A. General Administrative Responsibility: The Commissioner Chairman of the Electrical Commission shall administer the electrical regulations of this Code.
B. Nonliability For Damages: The electrical regulations of this code shall not be construed to relieve from or lessen the responsibility of any person owning, operating, selling, offering for sale or installing any electrical wires, appliances, apparatus, construction, or equipment, for damages to anyone injured by any defect therein by reason of the inspection authorized herein or the certificate of inspection issued by the commissioner; nor shall the village be held liable for any damages resulting from the enforcement of the electrical regulations of this code.
C. Personal Liability: In all cases where any action is taken by the commissioner chairman to enforce the provisions of any of the sections contained in the electrical regulations of this code, such acts shall be done in the name of and on behalf of the village and the said commissioner chairman in so acting for the village shall not render himself liable for any damage that may occur to persons or property as a result of any such act committed in good faith in the discharge of his duties, and any suit brought against said commissioner by reason thereof, shall be defended by the village counsel of said village until final termination of the proceedings therein.
D. Special Permission To Waive Requirements: The electrical regulations of this code may be modified or waived by special permission in particular cases where such modification or waiver is specifically permitted or in particular cases where an advancement in the technology of electricity make such modification or waiver advisable in the best interest of the people of Mokena. Such "special permission" shall in all cases be obtained from the commissioner in writing prior to the commencement of the work.
E. Power To Enter Buildings: The commissioner and the electrical inspector of this department shall have the power to enter any building or premises at any reasonable hour in the discharge of their duties, and it shall be competent of them, when necessary, to remove any existing obstructions and/or partitions which may prevent a perfect inspection of the electrical equipment. They shall also have the power to enter any building used in whole or in part for the purpose of public assemblage at any time when occupied by the public, in order to examine electrical equipment in such building, and it shall be unlawful for any person to interfere with them in the performance of their duties.
F. Police Assistance: Whenever, in the opinion of the commissioner, it shall be necessary to call upon the department of police for the aid and assistance in carrying out or enforcing any of the provisions of this code governing the inspection of electrical equipment, he shall have the authority to do so, and it shall be the duty of any member of the department of police when called upon by said commissioner, to act according to the instruction of and to perform such duties as may be required by such commissioner in order to enforce or put into effect the provisions of this code relating to the inspection of electrical equipment.
G. Power To Stop Work: No registered electrical contractor shall install any electrical conduits, electrical wires, equipment, or apparatus in any building or structure for which a permit is required, until such permit shall have been secured. In case any work is begun on the installation, alteration, or repair of electrical wires or authorizing the same, being first issued therefor, or the aforesaid installations are being made in violation of the electrical regulations of this code, the commissioner and the electrical inspectors shall have the power to stop such work at once and to order any and all persons engaged therein, to stop and desist therefrom until the proper permit is secured.
H. General Provisions:
1. Electrical Contractor Defined: The term "electrical contractor" as used in this chapter shall be understood to mean any person engaged in the business of installing or altering by contract, electrical equipment for the utilization of electricity supplied for light, heat, or power, not including radio apparatus or equipment for wireless reception of sound and signals, conductors, and other equipment installed for or by public utilities including common carriers which are under the jurisdiction of the Illinois commerce commission, for use in their operation as public utilities; but the term "electrical contractor" does not include employees employed by such contractor to do or supervise such work.
2. Breaking Seals: The commissioner chairman or his designee is hereby empowered to attach to electrical cabinets and equipment, any official notice or seal to prevent use of electricity, and it shall be unlawful for any other person to put or attach such seal, or to break, change, destroy, tear, mutilate, cover or otherwise deface or injure any such official notice or seal posted by an inspector of the section of electrical inspection.
3. Disturbance Of Existing Wiring: It shall be unlawful for any person in any way to cut, disturb, alter, or change any electrical wiring or to permit electrical wiring to be cut, disturbed, altered, or changed unless done in conformity with the electrical regulations of this code.
4. Subcontracts: When contracts to install electrical work have been obtained by persons who are not registered as electrical contractors, as provided for in this chapter, and the contract is assigned or sublet to a registered electrician on a subcontract basis, the name of such registered electrical contractor shall immediately be disclosed by the registered electrical contractor to the other party of the contract in writing.
I. Licensing Of Electrical Contractors; License Required: It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in the business of "electrical contractor", as herein defined, without being licensed as an electrical contractor in the manner hereinafter set forth; provided, however, that if such person is already licensed for the current year in another city or village within the state, in conformity with the state statutes, such electrical contractor shall not be required to pay a license fee in the village. This does not preclude the electrical contractor from obtaining any contractor's license or showing proof of insurance as otherwise required by village ordinances. (Ord. 2013-O-004, 3-25-2013)
J. Supervising Electrician: Before any permit to install or alter electrical work shall be issued to any person, he shall appoint or employ a person, who may be himself or some other person who, for the purpose of the electrical regulations of this code, shall be known as a supervising electrician. The person so appointed or employed to act as a supervising electrician shall be required to comply with this subsection.
1. Qualifications: Supervising electricians shall not be less than twenty one (21) years of age, and shall have at least two (2) years' experience in the installation, alteration, repair, and maintenance of electrical wires, equipment and apparatus, or an experience equivalent thereto. Supervising electricians shall furnish the names and addresses of former employers, periods of employment by each and in what capacity.
