This article shall be known as the "Electrical Code of the City
of Fond du Lac."
[Amended 6-26-1996 by Ord. No. 2816]
Terms used in this article have the following meaning:
Any person employed by a holder of a City electrical certificate
working under an indenture set forth in § 106.01, Wis. Stats.
Any person who undertakes or offers to undertake with another
to plan for, lay out, supervise and install or to make additions,
alterations and repairs in the installation of wiring apparatus and
equipment for electric light, heat or power. The contractor must hold
a master electrician's license or have a master electrician regularly
employed in a supervisory manner.
The installation, superintending or inspection of electrical
wiring and equipment for production, modification, regulation, control,
distribution, utilization or safe guarding of electrical energy as
covered by the Wisconsin Electrical Code, the provisions of which
so far as applicable are hereby adopted by reference together with
all subsequent amendments, additions and revisions.
Any person, industrial firm, corporation or institution engaged
in the manufacture of a product or services regularly employing one
or more licensed electrical maintenance electricians for the alteration,
maintenance, repair and replacement of electrical equipment in or
on buildings or premises owned or occupied.
Any person employed by an industrial firm, corporation or
institution who is skilled in electrical work and whose electrical
work for such employer is limited exclusively to the plant or shop
of his employer.
A person having the necessary qualifications, training, experience
and technical knowledge to properly plan, lay out and supervise the
installation of wiring, apparatus and equipment for electric light,
heat, power and purposes in accordance with the Wisconsin Electrical
Code.
Any person who is currently certified by the State of Wisconsin
as a beginning electrician.
Any person who is currently certified by the State of Wisconsin
as an electrical contractor.
Any person who is currently certified by the State of Wisconsin
as a journeyworker electrician.
[Amended 4-24-2014 by Ord. No. 3544]
Chapter PSC 114 and Chapter SPS 316, Wisconsin State Electrical
Code, Volume 2, are hereby adopted and made part of this article with
the same force and effect as if set forth in full. Any future amendments,
revisions, modifications or renumberings of any statutes or Administrative
Code provisions incorporated herein are intended to be made a part
of this article in order to ensure uniform statewide regulation of
these subjects. Failure to comply with any of the provisions of such
statutes or code provisions shall constitute a violation of this article.
[Amended 11-26-2019 by Ord. No. 3701]
A.
Scope. Except as provided in Subsection B below, this section applies to electrical wiring installations.
B.
Exclusions. This chapter does not cover any of the following electrical
wiring installations:
(1)
Installations in ships, watercraft other than floating buildings,
railway rolling stock, aircraft, or automotive vehicles other than
mobile homes and recreational vehicles.
(2)
Installations for generation, transformation, or distribution of
power used exclusively by railways for signaling and communication
purposes.
(3)
Installations of communication equipment under exclusive control
of communication utilities, located outdoors or in building spaces
used exclusively for such installations.
(4)
Installations in manufactured homes, other than electrical wiring
alterations in existing manufactured homes.
(5)
Installations under the exclusive control of an electric utility,
or an electric cooperative where such installations meet any of the
following situations:
(a)
Consist of service drops or service laterals, and associated
metering.
(b)
Are located in legally established easements or right-of-ways
designated by public service commissions, utility commissions, or
other regulatory agencies having jurisdiction for such installations.
(c)
Are on property owned or leased by the electric utility for
the purpose of communications, metering, generation, control, transformation,
transmission, storage, or distribution of electric energy.
(6)
Installations for the purpose of street or area lighting owned and
under exclusive control of electrical utilities or municipalities
where located outdoors on property owned or leased by the utility;
on or along public highways, streets, roads, or similar public thoroughfares;
or outdoors on private property by established rights such as easements
shall comply with this chapter or chapter PSC 114.
A.
Duties. The Electrical Inspector shall enforce the provisions of
this article. Complete records of all permits issued and inspections
made and other official work performed under the provisions of this
article shall be kept so arranged as to afford prompt information
concerning electrical installation.
B.
Right of access to buildings. The Electrical Inspector or his assistants
shall have the right during reasonable hours to enter any public or
private buildings or premises in the discharge of his official duties
or for the purpose of making any inspection or test of the electrical
wires or appliances contained therein. He shall be given prompt access
to any premises upon notification to the proper authority.
[Amended 4-24-2014 by Ord. No. 3544]
C.
Authority to discontinue electrical operations. The Electrical Inspector
shall have the authority to cause the turning off of all electric
currents to any equipment which he finds to be in an unsafe condition,
and cut or discontinue electrical service in case of emergency and
where such electrical currents are dangerous to life or property or
may interfere with the work of the Fond du Lac Fire/Rescue Department.
No person shall reconnect any equipment thus cut off until written
permission is given by the Electrical Inspector.
[Amended 1-28-2015 by Ord. No. 3570]
D.
Periodic inspection. The Electrical Inspector periodically may make
thorough examinations of all the electrical wires and appliances installed
within the City, and, when such wires or appliances are found to be
in a dangerous or unsafe condition, he shall notify the person owning,
using, operating or installing the same to place them in a safe condition.
No person shall fail or refuse to make the necessary repairs or changes
within 15 days after the receipt of notice from the City, and the
Electrical Inspector is hereby authorized to order the discontinuance
of electrical service to such defective wires or equipment until they
have been repaired, removed or changed, as directed by the Electrical
Inspector, subject to the limitations of this article.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original § 16.06, Licenses and certificates,
which immediately followed this section and was amended 6-26-1996
by Ord. No. 2816, was repealed 4-24-2014 by Ord. No. 3544.
