Chapter 3.30
PUBLIC SAFETY FEE
Sections:
3.30.010 Enactment, process and order.
3.30.020 Administration and collection.
3.30.040 Adjustment of existing public safety fee.
3.30.010 Enactment, process and order.
A. Enactment. The city establishes and authorizes the levying of a public safety fee (PSF) to be used to support the police and fire departments in carrying out their respective missions and duties to protect the public. The city council is empowered to enact separate PSFs through the process established below.
B. Process. The city will follow the process which provides the following:
1. Report from the administration that addresses:
a. Specific purpose or use to be made of the revenue from each PSF.
b. The estimated amount of revenue that the PSF would raise for the city.
c. The specific amount of the PSF and the method of determining the amount of the PSF.
d. The group of citizens who would be charged the PSF.
e. The criteria established for determining the need for a PSF.
2. Public hearing at which the city council may receive from the public advice; input and comment concerning the PSF.
3. Requirement that reporting be done at least annually to report the amount of revenue raised by the PSF, the expenditures from that revenue. This report may be incorporated in the annual budget.
C. Order. The city council shall enact each specific PSF through the process set out above using the council’s quasi-judicial authority by enactment of an order. [Ord. 2714 § 7 (Exh. A), 2009. Code 2001 § 36.35.]
3.30.020 Administration and collection.
The city administration will be responsible for billing, collection, and reporting to the city council concerning each PSF. The PSFs may be billed and collected through the city’s utility billing system. The city budget will contain information that clearly indicates the amount of revenue that each PSF is estimated to collect and the proposed expenditures. An annual report will be made to the city council showing actual revenue collected and expenditures made during the previous fiscal year. This report may be incorporated in the annual budget. [Ord. 2714 § 7 (Exh. A), 2009. Code 2001 § 36.36.]
3.30.030 Criteria.
The PSF will be established based upon the following criteria:
A. The need for services.
B. Comparison of resources to provide such services by examining the following:
1. Comparison with resources available in similar communities.
2. Comparison with resources used to provide services, such as number of police officers or firefighters per capita as shown through nationally recognized service studies.
3. Comparison of statistics showing the calls for service or incidents that require services from year to year to determine if the need for services has increased or decreased.
4. Any other recognized study or authoritative source showing comparison of resources needed with services to be delivered in the public safety area.
5. Take into consideration the increase or decrease in population.
6. A reasonable connection between those who need, use, or are likely to need or use the service, and those who are charged the fee.
7. The amount of revenue needed to support the resources to provide the services.
C. Any other criteria that should reasonably be considered that would be likely to assist in establishing an equitable PSF, which could be charged on a fair and equitable basis.
D. The report proposing the PSF will address the criteria to be considered.
E. The testimony at the public hearing should be addressed to the criteria.
F. The fee shall be established and levied on a reasonable basis considering all the criteria. [Ord. 2714 § 7 (Exh. A), 2009. Code 2001 § 36.37.]
3.30.040 Adjustment of existing public safety fee.
A. Purpose of Adjustment. The city council recognizes that unanticipated increases in the cost of living, health care, pension obligations, renegotiation of collective bargaining agreements, and other circumstances may require the city council to adjust a previously enacted PSF to provide the revenue needed to support the resources to provide the services for which the PSF was enacted.
B. Amended Order. The city council may adjust an enacted PSF by an amended order. The amended order shall only address a change in the fee amount. The amended order may index future increases to the PSF to an objective criterion, including but not limited to a CPI published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
C. Criteria. Any adjustment must be based upon the following criteria:
1. Identification of the financial circumstances that have changed since the original enactment of the PSF.
2. The amount of revenue needed to support the resources to provide the services identified in the PSF.
3. Any other criteria that should reasonably be considered that would be likely to assist in establishing an equitable adjustment to the PSF.
4. The report proposing the PSF adjustment will address the criteria to be considered.
D. Public Hearing. Prior to adjusting any enacted PSF, the city council shall hold a public hearing at which the city council may receive from the public advice, input and comment concerning the proposed adjustment. The testimony at the public hearing should be addressed to the criteria. [Ord. 2800 § 1, 2016.]