|
<br />443 Lafayette Road N.
<br />St. Paul, Minnesota 55155
<br />www.dli.mn.gov
<br />www.electricity.state.mn.us
<br />
<br />
<br />MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF
<br />LABOR & INDUSTRY
<br />
<br />(651) 284-5064
<br />1-800-DIAL-DLl
<br />Fax: (651) 284-5743
<br />TTY: (651) 297-4198
<br />
<br />August 12, 2009
<br />
<br />Michael Kaehler, Building Official
<br />City of Ramsey
<br />7550 Sunwood Drive NW
<br />Ramsey, MN 55303
<br />
<br />Dear Mr. Kaehler:
<br />
<br />Thank you for the phone call. It's my understanding that the City of Ramsey is considering local electrical inspections.
<br />
<br />Following is an overview of the statutory requirements for municipal inspection areas and some informational items that
<br />highlight the benefits of having the Department of labor and Industry 1 continue to provide electrical inspection service in
<br />the City of Ramsey. For discussion purposes and for the sake of simplicity, political subdivision, municipality, village, city,
<br />town, or county are synonymous and will have the same meaning throughout this document where these terms relate to
<br />Minnesota Statute section 326B.36, subdivision 4.
<br />
<br />In accordance with state statutes, the Department of labor and Industry is the electrical inspection authority for the entire
<br />state of Minnesota. However, Minnesota Statute section 3268.36, subdivision 4 does allow for political subdivisions to
<br />create their own electrical inspection program through the promulgation of a properly constituted ordinance. Political
<br />subdivisions are prohibited from charging license or registration fees to any entity holding a license issued by the
<br />department (the dept. is the exclusive electrical licensing authority statewide). In addition, each electrical inspector for any
<br />given political subdivision is required to be a licensed master or journeyman electrician and the electrical inspector shall
<br />not otherwise engage or be employed in the sale, installing, altering or repairing of electrical wiring and shall have no
<br />financial interest in any concern engaged in any such business.
<br />
<br />· The original Board of Electricity was established by the legislature in 1899 to license electricians in populated
<br />areas to ensure safe electrical installations. The agency known as the Board of Electricity was consolidated into
<br />the Construction Codes and Licensing Division (CClD) of the Department of labor and Industry (DLI) in 2005
<br />along with plumbing, building, high pressure piping, boilers, and other units.
<br />
<br />· Licensing has been administered statewide since 1937 and electrical inspections have been performed statewide
<br />since 1951.
<br />
<br />· The department's advisory electrical board is comprised of eleven members appointed by the Governor. The
<br />board composition includes various electrical industry groups and the general public.
<br />
<br />· CClD's Electrical Inspection unit and associated electrical licensing unit are self-funded with inspection fees and
<br />licensing fees. The unit does not appropriate any money from the legislature. In addition to DLI staff attorneys,
<br />the Attorney General's office provides additional legal counsel.
<br />
<br />· There are no .direct costs to any of the counties, cities or towns in which the department provides electrical
<br />inspection service. The department is responsible for all costs for inspection fee collection, Request for Electrical
<br />Inspection certificate (permit) processing, inspection program and license program oversight, investigative and
<br />enforcement activities, complaint resolution and numerous other responsibilities.
<br />
<br />· As of May 2009, CClD has partnered with CRW Systems to implement a new comprehensive technology
<br />solution that will be used to manage geographical information, projects, plan reviews, permits, enforcement
<br />cases, licensing, and other information for building, electrical, plumbing, elevator, boiler, high pressure piping,
<br />and other CClD functions. CClD staff, inspectors, contractors, the pUblic and others will have access to permit,
<br />project, licensing, and enforcement information via the Internet. Contractors and homeowners will be able to file
<br />permits online and pay inspection fees with a credit card. The new system is tentatively scheduled to be
<br />implemented in November 2009.
<br />
<br />· The department is responsible for collecting, escrowing, and processing inspection fees and processing Request
<br />for Electrical Inspection certificates (permits). Only until such time that electrical inspections have been
<br />successfully completed are contract inspectors allowed to bill the department for their services. The department
<br />retains a small percentage of the fees to offset the costs of administering the statewide electrical inspection
<br />program. This unique system provides an incentive for contract inspectors to make timely and thorough electrical
<br />inspections. The department also ensures that inspection fee shortages are collected from installers and that
<br />
<br />1 Effective May 16, 2005, the Board of Electricity and five other construction codes and licensing agencies were merged into the Department of Labor
<br />and Industry - please visit www.dILmn.gov for more information.
<br />
|