[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1; Ord. of 7-20-1992, § 6; Ord. of 6-6-1994, § 5; amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
(a) 
No person may execute any plumbing work in the city without first obtaining from the Building Inspector of the city a certificate of competency and registration as a licensed master plumber or a special permit from the Building Inspector, pursuant to Section 6-146 of this Chapter; provided, however, that those persons now authorized to perform plumbing work in one- and two-family dwellings as set forth in Section 6-145 of this chapter shall not be subject to the requirements of this section and Sections 6-159 through 6-178 of this chapter.
(b) 
No person, corporation, firm or partnership shall engage in or conduct the trade or business of plumbing as an employing or master plumber and in such capacity execute any plumbing work in the City without first obtaining from the Building Inspector a certificate of competency and registration as a master plumber. A corporation shall also be subject to the requirements in Section 6-177 of this chapter in order to so conduct business in the City.
(c) 
There shall be two classification of plumbing work that is performed within the City determined as follows:
(1) 
Master plumbing work. This work is for all interior piping found in buildings. Lines smaller than four inches in diameter will also qualify as plumbing in this class regardless of whether they are found inside or outside the building. Except for any exemptions noted in this chapter, this work must be performed by a master plumber as defined in this section.
(2) 
Infrastructure plumbing work. This work is for underground piping found on the exterior of the building of four-inch or larger water, or storm drain piping. This shall include underground main service piping structure and extension piping. This work shall not require a licensed plumber, but shall require a qualified infrastructure contractor as defined in this section.
(d) 
To be a qualified infrastructure contractor, the following documents must be provided to the administrative authority: a statement detailing a minimum of five years' experience in either water pipe installation, sewer pipe installation or storm drain installation as applicable to the work to be performed under the infrastructure certification. Proof of laser certification for sewer installation, if applicable; and three letters of recommendation from previous customers, preferably for state or municipal work. Once the documents detailing qualification are on file with the administrative authority and accepted, an infrastructure certification of competency can be issued by the Building Inspector that is valid for the duration of the calendar year after payment of $500 and proof of workers' compensation insurance as required by New York State law and liability insurance in an amount not less than $1,000,000. Should a contractor be unable to provide the documents required for qualification, he or she may appeal the decision to deny an infrastructure certification on this basis to the Commissioner of Public Works of the City of Poughkeepsie. The infrastructure contractor need not be a licensed plumber.
(e) 
Duration; renewal. All infrastructure certifications of competency shall expire on the 31st day of December of the year in which they are issued and shall be renewed within 30 days preceding such expiration by application to the Building Inspector upon payment of a renewal fee of $250. Any lapse in renewal shall require payment of an administrative fee in an amount equal to the reapplication fee. The administrative fee shall be in addition to any reapplication fee.
(f) 
Any person, business, partnership or corporation, firm or partnership who violates any provision of this section shall be liable to a penalty of $500 per day of violation or imprisonment not exceeding six months. For the purposes of § 80.10 of the Penal Law, this shall constitute a special corporate fine.
[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1; Ord. of 5-1-1995, § 5; Ord. of 12-4-1997, § 3; Ord. No. O-08-18, § 3; amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
Any person who desires to procure a certificate of competency shall make written application for an examination therefor upon a form to be prescribed by the Building Inspector and shall pay a nonrefundable examination fee of $250 at the time of filing such application. The applicant shall furnish to the Building Inspector such information as it may require concerning the applicant's reputation, character, fitness and qualifications to receive a certificate of competency.
[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1]
No person shall be examined unless he shall have had either experience of at least five years as a journeyman plumber or graduation from a four-year college or university with major course work in plumbing engineering and, in addition, one year's experience as a journeyman plumber, or he shall be a licensed professional engineer.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Section 6-161, Issuance of certificate; duration, renewal and fee, Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1, as amended, was repealed 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023.
[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1; Ord. of 5-1-1995, § 6; Ord. of 12-4-1997, § 4; Ord. No. O-08-18, § 4; amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
In the event that the applicant fails to pass the examination, (s)he may apply for reexamination after a lapse of three months upon payment of a fee of $250, and, in the event that such applicant again fails, (s)he may apply for a second reexamination after the lapse of a further period of one year upon the payment of an additional fee of $250. The Building Inspector, however, may in his/her discretion permit the applicant to file a new application to examine him/her at any time before the lapse of said period of one year.
[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1; Ord. No. O-07-18, § 1; amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
In case a certificate is lost by the holder thereof, the Building Inspector may issue a duplicate certificate of competency upon payment of a fee of $75.
[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1; Ord. of 5-1-1995, § 7; Ord. of 12-4-1997, § 5; Ord. No. O-07-1, § 2; Ord. No. O-11-01, 1-3-2011, § 9]
(a) 
Issuance. Any applicant who has successfully passed the examination provided for by this article and received a certificate of competency who desires to engage in the business of plumbing in the City and who wishes at any time to execute any plumbing work within the City shall register with the Building Inspector for such purpose; and upon payment of a fee as provided for in Section 6-26 above, the Building Inspector shall issue to him/her a certificate of registration appropriately lettered or marked "licensed plumber" and with such further marking or lettering as may from time to time be prescribed by this Code.
