HomeMy WebLinkAbout023974 ORD - 03/21/2000AN ORDINANCE
AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, CITY OF CORPUS
CHRISTI, CHAPTER 13, BUILDINGS; CONSTRUCTION AND RELATED
OPERATIONS; HOUSING AND HOUSING PREMISES STANDARDS,
TO ADOPT THE 1999 NATIONAL ELECTRIC CODE, WITH MINOR
ALTERATIONS, AS THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI ELECTRIC
CODE; PROVIDING FOR PENALTIES; PROVIDING FOR SEVERANCE;
AND PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION.
WHEREAS, the 1999 Edition of the National Electric Code was approved at the
National Fire Protection Association, Inc,, Annual Meeting, on May 18-21, 1998;
released by the National Fire Protection Association Standards Council on July 16,
1998; and approved as an American National Standard on August 6, 1998; and
WHEREAS, the City of Corpus Christi desires to amend the City of Corpus Christi
Electrical Code to adopt the 1999 National Electric Code, including the changes made
since the 1996 edition of the National Electric Code, for regulatory purposes and in the
interest of life and property protection; and
WHEREAS, the Electrical Advisory Board has reviewed and recommended the
adoption of the 1999 National Electric Code, with the local changes proposed in this
ordinance, as the City of Corpus Christi Electric Code;
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI,
TEXAS:
SECTION 1. The City of Corpus Christi Electrical Code, as adopted by Section 13-2 of
the Code of Ordinances, City of Corpus Christi, is revised to read as follows:
"Sec. 13-3. Electrical code.
"In order to prevent the rapid deterioration of electrical materials and equipment from
severe atmospheric and underground corrosive action and to maintain minimum
standards adopted by the City over the years, and with the following additions,
deletions, and revisions, the National Electrical Code, 1999 edition, a copy of which,
authenticated by the signatures of the Mayor and City Secretary, made public record by
this Section, and on file in the City Secretary's office, is incorporated by reference and
adopted as the Electrical Code of the City of Corpus Christi:
(1) Section 90-2(b)(5) is revised to read as follows:
"90-2. Scope.
"(b) Not Covered. This Code does not cover the following.
.go3ogAo. oc 0 2 3 9 7 4
"(5) Installations, including associated lighting, under the exclusive control of
electric utilities for the purpose of communications, metering, generation, control,
transformation, transmission, or distribution of electric energy. Such installations
shall be located in buildings used exclusively by utilities for such purposes;
outdoors on property owned or leased by the utility; on or along public highways,
streets, roads, riGhts-of-way, etc.; or outdoors on private property by ostablichod
rightc c~ch as in irrevocable easements, which have been filed for record with
the county clerk's office. Permits and inspections are required for electric utilitv
companies, their emploVees and agents, to install exterior lightinG, except
exterior liGhtinG installed on property owned or leased bv the utility,-e.x-ter-k~
lighting Ioc3tod in public streets or alley rights-of-way_, and exterior liclhtinG
lesated-in irrevocable utility or electric easements roGordod on pl~ts filod for
record in tho pLlt recordc of tho county clork'c offico. If the easement on which
the outdoor lighting is being installed is not shown on a plat that is filed for record
with the county clerk's office, the electrical utility must present a mad or survey
showing the location of the easement and the location of the proposed outdoor
liGhtinG when aDplyinq for an electrical permit."
(2) Article 90 is amended by adding a new Section 90-10, to read as follows:
"90-10. Individual metering required. A building or buildings containing more than
five (5) dwelling units shall provide for individual meterinG or submeterina of each
dwelling unit."
(3) Section 210-7 is amended by adding new subsections (g) and (h), to read as
follows:
"210-7. Receptacles and Cord Connectors.
"(cl) Minimum amDeracle. All circuits, except liqhtina circuits, shall have conductors
sized to provide a minimum current CaPacity of twenty (20) amperes.
"(h) Maximum number of fixtures and receptacles.
"(1__~) Not more than ten (10) incandescent lighting fixtures and/or c~eneral use
receptacles (duplex) shall be installed on a one hundred twenty (120) volt branch
circuit.
"(2) Not more than three (3) electrical connections or receptacles (duplex) shall
be installed on each of the reGuired small appliance circuits in dwellings. Anv
electrical connections used to power equipment reduce the number of
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receptacles allowed on the small appliance circuit bv the number of separate
connections.
"(3) Not more than three (3) receptacles (duplex) shall be installed on each
reGuired bathroom circuit in dwellings.
"(4._)) For circuits supplying liGhtinG fixtures havincl ballasts, transformers, or
autotransformers, the computed load based on the total ampere ratings of such
fixtures shall determine the number of fixtures on aliqhtinG circuit."
(4) Article 210 is amended by adding a new Section 210-51, to read as follows:
"210-51. Receptacles ReQuired. The following listed buildings shall have a minimum
of one ('1) receptacle installed for every twenty (20) feet measured horizontally around
the interior wall at the floor level of each room, excluding storage rooms:
"Office BuildinGs
"Restaurants
"Taverns
Bank BuildinGs
Mechanical Garages
Studios"
(5) Section 210-52(b)(1) is revised to read as follows:
"210-52. Dwelling Unit Receptacle Outlets. * * *
"(b) Small Appliances.
