As of July 1, all electrical, plumbing and HVAC work on residential buildings will have to be done by state-licensed contractors.
Gov. Tate Reeves signed a bill into law on April 22, stating that such work must be completed by state-licensed contractors, according to Winona Fire Chief Brad Mooneyham.
Mooneyham told the Winona Board of Aldermen during their May 3 meeting that he had received an email from a representative of the Mississippi State Board of Contractors regarding the new law.
“It said in the email, if you’re your own contractor, you have to be licensed through the State of Mississippi – meaning, if you do any work on your house and you’re your own contractor or subcontract it out, you have to be a licensed contractor in the State of Mississippi to subcontract it out,” said Mooneyham.
He said he was not aware of any grandfather clause pertaining to homes built with work done by unlicensed contractors prior to the law, but the state board will be sending him updates regarding the new law.
Prior to the May 3 meeting, Mooneyham would have to inspect homes after electrical work had been done.
He told the board, “If any citizen of Winona gets work done, especially electrical work done without a licensed contractor, then I cannot approve the work that was done to get your lights turned back on – meaning, you’ll be without lights.”
During the meeting, Alderman Travis Johnson made a motion to do away with the electrical inspections so that residents could keep their power.
“We talked about doing an ordinance, so he does not have to inspect and put a tag on the meter,” said Johnson. “We’ve already done this with gas inspection a while back.”
Board Attorney Adam Kirk told the board that owners of commercial buildings have been required to have work completed by licensed contractors for years.
“The problem is – I do a lot of construction stuff – there are so many unlicensed contractors and people don’t know it, and they hire them to do it. They don’t do right, and you try to go after them and file a complaint with the state board and they’re not a licensed contractor,” said Kirk.
In other board news:
• Calbrina Woods with the American Red Cross spoke with the board during the meeting about “Sound the Alarm,” a program that enables residents to receive free 10-year smoke detectors. Residents are to contact Woods at 662-753-1659 to be put on a list to have their smoke detectors installed on June 4 beginning at 9 a.m.
• Mayor Aaron Dees reported that Chick-fil-a will begin having a food truck in the city twice a month.
• Police Chief Roshaun Daniels reported the police department turned over $691,046 in unpaid fines to collection agency AMS.
• Former Code Enforcement Officer Arlin Pearson reported the city kennel had twice as many dogs this month compared to his April report.
