[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Watertown
as Ch. 14 of the former City Code; amended in its entirety by Ord. No. 98-21. Subsequent
amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Building construction — See Ch. 253.
[Amended by Ord. No. 12-08; 3-31-2014 by Ord. No. 14-11]
As used this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
Any person who is licensed by the State of Wisconsin as an
electrical contractor.
Includes the installation, superintending or inspection of
electrical wiring and equipment for the production, modification,
regulation, control, distribution, utilization or safeguarding of
electrical energy for mechanical, chemical, heating, lighting or similar
purposes.
[Amended by Ord. No. 12-08; 3-31-2014 by Ord. No. 14-11]
A.
The Electrical Inspector shall be a person of good moral character,
duly licensed as an electrical contractor or journeyman electrician
according to the Wisconsin Statutes. He shall be well versed in local
ordinances, Wisconsin Statutes and rules and regulations of the Wisconsin
Department of Safety and Professional Services and Wisconsin Department
of Health Services which pertain to electricity or the duties of his
office.
B.
Duties and authority. The Electrical Inspector shall be under the
direction of the City's Inspection Division and the Public Works Director/City
Engineer and shall have control of the installation and inspection
of electrical work within or in connection with all buildings in the
City. He shall make or cause to be made all inspections of electrical
wiring from the line pole to the building or structure where the service
is being used as well as the interior of the structure, manner of
construction, and materials and workmanship. He shall enforce all
laws, ordinances and rules in relation to the installation. The Electrical
Inspector shall see that the construction, reconstruction and alterations
of all electrical service hereinafter installed in all buildings in
the City shall conform to the laws and ordinances of the State of
Wisconsin, the City, the rules and regulations contained in the Wisconsin
State Electrical Code, the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional
Services and the provisions of the Wisconsin Department of Health
Services relating to electrical wiring, if any. He shall see that
the work shall be done by licensed electricians as provided by law
and this chapter and shall make all inspections required thereby and
in the manner set forth. He may enter any building during reasonable
hours in the discharge of his official duties. He shall supervise
all electrical installations as may be necessary to adequately enforce
this chapter.
[Amended 7-5-2022 by Ord. No. 22-63]
C.
Records. The Electrical Inspector shall prepare suitable forms for
the application for permits required, keep in his office a proper
daily record of all transactions of his office, and file a monthly
report covering the same with the Common Council.
[Amended by Ord. No. 12-08; 3-31-2014 by Ord. No. 14-11]
No person shall alter, install or repair electrical wires and
apparatus for the utilization of electric current for light, heat
or power in the City, except in the usual operations of a public utility
company, without first having procured one of the following licenses
from the State of Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional
Services:
A.
Licensed master electrician.
B.
Licensed residential master electrician.
C.
Licensed journeyman electrician.
D.
Licensed industrial journeyman electrician.
E.
Licensed residential journeyman electrician.
F.
Registered beginning electrician.
G.
Registered electrical apprentice.
H.
Registered industrial electrical apprentice.
I.
Registered residential electrical apprentice.
[Amended by 3-31-2014 by Ord. No. 14-11]
No person shall contract for or undertake to install or repair
electrical wires or apparatus within the City except as otherwise
herein provided without first having obtained an electrical contractor's
license issued by the State of Wisconsin Department of Safety and
Professional Services. In the event the person is a partnership or
corporation, at least one individual member of the partnership or
corporation shall be a State of Wisconsin certified master electrician
or a State of Wisconsin certified master electrician restricted.
[Amended by 3-31-2014 by Ord. No. 14-11]
Section SPS 305.40(1) through (5), Wis. Adm. Code, is hereby
incorporated by reference as if fully stated hereunder.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original §§ 14.05 through 14.09,
which immediately followed this section, have been repealed. Sections
14.05 and 14.09 were repealed 3-31-2014 by Ord. No. 14-11.
A.
Requirements.
(1)
Permits are required for the installation of any conductors and equipment covered under § SPS 316.002, Scope, Wis. Adm. Code. In no case shall any electrical work be done unless a permit has first been obtained, except as provided under Subsections B and E of this section.
[Amended by Ord. No. 12-08]
(2)
Permits shall only be issued to the following:
(3)
Permits are issued only at the office of the City Electrical Inspector.
Permits are issued for a period of 12 months from the date of issue,
after which time the permit may be renewed for an additional 12 months
by payment of 1/2 of the administration fee. When a permit expires
and is not renewed, all electrical work will cease and not continue
until a new permit is issued upon receipt of full payment to the City.
B.
Exemptions.
(1)
Permits are not required for minor repairs such as replacing of cords
and plugs, switches, receptacles, lamp holders and lighting fixtures
on existing boxes. A permit is required when a new lighting system
and permanent wiring are installed or replaced in an existing building.