(b) 
Duration, renewal. All certificates of registration shall expire on the 31st day of December of the year in which they are issued and shall be renewed within 30 days preceding such expiration by application to the Building Inspector upon payment of a renewal fee as provided in Section 6-26 above. In addition, proof of completion of four hours of continuing education within the preceding year in a curriculum pertaining to master plumbing work must be submitted. Any lapse in renewal shall require payment of an administrative fee in an amount equal to the reapplication fee. The administrative fee shall be in addition to any reapplication fee. Prior to expiration, a licensed master plumber may petition the Building Inspector to suspend his/her license. A master plumber whose license has been suspended at the master plumbers request may reinstate such license at any time within five years from the date the license was scheduled to expire. There shall be a fee plus the license fee to reinstate a license that has been suspended at the request of the master plumber.
[Amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1; Ord. of 5-1-1995, § 9; amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
Any registered master plumber who retires from or discontinues doing business in plumbing work in the City shall surrender to the Building Inspector his/her certificate of registration and (s)he shall not thereafter engage in such trade or business unless (s)he shall again register in accordance therewith.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Section 6-169, Surrender of sign upon forfeiture of certificate, cancellation of registration, Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1, was repealed by an ordinance of 5-1-1995, § 10.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Section 6-171, Annual certification of master plumbers entitled to renewal certificate, Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1, was repealed 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023.
[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1; Ord. of 5-1-1995, § 11; amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
The Building Inspector shall investigate the registration and license of every master plumber and shall review any violation of the provisions of this article relating to the loaning, renting, selling or transferring of the certificate of registration, and the Building Inspector shall immediately suspend the certificate of registration of any master plumber who shall have loaned, rented, sold or transferred such certificate in violation of this article.
[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1; amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
(a) 
Notice required. Whenever any inspector or other person reports a violation of any rules and regulations for plumbing or a deviation from any officially approved plan or specification for plumbing filed with the Building Inspector, the Building Inspector shall first serve a notice of the violation thereof upon the master plumber doing the work and shall advise the Plumbing Board of such action.
(b) 
Service of notice. Such notice shall be served personally or by registered mail, and if by registered mail, it shall be addressed to such master plumber at the address registered by him with the Building Inspector.
(c) 
Compliance required. Unless the violation is removed within three days after the service or mailing of such notice, exclusive of the day of service or mailing, or within such other time as prescribed by the Building Inspector, the Plumbing Board may proceed according to law.
[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1; Ord. of 5-2-1977, § 1; amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
(a) 
Denial. There shall be no registration as master plumber or renewal of such registration or granting of a second permit to any person found guilty of violating any of the provisions of this Code or not having paid in full any amounts due and owing the City for permits issued or services rendered by the City with respect to plumbing work performed by the master plumber who, or whose firm, has been employed to do the plumbing work or not having disposed of all complaints entered against him in the manner satisfactory to the Building Inspector.
(b) 
Cancellation. Any registration as master plumber or renewal thereof or special permit may be canceled by the Building Inspector upon proof of any violation of any provision of this Code after a hearing is held before the Building Inspector. The alleged violator shall be given at least 10 days' notice, in writing, of such hearing, which notice shall also state the time, place and grounds of the complaint in sufficient detail to inform the alleged violator of the charge or charges he may be called upon to meet at such hearing.
[Ord. of 6-6-1996, § 4; amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
(a) 
Special permits shall be granted for water connections for the installation of heat-producing equipment, to a person or firm who is licensed to install heat-producing equipment pursuant to Section 6-179 of this chapter and has satisfactorily passed a test, given by the Building Inspector of the City of Poughkeepsie. Water connections shall be any water connection on the heat-producing equipment-side supply valve and any other water connections within five feet horizontally. All other connections on portable water systems shall be subject to the requirements in Section 6-158(a) and Section 6-145(a) of this chapter.
(b) 
There shall be a fee of $150 for each application filed for a special permit for water connections to a licensed person or firm for the installation of heat-producing equipment. This fee shall be nonrefundable. All special permits for water connections shall expire on June 30 of each calendar year and must be renewed on an annual basis, within 30 days preceding the expiration date on the application, to the Building Inspector. The fee of $150 for the renewal is made payable to the City of Poughkeepsie. All special permits shall be deemed null and void if the heating license obtained pursuant to Section 6-179 of this chapter is not renewed.
[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1]
A domestic corporation desiring or intending to conduct the trade, business or calling of a plumber or of plumbing in the City, as an employing or master plumber, may do so, provided that one or more officers of such corporation separately or aggregately actually hold and own at least 51% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of said corporation, and provided that each of such officers holding such percentage of the stock is the holder of a certificate of competency of such board of the City in which it conducts or proposes to conduct such business. In case one or more officers of a corporation engaged in such business shall die, being the holder of a certificate of competency, the corporation may continue the business during the time necessarily required for the administration of the estate of such deceased officer, not exceeding two years from the granting of letters, provided that one or more officers of the corporation is the holder of a certificate of competency and, together with the legal representatives of such deceased officer or officers, actually owns and holds at least 51% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of said corporation. Each and every member of said corporation holding a certificate of competency shall comply with all the rules and regulations applicable to master or employing plumbers.
[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1]
Any person to whom a sign has been issued a sign pursuant to this division who shall loan, rent, sell or transfer the same to another person, whether such person is entitled to receive a similar sign or not, or otherwise willfully violates the provisions of this division, shall be subject to the penalties as prescribed in Section 6-11 for violation of the Building Code and, in addition thereto, shall forfeit his license and certificate of competency.