TOM BURNS, PLANNING DIRECTOR

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1 ~~ COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ August 4,2005 PLANNING DEPARTMENT 701 OCEAN STREET, qth FLOOR, SANTA CRUZ, CA (831) FAX: (831) TDD: (831) TOM BURNS, PLANNING DIRECTOR Agenda: August 16,2005 Board of Supervisors County of Santa Cruz 701 Ocean Street Santa Cruz, CA SUBJECT: Adoption of Updated Electrical Code Members of the Board: Every few years the building, plumbing, mechanical and electrical codes are updated by a variety of agencies to include the most current construction practices and engineering concepts. These codes are then reviewed and approved by the various State agencies that regulate construction and life safety. Once the review and publishing are completed local agencies are mandated to adopt these codes in a timely fashion in order to maintain a uniform code throughout the state. The first of these updates - to the Electrical Code - was completed this past February. It is therefore necessary to consider amendments to County Code to adopt the updated Electrical Code. Changes to Electrical Code The 2004 California Electrical Code incorporates a number of changes form the 2001 California Electrical Code in an effort to make it more user friendly. Most of the changes are editorial or organizational changes. More substantive items include expanded use of arc fault-circuit interrupters and non-metallic sheathed cable and new standards for emergency egress from electrical rooms are new. A summary of the changes is included as Attachment I. Changes to County Code Local adoption of this revised code is accomplished through adopting changes to County Code Chapter Draft language to accomplish these changes is provided in Attachment 2 to this letter. As well, a copy of the 2004 California Electrical Code is on file for public review at the office of the Clerk of the Board. Environmental review by the County is not required because this review was conducted by the State before adopting the code and mandating its adoption by local agencies. 4

2 Adoption of New Electrical Code August 16,2005 Page No ConclusionlRecommendation In order to bring our local building codes into compliance with the most recently adopted codes, it is necessary at this time to take a number of actions. This letter begins that process by setting a public hearing for adoption and providing copies of the related documents in advance of that hearing. It is therefore RECOMMENDED that your Board take the following actions: 1. Schedule a public hearing for the morning agenda of September 20, 2005 to consider an ordinance amending Chapter of the County Code to adopt the 2004 California Electrical Code (Attachment 2), as amended by Title 24 the California Code of Regulations; and 2. Direct the Clerk of the Board to take the appropriate actions to notice the hearing. Planning Director - RECOMMENDED: 1 I, SUSAN!A~VAURIELLO County Administrative Officer JH:TB Attachments

3 0 i 75 Attachment 1 PRIMARY CHANGES TO THE 2004 CALIFORNIA ELECTRICAL CODE The following list was comprised and paraphrased by County Building Official, Jennifer Hutchinson, to advise electrical contractors of some code changes to the California Electrical Code. This list is not intended to be an all-inclusive list, but is intended to educate and inform the electrical industry and public. Changes have been made in the 2004 CEC in an effort to make it user friendly. You will find many articles have been rewritten, exceptions deleted and'moved to the main body of the text, articles that have been moved to new sections, and some new articles. Primary Changes Moved Articles: Several articles have been moved. Switches have been moved from article 380 to article 404; Switchboards and Panel boards have been moved from article 384 to article 408; Temporary wiring has been changed to Temporary Installations and moved from 305 to article 527. New Articles: New articles include article 285 Transient Voltage Surge Suppressors; article 406 Receptacles, Cord Connectors, and Attachment Plugs; article 647 Sensitive Electronic Equipment; and 692 Fuel Cell Systems. Code Wide Changes: Metric units will be given first and the feet and inches will be in (). The word "Luminaire" replaces the word fixture and the term "Natural" in "Natural Gray" has been deleted New section requiring that in other than one and two family dwellings, a field marking be required on electrical equipment that is likely to be energized while being examined, adjusted, serviced or maintained. This marking shall indicate, "Potential Arc- Flash hazards exist while working on this energized equipment." I1 0-26(C)(2) Equipment rooms containing large equipment (1200 amperes or more and over 6 I in width) must be equipped with doors that swing away from the room and be equipped with panic hardware (A)(5) Exception No. 3 Will allow a receptacle to be installed in a basement to supply a permanently installed fire alarm or burglar alarm without having to be GFCl \ 1

