All construction, alteration, removal and maintenance of electric wiring and apparatus shall be installed and/or maintained in accordance with the 2020 National Electrical Code adopted by the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation.
(Ordinance adopted 9/21/21)
All persons installing or repairing electrical wiring or devices for which a permit is required shall be licensed under the Texas Electrical Safety and Licensing Act (chapter 1305 of the Texas Occupations Code).
(Ordinance adopted 9/21/21)
(a) 
Office created.
There is hereby created the office of the electrical inspector, who, for the purposes of this division, shall be known as the city electrician. The office of electrical inspector may be held by an individual designated as an inspector for the city in other trades.
(b) 
Qualifications.
The person appointed as the city electrician shall have had two (2) years’ minimum experience as an electrician, shall be of good moral character, shall be versed in the approved methods of electrical construction for the safety of life and property, and shall be thoroughly familiar with enforcement and interpretative standards of the National Electrical Code.
(c) 
Powers and duties.
The city electrician shall have the duty and is hereby authorized, empowered and directed to enforce the electrical code adopted herein and shall have the responsibility and authority for making interpretations of the rules, for deciding upon the approval of equipment, materials, and construction and for granting the special permission contemplated in a number of the rules. The city electrician, where necessary, shall follow the code procedure for securing official interpretations of the code. Whenever electric wiring, or an appliance or apparatus, shall be found defective or hazardous or otherwise not in compliance with the electrical code, the city electrician shall at once cause the removal of such defects at the expense of the owner or owners of such wiring, appliance, or apparatus.
(Ordinance adopted 9/21/21)
(a) 
Required; eligibility.
Each licensed master electrician, or individual doing personal electrical work as heretofore defined, shall apply for and obtain a permit from the city administrator or his designee prior to the installing of any wire, device or equipment, or prior to altering any existing wire, device or equipment, for the transmission, distribution or utilization of electrical energy for light, power or heat, within any building or structure. Such a permit shall be issued only to perform the work specified by the applicant and to perform the class of work permitted by the license held by the applicant or as otherwise provided for personal work. No permit to work on multi-story buildings, industrial sites or public buildings shall be issued to any person unless, in addition to the master license, the person holds any additional certifications required by the state, if any, that will permit the individual to perform the above-described tasks. No person holding a master electrician license shall allow his name to be used by any other party directly or indirectly for the purpose of obtaining a permit to do electrical work, under penalty of having the license held revoked by the city.
(b) 
Application.
Application for an electrical permit shall be made in writing to the city administrator by the applicant and shall contain the following information:
(1) 
Description of the work to be done (i.e., location, new or old installation, alteration, etc.);
(2) 
Name of the owner or occupant or property upon which work is to be done;
(3) 
Estimated cost of improvements;
(4) 
Size of conductors to be used in or upon any building for all services, mains, feeders, and subfeeders, and the areas to be served by such conductors, also showing the basis used in computing the required size of such conductors;
(5) 
When required by the electrical inspector, the applicant shall file with him complete plans and specifications for the installation as necessary to determine whether the work described will be in conformity with the requirements of this division.
(c) 
Deviation from permit.
The electrical permit, when issued, shall be for such installation as described in the application, and no deviation shall be made from the installation so described without the written approval of the electrical inspector.
(d) 
Exemptions.
No permit shall be required for the installation of wiring, devices or equipment for telephone, telegraph, district messenger or tele-autograph systems, or any signaling systems operating at forty-eight (48) volts or less. No permit shall be required for the installation of wiring, devices or equipment installed for or by the electric department of the city.
(e) 
Issuance; copies.
The permit shall be issued by the city administrator or his designee to the applicant, and shall be prepared in an original and two (2) copies. The original copy shall go to the applicant for the permit. The first copy shall remain in the permit and voucher file in the city secretary’s office. The second copy shall be given to the city electrician for notification of inspection requirements.
(Ordinance adopted 9/21/21)
Upon the completion of the wiring, installation or alteration of any building or structure for light, heat or power for which a permit has been obtained, it shall be the duty of the person to whom the permit was issued, or person having direct charge of such work, to notify the city electrician, who shall, as early as practicable, inspect such wiring, installation, appliance and apparatus, and if installed, altered or constructed in compliance with the permit and the requirements of this division he shall execute a certificate of satisfactory inspection, which shall contain the date of such inspection and the result thereof. No such certificate shall be issued otherwise, nor shall electrical current be turned on such installation, equipment, appliance, motor, heating device or apparatus, until said certificate of satisfactory inspection be issued. Any person who shall fail to correct any defect in his work or to meet the required standards for inspection, after having been given notice of the unfit condition by the city electrician and within a reasonable time, shall be refused any other permit until such defect has been corrected, and in such event the license of the person to whom the electrical permit was issued shall be subject to revocation for continual defective work, or upon conviction of the provisions of this division.
(Ordinance adopted 9/21/21)
Fees for electrical permits and required inspections shall be paid as provided for in the fee schedule found in appendix A of this code.
(Ordinance adopted 9/21/21)
Any structure to be served by electricity which is constructed or substantially modified on or after the effective date of this division shall be equipped with a main disconnect accessible from the outside of the structure.
(Ordinance adopted 9/21/21)