"{1) In the kitchen, pantry, breakfast room, dining room, laundrv/utility room, or
similar area of a dwelling unit, the two or more 20-ampere small appliance
branch circuits required by Section 210-11(c)(1) shall serve all receptacle outlets
covered by Sections 210-52(a) and (c) and receptacle outlets for refrigeration
equipment."
(6) Section 210-52(b)(2) is amended by adding a new exception 3 to read as follows:
"210-52. Dwelling Unit Receptacle Outlets. * * *
"(b) Small Appliances.
"(2) ** *
, , , , ,
"Exception No. 3: A receptacle or electrical connection installed to power a vent
hood located in a kitchen above a cooking surface."
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(7) Section 230-70 is amended by adding a new subsections (d) and (e), to read as
follows:
"230-70. General. Means shall be provided to disconnect all conductors in a building
or other structure from the service-entrance connectors.
"(d) Minimum Fault Current Protection. All electrical service entrance equipment,
except for temporary construction loops, shall be provided with fault current protection
of not less than twentv-two thousand (22,000) amps. When approved bv the building
official or his authorized representative, the provisions of this article need not aPDIV to
anv particular installation for which compliance with the National Electrical Code has
been certified bv a professional registered engineer in the State of Texas."
"(e) Exception For Certain Lighting Fixtures Installed on Poles. A service
disconnect means is not reeuired on a pole with a lighting fixture, if:
"(1) The pole is in a location accessible to the public, such as in parkinq lots,
parks, etc., and a disconnecting means is installed in the circuit powering the
fixture at a secure location, or
"(2) The fixture and all wiring Dreviding power to the fixture are under the
exclusive control of an electric distribution utility."
(8) Section 250-52(c)(1) is revised to read as follows:
"(1) Electrodes of pipe shall not be shall be smaller than 3/4 in. trade size, and, where
of iron or creel, chall have the outer su~acc galvanized or otheRvice metal coated for
corrocion protection and shall be made of brass or copper."
(9) Section 300-1 is amended by adding a new subsection (c), to read as follows:
"300-1. Scope.
"(c). Raceways or metal clad cables in commercial buildings. All commercial
buildings shall be wired in electrical conduits or with metal clad cables, except as
provided herein.
"{1) Exceptions to raceways or metal clad cables, Raceways or metal clad
cables will not be reGuired when structures were originally constructed and used
as single-family, sinGle-story, residential-use buildings, and which are thereafter
converted to commercial usage if, at the time such building is converted to
commercial usage, such preexisting electrical wirinG, ecluipment and fixtures in
such structures conform to all other applicable provisions of this code. To obtain
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the benefit of the exemption qranted by this article, the owner or occupant of
such buildincl must obtain an inspection for a certificate of occupancy as
recluired. Any installation of new electrical wiring, fixtures or apparatus installed
in any building which was converted to commercial usage, or any rewirinQ of
such structure shall be wired in raceways or metal clad cables.
"(21 Construction/development temporary buildinqs. Temporary buildinqs,
the uses of which are incidental to construction operations or sale of lots during
development beincl conducted on the same or adioinincl tract or subdivision and
which shall be removed upon completion of development, are not recluired to be
wired in raceways or metal clad cables.
(10) Section 300-3 is amended by adding a new subsection (d), to read as follows:
"300-3. Conductors.
"(d) Prohibited Conductors. As of March 1982, the use of aluminum conductors of
No. 2 clauQe and smaller shall be prohibited in electrical wirincl installations, except that
exterior, overhead conductors shall be exempted from this prohibition."
(11) Section 300-5 is amended by adding a new subsection (k), to read as follows:
"300-5. Underground Installations.
"(k) Underclround Electrical Conduit. All underground installations of sinelie runs or
clrouped runs of electrical conduit shall be nonmetallic."
(12) Article 338 is amended by adding a new Section 338-7, to read as follows:
"338-7. Service Entrance Conductor and Subfeed Installation Methods, Service
entrance conductors and sub feeds to electrical distribution panels shall run in conduits
or raceways. A masthead used for support of service drop conductors shall extend not
less than forty-two ('42) inches above the roof and shall be two (2~ inches or larcler riqid
metal conduit."
(13) Article 384C is amended by adding new Sections 384-21 and 384-22, to read as
follows:
"384-21. Sl~are Raceways. For each panel a spare one-inch raceway shall be
installed from the panel to an accessible location.
"Exception No. 1: A spare raceway is not required if there is no access in the
attic or from floor above or below the Danel.
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"Exception No. 2: A sDare raceway is not required if the walls and ceilinq
adjacent to Dane/are not covered.
"384-22. Spare Circuits. One (1) spare circuit shall be installed for every five (5)
circuits in all new buildings."
(14) Section 440-11 is revised to read as follows:
"440-1 I. General.
"(a) Purpose. The provisions of Part B are intended to require disconnecting means
capable of disconnecting air-conditioning and refrigerating equipment, including motor-
compressors and controllers from the circuit conductors. See Figure 430-1.