4 protected (A)(8) All 125 volt 15 & 20 ampere receptacles installed in residential boathouses have to be GFCI protected (B) All 125 volt 15 & 20-ampere receptacles installed in kitchens (other than dwelling units) must be GFCI protected All 15 & 20 ampere branch circuits supplying outlets in dwelling unit bedrooms must be protected by Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupter(s). Including smoke detectors and lighting (C)(5) The maximum height a receptacle can be above a kitchen counter top and still be counted as one of the required receptacles was changed from 18" to 20" (C(5) Receptacles installed in an appliance garage on a kitchen counter top cannot be counted as one of the required receptacles to serve that counter top. Note: The appliance garage is not a break in the counter top A 125 volt 15 or 20 ampere receptacle outlet shall be installed on the same level and within 25' of all HVAC equipment (A)(2) A switch is required at each floor level and landing between floor levels where the landing contains and entry. Detached garages with electric power now require a wall switched controlled light at the exterior entrance or exit with grade level access In residential occupancies where alterations are made that require a building permit and where smoke detectors are not located now, a smoke detector must be added in the following locations: inside each bedroom; outside each bedroom area; and on each floor level including basements. Unless the alteration or repair result in the removal of the wall or ceiling surfaces, smoke detectors may be battery operated and do not have to be interconnected. Alterations and repairs limited to the exterior are excluded from this requirement (4) For services, conductors in a conduit and buried 18" under the earth beneath a building are considered as being outside the building & Conductors used outside and being protected with PVC, must use schedule (D) Circuit breakers used as switches for high intensity discharge lighting have to be marked "HID." (B)(2) When a grounded conductor is installed along with the circuit conductors f 2

5 feeding a separate building from a primary building they must be sized not smaller than the larger of either the calculated neutral load (220.22) or the equipment grounding conductor ( ) (E) The size of the grounding electrode conductor at a separate building being fed from the primary building must sized per table Exception No. 3 A metal elbow shall not be required to be grounded where it is used in a nonmetallic raceway and is isolated by at least 18" of cover or is encased in not less than 2" of concrete (A) Where auxiliary gutters are used for services they are required to be bonded (A) When bonding a metal water piping system, the word "interior" has been deleted therefore requiring all metal water piping to be bond (B) Where the ungrounded conductors are increased in size for any reason the size of the equipment grounding conductor must be increased proportionally (A) When grounding a receptacle by using metal to metal contact on a metal box, the box must be surface mounted l(c) Cables cannot be used as a means of support for other cables or raceways (B)&(C) Metal conduit covered with a nonmetallic covering cannot be used in ducts or plenums or in other spaces used for environmental air (C)(I) Exception The exception allowing liquid tight flexible metal conduit in lengths not exceeding 6' has been deleted, therefore liquid tight can no longer be used in other spaces used for environmental air (A) Exception Boxes other that those designed for luminaires or lamp holders can be used to support luminaires if the luminaire weighs less than 6 Ib. The requirement for the luminaire to be less than 16" in any dimension has been deleted (B) & (B) Up to six feet of AC or MC Cable may be used from the last support to the luminaire without additional support NM (romex) can be used in multifamily dwellings of Types Ill, IV, and V construction. It can also be used in other building of the same types of construction where concealed within walls, floors, or ceilings that provide a thermal barrier of material that has at least a 15 minute finish rating (A)(I) NM (romex) cannot be used as open runs in suspended or dropped ceilings in other than one and two family dwellings. 3

