[HISTORY: Adopted by the Council of the City
of Rye 6-5-1963 as Art. 3 of Ch.
8 of the General Ordinances; effective 7-1-1963. Amendments noted
where applicable.]
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or
corporation to install any electric wiring or equipment, or to alter,
extend, maintain or use any existing electric wiring or equipment,
except in conformity with the provisions of this chapter and such
rules and regulations, consistent with the requirements of this chapter,
as may be promulgated by the Building Inspector with the approval
of the Common Council. (The term "equipment" shall include material,
fittings, devices, appliances, fixtures, apparatus and the like, used
as a part of or in connection with an electrical installation.)
[Amended 7-15-1964 by Ord. No. 12-1964; 4-19-1995 by L.L. No. 4-1995; 6-14-2006 by L.L. No. 6-2006]
A.
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation
to install electric wiring or equipment, or to alter or extend any
existing electrical wiring or equipment, without first having obtained
a permit from the City Clerk, who shall issue such a permit upon approval
of the Building Inspector, except that no permit shall be required
for a replacement of lamps or fuses, the connection of portable devices
to suitable permanently wired receptacles or for any maintenance or
emergency repair work, nor shall any permit be required for any electrical
installation which is an integral part of a system under the control
of a public utility in rendering its duly authorized service, nor
shall a permit be required for any electrical work costing less than
$500, except that contracts for such work shall not be split to avoid
the requirements of this section.
B.
No permit shall be issued except to a licensed master
electrician. Except as otherwise provided herein, a master electrician
shall have passed an examination conducted by at least one other Westchester
or Putnam County municipality, to determine his or her competence
to perform the functions of a master electrician properly. In case
of a firm or corporation, said organization may be represented by
one or more members of said firm or by an officer of the corporation.
C.
An application for a permit shall be made to the Building
Inspector on forms supplied by him/her.
Installations, alterations, extensions and repairs
of any electric wiring or equipment shall be reasonably safe to persons
and property and in conformity with the applicable requirements of
the State Building Construction Code, Fire Prevention Code and Housing
Code of this City,[1] this chapter, and rules, regulations and orders issued
by the Building Inspector.
Except as may be otherwise provided for in § 81-3 hereof, all electric wiring and equipment shall be designed, installed, altered, extended, maintained and used in accordance with nationally recognized good practice. Compliance with the standard of the National Board of Fire Underwriters for electric wiring and apparatus, known as the "National Electrical Code," shall be deemed to be prima facie evidence of compliance with nationally recognized good practice.
The Building Inspector shall administer and
enforce all of the provisions of this chapter. He/she shall have the
power to adopt rules, regulations and supplemental requirements, with
the consent of the Common Council, to secure the intent and purposes
of this chapter.
[Amended 8-18-2004 by L.L. No. 3-2004]
A.
The Building Inspector and any other approved agency
or authorized person(s) are hereby authorized and deputized as agents
of the City of Rye to make inspections and reinspections of all electrical
installations hereafter described, and to approve or disapprove the
same. In no event, however, will the cost or expense of such inspections
and reinspections be a charge against the City of Rye.
B.
Any person desiring to be an Inspector must register
with the Building Department of the City of Rye to perform electrical
inspections by providing the following information and documentation
to the Building Inspector or his or her designee for review and determination
as to its acceptability:
(1)
A copy of a valid and substituting certificate from
the International Association of Electrical Inspectors and/or National
Fire Protection Association to perform inspections of one- and two-family
homes and/or commercial establishments. The original certificate must
be displayed to the Building Inspector or his or her designee.
(2)
Such person's address and telephone contact information
and e-mail address, if available.
(3)
Proof of insurance, showing worker's compensation,
general liability, and other coverage naming the City of Rye as an
insured and agreement to indemnify the City of Rye in each case in
such scope and amount as the City Council shall set by resolution.
(4)
If such person is a firm, corporation or other entity,
the subject certificate must be provided for each employee for whom
authorization is sought to perform electrical inspections.
(5)
A fee schedule for charges to be incurred by a property
owner for the inspection.
C.
The Building Inspector shall, during the installation
of electric wiring or equipment, make or cause to be made inspections
to assure compliance with this chapter.
D.
No work in connection with an electrical installation
shall be covered or concealed until it has been inspected as prescribed
herein and permission to do so has been given by the Building Inspector.
E.
The Building Inspector shall, within a reasonable
time after notice of the completion of any electrical installation
which comes under the provisions of this chapter, make or cause to
be made an inspection of such work and such tests as may be necessary
to determine that it conforms to this chapter.
The Building Inspector shall make or cause to
be made a reinspection of an electrical installation whenever he/she
deems it necessary in the interest of public safety. If an electrical
installation upon reinspection is found to be defective or unsafe,
the Building Inspector shall revoke all certificates in effect at
that time relating to such installation, and the use of such installation
shall be discontinued until it has been made to conform to this chapter
and a new certificate has been issued by the Building Inspector.
Upon the filing of his or her report, or the
report of the person authorized by him/her to make the inspection,
that the electric wiring and equipment is installed, altered or extended
in full compliance with the provisions of this chapter, the Building
Inspector shall issue a certificate to that effect. A certificate
of approval issued by the New York Board of Fire Underwriters for
such electrical installation and countersigned by the Building Inspector
shall be deemed sufficient evidence of compliance with the provisions
of this chapter.
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or
corporation to use or permit the use of any electric wiring or equipment
unless the required certificate of inspection and approval has been
issued, except that the Building Inspector may, in his or her discretion,
give temporary permission for the use of electric wiring and equipment
for a reasonable time before such installation has been fully completed.
When, in the opinion of the Building Inspector,
Fire Inspector or the Chief of the Fire Department, any electric current
is dangerous to life or property or may interfere with the work of
the Fire Department, any one of them may disconnect or cause to be
disconnected said current.
This chapter shall not be construed to relieve
from or lessen the responsibility of any person, firm or corporation
owning, operating, controlling or installing any electric wiring or
equipment for damages to person or property caused by any defect therein,
nor shall the City be held as assuming any such liability by reason
of the inspection authorized herein or the certificate of approval
issued or countersigned as herein provided.
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate
or fail, neglect or refuse to comply with any provision of this chapter
or any rule, regulation or order duly made thereunder, or who shall
install, alter or extend any electric wiring or equipment in violation
of a detailed statement or plan submitted and approved thereunder
or a permit or certificate issued thereunder, shall, upon conviction
thereof, be punished by a fine of not more than $100 or by imprisonment
for not more than 30 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Each day that a violation continues shall be deemed a separate offense.
