[Amended 2-2-2010 by L.L.
No. 1-2010; 7-17-2018 by L.L. No. 2-2018]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
The Electrical License Board of Examiners as provided herein.
Any building, structure, or portion thereof used for any
purpose.
A person approved by the City of Amsterdam Electrical License
Board of Examiners to be engaged in, or holding themselves out to
the general public as being in the business of, contracting to install
or alter electrical wiring, fixtures, equipment or apparatuses, for
the utilization of electricity for light, heat or power purposes.
A license approved and issued by the Electrical License Board
of Examiners to a licensed master electrician from another state,
city, county, or town to perform work at a single location or property
within the City.
The Division of Building and Zoning Enforcement.
The Inspector, LLC, inspector, who shall serve as Electrical
Inspector for the City of Amsterdam without additional compensation.
The permit as required herein and used by the City of Amsterdam
for the installation or alteration of all electrical systems within
any building or at any premises within the City of Amsterdam.
Electrical wiring devices or material, construction and/or
equipment, including services, power distribution systems, fixtures,
appliances, devices and appurtenances for the purpose of providing
power, light or heat.
A permit for the unlicensed individual owner of a one- or
two-family residential property, and/or accessory structure, which
he or she owns and is personally performing the installation as stated
on the affidavit for homeowners' residential electrical permit
provided by the City Engineer's office and approved at the discretion
of an authorized City inspector for the work listed on the electrical
permit. This permit does not allow an individual, employee, or workmen
of a corporation/association/trust which owns the property to perform
work.
A.
There is hereby created a board to be known as the "Electrical License
Board of Examiners" which shall consist of the following members,
and two additional persons to be appointed by the Mayor:
(1)
The Electrical Inspector, or a representative of any firm or organization
with which the City designates to perform electrical inspections.
(2)
The City Engineer and a Housing Inspector of the City of Amsterdam.
(3)
The Chief of the Fire Department or a member of such Department designated
by the Chief to so act.
(4)
Two officials of the public utility, or employees of local industries
with a background working knowledge in the field of electricity.
B.
The members constituting such Board other than the Secretary, shall
serve ex officio. The two public utility officials, or employees of
local industries, first appointed by the Mayor shall hold office with
no compensation for a term of three years, which shall expire on the
31st day of December of the third year. The Mayor shall fill any vacancy
by reappointment or appointment of a person with the same required
qualifications as the member whose office has terminated.
C.
Any appointed member may be removed by the Mayor for malfeasance
in office, incapacity or neglect of duty.
A.
The Board of Examiners shall select from among its members a Chairman
and a Secretary. The Secretary shall receive compensation, which compensation
shall be set from time to time by resolution of the Common Council.
B.
A majority of the membership of the Board shall constitute a quorum.
C.
The Board shall meet at the call of the Chairman, or whenever a majority
of the Board shall consider such a meeting desirable for the proper
and efficient conduct of the business of the Board.
D.
The Board shall examine all applicants for licenses to determine
the qualifications and fitness of the applicants to receive licenses
to engage in the business as master electrician as hereinafter set
forth. A written examination prepared by the Board of Examiners shall
be the basis for examinations of applicants. Any applicant who meets
all qualifications set by the Board and passes the written examination
shall be entitled to receive a license to engage in the business of
a Class A master electrician upon payment of any fees applicable.
A.
No person shall, within the limits of the City of Amsterdam, engage
in or carry on the business of or as a master electrician unless such
person shall first obtain and be the holder of a master electrician's
license as herein provided.
B.
There shall be two classes of licenses, to be known as "Class A"
and "Class B." The Class A shall entitle the holder thereof to engage
in or carry on the business of master electrician in the City of Amsterdam.
A Class B license shall be issued to a licensed master electrician
from another state, city, county, or town only upon proof of competency
furnished to the Board of Examiners, but shall be restricted to the
execution of work on a single continuous installation at one location
or property.
A.
Any person desiring to procure a Class A master electrician license
as herein provided for shall make application to the City Clerk of
the City of Amsterdam. The City Clerk shall, within 10 days after
receipt of any such application for a license, accompanied by the
proper fee, deliver such application to the Secretary of the Board
of Examiners. Upon certification by the Board of Examiners that the
applicant is entitled to receive such license, and upon filing the
certificate of liability insurance which shall name the City of Amsterdam
as additionally insured, workers' compensation certificate, disability
insurance certificate, and fees herein prescribed, said Board of Examiners
shall issue a license to the applicant as in this chapter provided.
