Subdivision 1. Required permit. No person shall construct or install high pressure piping systems without first filing an application for a permit with the department or a municipality that has complied with subdivision 2.

Subd. 2. Permissive municipal regulation. The commissioner may enter into an agreement with a municipality, in which the municipality agrees to perform inspections and issue permits for the construction and installation of high pressure piping systems within the municipality's geographical area of jurisdiction, if:

(a) The municipality has adopted:

(1) the code for power piping systems, Minnesota Rules, parts 5230.0250 to 5230.5920;

(2) an ordinance that authorizes the municipality to issue permits to persons holding a high pressure piping contractor license issued by the department and only for construction or installation that would, if performed properly, fully comply with all Minnesota Statutes and Minnesota Rules;

(3) an ordinance that authorizes the municipality to perform the inspections that are required under Minnesota Statutes or Minnesota Rules governing the construction and installation of high pressure piping systems; and

(4) an ordinance that authorizes the municipality to enforce the code for power piping systems in its entirety.

(b) The municipality agrees to issue permits only to persons holding a high pressure piping contractor license as required by law at the time of the permit issuance, and only for construction or installation that would, if performed properly, comply with all Minnesota Statutes and Minnesota Rules governing the construction or installation of high pressure piping systems.

(c) The municipality agrees to issue permits only on forms approved by the department.

(d) The municipality agrees that, for each permit issued by the municipality, the municipality shall perform one or more inspections of the construction or installation to determine whether the construction or installation complies with all Minnesota Statutes and Minnesota Rules governing the construction or installation of high pressure piping systems, and shall prepare a written report of each inspection.

(e) The municipality agrees to notify the commissioner within 24 hours after the municipality discovers any violation of the licensing laws related to high pressure piping.

(f) The municipality agrees to notify the commissioner immediately if the municipality discovers that any entity has failed to meet a deadline set by the municipality for correction of a violation of the high pressure piping laws.

(g) The commissioner determines that the individuals who will conduct the inspections for the municipality do not have any conflict of interest in conducting the inspections.

(h) Individuals who will conduct the inspections for the municipality are permanent employees of the municipality and are licensed master high pressure pipefitters or licensed journeyworker high pressure pipefitters.

(i) The municipality agrees to notify the commissioner within ten days of any changes in the names or qualifications of the individuals who conduct the inspections for the municipality.

(j) The municipality agrees to enforce in its entirety the code for power piping systems on all projects.

(k) The municipality shall not approve any piping installation unless the installation conforms to all applicable provisions of the high pressure piping laws in effect at the time of the installation.

(l) The municipality agrees to promptly require compliance or revoke a permit that it has issued if there is noncompliance with any of the applicable provisions of the high pressure piping laws in connection with the work covered by the permit. The municipality agrees to revoke the permit if any laws regulating the licensing of pipefitters have been violated.

(m) The municipality agrees to keep official records of all documents received, including permit applications, and of all permits issued, reports of inspections, and notices issued in connection with inspections.

(n) The municipality agrees to maintain the records described in paragraph (m) in the official records of the municipality for the period required for the retention of public records under section 138.17, and shall make these records readily available for review according to section 13.37.

(o) Not later than the tenth day of each month, the municipality shall submit to the commissioner a report of all high pressure piping permits issued by the municipality during the preceding month. This report shall be in a format approved by the commissioner and shall include:

(1) the name of the contractor;

(2) the license number of the contractor's license issued by the commissioner;

(3) the permit number;

(4) the address of the job;

(5) the date the permit was issued;

(6) a brief description of the work; and

(7) the amount of the inspection fee.

(p) Not later than the 31st day of January of each year, the municipality shall submit a summary report to the commissioner identifying the status of each high pressure piping project for which the municipality issued a permit during the preceding year, and the status of high pressure piping projects for which the municipality issued a permit during a prior year where no final inspection had occurred by the first day of the preceding year. This summary report shall include:

(1) the permit number;

(2) the date of any final inspection; and

(3) identification of any violation of high pressure piping laws related to work covered by the permit.

(q) The municipality and the commissioner agree that if at any time during the agreement the municipality does not have in effect the code for high pressure piping systems or any of the ordinances described in paragraph (a), or if the commissioner determines that the municipality is not properly administering and enforcing the code for high pressure piping or is otherwise not complying with the agreement:

(1) the commissioner may, effective 14 days after the municipality's receipt of written notice, terminate the agreement and have the administration and enforcement of the high pressure piping code in the involved municipality undertaken by the department;

(2) the municipality may challenge the termination in a contested case before the commissioner pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act; and

(3) while any challenge under clause (2) is pending, the commissioner may exercise oversight of the municipality to the extent needed to ensure that high pressure piping inspections are performed and permits are issued in accordance with the high pressure piping laws.

(r) The municipality and the commissioner agree that the municipality may terminate the agreement with or without cause on 90 days' written notice to the commissioner.

(s) The municipality and the commissioner agree that no municipality shall revoke, suspend, or place restrictions on any high pressure piping license issued by the commissioner. If the municipality identifies during an inspection any violation that may warrant revocation, suspension, or placement of restrictions on a high pressure piping license issued by the commissioner, the municipality shall promptly notify the commissioner of the violation and the commissioner shall determine whether revocation, suspension, or placement of restrictions on any high pressure piping license issued by the commissioner is appropriate.

Subd. 3. Filing and inspection fees. (a) The department must charge a filing fee and an inspection fee for all applications for permits to construct or install high pressure piping systems. The filing fee shall be $100. The inspection fee shall be calculated as follows:

(1) When an application for a permit is filed prior to the start of construction or installation, the inspection fee shall be $150 plus 0.022 of the first $1,000,000, plus 0.011 of the next $2,000,000, plus 0.00055 of the amount over $3,000,000 of the cost of construction or installation.

(2) Except as provided in paragraph (b), when an application for permit is filed after the start of construction or installation, the inspection fee shall be the greater of: $1,100; or $150 plus 0.033 of the first $1,000,000, plus 0.0165 of the next $2,000,000, plus 0.011 of the amount over $3,000,000 of the cost of construction or installation.

(b) The commissioner shall consider any extenuating circumstances that caused an application for permit to be filed after the start of construction or installation. If warranted by such extenuating circumstances, the commissioner may calculate the inspection fee as if the application for permit had been filed prior to the start of construction or installation.

(c) Paragraphs (a) and (b) do not apply where a permit is issued by a municipality in accordance with an agreement under subdivision 2.

History: (5887-30b, 5887-30c) 1937 c 367 s 3,4; Ex1967 c 1 s 6; 1973 c 123 art 5 s 7; 1984 c 481 s 3; 1987 c 132 s 2; 1989 c 335 art 4 s 106; 1996 c 305 art 3 s 32; 2007 c 135 art 4 s 2; 2007 c 140 art 10 s 7,11; art 13 s 4; 2008 c 337 s 25,65; 2016 c 158 art 1 s 175; 2017 c 68 art 1 s 15,26; 1Sp2017 c 7 s 8