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Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish |
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Code of Ordinances |
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Title 8. BUILDING REGULATIONS |
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Chapter 3. ELECTRICAL CODE |
§ 8:300. Board of electrical examiners established.
(a)
There shall be and there is organized hereunder and constituted a board of electrical examiners (hereafter in this chapter sometimes called examining board), which shall consist of the following membership to be appointed by the mayor-president, by and with the consent of the council:
(1)
The mayor-president, or his duly authorized representative, who shall be ex officio chairman of the board;
(2)
A professional electrical engineer;
(3)
A qualified electrical contractor;
(4)
A journeyman electrician;
(5)
An authorized representative of a utility company doing business in the city;
(6)
An authorized representative of a utility company doing business in the parish;
(7)
The chief electrical inspector, who shall be the permanent secretary of the board, without vote;
(8)
A member of the Homebuilders' Association of Greater Baton Rouge, who is a qualified member of the electrical industry;
(9)
A representative of organized labor;
(10)
A representative of the Independent Electrical Contractors Association.
The members of the board of electrical examiners presently appointed and serving shall continue to hold their appointments for the terms of office for which they were originally appointed. Upon expiration of their original appointments, new members shall be appointed for terms of office running concurrent with the term of office of the mayor-president by whom they are appointed.
(b)
This board shall have full authority and power of enforcement of all provisions of this chapter, and power to investigate and recommend to the council such revisions and changes therein as the board may, from time to time, deem necessary. The board may adopt such reasonable rules and regulations as may be necessary for the administration and enforcement of this chapter, provided such rules and regulations be consistent with the provisions hereof, and in accordance with recognized standards and practices in the electrical industry.
No rule or regulation of the board shall become effective, however, until four (4) weeks after notice of intention to enforce it shall have been given through the publication in a newspaper in general circulation in the city-parish and until a public hearing on the same shall have been held; provided that the public hearing shall not be necessary unless a request shall have been made for such hearing during the period of publication. Such rule or regulation must be drawn in its proposed form and open to public inspection at the time the notice to enforce is published. Rules and regulations promulgated as herein provided shall have the same force and effects as provisions of this chapter. Any rule may be amended or repealed by the same procedures prescribed for the adoption of new rules. Such rules and regulations as may have been heretofore adopted by the board shall remain in full force and effect until amended or repealed as provided herein.
(c)
The examining board shall have authority to act upon appeals, to interpret the provisions of this chapter and to authorize variations where strict enforcement would create unnecessary hardship, do manifest injustice, and be contrary to the public interest. Should any difference of opinion arise concerning the application and enforcement of this chapter by the chief electrical inspector the person questioning same may within ten (10) days after notice of any decision of the chief electrical inspector, appeal in writing to the board, stating full particulars of the dispute; otherwise the decision of the chief electrical inspector shall prevail. The board shall immediately consider the appeal and shall render a decision thereon within ten (10) days after receipt of notice of the appeal.
(d)
There shall be a chief electrical inspector, who shall be in charge of the electrical section. The duties of the chief electrical inspector and such assistants as may be authorized shall be to inspect all electrical constructions, installations and equipment of whatever character and type for the inside and outside of buildings, and shall have the power to order removed, repaired or rebuilt any such construction, installations and equipment, when in their judgment, life or property, or both will be better protected thereby, and who shall enforce the strict compliance of all laws governing the use of electrical energy or construction applying within the city-parish.
(e)
The qualifications for the members of the board shall be:
(1)
The electrical engineer shall be a graduate of a recognized and accredited university, having a minimum of five (5) years diversified construction experience;
(2)
The electrical contractor shall be a qualified electrical contractor of at least five (5) years' experience in diversified electrical contracting in the city-parish.
(3)
The journeyman electrician shall have not less than ten (10) years' experience as a journeyman electrician in electrical installations;
(4)
Each utility company representative shall be a department head, who acts in executive capacity, and who is duly constituted to represent the utility company;
(5)
The qualifications of the chief electrical inspector and such assistants as may be authorized, shall be determined by the personnel board in accordance with the provisions of Section 9.04 of the Plan of Government, but only after taking into consideration the recommendations in this regard of the board of electrical examiners.
(f)
All authorized expenses incurred by the board shall be included in the annual budget of the city-parish.
(g)
A majority of the voting members of the board shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business. The board may adopt by-laws and elect such other officers as it may deem necessary.
(City Code 1951, Title 8, § 300; Parish Code 1962, Title 8, § 300; Ord. No. 7461, § 1, 3-14-84; Ord. No. 7554, § 1, 5-23-84; Ord. No. 10623, § 1, 5-8-96)