Ord 1447 12/1/1947 ORDUTANCE hO. _/�f-�7
AN ORDM&NOF, Aj.L,,hDING SECTIONS 15-104.1; 15-104.2; 15-104.4; 15-105.8;
15-106; 15-106.1; 15-106.2; 15-108; 15-109; 15-109.5; 15-109,8; 15-109.11;
15-1014; 15-1017; OF THE CODIFICATION OF ORDIItAiVCES OF THE CITY OF GdICHIT_j FALLS
TEXAS, 1941, ."ADOPTED BY ORDIKANNCE NO. 1315, PASSED AND -PPROVED ON THE 6TH DAY �
OF JAI UARY, 1941, AND BEING SHOWN IN SAID CODIFICATION UNDER TITLE FIFTEEN (15)
ELECTRICAL CODE, PAGE 245, 50 THAT SUCH 5ECTIOI1-6 SHALL H-REAFTER READ AS H,I?Pj-
IN<,FT ;R SiECIFTCALLY SST OUT AI\iD NtTi,MFED.
BE IT ORDAIIM BY THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN OF THE CITY OF ,TZCHITA FALLS,
TEXriS.
SECTION 1: That the above Sections of the Codification of Ordinances
of the Cit„v of TWichita Falls, Texas, 1941, adopted by Ordinance 1315, passed
and approved on January 6, 1941, be, and the s<ne are, hereby amended so as
to hereafter read as follows, to-wit:
SECTION 15-104.1: A Bo<xd of Advisors is hereby created for the City
of utichita Falls, Texas, to be mown as the electrical Advisory Board. The
Electrical .ydvisory Board shall consist of five ;aer,bers to be appointed each
year by the I1a„yor and Board of Aldermen.
One ;ember of said Board shall be the City Electrician.
One :,;ember of said Board shall be appointed from the
personnel of Electrical Company furnishing electricity
for the City.
One :ember of said Board shall be a licensed Electri-
cal Contractor.
One . eriber shall be a Journeyman Electrician.
One :eribr shall be an electrical technical man who
is not interested in the problems of electrical con-
tracting in the City of 1dichita Falls, 'Texas.
A technical jaan, as defined by this Chapter, shall
..jean any person who is thoroughly fa.-aliar idth the
theory, practice, and application of electricity.
All raembers shall be residents of the City of c is rita
Falls, Texas.
This Board may be called into session at any tLme by the ;;ity electrician
or by a majority of the Board, provided th-.t each rlember must be given at least
twenty-four (24) hours notice in aJriting. The L:e:;iuers shall serverithout pay.
An appeal m__y be taken from any ruling, interpretation, requirer__ent, or
decision rade by the '.Electrical Inspector by the filing of an application for a
hearing before the Electrical advisory Board and the decision of the Electrical
Advisory Board in said hearing shall be final..
This Board shall have the poi:er to rake its own rules and govern its
own r eetings. It shall exar_Line all applicants for mister and journey...ian elec-
trician's license to determine if applicants are competent to do electrical
work in compliance with the electric-,,.! Code. This Advisory Board may issue
examination certificates to applicants of known ability without examination.
The Advisory Board shall settle all disputes arising from decisions of City
Electric,-1 Inspector, and in case of dispute interpret the IGtional Electrical
Code rules and rules of City Ordinances governing ixistallatior of -�jires in
Wichita Falls, Texas.
,7ithin :vinety (90) days after the passage and approval of this amend-
ment to Chapter 15 of Codification of ordinances of the City of edichita Falls,
Texas, each journeyman electrician now working within the city li;d.ts of Wichita
Falls shall take and pass the required exa nin:.tion for license, and after such
date no person shall be allowed to work as journeyman electrician until he shall
have secured the required license or working permit as hereinafter provided.
The advisory Board may issue working permits to building maintenance
.electricians for strictly maintenance work after the pplicant has successfully
demonstrated his ability by exa�.ii.n:.tion. Such permits shall designate the
building or buildings for which the individual is permitted to work. The
work defined as maintenance is the repair or replacement of switches, fix-
tures and minor electrical equipment.
The City Electrician may issue working perr.dts to journeyman electri-
cians upon submission of evidence of qualifications and the payment of license
examination fee, 11
said working permit to be valid onl7r until the next regular
exadnatiori is held by the Electrical Advisory Board.
