Private Acts of 1927 Chapter 617

SECTION 1.  That in counties having a population of not less than 115,000, nor more than 116,000, inhabitants, according to the Federal Census of 1920, or any subsequent Federal Census, the office of Electrical Inspector be and is hereby created, whose jurisdiction shall be co-extensive with the County, except in corporate towns or cities having a population in excess of 50,000 inhabitants according to the Federal Census of 1920, or any subsequent Federal Census.  He shall be a practical electrician, and shall be appointed by the County Judge and ratified by the County Court of said counties, at their July Term, 1927, and every four years thereafter, and shall receive the fees of the office, provided they are not in excess of Three Thousand ($3,000.00) Dollars per annum, to be realized out of fees collected for work, permits, inspections, and fees collected from and through his Department, and shall in no event receive any compensation from the County.  If there are not sufficient fees collected to amount to Three Thousand ($3,000.00) Dollars, then he shall receive only the fees of the office.  If the fees amount to more than Three Thousand ($3,000.00) Dollars per annum, the balance shall be reported to the County Judge and paid to the County Trustee, to the credit of the school fund of the County.  Said Electrical Inspector may be removed from office by the County Judge for misfeasance, malfeasance, or non-feasance, subject however, to the approval of the next ensuing term of the Quarterly County Court.

SECTION 2.  That all fees shall be credited monthly to the County Judge by the Electrical Inspector; the said Electrical Inspector shall keep a copy of such certificate in a book, and the certificate shall correspond by number with the number of the certificate furnished to the County Judge.  The fees shall be paid direct to the Electrical Inspector.

SECTION 3.  That the Electrical Inspector shall proceed to make the proper inspection when notified by the contractor doing the work and he shall issue a certificate with his approval when the work is found by him to be in accordance with the rules and requirements hereinafter specified.  No permit shall be granted for any electrical sign, picture machine, theatre booth, or similar structure, either interior or exterior, until the Electrical Inspector shall have examined, passed on, and approved the applications, plans and specifications, and shall also be prepaired [sic] to give their certificates or approval, all of which shall be based on the conditions contained in this Act.  If such applications, plans and specification do not appear to conform to the requirements hereinafter, adopted, no permit shall be issued until such applications, plans and specifications are made to comply with the provisions of this Act.

SECTION 4.  That the Electrical Inspector shall use a book of vouchers or certificates in triplicate and regularly numbered, and shall assess and receive the fees for the inspection of all other works (such as the inspection of wiring, apparatus, machinery or structure previously erected or passed on but in need of other inspection) and issue his receipt therefor in triplicate.  He shall report the said fees to the County Judge monthly, with the original certificate therefor, and present a copy to the owner or party whose premises or property has been served, and shall retain a copy for his own records; and the owners of all electric signs and similar structures, shall be entitled to a certificate from the Inspector, stating that such signs or structures comply with the provisions of this Act before final settlement with the contractor.

SECTION 5.  That the Electrical Inspector shall execute a solvent indemnity bond to cover the security and all other liability that may accrue by reason of his office to the County, in the sum of Five Thousand ($5,000.00) Dollars, and it shall be executed by a Surety Company.

SECTION 6.  That the Electrical Inspector is hereby empowered and directed to enter all buildings or structures in pursuance of the duties of his office, and to inspect all electrical wiring used for the transmission of current for light, heat and power purposes that is hereafter installed at the time of installation, or any such wiring now installed where repairs, changes or alterations are to be made.  No person, firm or corporation shall attempt to do any electrical work, either new work or additions to old work, who has not first obtained a license to do electrical work, except that any person, firm or corporation regularly employing ten or more men, who have a regular electrician on their payroll, may do minor repairs and construction without obtaining said license.  The National Electrical Code rules are hereby adopted as a standard by which all wires for light, heat and power purposes shall be installed.  Said inspector shall make a semi-annual inspection of all electric signs and structure of similar character.

SECTION 7.  That it shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to place any furnace pipe, water, gas, or sewer pipe, or any dangerous material in contact with any electrical apparatus or wires, or cause such apparatus or wires to be cut, disconnected, or disarranged in any manner without first notifying the Electrical Inspector in writing.  It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to furnish or connect electric current to the wiring on any building or structure, until said wires are first duly inspected and a written permit issued allowing current to be supplied.

SECTION 8.  That all dynamos, motors, wires or other machinery, apparatus, or material used for electrical purposes which may at any time become so defective as to be likely, in the opinion of the Inspector, to cause fires, or accidents or to endanger persons or property, shall be condemned by the Inspector, and when in his opinion it is deemed necessary, in order to prevent such accident, or danger, said Inspector, is hereby authorized to disconnect such wires or apparatus, or to cause the same to be disconnected from service; and upon such condemnation the person or persons owning or using the same shall immediately cause the same to be put in a safe condition.  In case any person or persons owning or using any electric wires, dynamos, or other electrical apparatus, structure or material of any nature whatsoever, which have been condemned by the Electrical Inspector shall fail to have the same put in safe condition and accepted by the said Inspector within forty-eight hours after the same has been condemned, or within such other reasonable length of time as shall be prescribed by the said Electrical Inspector, then it shall be the duty of the said Electrical Inspector, to remove the fuses, cut the wires or by other means completely disconnect or cause to be disconnected the condemned wires, apparatus, or material from the source of electrical energy and when any electric wires, dynamos, or electrical apparatus or material of any nature whatsoever have been in any manner disconnected and rendered inoperative by the Electrical Inspector, as set forth in the foregoing provisions, it shall be unlawful for any person or persons to in any manner reconnect the same or cause the same to be reconnected to any source of electrical energy, or to use the same as a part of any electrical system until they have been put in safe condition and certificate of acceptance has been issued by the Electrical Inspector.

SECTION 9.  That the schedule of fees for inspection of electric wiring for lights, motors, heaters and other electrical equipment shall be as follows:

Where wires are to be concealed (porcela in [sic] knob or tube, or installation of iron conduit) for equipment of ten outlets or less $1.50.  For each additional outlet, ten and twenty-five, 10c.  For each additional outlet over twenty-five, 5c.  For open or molding work for equipment of ten or less 26 C.P. lamps or equivalent, $3.00.  For each additional outlet up to and including twenty-five, 5c.  For each additional outlet over twenty-five, 5c.  Arc lamps and ceiling fans for equipments of 3 or less $3.00.  For each additional over ten, 5c.  Wiring for motors, 2 horsepower or less, 50c.  Motors over 2 horsepower and less than 5 horsepower, $1.00.  Motors 5 H. P. and less than 10 H.P., $1.50.  Motors 10 H.P. and less than 15 H.P., $2.00.  Motors 15 H.P. and over $2.50.  Heaters and other electrical equipment will be charged same as motors counting 748 watts as one horsepower.  Electric signs and structures similar thereto, $1.00.  Picture machines, theatre booths, $1.00.  Moroury rectifiers each $1.00.  Combination or electric fixtures equipment of ten or less, 50c.  Additional fixtures each 10c.

SECTION 10.  That any person or persons who shall violate any provision of this Act, or who shall fail to comply with any of its requirements shall be subject to a fine of not less than five ($5.00) Dollars, nor more than twenty-five ($25.00) Dollars, for each offense.  Each and every day's continuance of any violation of a provision of this Act, shall be deemed a separate offense.

SECTION 11.  That all expenses for certificates and receipts shall be paid out of the fees provided for in this Act.

SECTION 12.  That this Act take effect from and after its passage, the public welfare requiring it.

Passed:  April 20, 1927.