[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Bangor as Ch. VII, Art. 9; amended 4-22-1996 by Ord. No. 96-179. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
[Amended 9-14-1998 by Ord. No. 98-339; 11-9-1998 by Ord. No. 98-424; 12-26-2001 by Ord. No. 02-39; 12-13-2004 by Ord. No. 05-22; 2-25-2008 by Ord. No. 08-091; 5-13-2019 by Ord. No. 19-158]
In accordance with 30-A M.R.S.A. § 3003, as amended, the National Electrical Code, designated as "NFPA 70," and published by the National Fire Protection Association, as adopted and amended from time to time by the State of Maine Electricians' Examining Board, is hereby adopted and incorporated by reference as the minimum standards for electrical installations within the boundaries of the City of Bangor. Whenever in the laws and ordinances of the City of Bangor, Maine, there is a reference to the term "Electrical Code" or "National Electrical Code," the version of the NEC adopted by the state shall be the code to which said term refers.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS
The installation, repair, alteration and maintenance of electrical conductors, fittings, installation of optical fiber cable, devices and fixtures for heating, lighting, power purposes or heat-activated fire alarms and electrically supervised manual fire alarms and sprinkler systems. They shall not include the installation or repair of portable electrical equipment, installation of which involves only the insertion of an attachment plug into a fixed receptacle outlet. It is the meaning and intent of this definition that the word "portable" shall not include or apply to any type of fixed, electrically operated or driven equipment.
A. 
Municipal fire alarm circuits shall not enter buildings not under control of the Fire Department. Exception: Rigid metal conduit of three-fourths-inch minimum inside diameter installed between the weatherhead and the fire alarm City master box may be embedded in exterior masonry walls, provided that a minimum of four inches of masonry is everywhere provided between the conduit and the interior of the building.
B. 
Municipal fire alarm circuits shall be in rigid metal conduit of three-fourths-inch minimum inside diameter installed from the point of first attachment to the building to the fire alarm City master box. If an underground service is desired, three-fourths-inch minimum inside diameter rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit or rigid nonmetallic conduit Schedule 40 shall be used. Rigid metal conduit of three-fourths-inch minimum inside diameter shall be used at all locations above finished grade level. The conduit shall extend from a weatherhead on the service pole or nearest telephone manhole that contains municipal fire alarm circuitry to the fire alarm City master box.
C. 
The fire alarm City master box shall be noninterfering, quick succession, three fold with tap bell, telegraph key and test panel as supplied by Gamewell Model 34-56 or approved equal. The standard cottage shell may be embedded in a masonry wall if desired, provided that a minimum distance from the finished wall to the box door hinges as measured on the side of the box shell shall be at least 1/2 inch to allow full opening of the outer door.
D. 
The fire alarm City master box shall be located externally on the building so as to be readily visible and accessible at all times to the employees of the Fire Department. The fire alarm City master box shall be mounted so that the center of the box shall conform to ANSI O A117.1, 1986, Section 4.2.5, for handicap height requirements above finished grade level (maximum 48 inches). The location of the fire alarm City master box shall be approved by the City of Bangor Electrical Inspector prior to installation.
[Amended 9-14-1998 by Ord. No. 98-339; at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
E. 
All maintenance of conduit, conductors, fire alarm City master box and accessories from the weatherhead or telephone manhole shall be the responsibility of the building owner. Any fire alarm City master box may be disconnected if the conduit, conductors, fire alarm City master box and accessories are not maintained in a condition satisfactory to the City of Bangor Fire Department.
[Amended 9-14-1998 by Ord. No. 98-339; at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
F. 
An annual fee is charged by the City of Bangor for depreciation, maintenance and testing of the circuits and related equipment between the weatherhead or telephone manhole and the central fire station. This fee also includes six annual tests of the fire alarm box.
[Amended 9-14-1998 by Ord. No. 98-339]
The Code Enforcement Officer and their authorized agent(s) shall have the power and duty to enforce the provisions of this code.
[Amended 9-14-1998 by Ord. No. 98-339]
Upon the discovery of electrical installations which do not comply with this code, the Code Enforcement Officer or their authorized agent(s) may make a written complaint to the State Electrical Inspector in accordance with 32 M.R.S.A. § 1104.
Whenever the Code Enforcement Officer or their authorized agent(s) should determine that there is a violation of any provisions of said code, they shall give written notice of such violation to the property owner, lessee, occupant or their agents. Such written notice shall:
A. 
Include a description of the real estate in question sufficient for identification.
B. 
Include a description of the violation found and the citation to the provisions violated of said code.
C. 
Specify the remedial action required for correction of said violation.
D. 
Order that said violation be corrected within a reasonable time, such reasonable time to be determined by the Code Enforcement Division and indicated upon such written notice.
[Amended 9-14-1998 by Ord. No. 98-339]
E. 
State that an appeal from any order, decision or other action of the Code Enforcement Division may be taken to the Board of Appeals pursuant to the regulations set forth in Chapter 23, Article I of the Code of the City of Bangor.
[Amended 8-11-1997 by Ord. No. 97-334; 9-14-1998 by Ord. No. 98-339]
A. 
An appeal may be taken from any order, decision or other action of the Code Enforcement Division to the Board of Appeals as established by Chapter 23, Article I, of the Code of the City of Bangor.
[Amended 9-14-1998 by Ord. No. 98-339]
B. 
The Board may interpret this code and thereby affirm or modify such order or may grant exceptions therefrom when practical difficulties or unnecessary hardships exist and it is clearly evident that reasonable safety would thereby be secured. The actions of the Board shall be governed by the provisions of Chapter 23, Article I.
The requirements of 30-A M.R.S.A. § 4452 shall apply to the determination of penalties for violations of this chapter. The minimum penalty for a specific violation of this chapter shall be $100 and the maximum penalty shall be $2,500; provided, however, that the maximum penalty may exceed $2,500 but shall not exceed $25,000 when it can be shown that there has been a previous conviction of the same party within the past two years for violation of the same chapter provision.