"(b) Branch Circuits. A disconnecting means shall be provided in the unarounded
conductors of each branch circuit to electrically operated air conditionina components.
"(c) Fusible disconnect. A fusible disconnect switch shall be installed for sinale phase
air conditioning equipment of five (5) tons ratinq or less.
"(d) IntegralIv install components. Disconnecting means shall not be required on
equipment with integralIv installed disconnecting means."
(15) Section 440-14 is revised to read as follows:
"440-14. Location. Disconnecting means shall be located within sight from._cnd
readily accessible from, and within six (6) feet of the air-conditioning or refrigerating
equipment. The disconnecting means shall be permitted to be installed on or within the
air-conditioning or refrigerating equipment."
(16) The first paragraph of Section 514-8 is revised to read as follows:
"5'14-8. Underground Wiring. Underground wiring shall be installed in threaded rigid
mctal conduit or throadod ctool intcrmediato rectal conduit schedule 80 Electrical PVC.
Any portion of electrical wiring or equipment that is below the surface of a Class I,
Division 1 or Division 2 location (as defined in Table 514-2) shall be considered to be in
a Class I, Division 1 location, which shall extend at least to the point of emergence
above grade. Refer to Table 300-5."
"Exception No. 1: Type MI cable shaft be permitted where it is installed in accordance
with Article 330.
"Exception No. 2: Rigid nonmetallic conduit complying with Article 347 shall be
permitted where burfed under not less than 2 ft (610 mm) of cover. Whoro dgid
nonmot311ic conduit is ucod, thro3dod rfgid mot31 conduit or throadod stool intormodioto
mot3l conduit sh3ll bo u~,od for tho I,~st 2 ft (610 mm) of tho undorgreund run to
omorgonco or to tho point of connoction to tho 3bovoground r3co~y, ~nd ~n An
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equipment grounding conductor shall be included to provide electrical continuity of the
raceway system and for grounding of noncurrent-carrying metal parts.
(17) Chapter 6 is amended by adding a new Article 696, to read as follows:
"ARTICLE 696 -- ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED FENCING
"696-1 Electrically-charged fencing. Installation of electrically-chained fencincl for the
purpose of security, animal containment and other similar uses shall be in accordance
with approved Underwriters' Laboratories, or anv other nationally recoanized testing
aaencV, devices. Upon installation such fencin<3 shall be clearly identified with signage
not to exceed a fifty-foot maximum spacine on this electrical fencina. The signaqe shall
be leclible from a distance of five (5) feet and shall be properly maintained while fence is
in use."
SECTION 2. A violation of this ordinance or requirements implemented hereunder shall
constitute an offense, punishable as provided in Section13-1 of the City Code of
Ordinances.
SECTION 3. If for any reason any section, paragraph, subdivision, clause, phrase,
word or provision of this ordinance shall be held invalid or unconstitutional by final
judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction, it shall not affect any other section,
paragraph, subdivision, clause, phrase, word or provision of this ordinance, for it is the
definite intent of this City Council that every section, paragraph, subdivision, clause,
phrase, word or provision hereof be given full force and effect for its purpose.
SECTION 4. Publication shall be made in the official publication of the City of Corpus
Christi as required by the City Charter of the City of Corpus Christi.
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That the foregoing ordinance was read for the first time and passed to its second
reading on this the ~ day of ~"/~.~C~'F__/h ,2000, by the following vote:
Samuel L. Neal, Jr.
Javier D. Colmenero
Melody Cooper
Henry Garrett
Dr. Arnold Gonzales
Rex A. Kinnison
Betty Jean Longoria
John Longoria
Mark Scott
Samuel L. Neal, Jr.
Javier D. Colmenero
Melody Cooper
Henry Garrett
Dr. Arnold Gonzales
Rex A, Kinnison
Betty Jean Longoria
John Longoria
A'I'I'EST:
A~
City Secretary
Mayor, The City of~
APPROVED: 17~h day of February, 2000:
James R. Bray, Jr., City Attorney
By: ~7. i~
Attorney
023974
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PUBLISHER'S AFFIDAVIT
State of Texas }
County of Nueces }
SS:
CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI
Ad # 3377576
PO#
Before me, the undersigned, a Notary Public, this day personally came Darrell
G. Coleman, who being first duly sworn, according to law, says that he is Vice-
President and Chief Financial Officer of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, a daily
newspaper published at Corpus Christi in said City and State, generally
circulated in Aransas, Bee, Brooks, Duval, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Karnes,
Kenedy, Kleberg, Live Oak, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Victoria and Webb
Counties, and that the publication of, NOTICE OF PASSAGE OF ORDINANCE
NO. 023974 which the annexed is a true copy, was inserted in the Corpus
Christi Caller-Times and on the World Wide Web on the Caller-Times Interactive
on the 27TM day(s) of MARCH, 2000.
TWO (2) Time(s)
Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 3RD
day(s) of APRIL, 2000.
Notary Public, Nueces County, Texas
CONNIE HARALSON
Print or Type Name of Notary Public
My commission expires on 5/14/01.