6 334.30(B)(2) NM (romex) can be run unsupported from the last support to a luminaire for a distance of 4 X O(B)(4)(a) SE cable can be used as interior wiring when it meets the requirements for NM cable with the exception on cable ampacity. The ampacity ratings will be that of SE cable O(2) Exception Electrical nonmetallic tubing is permitted in buildings exceeding three floors above grade where a fire sprinkler system is installed per NFPA O(5) Exception Electrical nonmetallic tubing is permitted above suspended ceilings without a thermal barrier of material that has at least a 15-minute finish rating where the building is sprinkled according NFPA A switch with a marked "OFF" position shall completely disconnect all ungrounded conductors of the load it controls (B) Receptacles installed in wet locations are to be in enclosures that are weatherproof with or without the attachment plug inserted. This does require a "bubble" type cover (B)(2) In a commercial garage where compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles are repaired or stored, the area within 18" of the ceiling shall be classified as Class I, Division 2, hazardous location. This does not apply where there is ventilation of at least four air changes per hour provided (A)(4) Where a pool is within 10' of a dwelling and the dimensions of the lot preclude meeting the required clearances, not more than one receptacle outlet shall be permitted if not less than 5' measured horizontally from the inside wall of the pool (C) Switches shall be located at least 5' horizontally from the inside walls of a pool unless it is listed as being acceptable for use within 5' (C)(1)&(2) A fixed or stationary sign shall be not less that 5' inside the fountain measured from the outside edges of the fountain. A portable sign shall not be placed within 5' from the inside edge of a fountain. A copy of the full text of the proposed ordinance is posted in the ofice of the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, Room 500, Santa Cruz, California. d c 4

7 ORDINANCE NO. ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION OF THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CODE REGARDING ADOPTION OF AND AMENDMENTS TO THE UNIFORM ELECTRICAL CODE The Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Cruz ordains as follows: SECTION I Section I of the Santa Cruz County Code is hereby amended to read as follows: Uniform Electrical Code adopted. The Electrical Code for the County of Santa Cruz shall be the.1qqq 2004 Edition of the l"i California Electrical Code as amended by Part 3 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, administered under the Uniform Administrative Code.. for the 1999 National Electrical Code published by the International 1 * Code Council, subject to the following changes and exceptions: (a) Uniform Administrative Code Section 306 (a) amended. Subsection (a) of Section 306 of the 1994 Uniform Administrative Code Provisions for the National Electrical Code is hereby amended by adding the following sentence: No connection may be made to a source of electrical energy until all provisions of applicable ordinances and permits pertaining to the development of the site have been ad hered to. (b) Permits, to whom issued. 1. Permits shall be issued only to qualified contractors, duly licensed by the State of California and authorized by their license to perform electrical work except as specifically provided below: i. Maintenance Electrician. In lieu of an individual permit for each installation or alteration thereof, a permit shall be issued to any person, firm or corporation regularly employing one or more qualified electricians for the installation and maintenance of electrical wiring, devices, appliances, apparatus or equipment on premises owned or occupied by the applicant for the permit. ii. Homeowner. The Building Official may issue to an individual a homeowner's permit authorizing said individual to install, alter, change, or repair any electrical fixture, appliance or electric system regulated by this Chapter in or about a single-family dwelling used exclusively for living purposes, including the usual accessory buildings and quarters in connection with such buildings, provided that such person is the owner of the premises. iii. Building Owner or Qualified Maintenance Electrician. The Building Official may issue an electrical permit to the building owner or other qualified person, based upon the scope of the work and the qualifications of the applicant. The Building Official may require verification of the necessary skills and abilities to perform such work by such means as he/she deems necessary. (c) Table No. 3-A of the Uniform Administrative Code for the 1999 National Electrical Code Amended. Table No. 3-A of the Uniform Administrative Code for the 1999 National Electrical Code shall be amended to read as follows: Fees shall be as set forth in the Planning department section of the County Unified Fee Schedule.

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9 This Ordinance shall take effect on the 3 lst day following adoption. PASSED AND ADOPTED this day of,2005, by the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Cruz by the following vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: SUPERVISORS SUPERVISORS SUPERVISORS SUPERVISORS ~~ CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ATTEST: Clerk of the Board APPROVED AS TO FORM: County Counsel