(1)
Any person who successfully completes an accredited college program
and having received a college degree in electrical engineering or
technology; or who has successfully completed a four- or five-year
apprenticeship training program through the IBEW or BOCES as recognized
by the New York State Department of Labor; or who has a minimum of
10 years' experience directly in the electrical industry, of
which five years shall have been working directly on the installation
and maintenance of electrical systems, and three of those five years
shall have been on new construction of commercial and/or industrial
installations, all of which must be duly documented and verified to
the Electrical Board of Examiners, shall be eligible to apply for
a Class A master electrician's license examination, and upon
successful passing, shall be granted said license upon the payment
of applicable fees.
(2)
The Board may, at its discretion, adjust the requirements of this
section in cases where an applicant's training and experience
shall, in the opinion of the Board, be the substantial equivalent
of its requirements.
B.
Any licensed master electrician from another state, county, city, or town desiring to procure a Class B license as herein provided for shall submit a Class B license application form to the Secretary of the Board of Examiners and upon filing said application with his or her certificate of liability insurance which names the City of Amsterdam as additionally insured, workers' compensation certificate, disability insurance certificate, copy of his or her current valid license from the authorized institution granting such license, and fee as set by the Common Council by resolution in § 90-74 entitled "Fees," the Secretary of the Board of Examiners shall issue a Class B license to the applicant as provided for in this chapter.
A.
Each license applicant, upon approval by said Board of Examiners,
and before issuance of any license or permit or the commencement of
work, shall furnish and file with the City Clerk of the City of Amsterdam
a copy of his or her certificate of liability insurance which also
names the City of Amsterdam as additionally insured in amounts not
less than $1,000,000 combined bodily injury and property damage per
occurrence, with a $2,000,000 annual aggregate, in coverage for the
above damages and losses which may result from the work of said master
electrician being done carelessly, imperfectly, in a negligent manner,
or in such a way that injury or loss results therefrom or by reason
of such master electrician's failure or failure on the part of
any employee to comply with all of the laws of the State of New York,
the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, the Energy Conservation
Construction Code, the edition of the National Electrical Code recognized
as the generally accepted standard, and the ordinances of the City
of Amsterdam relating to electric construction, contracting, installation,
wiring, repair and alteration work being done and performed in said
City and of the rules and regulations of the Examining Board of Electricians
of said City in existence or which may thereafter be adopted and to
indemnify and save harmless private individuals from all damage or
loss of any nature which may be caused to them by contractor's
or employee's failure to obey all the aforesaid laws, ordinances,
rules and regulations and such insurance shall be issued for the period
for which the license and/or permit is in force.
B.
Each master electrician, upon approval by said Board and before the
issuance of any license or permit or the commencement of such work,
shall furnish and file with the City Clerk and/or the division of
the City of Amsterdam a copy of his or her workmen's compensation
forms as required per § 125 of the General Municipal Law,
under § 57 of the Workers' Compensation Law for proof
of workers' compensation coverage, and under § 220(8)
of the Workers' Compensation Law for proof of disability benefits
coverage, and such forms shall be issued for the period for which
the license and permit are in force.
A.
A fee in the amount of $100 shall accompany each Class A master electrician's application for a license. Class A license fees and late filing fees shall be set by the Common Council by resolution in § 90-74 entitled "Fees." Each Class A license shall expire on December 31 of the current year for which it is issued and shall be renewed without further examination if the application for such renewal, accompanied by the renewal fee and updated insurance documentation, is filed with the City Clerk on or before January 31 of the following year. The City Clerk shall mail a renewal application to each master electrician during the first week of December each year. All fees shall be paid to the City Clerk of the City of Amsterdam.
B.
Each Class B license fee shall be set by the Common Council by resolution in § 90-74 entitled "Fees." All fees shall be paid to the City Clerk of the City of Amsterdam. Each Class B license shall expire without privilege of renewal at the completion of the installation of work at the particular property for which the license was issued for, or one year from the date of said issuance, whichever comes first. In the event that there is a need for any additional installation at the expiration of the one-year permit period, an additional license fee as hereinabove set forth shall be paid. It is the intent herein that such license shall only be valid for the proposed work to be completed, not to exceed one year from the date of issuance of the license and permit.
C.
Any duly licensed master electrician who enters the armed services
of the United States who forfeits his or her right to renewal on account
of such service will be eligible for a renewal of his or her license
upon return.
No license granted under this chapter shall be transferable,
and no such license shall be used for the interests of any unlicensed
electrician.
A.
Upon presentation to the Board of Examiners of charges that the holder
of any license has willfully violated any provisions of any ordinance
of the City of Amsterdam applying to electrical work or is incompetent
to comply with such provisions, the Board of Examiners shall fix a
time and place for a meeting to consider such charges and shall notify
the holder of the license to be present at such meeting; such notification
shall be in writing, shall state the complaint upon which the hearing
is to be held and shall be delivered to the holder at least five days
in advance of the meeting.
B.