SECTION 15-104.2: LICENSE,: All persons, firms, individuals, co-
partm rships, or corporations (excepting public telephone, telegraph and messen-
ger call, light and power companies having a franchise granted by this City who
are doing work on their own properties) desiring to engage in the business of
installing wires, appli.gances, apparatus, fixtures, or electrical signs for
profit as r� .ster or contracting electrician shall, before doing such work, take
out a license and riake bond acceptable to the City of Wichita Falls, Texas, and
pass an examination by the advisory Board. The License shall be issued by the
City Clerk and the fee therefor shall be 400.00 per annum, payable in advance.
Said license shall be renewed at $10.00 per year as it expires, and may be re-
voked ,at any time by the order of the L ayor and Board of Aldermen for the vio-
lation of any of the provisions of this Chapter, and the offending persons or
firms or corporations shall be prohibited from engaging in such work in the cor-
porate limits of this City for one year. All licenses shall expire December 31st
of the year of issuance and no License shall be issued for more than one year.
The applic_:.tion for license, before same is issued, shalt be made
to the Cite r,lectrician, and he shall countersign the application before a license
is issed by the City Cler, and in no case shall a license be issued to a minor.
It shall be unlawful for any person, firms, or corporation holding a
license to transfer same or to allow the use of same directly or indirectly by
any other person for the purpose of obtaining w permit to do any of the electri-
cal work herein specified.
License which are allowed to lapse shall, upon renewal, be dated back
to expiration of old license, not to exceed thirty days.
Northing in this Chapter shall be construed to prevent an owner from
doing electrical work himself on his own property so long as he complies with
all the other provisions of this ordinance. This exception shall be construed
to mean an individual owner (not a firm, co-partnership or corporation) who
actually does the labor hi;iself and employs no assistance.
:ill licensed electrical cornr:.ctors, firms, or corporations shall
file with the City :electrician their correct addresses, telephone nur_:bers, and
any change in address shall be i mnlediately riled with the City electrician.
'a,Ihere the holder of a license changes the firm name, or where addi-
tional LLembers are taken into firms, or where a firm is incorporated, a notice
of such change should be forwarded to the City Electrician, otherwise the
license ma- be revoked because of its -1uestion_-ble ownership.
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Before am person shall install wiring as defined in Section 15-103.1
of this Code, he shall first obtain a Journeyman Llectrician's License. The
license shall be issued by the City Clerk after certification by the Wvisory
Board and the payment of fee of Two ($2.00) Dollars. This license -,-,,Iay be re-
newed at Fifty ($0.50) Cents per year as it expires. All Journeyman Electri-
cian s License shall expire December 31st of the year of issuance and no license
shall be issued for more than one year.
bECTIOI 15-104.4: The fees to be charged for inspection of any
electrical work in the corporate limits of the City of Wichita Fills, Texas,
shall be as herein stated. The fees shall be paid in the office of the City
Engineer.
(a) Fees for the first Six (6) openings shall be One ($1.00) Dollar
(All except entrance switches shall be counted Ls openings.) Fifteen (150
cents each for the next Fourteen (IZ,) openings, Ten (10¢) cents each for the
next Thirty (30) openings, and Five (5¢) cents each for all onenin=s over the
first Fifty (50) in number. Where fixtures, drop lights, switches or hot
plugs on either open or concealed work .re installed by another than the
original contractor, inspection fees of Ten (10¢;) cents each shall be charrged
up to and including Fifty (50) such fixtures, etc., and for all such fixtures,
etx., over the first Fifty (50) in number Five (5�.) cents each.
(b) Fees for the hanging of ceiling fans shall be One ($1.00)
Dollar for the first three, and fees for all fans over and above three shall
be Fifteen (150) Cents each. No inspection fee or inspection will be required
for cleaning or repairing ceiling fans if they are removed and rehung to the
original supports.
(c) Fees for the inspection of motors shall be as follows:
Up to 1/8 H. P. 0.25 each
1/6 H. P. to 1/3 H. P. .50 each
1/2 H. P. and less than 1 H. P. .75 each
1 H. P. and less than 2 H. P. 1.00 each
2 H. P. and less than 5 H. P. 1.50 each
5 H. P. and less than 10 H. P. 2.00 each
10 H. P. and less than 15 H. P. 2.50 each
15 H. P. and less than 25 H. P. 3.00 each
25 H. P. and less than 50 H. P. 4.00 each
50 H. P. and over 5.00 each
(d) Fees for the inspection of generators shall be as follows:
1 K. W. and less than 3 K. W. $ 1.50 each
3 K. Till. and less than 5 K. W. 2.00 each
5 K. W. and less than 10 K. W. 2.50 each
10 K. IT. and less than 15 K. W. 3.00 each
15 K. IV. and less than 25 K. U. 3.50 each
25 K. W. and over 4.00 each
These fees shall include inspections of switch boards and control ap-
pratus. Motor generator sets shi ll be considered as motors only up to 10 K. VV.