(2)
Permits are not required for the repair and maintenance of heating
and refrigeration equipment by a qualified heating and/or refrigeration
contractor.
C.
Permit fees. Fees for permits for electrical installation, except
for electrical installation done for the City, for which no permit
fee is to be charged, shall be paid as follows:
(1)
The minimum fee for any permit shall be as set by the Common Council
and provided under separate fee schedule. Where additional permits
are required by the licensee for the same project, the minimum fee
does not apply. The breakdown of minimum permit fees shall be as set
by the Common Council and provided under separate fee schedule.
[Amended by Ord. No. 06-18; 10-4-2016 by Ord. No.
16-18]
(2)
All permit fees shall be paid to the City Clerk and credited to the
general fund, and no permit shall be issued or valid unless approved
by an officer of the Inspection Division and the fee paid to the City
in the amount required for such permit.
[Amended 7-5-2022 by Ord. No. 22-63]
(3)
If the licensee shall fail to obtain a permit before an electrical
installation has been started, except in emergency cases, the total
fees for such permit shall be double the regular fee.
(4)
No further permits are to be issued to any licensee until all arrears
in fees have been paid and all lawful orders of the Electrical Inspector
have been complied with.
(5)
The connection of replacement appliances and equipment such as furnaces,
signs, air compressors, air conditioners, water heaters and like equipment
shall constitute an extension of an existing or new branch circuit.
The connection shall comply with current Electrical Code.
(6)
Existing installations which have been declared as a hazard to life
and property shall be made safe. The installation of any permanent
wiring and equipment to correct this hazard will constitute an extension
of existing or new circuit.
D.
Temporary work. On applying for a permit for temporary electrical
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.
E.
Emergency work. In emergency work, the person doing or causing the
work to be done shall report the same to the Electrical Inspector
immediately after beginning work on forms furnished by the Electrical
Inspector, and such work shall be in accordance with this chapter.
Upon the completion of the wiring of any building or before
any wiring is to be hidden from view, it shall be the duty of the
person doing the same to notify the Electrical Inspector, and he shall
inspect the installation within 48 hours of the time such notice is
received. If upon inspection it is found that such installation is
fully in compliance with this chapter and does not constitute a hazard
to life or property, he shall approve the same and authorize concealment
of such wiring or connection for electrical service. If the installation
is incomplete or not in accordance with this chapter, he shall issue
orders to the person installing the same to remove all hazards and
make the necessary changes or additions within 10 days. Concealment
of electrical work before inspection or failure to comply with the
orders of the Electrical Inspector shall constitute a violation of
this chapter.
A.
General requirements.
(1)
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 chapter and the provisions of the State Electrical Code, Wisconsin
Administrative Code, as amended, which is adopted by reference and
made a part of this chapter.
(2)
Any person who shall install electric wires or appliances shall be
responsible for same until approved by the Electrical Inspector. Any
person who shall make any additions, corrections, alterations or connections
to the installation thereafter shall be responsible for the correct
operation of such installation.
B.
Approved material and fittings.
(1)
All materials and appliances used or designed to be used in connection
with the utilization of electricity for light, heat or power shall
be of standard design and according to the list of standard materials
which shall be kept on file in the office of the Electrical Inspector.
The word "standard" as used in this section means approved by the
National Board of Fire Underwriters.
(2)
All electric service entrance equipment installed in single-family
dwellings shall be required to have main fuses or circuit breakers,
regardless of the number of subdivisions.
C.
Unsafe equipment. No person shall keep, offer for sale or sell within
the City any appliances, equipment or fixtures designed for or intended
to be used for the production, transmission or utilization of electric
current or power unless said appliances, equipment or fixtures are
approved by the Electrical Inspector in accordance with the requirements
set forth in the Wisconsin State Electrical Code. It shall be the
duty of the Electrical Inspector to make periodic inspections at least
twice each year to see that these provisions are being complied with.
[Amended by Ord. No. 12-08[1]]
When the Electrical Inspector condemns all or part of the electrical
installation of any building, the owner within five days after receiving
written notice from the Electrical Inspector may file an appeal in
writing for review of said actions of the Electrical Inspector to
the State of Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services
for an interpretation and determination. Said determination shall
be in writing and shall follow the guidelines set forth in § SPS
316.008, Wis. Adm. Code.
Any person who shall violate any provision of this chapter shall be subject to the penalty provided in § 1-4 of this Code. Each violation and each day a violation continues or occurs shall constitute a separate offense. This section shall not preclude the City from maintaining any appropriate action to prevent or remove a violation of this chapter.