A.
Permits required; issuance.
(1)
The Electrical Inspector shall issue permits for the execution of
electrical installations for light, heat or power upon the filing
of proper applications, which shall be made on forms furnished by
the Inspector and shall describe the nature of the work as well as
such other information as may be required for inspection. Permits
shall be issued only to a licensed contractor, licensed industrial
firm, corporation, or institution or to a home owner to personally
do the work on his homestead, providing it is a single family residence.
(2)
In no case shall any electrical work be done unless a permit has
been obtained, unless the work is expressly exempt from the effect
of this article.
B.
Permit fees.
(1)
Electrical permit fees shall be paid to the City upon issuance of
a permit as required by this section. Permit fees shall be based on
the cost of the job, including the cost of labor and material, and
shall be paid in an amount set by resolution of the City Council.
The schedule of fees shall apply to all electrical work, including
light, heat and power in new construction and additional outlets,
fixtures, appliances and all other electrical equipment on existing
installations.
[Amended 4-24-2014 by Ord. No. 3544; 8-24-2016 by Ord. No. 3612]
(2)
In lieu of any individual permit for each installation or alteration,
an annual permit may be issued to any person, certified firm or corporation
regularly employing one or more licensed electricians for the installation,
alteration and maintenance of electrical equipment in or on buildings
or premises owned or occupied by the permit applicant. Application
for annual permit shall be made in writing to the Electrical Inspector
and shall contain a description of the premises on which work is to
be done under the permit. The annual permit fee shall be set by resolution
of the City Council. The annual permit shall be applicable only to
work done by the licensed electricians working for the permit holder.
(3)
The firm, corporation or institution to which the annual permit has
been issued shall keep a record of all electrical work done and the
Electrical Inspector shall have access to such record. The Electrical
Inspector shall make periodic inspections in accordance with a schedule
adopted by him.
C.
Work without permit. When any electrical work is completed without
first having obtained a permit as required, the permit fees specified
above shall be tripled but the payment of such tripled fees shall
not relieve any person from fully complying with all of the regulations
of this article, nor from any other penalties prescribed in this article.
D.
A permit required under Subsection A(1) shall expire 12 months after the date of issuance, if installation of the electrical wiring has not commenced.
[Amended 8-24-2016 by Ord. No. 3612; 11-26-2019 by Ord. No. 3701]
E.
Temporary work. On applying for a permit for temporary work, a specified
period of time for which such wiring is to remain in service must
be stated. Service shall be cut off at the end of this period and
shall not again be connected without written permission from the Electrical
Inspector.
At the time of the issuance of a permit the Electrical Inspector
may require the manufacturer, owner, installer or user of electrical
equipment to submit plans (drawings), data and specifications, schedules
or literature, information, materials, samples or tests as may be
necessary to determine the fitness of equipment for safe installation
and use.
[Amended 11-26-2019 by Ord. No. 3701]
Upon the completion of the wiring of any building or before
any wiring is hidden from view, the person doing the same shall notify
the Electrical Inspector and he shall inspect the installation within
two business days of the time such notice is received. If, upon inspection,
it is found that such installation is fully in compliance with this
article and does not constitute a hazard of life or property, he shall
approve the same and authorize concealment of such wiring or connections
for electrical service. If the installation is incomplete or not strictly
in accordance with this article, he shall issue orders to the person
installing the same to remove all hazards and make the necessary changes.
Concealment of electric work before inspection or failure to comply
with such orders of the Electrical Inspector shall constitute a violation
of this article.
A.
No certificate of inspection shall be issued unless the electric
light, power or heating installation and all other electrical apparatus
connected with it are in strict conformity with the provisions of
this article and the rules and regulations of the State Electrical
Code.
B.
Any person who shall install electric wires or appliances shall be
responsible for such installation until approved by the Electrical
Inspector. Any person who shall make any additions, corrections, alterations
or connections to the installation after approval shall be responsible
for the correct functioning of the installation.
[Amended 4-24-2014 by Ord. No. 3544]
When the Electrical Inspector condemns all or part of the electrical
installation in any building, the owner, within five days after receiving
written notice from the Electrical Inspector, may file a petition
in writing for review of the action of the Electrical Inspector with
the Chief Inspector, upon receipt of which the Chief Inspector shall
at once proceed to determine whether the electrical construction complied
with this article and within three days shall make a decision in accordance
with his/her findings. Legal proceedings may thereafter be taken by
any party aggrieved by such determination.
Where other provision is not made in this article for arbitration
or other appeal from a determination of the Electrical Inspector,
any determination so made by such officer may be appealed by any party
aggrieved as provided in Ch. 68, Wis. Stats.
This article shall not be construed as imposing any liability
on the part of the City for damage to anyone injured or any property
destroyed by any defect in any building or equipment or any plumbing
or any electrical wiring or equipment or by reason of any inspection
made by any City officer or employee.
Persons associated with crafts other than electrical and functioning
in their native pursuits shall in no way alter the approved character
of an electrical installation by the placement of materials or equipment
in too close proximity, by concealment, by making inaccessible or
in any way affecting the approved electrical installation so as to
render it in violation of this article.
[Amended 4-24-2014 by Ord. No. 3544]
Except as otherwise provided, any person, firm, corporation or organization found to be in violation of any provision of this article or any rule or order promulgated herein shall be subject to a penalty as provided in § 1-4 of this Code.
