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Home My WebLink About114 - 10/06/2020 - ADOPTING THE 2020 NATIONAL ELECTRIC CODE STANDARDS ORDINANCE NO. 114, 2020 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS ADOPTING THE 2020 NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE STANDARDS WHEREAS, on March 1, 1994, City Council adopted the 1993 National EIectrical Code in Ordinance No. 25, 1994; and WHEREAS, the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies ("DORA") adopted the updated National Fire Protection Association standard number 70, hereinafter known as the National Electrical Code, 2020 Edition (the"2020 NEC"), effective August 1, 2020; and WHEREAS, the 2020 NEC was adopted by DORA as the minimum standards governing the "planning, laying out, and installing or the making of additions, alterations, and repairs in the installation of wiring apparatus and equipment for electrical light, heat, and power," in the State of Colorado; and WHEREAS, on August 20, 2019, City Council adopted the International Residential Code ("IRC") through Ordinance No. 095, 2019, which included reference to electrical standards; and WHEREAS, the electrical standards in the current IRC are not recognized by DORA; and WHEREAS, City Council wishes to remove most of the IRC electrical standards from the City Code; and WHEREAS, City Council wishes to retain City Code provisions regarding Electrical Vehicle Ready and Photovoltaic Ready standards currently included in the IRC electrical standards being deleted by this Ordinance by relocating them to other subsections of Section 5-30 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins (which adopts local amendments to the IRC); and WHEREAS,Section 5-30 of the City Code governs amendments to the City's adopted IRC and is the place to which the provisions regarding the electrical Vehicle Ready and Photovoltaic Ready standards will be relocated; and WHEREAS, pursuant to the City Charter II, Section 7, City Council may enact any ordinance which adopts a code by reference in whole or in part provided that before adoption of such ordinance the Council hold a public hearing thereon and that notice of the hearing is published twice in a newspaper of general circulation published in the City, with one of such publications occurring at least eight (8) days preceding the hearing and the other publication occurring at least fifteen (15) days preceding the hearing, which notices have been published as required; and WHEREAS, the City Council finds it in the best interests of the residents of Fort Collins and is necessary for the public's health, safety and welfare to update the Fort Collins City Code from the 1993 NEC standards to the updated 2020 NEC standards as amended. NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS as follows: Section 1. That the City Council hereby makes and adopts the determinations and findings contained in the recitals set forth above. Section 2. That Section 5-30 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins is hereby amended by the addition of a new subparagraph(36)which reads in its entirety as follows and all subsequent subparagraphs renumbered accordingly: (36) R324.I.I Photovoltaic Ready. All new single family dwellings shall be provided with an empty metallic conduit of 314 inch (19.05 mm) minimum, installed from the dwellings attic space beneath the roof which most likely would support the majority of installed photovoltaic system, to a junction box located within 12 inches of the dwellings electrical meter or connected directly to the dwellings electrical panel board. Section 3. That Section 5-30 of the Code of the City of Fort Colins is hereby amended by the addition of a new subparagraph(41)which reads in its entirety as follows and all subsequent subparagraph are hereby renumbered accordingly: (41) A new Section R332 Electric Vehicle Ready is hereby added to read as follows: SECTION R332 Electrical Vehicle Ready R332.1 General. All new single family dwellings with an attached garage or carport shall be provided with an empty conduit of 3/4 inch (12.7 mm) minimum, installed from the dwellings electrical panel board to a junction box in readily accessible location in the garage or carport, capable of supporting a 50 ampere 220 volt outlet. Section 4. That Section 5-30,subparagraph(93)of the Code of the City of Fort Collins is hereby amended to read as follows: (93) Part VIII - ElectricaI is hereby deleted in its entirety. All electric work shall be done in accordance with Section 5-80 of this Code. Section 5. That Section 5-30 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins is hereby amended by the deletion of subparagraph (94) in its entirety and all remaining subparagraphs renumbered accordingly: Section 6. That Article III, Electric Standards contained in Chapter 5 of the Code of the City of Fort Collins hereby amended to read as follows: -2- ARTICLE I11. - ELECTRICAL STANDARDS* Sec. 5-80. Adoption of standards. Pursuant to the power and authority conferred on the City Council by Section 31-16-202, C.R.S., and Article Il, Section 7 of the Charter, there is hereby adopted by reference the National Electrical Code,2020 Edition,as promulgated by the National Fire Protection Association, to have the same force and effect as if fully set forth in this Code in every particular, and its provisions shall be controlling, except as amended in Code § 5-82, within the City for the protection of the public health and safety,and for the purpose of regulating electrical wiring methods and regulating the installation, alteration and repair of electrical systems in the City. Sec.5-81. Short title. The National Electric Code adopted in Code § 5-80 and as amended by Code § 5-82, together with this § 5-81, may be known and cited as the City of Fort Collins Electrical Code. Sec. 5-82. Amendments to code adopted. National Electrical Code, 2020 Edition, adopted in Code § 5-80, is hereby amended in the following respects by the addition of the following new Sections: (1) Section 90.4.1. Permit Required. Any owner, owner's authorized agent or contractor who desires to construct,enlarge, alter,repair,move,demolish or change the occupancy of a building or structure,or to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical system, the installation of which is regulated by this code, or to cause any such work to be performed, shall first make application to the code official and obtain the required permit for the work. (2) Section 90.4.2. Appeals. Whenever the Administrative Authority disapproves an application or refuses to grant a permit applied for or it is claimed that the provisions of the National Electrical Code do not apply or that the true intent and meaning of the code has been misconstrued or wrongly interpreted,the applicant or party in interest may appeal such decision to the Building Review Board as provided for in Section 5-27(15)of the City Code. (3) Section 90.4.3. Fees. The fee for each permit shall be based on the value of the work regulated herein,as set forth in'Table No. 3-A, Building Permit Fees,'of the Building Code of the City of Fort Collins, except that such fee shall not be less than fifteen dollars ($15.) nor exceed the amount prescribed by Section 12-115-121, C.R.S. (4) Section 90.4.4. Violation and penalties. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert or demolish, equip, use or maintain an electrical system or equipment or cause or permit the same to be done in violation of this Code. Any person, firm or corporation violating any of -3- the provisions of this Code shall be deemed guilty of a civil infraction and subject to the penalties set forth in Section 1-15 of the City Code. (5) Section 600.1.1. Use of approved materials; electric signs. Where the use of approved materials, equipment or devices is required by the National Electrical Code, adopted in § 5-80, the label of or listing by the Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc., will be accepted as an approval. Alternate materials may be approved by the Building Official.All electrical signs shall be approved before any permit for the installation or erection of such sign is granted. Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 15th day of September, A.D. 2020,and to be presented for final passage on the 6th day of October, A.D. 2020. yor ATTEST: eFORTCokcity C ,— Passed and adopted on final reading on this 6th day of October, A.D. 2020. Qyor ATTEST: �oF Foar�)ity •cl `' SEAL cOLORAO -4-