Chapter 13.40
ELECTRICITY
Sections:
13.40.010 Conformance with National Electrical Code.
13.40.030 Electrician required when.
13.40.040 Access for inspections and meter reading.
13.40.060 Town and consumer responsibilities.
13.40.070 Reconnection to town system.
13.40.080 Tree limbs – Property owner responsibility.
13.40.090 Disconnecting service line for tree trimming.
13.40.100 Damage from tree limbs – Property owner responsibility.
13.40.110 Tree trimming by town.
13.40.120 Violation – Penalty.
13.40.130 Town electrical inspector.
13.40.140 Electrical services provided by town.
* Prior legislation: Ords. 490 and 614, and 1996 Code §§ 16-14, 16-15 and 16-17 – 16-20.5.
For state law as to authority of town to provide and regulate electrical power, see WS, 1977, 15-1-103, 15-7-101 and 15-7-201 to 15-7-212.
13.40.010 Conformance with National Electrical Code.
All electrical construction and installation, all electrical material and appliances, and all arrangement of electrical apparatus on the load side of the service shall be in conformity with the specifications, rules and regulations of the National Electrical Code, current edition, Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA, and that said code is hereby adopted by reference as if set forth fully herein. [Ord. 714 § 1, 2006.]
13.40.020 Permits required.
(a) No person shall make any connection to the town electrical system on the line side of the service. No person shall construct or install any electrical wiring in any building or structure or conduct any electrical work in any addition to any building or structure without first obtaining a permit to do so, except existing maintenance.
(b) No permits shall be issued until the town of Wheatland and electrical inspector have reviewed and approved the electrical plan, and the person applying for the permit has paid all permit costs. The costs for electrical permits and inspection shall be determined from building permit fees as set forth in Ordinance No. 712(b)(2) total valuation, as amended.
(c) All inspections of electrical systems and work performed shall be scheduled 72 hours in advance with the electrical inspector.
(d) In the event the electrical inspector for the town of Wheatland cannot properly inspect the electrical work, then the electrical inspector, at his sole discretion, has the authority to deny hookup to the town of Wheatland’s electrical system. [Ord. 714 § 2, 2006.]
13.40.030 Electrician required when.
No person, except an electrician licensed by the state of Wyoming and the town of Wheatland, shall, on the load side of the service, construct, repair, install or interfere with, in any manner, any electrical wiring or apparatus in the town except on residential property owned by a person when the person, his partner, or major stockholder of a family corporation is installing the equipment and the property will not be sold for one year. [Ord. 714 § 3, 2006.]
13.40.040 Access for inspections and meter reading.
(a) An agent of the town shall have reasonable access to all buildings and other structures at reasonable times for the purpose of inspection of all electrical wiring, connections and installations. No person shall deny any authorized agent of the town access for any reasonable inspection.
(b) No person shall deny any authorized agent of the town access to all property, buildings and other structures for the purpose of reading electrical meters or any other utility meter of the town during normal business hours, normal business hours being 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday of each week. [Ord. 714 § 4, 2006.]
13.40.050 Town powers.
The town shall have the power and supervision over the placing, erecting and wiring of all electrical poles and wires in the town. No pole or wire shall be placed so as to create any unsafe or hazardous condition. [Ord. 714 § 5, 2006.]
13.40.060 Town and consumer responsibilities.
(a) The town of Wheatland shall furnish the meter and socket for overhead service, both single phase and three phase self-contained metering, however this specifically does not include CT metering. The consumer shall provide, install and pay for a service loop, weather head, and the point of attachment, whether the point of attachment is the house knob or a two-inch rigid mast above the roof of the structure.
It shall be the town’s responsibility to run the necessary wire from the alley pole to the point of attachment on the building, and make the connections at the weather head. In addition, it shall be the town’s responsibility to maintain said wire.
(b) In the event there is any obstruction installed or any obstruction has grown in front of or around any meter or pad mount transformers, the same will be removed or moved so that the town of Wheatland can replace or service said equipment, and read meters.
In the event the consumer fails to move or remove said obstructions within 24 hours after being requested to do so by the town, the town of Wheatland shall have the ability to move or remove said obstructions and bill the consumer for cost of removal.
(c) The town shall make all connections from the transformer to top of the meter for underground services. In the event of current transformer metering, the town will make all connections to meter.
(d) A demand meter will be installed on all three phase loads over 200 amps. The town shall make all connections for the metering and to the load side of the transformer, whether it be underground or overhead service.
The consumer will be responsible for the cost and installation of service wires from the load side of the transformer to the structure disconnect on the outside of all structures.
(e) In the event a subdivision within the town does not have an alley, but only a utility easement, the metering for any property shall be placed in the easement, and the consumer will be responsible for the installation and materials from the town’s meter to the structure or mobile home disconnect.