For more than 10 K. VT. inspection fees for generators shall apply to the genera-
tor also.
Inspection fees for the inspection of portable generating units which
are used as sources of power and lighting for places of entertainment, public
gathering, etc., shall be as outlined in the preceding paragraphs.
(e) Fees for the inspection of an electrically illu hated sign or
billboard shall be One ($1.00) Dollar per circuit for each sign or billboard.
Fees of One ($1.00) shall be charged for each motor flasher used on a sign or
billboard.
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(f) For inspection of appratus for which no fee is pr:scribed, or
otherwise provided, a ch.-rge of Two Dollars and Seventy-Five ($2.75) Cents
per hour shall be if,ade for the time required to do the work.
(g) Whenever any work is inspected and found defective nd second
inspection is necessary, a charge of One (61.00) will be made.
Where an addition or extension is made to any electrical installation
or any chant is male therein that was not covered by the original permit, then
permit must be obtained for such change or extension.
(h) Fees for inspecting temporary decorative electrical -Aring sys-
tems within the city lL,its of the City of ' ichita Falls shall be One ($1.00)
Dollar for the first circuit and Five (5f�) Cents each for each additional cir-
c ui.t.
(i) In case an incorrect address is given in the application for
pen lit., or inspection order, a charge of One ($1.00) will be r ade to cover the
cost of a second trip to the correct address.
(j) A li`Llnimum fee of One ($1.00) Dollar will be charged for the
inspection: of old wiring in any building within the City of Wichita Falls which
may be considered unsafe.
(k) For inspection of ivirin„ at c_.rnivals and places of s_J it"r
nature a fee of Fifty (500) Cents per concession will be charged for inspection
of wiring. However, a minimu_l fee of One ( 1.00) Dollar will be charged for
such inspection.
(1) For inspection of electric ranges acid electrical heating ap-
pliances, inspection fees shall be as follows:
Less than 1500 ,'T__..tts Y} 1.00 each
1500 ':'atts anc less than 2500 .' tts 1.50 each
2500 'viatts and over 2.00 euch
6ECTIMN� 15-105.8: The City 'lectrical Inspector may be called upon
as many tL:..es as required to inspect new buildin. s in the course of construc-
tion in order not to delay construction, and .::_ust inspect such work within
forty-eight (1F8) hours fro::-- the ti,:.e notice is received, time to start froLi
time stamped upon the ticket applying for inspection, Sundays and Holidays
excepted.
SEi:TIIJ 15-106: :ill psrsons desirin to en,.ga e in the 'business of
installin? electrical wires or appratus :.ust ta'r.e out license, use surety
bond, (as herein before provided;j take out per.:Lits and pay inspection fees
covering such work before conrgencirL work of any And.
SECTIOTd 15-106.1: ro person not employed by a Licensed Electrical
contractor shall be per:rdtted to engage in the business of installing electrical
wiring, other than a property owner doing work himself on his own property, and
if found guilty, shall be fined according to penalties of this Chapter.
SECTION- 15-106.2: Electrical wiring contractors shall turn into the
City Electrical Inspector all additions to old work or new work for inspection
immediately upon completion of the work. If necessary, an inspection rust be
turned in on work that is under construction before completion in order not to
delay the construction, and when finished must have a final inspection. In
order for a final clearance to be issued, all work must be completed, i. e.,
fixtures all hung and switches and plates all on. Contractors, upon request,
shall submit plans to the 1lectrical Inspector's Department before pernits will
be issued.
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S:c;CTIUR! 15-108: It shall be unlawful for any person to use or in-
stall any electrical apparatus, Material, applicances, or fixtures for use in
connection with wiring of any kind in the corporate liriits of the City of
e�ichita Falls, Texas, unless such apparatus, rAaterials, or fi.tures meet the
requirements of the ,rational Board of Fire Underwirtcr s and bear their label.
6ECTI011 15-109: miring for li ht, heat or pov,rer in all buildings
hereafter erected, and all additions to existin,7 buildings in the fire I-L ats
of the City of lichita Falls, Texas, shall be installed in a rigid iron con-
duit, steel tube, or im:tal mocking system where allowed. All changes or ad-
ditions to wiring used for li ght, heat or power within the fire limits of the
City of Wichita Falls shall be in rigid conduit, steel tube or metal _Molding.
