79-C-5
ORDINANCE NO. 79-C!.. -6'
AN ORDINANCE-.
OF THE CITY OF SCHERTZ, ADOPTING THE NATIONAL
ELECTRIC CODE, 1978 EDITION, AS THE ELECTRICAL
CODE OF THE CITY OF SCHERTZ, TEXAS; DESIGNATING
THE ELECTRICAL INSPECTOR; SETTING AMOUNT OF LICENSE
FEES AND BONDS; AND REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES IN
CONFLICT.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SCHERTZ, TEXAS; that
SECTION 1. Short Title
This ordinance is, shall be known as, and may be cited as the Electrical Code
of the City of Schertz, Texas.
SECTION 2. Adoption.
The National Electrical Code, 1978 Edition, published by the National Fire
Protection Association, two copies of which are on file with the City Secre-
tary, is hereby adopted by reference as the El ectri ca 1 Code of the City of
Schertz, subject to and including by reference such amendments as herein shall
appear.
SECTION 3. G.V.E.C.
This code in no way alters or repeals any additional requirements established
by Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative (G.V.E.C.) for its members and
consumers.
SECTION 4. Inspector
The Building Official/Inspector shall be the electrical inspector for the City.
In the event the City shall not have anyone serving in the capacity of Building
Official/Inspector, Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative, Inc., shall perform
the duties and functions of the electrical inspector for the City and shall
perform said duties and functions at the same charges and rates established
in this code.
SECTION 5. Standards for Materials.
Materials, devices, and equipment installed as part of any wiring system within
the city limits shall conform to recognized standards of qualify and safety.
Acceptance by a nationally recognized testing laboratory will be considered
prima facie evidence of acceptability of materials, devices and equipment.
SECTION 6.
Licenses and Bonds.
A. No person shall install, repair or remove electrical wlrlng or
devices unless he is licensed as a Master Electrician by the City,
or unless he is supervised by a Master Electrician and holds a
Journeyman or Apprentice license. Work done by Apprentices must be
directly supervised by a licensed Master or Journeyman Electrician.
B. There shall be three classifications of electrician licenses:
(1) A Master license will be issued to an applicant when he has
held a Journeyman license for two consecutive years and has
passed an open book test to determine his familiarity with
the National Electrical Code. The applicant must achieve
a score of 80%.
(2) An Apprentice will be issued a Journeyman license when he
has held an Apprentice license for one year and has passed
the Journeyman examination with a score of 75%.
(3) An applicant will be issued an Apprentice license when he
is employed by a licensed Master or Journeyman Electrician,
and is undergoing training to learn the craft of a skilled
electrician. The license will be valid only while employed
by a licensed Master or Journeyman electrician.
C. The fees for electrician's licenses under this ordinance shall be as
follows:
(1) Initial issuance fee:
Master
Journeyman
Apprentice
(2 ) Annual renewal fee:
Master
Journeyman
Apprentice
$40.00
20.00
.00
$20.00
10.00
.00
D. The terms and conditions of the license are as follows:
(1) The license shall be valid for a period of one year from
the date of issuance and shall be on a concurrent term with
the applicent's bond, unless sooner suspended or revoked.
(2) Such license may be renewed within ten days after the first
license expires by payment of the prescribed renewal fee
and evidence of renewal of bond. Failure to renew the
license within the required time will require the applicant
to reapply for licensing at the initial fee rate.
(3) Any license issued under this ordinance may be revoked by
the Building Official for failure to remedy unsatisfactory
work, violation of the Electrical Code, failure to obtain
a permit or failure to obtain proper inspections.
(4) If 1 i censee has had hi s 1 i cense revoked, he has ten days
to appeal the decision. The request shall be in writing
submitted to the Board of Adjustments and Appeals together
with a $25.00 fee.
E. An applicant for a license, after passing the required examination,
shall submit to the City Secretary a corporate surety bond in the
amount of $1,000.00. Such bond shall indemnify the City and any
person within the City for damages caused by the applicant or his
agents or employees in connection with the exercise of privileges
extended to the applicant by reason of having been licensed by the
City. The bond shall run for a concurrent term with the license.
F. A 1 i cense and bond is not requi red of .a homeowner who is doi ng
electrical work on his own home. The homeowner may receive help
from others to do such work, provided that no consideration of any
kind be given for such help, and provided that the principal
occupation of the person giving help is not that of an electrical
contractor or electrician. A license is not required of a person
who is hired as a full-time employee to perform normal maintenance
excluding alterations and additions of electrical systems in com-
mercial establishments, provided that the person does not work
as an electrician or electrical constractor for the general public.
SECTION 7.
Permits.
A. Except as hereafter provided, it shall be unlawful for anyone to
install or permit to be installed any electrical system, or part
of such system, or to make alterations, additions, changes or
major repairs to an electrical system without having obtained a
permit to do such work.
B. No permit shall be required for the following electrical work:
(1) Normal maintenance work, such as replacement of lamps,
sockets, fuses, drop cords, snap switches, or other similar
minor repairs as may be permitted by the Building Inspector.
(2) Connection of portable electrical equipment to suitable
existing permanently installed receptacles.
(3) Replacement of a motor by another meter of the same horse-
power and rating, and installation of pressure devices and
similar controls, when the electrical supply for the same has
been properly installed by a licensed electrician.
C. No permit will be issued to anyone except a licensed electrician or
a home owner who is doing electrical work on his own residence. This
shall in no way allow the homeowner to violate any other provision
of this code.
D. The following fee schedule shall apply to permits issued under this
code. Where work for which a permit is required by this code is
started prior to obtaining the required permit, the permit fee shall
be doubled.
(1) Construction meter loops: $5.00
(2) $5.00 for each $1,000.00 of valuation up to $2,000.00.