(f) In the event of a meter pole installation, the town shall make all connections at the top of the pole to the weather head service only; provided, however, if the consumer or contractor requests the town to assist with the meter pole installation hookup, said consumer or contractor shall be charged for material and labor.
(g) In the event the town is required to re-install a service to a vacant lot that has had prior electrical service, the consumer shall be responsible for all time and material incurred by the town to replace the service.
After the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter, it will be the responsibility of the consumer to pay all costs associated with any existing service loops on the structure that are pulled down or disconnected.
In the event the point of attachment on a consumer structure is pulled loose, it will be the sole responsibility of the consumer to reinstall or attach said equipment; provided, however, if the town has to replace a house knob, the consumer shall pay for all costs and make provisions for the installation of said house knob.
All new three-phase services shall be 120/208 three-phase of 277/480 three-phase service.
(h) All multiple-family dwellings shall have all meters located in a central area and each meter shall be equipped with a separate disconnect. [Ord. 714 § 6, 2006.]
13.40.070 Reconnection to town system.
Any person desiring to reconnect to the town electrical system after being disconnected for nonpayment shall pay $50.00 for each meter reconnected. [Ord. 714 § 7, 2006.]
13.40.080 Tree limbs – Property owner responsibility.
The property owner/occupant shall trim and be responsible to trim all tree limbs and other vegetation which may cause damage to service lines from the property owner’s building to the utility pole. In the event there is a broken limb on the service line from the property owner’s building to the utility pole, the town will remove said limb, but will not trim any trees on said property. [Ord. 714 § 9, 2006.]
13.40.090 Disconnecting service line for tree trimming.
In the event the property owner/occupant desires to trim the trees and other vegetation, the town of Wheatland will, upon request, and during working hours only, disconnect the service line and move it away from the trees and other vegetation which need to be trimmed, and will reconnect the service line once the trimming is completed at no charge to the property owner/occupant. [Ord. 714 § 10, 2006.]
13.40.100 Damage from tree limbs – Property owner responsibility.
In the event the service line from the utility pole to the property owner’s building is damaged by limbs or trees, then the property owner shall pay for all costs (time and materials) associated with said repair. [Ord. 714 § 11, 2006.]
13.40.110 Tree trimming by town.
(a) The town of Wheatland shall have the authority and right to trim or otherwise remove trees, tree limbs or other vegetation that may cause damage to the town of Wheatland’s electrical transmission system. Notice will be given on quarterly utility billing statements reminding citizens of tree trimming exercises. Residents shall contact the town of Wheatland if they are hiring an arborist to do the work. In the event of an emergency and the trimming of a tree, tree limb or vegetation shall be done to control the event, no notice will be given.
(b) For residents having arborists trim their trees, notice will be given when trees do not conform to electrical safety standards and the resident shall have 30 days in which to remedy and conform to safety standards or town of Wheatland personnel will trim the tree.
(1) Arborists must be licensed with the town of Wheatland and must carry proper credentials in which to trim around high voltage transmission lines. [Ord. 793, 2016; Ord. 714 § 12, 2006.]
13.40.120 Violation – Penalty.
In the event any person or entity violates the provisions of this chapter, said violation will be considered a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $750.00, plus court costs. [Ord. 714 § 13, 2006.]
13.40.130 Town electrical inspector.
The town of Wheatland electrical inspector shall be a master electrician licensed by the state of Wyoming, and shall be appointed by the mayor, with the approval of the governing body of the town of Wheatland. [Ord. 714 § 14, 2006.]
13.40.140 Electrical services provided by town.
(a) The town of Wheatland provides the following electrical services:
(1) Residential;
(2) Residential (all electric);
(3) Commercial;
(4) Large commercial;
(5) Security/yard light.
(b) The above services are defined as follows:
“Commercial” means electrical services for nonresidential property and master metered property in which the property is used for providing a business or service. This shall include an electrical service provided to a residential property that provides business or services.
(1) “Master metered” means a method of metering the use of electricity of multiple customers metered cumulatively on one meter.
Example: an apartment building on master metering would receive one bill for all apartments measured through one meter.
“Large commercial” means an electrical service for nonresidential or master metered properties which require greater than 200 amperes of service and the property provides business or services.
“Residential” means electrical services for all properties that are used exclusively for living purposes and their outbuildings, with exception to outbuildings or homes being used for business purposes which are master metered, have a special use permit, or licensed by any government entity.
“Residential (all electric heat)” means electrical services provided for a property, defined above, in which the primary source of heat for the residence is electricity.
“Security/yard lights” means security lights mounted on a pole supplied and maintained by the town of Wheatland as a dawn to dusk service. [Ord. 792 §§ 1, 2, 2015.]