| Committee of Jurisdiction: | Urban Affairs |
| Plumbing Board: | City of Gering |
| Contact: | Jeff Vance |
| Purpose: | The City provides oversight in order to ensure that plumbing and HVAC installations are done correctly. Plumbers who are unqualified can property damage, financial harm, and can even put people’s lives in danger, due to the risk of carbon monoxide. Residents should be able to know that as long as they hire a licensed plumber, they will be qualified and will have bonding and insurance so that there is some recourse if there are issues with the work. |
| Regulated Professionals: | 144 |
| Year Created: | 1975 |
| Year Active: | 1975 to present |
| Sunset Date: | Non Expire |
| Parent Department/Division: | Engineering |
| Number of Members: | 6 |
| Who Appoints: | Mayor |
| City Council/Village Board/City Manager Approval: | City Council |
| Qualifications of Members: | The Plumbing Board shall have the power and it shall be its duty, to adopt rules and regulations, not inconsistent with the laws of the state or the ordinances of the city, for the sanitary construction, alteration and inspection of plumbing and sewage connections and drains placed in or in connection with any and every building in the city in which it will prescribe the kind and size of material to be used in such plumbing and the manner in which such work shall be done, which rules and regulations, except such are adopted for its own convenience only, shall be approved by ordinance by the Mayor and City Council. |
| Per Diem: | No |
| Expense Reimbursement: | No |
| Term Length: | 3 years |
| Terms Rotate or Expire at Once: | Terms Rotate |
| Required FY 2022-2021: | 1 |
| Held FY 2022-2021: | 1 |
| Required FY 2021-2020: | 1 |
| Held FY 2021-2020: | 2 |
| Required FY 2020-2019: | 1 |
| Held FY 2020-2019: | 2 |
| Required FY 2019-2018: | 1 |
| Held FY 2019-2018: | 2 |
| Required FY 2018-2017: | 1 |
| Held FY 2018-2017: | 5 |
| Support Staff: | 3 |
| Shared or Separate: | shared |
| FY 2022-2021 Budget: | 0 |
| FY 2021-2020 Budget: | 0 |
| FY 2020-2019 Budget: | 0 |
| FY 2019-2018 Budget: | 0 |
| FY 2018-2017 Budget: | 0 |
| Funding Sources: | General Fund |
| Spending Authority: |
| Plumbing Certificates Issued: | 720 |
| Issued Certificate Descriptions: | Master License, Journeyman License, Apprentice License and Endorsement License |
| Plumbing Certificates Revoked: | 0 |
| Revoked Certificate Descriptions: | None |
| Plumbing Certificates Denied: | 0 |
| Denied Certificate Descriptions: | None |
| Plumbing Certificates Penalties Against: | 25 |
| Penalty Certificate Descriptions: | late fees and no permit |
| Explanation of Effectiveness: | https://nebraskalegislature.gov/pdf/SurveyDocs/explanation1665694125.pdf |
| Potential Harm | There is considerable risk to allowing unqualified persons to do this kind of work. The most common risk would be property damage, from improper installations that can cause water damage, or, in rare cases, the explosion of equipment such as hot water heaters. Of greater concern is the risk from improper HVAC installations, which can be a risk to people’s lives, from improper installations that result in carbon monoxide or explosions of furnaces. There is additional risk to City infrastructure, including damage to City streets due to settling caused by water leaks, contamination of the City’s water service due to improper backflow installation, and damage to the City’s water or sewer lines due to improper tapping procedures. |
| Regulation Comparison: | https://nebraskalegislature.gov/pdf/SurveyDocs/comparison1665694125.pdf |
| Subject to Regulations of Act(LB407): | No |
| Survey Submitted: | October 13, 2022 03:48 PM |