(3) For a valuation from $2,000.00 - $15,000.00, a fee of
$10.00 for the first $2,000.00 plus $3.00 for each
additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof.
(4) For a valuation from $15,000.00 to $50,000.00, a fee
of $49.00 for the first $15,000.00, plus $2.50 for each
additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof.
(5) For a valuation of $50,000.00 and up, a fee of $136.50
for the first $50,000.00, plus $2.00 for each additional
$1,000.00 or fraction thereof.
SECTION 8. Inspections.
A. The Building Official shall inspect or cause to be inspected all
electrical work done for which a permit is required. The inspector
may make as many inspections as are deemed necessary to insure an
adequate system. It will be the responsibility of the permit holder
to notify the inspector when an inspection is needed, in accordance
to this schedule:
(1) Rough-in inspection when all wires have been placed, but
prior to connection or covering by wallboard, insulation
or paneling.
. .
(2) Final inspection after all connections have been made and
all devices have been installed, but prior to supplying
power to the system.
(3) When the final building inspection is made, the inspector
will also inspect to determine if any damage has been done
to the system during construction and that the system functions
properly and all safety devices are in place.
(4) Re-inspection will be done when systems are found to be de-
ficient. A fee of $5.00 will be charged for each re-inspection
after the first re-inspection.
B. All inspections will be made by the inspector within 48 hours after
the inspection is requested excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
If the inspection is not made within the requtred time, the contractor
may cover his work or energize the. system. This in no way will re-
lease the contractor from making corrections if deficiencies are
found at a later time.
SECTION 9.
Appeals.
A. Whenever the Building Official or Inspector shall reject or refuse
to approve the mode or manner of construction or materials to be
used in an electric system, or when it is claimed that the provi-
sions of this code do not apply, or that an equally good or more
desirable form of electric fabrication can be employed in any
specific case, or when it is claimed that the true intent and mean-
ing of this code or any of the regulations thereunder have been
misconstrued or wrongly interpreted, the permit holder or applicant
may appeal the decision of the Building Official or Inspector to
the Bo~rd of Adjustments and Appeals. Notice of appeal shall be
in writing and filed within ninety (90) days after the decision is
rendered by the Building Official. A fee of $25.00 shall accompany
such notice of appeal.
B. If in the opinion of the Building Official an electric system or
device threatens the safety or welfare of others, he may limit
the time for such appeal to a shorter period.
SECTION 10.
Board of Adjustments and Appeals.
The Board of Adjustments and Appeals created by Section 8.02 of the Charter of
the City of Schertz is hereby empowered to hear and rule on all appeals filed
under this code.
SECTION 11.
Liability
Any officer, employee or member of the Board of Adjustments and Appeals, charged
with the enforcement of this code, acting for the governing body in the discharge
of his duties, shall not thereby render himself liable personally, and he is
hereby relieved from all personal liability for any damage that may accrue to
persons or property as a result of any act required or permitted in the dis-
charge of his duties. Any suit brought against any officer or employee because
of such act performed by him in the enforcement of any provision of this code
shall be defended by appropriate legal staff until the final termination of the
procedings.
SECTION 12. Repealing Clause.
This ordinance repeals all ordinances in conflict; specifically ordinances
Nos. 43,53,161,264 and 74-C-43.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this the
19 17'J
~o day of T~
~c :a.,~-,
Mayor, Ci y of Schertz, Texas
ATTEST:
(SEAL OF CITY)
Herald Publishing Compan, of Tells
MAIN OFFICE
122 E. BYRD UNIVERSAL CITY, TEXAS 78148 (51216511-7424
NORTHSIDE BRANCH
4047 NACO PERRIN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78217 (512) ~
PUBLISHER'S AFFIDAVIT
COUNTY OF BEXAR )
STATE OF TEXAS )
I, 'T'he-r"',,'" A l\T",,,; 11",
, authorized representative of the Herald Publishing
Company, do solemnly swear that the notice, a printed copy of which is hereto attached,
was published once a week for
1
consecutive weeks in the Northside/Week1yl
Northwest Herald, a weekly newspaper of general circulation published at Universal
City, Bexar County, Texas, on the following dates, to-wit:
February 15
A.D. 19 79 .
-
f'"'-~ ~lko[)D ,Q. \.f:'\OH;O~0
~~ PUBLISHING tOMPANY OF TEXAS
Subscribed and sworn to before me, this ~ day of ~~~ 19 75 .
~~~~~rz~~)
Notary Public in and for Bexar County, Texas
/
~/lJ
/
10]
AN ORDINANCE OF THE ell'Y
OF SCHERTZ. TEXAS
A.DOPTING THE NATIONAl.'
ELECTRIC CODE, 197.8
EDITION, AS THE ELEC_
TRICAL CODE OF THE CITY
OF SCHERTZ, TEXAS;
DESIGNATING THE ELEC-
TRICAL INSPECTOR; SET-
TING AMOUNT OF LICENSE
FEES AND BONDS; AND
REPEALING ALL OR-
DINANCES IN CONFLICT.
Approved at first reading February
6,1919.
lune G. Krause,
City Secretary
J\N ORDII 'IlANCE By THE CITY
COUNCIl . OF THE CITY OF
SCHERr t. TEXAS, CALLING
AN ELE .CTION TO BE HELD
ON APF UL 7, 1919, FOR THE
PURPO ,SE OF ELECTING
rHRE' E (3) ~OUN-
CILME. MBERS.
,.t~pprov eel at first reading February
6" 1979.
lUneG. Kral.J.se,
City Sccret~ry
/('
/,
, JJ:U~r
VO
~H
J
I~().-/
.Y(J
- /}4' :.. .
~ .r .r
'.4.,..'/ '
.)/ .
r.
..~/j;
^ .... t;::-
'1 !?J