All bui.ldin ;s hereafter erected for mercantile purposes, churches,
schools, rooming houses, garages, hotels, hospitals, dormitories, apartment
houses which consist of more th:_.n two apartments, factories, grain elevators,
filling stations, refineries, and all buildings to be used for public assembly
within the city limits of the City of 11,"Fichita Falls, shall have all fairing for
light, heat and pourer installed in cmplete conduit or metal raolding system.
In all buildings other than those listed in the above paragraphs,
wiring may be done by the method known as knob and tube or by the use of
non-metallic sheathed cable. Non-metallic sheathed cable shall not be used in
any location prohibited by the national Zlectric � Code.
All wiring installed by the knob and tube, non-metallic sheathed
cable or conduit methods shall be installed in the rzlanner prescribed by the
Iaational Electrical Code, except that with non-metallic sheathed cable,
switches, outlets, and taps shall be attached to the cable in approved outlet
boxes. For all installations of either knob and tube or non-metallic sheathed
cable, the service wiring shall be installed as provided in Section 15-109.8
of this Chapter, and all distribution circuits from the panel board to the
first opening, or to a pull-box iumlediately over the first ceiling opening,
shall be in iron conduit or steel tube.
Wiring in any building moved into the city limits of 1ichita. Falls
shall be installed in the runner prescribed for its classification as to use
or occupancy.
SECTION 15-109.5: All current consuming openings installedi on
main ceilings of stores for general illumination shall be made of 660 "Satts
capacity and in no case will more th:n two such outlets be perpiitted on a cir-
cuit of #14 wire. For illumination of warehouses, store rooms, offices,
places of public assembly not more than four outlets will be permitted on one
circuit of #11,. wire. In residential wiring, six outlets per circuit of #14
wire will be permitted. For ceiling fans, six outlets only will be p,.M itted
on a circuit of #14 wire. Kitchen circuits shall be #12 wire on all kitchens
wired for utility outlets. Hot plug outlets for work benches shall be limited
to four openings per circuit of #12 wire. For self-serving laundries, not
more th<_-n three outlets per circuit of #12 wire will be permitted, and each
such outlet shall be provided with an individual toggle switch. In all resi-
dential installations of two or more circuits, one spare circuit shall be
stubbed into the attic from the distribution panel for future added load.
SECTION 15-109.8: All installations of more than two circuits shall
have three wire service and residence type panel board; =.nd all install:-tions
of more th;-m ten circuits shall have standard approved panel boards enclosed
in standard approved steel cabinets. No service wires shall be smaller than
#8 b & S gauge, and all service wires small be installed in iron conduit, or
steel tube, from the service entrance to the panel or cabinet.
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SECTION 15-109.11: All conduits instilled in underground work, ice
boxes and refrigeration pl<.nts must be in rigid alv-urized iron conduit. The
wiring used in such conduits Must be lead covered, or of a type approved by
the -Aional Board of Fire Underwriters for this type of Iinstallation.
For light and pow r, all underground service conduit shall be a
j_Linimwa size of 12 inches internal diameter. For telephones and signals the
underground conduit shall be of size not less than 3/4" internal diameter.
SECTION 15-1014: To deter,_ine the size of feeders for r!ore than
one rotor; Take the maxi-=um starting fuse for the larbe;t motor and the maxi-
mum running: fuse of all other motors and this total amperage is the size of
the load necessLry to be used, except for motors of automatic starting, then
the wiring must be of a size to carry the combined amperage of the maximum
startinG fuse of all motors automatically startod.
To deter ine the size of conductors, or combination of conductors,
grounding conductors and sizes of conduit rec;uired, reference shall be made
to the requirements of the latest edition of the Fational Electrical Code.
fCTION 15-1017: In the event that wording or intention of any
section of this Chapter is not clear, or this code is silent, then the rules
and requirements of the National Board of Fire Underwriters for the instal-
lation of electrical wring and apparatus known as the "National Electric
Code" shall be used and the City Electrician is hereby instructed to refer
thereto.
That all ordinances and parts of ordinan-es in gonfligt lyrewith
are hereby repealed.
PAS ;D ;D 'PtiOV�D `i'lI, `s'r DiY OFF �; D
1947. -_— •,
-yor
XTT i;S .
C�
City Clerk
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