The commissioner, or his duly authorized agent, shall prepare as many different examinations as are necessary to adequately test supervising electricians. Each supervising electrician may be required to answer a reasonable number of questions in writing to indicate that he has sufficient knowledge and technical training to perform the work or to supervise the installation, alteration, repair or maintenance of electrical wires and apparatus authorized by permits issued by the electrical inspector. It shall be the responsibility of the commissioner or his duly authorized agent to exercise control and supervision of such exams.
2. Duties: The supervising electrician shall perform the work or supervise and direct the installation, alteration, repair, and maintenance of electrical wires and apparatus authorized by permits issued under the authority of this chapter. All applications for permits shall be countersigned by said supervising electrician.
3. Notice Of Discharge Or Resignation: Whenever a supervising electrician shall leave or be discharged from the employ of any person who is required by this chapter to appoint or employ a supervising electrician, a notice in writing thereof shall be given within five (5) days by both the employer and the supervising electrician to the commissioner chairman, and the permit privileges of such a person shall, without further order or action by the commissioner chairman, stand suspended until the employment or appointment by such person or supervising electrician provided for in this subsection.
K. Permits Generally:
1. Permits Required: No electrical equipment shall be installed or altered except upon a permit first issued by the building department authorizing the installation, alteration, or repair of electrical equipment.
a. Where an electrical installation has been started prior to the issuance of a permit for such work, the normal permit fee as required by this code may be increased by the amount of up to seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00).
b. Where a registered electrical contractor is found doing electrical work without a permit on three (3) separate occasions in one calendar year, a hearing shall be held by the commissioner, at which time the permit privileges of said electrical contractor may be suspended for a time not to exceed one year.
2. Suspension Of Permit Privileges: Failure on the part of any registered electrical contractor to correct any defect, error or deficiency in any work installed under the authority of a permit issued to him by the electrical inspector within ten (10) calendar days after written notification thereof by the electrical inspector or within such further reasonable time as may, upon request be prescribed, the electrical inspector shall, without further notice, stop the issuance of permits to such registered electrical contractor until such corrections have been inspected and approved. In addition thereto, the penalty provided in this section may be enforced.
The electrical inspector is hereby empowered to suspend the permit privileges of any registered electrical contractor who shall fail to pay any just indebtedness for inspection, less for electrical wires and apparatus as fixed by the part of the chapter dealing therewith, until such registered electrical contractor shall discharge and pay to the village all just indebtedness then due and owing from such registered electrician.
3. Revocation Of Permits: The electrical inspector is authorized to revoke any permit or certificate obtained by fraud, misrepresentation, or in any way contrary to the provisions of the electrical regulations of this code, for the installation, alteration, repair, and use of any electrical equipment.
4. Use Of Permit Issued To Another: It shall be unlawful for any person to install, alter, or repair any electrical wires or apparatus by authority of a permit issued to and for the use of some other person.
5. Permit For Person Not Entitled To One: It shall be unlawful for any registered electrical contractor to secure or furnish a permit for the installation, alteration and repair of electrical wires and apparatus to any person not entitled to such permit under the electrical regulations of this electrical code.
6. Alteration Of Forms: It shall be unlawful for any person to change, add to, or mutilate so as to change the original wording, unless authorized by the electrical inspector, of any written or printed form issued to a registered electrical contractor by the building department.
7. Revocation Of Permit Or Certification: Any person violating any portion of subsections K2 to K6 inclusive, of this section, shall be subject to having the permit, certificate, or any printed form issued to the registered electrical contractor revoked by the electrical inspector. A notice of revocation shall be issued in writing to the person violating any of those subsections above.
L. Poles, Wires And Conductors: No person shall erect, construct, maintain, use, alter or repair any pole, line or wire, underground conductors or electric conductors of any description whatever, on, over or under any public way or public place within the village, without first having obtained a permit therefor from the commission chairman, which permit shall be countersigned by the superintendent of public works. Exception: All franchised utilities shall be exempt from the regulation of this subsection.
1. Requirements Before Permits Issued: Applications for permits shall be made in duplicate on a form to be approved by the superintendent of public works.
All applications for permits to erect poles in the streets and alleys of the village shall provide that the village may use the poles to be so erected, and may attach thereto such necessary cross arms, wires or other electrical appliances as may be deemed necessary for the electrical service of the village, and no permit shall be issued by the superintendent of public works for the erection of such poles in which the application and permits do not provide for the privileges required by the village as herein contained.
2. Inspection: All apparatus installed under authority of permit issued in accordance with this subsection dealing with poles, wires and conductors shall be inspected by the electrical inspector.
3. Removal Of Poles: No permission or authority shall be given to any person to erect any pole for telegraph, telephone or electric light or power purposes or for the purpose of stringing thereon wires, cables, or conveyors for the transmission of sound or signals or of heat, light or power, upon or along any public way within the village, except upon the express provision that such poles and conductors are to be and will be removed forthwith whenever the village board shall order such removal.
4. Supervisor: The work or removal and replacement of pavements in any and all public ways and public places in and through which the wires of any company shall be laid, shall be subject to the control and supervision of the superintendent of public works. Excavations in any and all of the unpaved public ways or public places shall also be subject to direction and general position by the foregoing provisions, and shall be of sufficient size to permit the installation of the necessary conductors and equipment. (Ord. 2013-O-013, 8-12-2013)