provided to the applying electrical inspection agency upon approval of documentation of qualification and compliance with standards. Qualifications and standards will be filed with the City Clerk/Treasurer and be available for public inspection.

(13)

Any departure from the above standards or change in the status of the business of the Agency will be reported to the Code Enforcement Officer of the City of Canandaigua within 30 days thereof in written form signed by the licensee.

Suspension or revocation of license.

(1)

If at any time any person believes that an individual inspector or Agency is incompetent, guilty of misconduct, or unqualified such person shall file a complaint in writing with the City Manager. The City Manager, Code Enforcement Officer and Fire Chief shall conduct a hearing within 30 days after the filing of the complaint, at which time the complainant and the accused Agency and/or inspector shall be given the opportunity to be present and present testimony and witnesses on its behalf. The City Manager, Code Enforcement Officer and Fire Chief shall determine by majority vote whether to revoke, suspend or take no action on the complaint, such determination to be made in writing, and filed with the City Clerk/Treasurer and the enforcing officers within 15 days after said hearing is closed. If the City Manager, Code Enforcement Officer or Fire Chief shall be the complainant, such complainant shall not be entitled to vote upon such complaint and the Chief of Police shall take the place of the complainant in conducting the hearing and voting upon the complaint.

(2)

If any required insurance coverages shall be canceled or revoked, or otherwise lapse, the license of the Agency to carry on its work in the City shall be automatically suspended.

No waiver or assumption of liability. These standards shall not be construed to relieve from or lessen the responsibility of any Agency or person owning, operating, controlling or installing any electrical wiring devices, or equipment for loss of life, or damage to person and property caused by and defect therein, nor shall the City of Canandaigua or its inspectors be deemed to have assumed any such liability by reason of any inspection made pursuant to these standards.

Insurance requirements.

(1)

Agencies authorized to carry out electrical inspections in this City must supply valid certificates of insurance to the City showing statutory worker's compensation coverage and automobile and public liability coverage for property damage and personal injury, including wrongful death as set forth below:

(a)

Worker's compensation and New York State disability: Statutory requirement.

(b)

General liability: $1,000,000 per occurrence; $2,000,000 aggregate minimum.

(c)

Umbrella liability: $5,000,000 minimum.

(d)

Automobile liability: $1,000,000 combined single limit.

(2)

In the event of cancellation of any of the above insurance policies, the Electrical Inspection Agency and/or the insurance carrier must submit to the City Clerk/Treasurer's Office, City of Canandaigua, a ten-day notice of cancellation of any of the Insurance policies in effect prior to the cancellation date.

(3)

Failure to comply with this request will be considered sufficient reason for cancellation and/or suspension of agency jurisdiction.