If, upon a hearing by the Board of Examiners of all evidence offered,
it shall be decided by such Board that said holder of the license
has willfully violated any of the provisions of any such ordinance
or, by continued defective workmanship, has proven his incompetence
to comply with any of the provisions of such ordinance, then the Board
of Examiners shall, in its direction, suspend or revoke the license
of such holder. When a license has been suspended or revoked, a reinstatement
or new license shall not be granted to the same person, firm or corporation
until all pending issues have been completely resolved, and approved
by the Board, which shall act on any application therefor without
unreasonable delay.
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to persons engaged
solely in the replacement of fixtures or electrical outlets, in the
attachment of ordinary electrical appliances; nor to the work in connection
with the erection, construction, maintenance or repair of lines for
the transmission of electricity from the source of supply to the service
connection on the premises where used, by public utility companies
or municipal plants authorized to generate or sell electricity, or
to make emergency repairs of wiring and appliances on consumer's
premises necessary for the protection of life or property; nor to
the work of companies incorporated for the transmission of intelligence
by electricity in installing, maintaining or repairing wires, apparatus,
fixtures, or other appliances.
A.
The application for inspection form as furnished by The Inspector,
LLC, shall be required for, and utilized by the Division as the electrical
permit form for the City. No electrical system shall be installed
within or on any building or exterior of any property without first
securing a permit from the Division.
B.
An approved permit for the installation or alteration of any electrical system shall not be issued to the applicant until a fee as set forth in § 90-74, "Fees," has been paid to the Controller of the City of Amsterdam. The permit shall authorize the beginning of work in accordance with the application, approved plans and specifications on which it is based for a period of one year from the date of its issuance. The master electrician and/or property owner shall be jointly responsible to contact the Electrical Inspector and/or the Division at least 48 hours in advance to schedule for all rough-in and final inspections required, and to make arrangements to provide access to all areas of the structure or premises in which any of the electrical system was installed until all work is approved by the Electrical Inspector and/or the Division. All installations must be inspected and approved as meeting minimum code requirements prior to the expiration of the permit.
C.
Application for permit, describing the work to be done, shall be
made, in writing, to the Division by the licensed master electrician
or homeowner installing the work, and the permit, when issued, shall
be to such applicant. The permit application shall state therein the
location of the premises, the name of the owner, the occupancy, a
description of the electrical system to be installed, and when required
by the Division, complete plans and specifications for the installation,
showing sizes of all conductors, fixtures, and other details as may
be necessary to determine whether the installation as described shall
be in conformity with the requirements of this chapter, the edition
of the National Electrical Code recognized by the State Code as the
generally accepted standard, the Energy Conservation Construction
Code, and the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building
Code, together with such further or other information as the Division
may require to assure a proper installation.
D.
Permits may be issued to an individual owner not holding a master
electrician's license only for one- and two-family residential
properties, and/or his or her accessory structures, which he or she
owns and is personally performing the proposed work listed on the
electrical permit submitted upon execution of an affidavit for homeowners'
residential electrical permit as provided by the City Engineer's
office and approved at the discretion of the authorized City Inspector.
If an individual owner has outstanding issues with the Code Enforcement
office, a homeowners' permit will not be issued to that individual.
E.
The permit, when issued, shall be for such installation as is described
in the application, and no deviation shall be made from the installation
so described without the approval of the Division.
A.
The Electrical Inspector shall only inspect electrical work after
verifying that a permit has been issued by the Division. Upon completion
of installation of the electrical system which has been authorized
by the permit, it shall be the duty of the licensed electrician or
homeowner installing the same to contact the Electrical Inspector
and/or the Division at least 48 hours in advance to schedule all required
inspections and to make his or her work accessible to the Electrical
Inspector and/or the Division, who shall inspect the installation
and, if it is found to be fully in compliance with the provisions
of this chapter, shall issue a final certificate of compliance and
when so required shall send written notice of such compliance to the
public utility as may be furnishing the electric service.
B.
If, upon inspection, the electrical work is not found to be in compliance
with this chapter, and the edition of the National Electrical Code
recognized as the generally accepted standard by the New York State
Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, and the Energy Conservation
Construction Code, the Electrical Inspector or the Division shall
at once forward to the master electrician or homeowner installing
the electrical system a written notice stating the defects which have
been found to exist.
C.
When any part of the electrical system being installed by the master
electrician or homeowner is to be concealed by any wall covering or
other parts of the building, he or she must first arrange for all
rough-in wiring and fixtures to be inspected by the Electrical Inspector
and/or the Division, and shall not cover or conceal any work until
it has been approved by the Electrical Inspector and/or the Division.
Any person, firm, or corporation who shall violate any of the
provisions of this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon
conviction thereof, shall be subject to and punished by a fine of
not less than $500 nor more than $1,000 per day of violation, or imprisonment
not exceeding 15 days, or both. Any person, firm or corporation convicted
of such violation shall, in addition to the penalty imposed, have
his, her or its license revoked.
