(A) Billing and collection.
(1) Parties requesting and receiving fire services may be billed directly by the city. Additionally, if the party receiving fire services did not request services but a fire or other situation exists, which at the discretion of the Fire Department personnel in charge requires fire service, the party will be charged and billed. All parties will be billed whether or not the fire service is covered by insurance. Any billable amount of the fire charge not covered by a party’s insurance remains a debt of the party or property owner receiving the fire service.
(2) Parties billed for fire service will have 90 days to pay. If the fire service charge is not paid by that time, it will be considered delinquent and the city will send a notice of delinquency.
(3) If the fire service charge remains unpaid for 90 days after this notice of delinquency is sent, the city will use all practical and reasonable legal means to collect the fire service charge. The party receiving fire service shall be liable for all collection costs incurred by the city including, but not limited to, reasonable attorney fees and court costs.
(4) If the fire service charge remains unpaid for 90 days after the notice of delinquency is sent, the City Council by formal resolution, after due consideration, may also, on or before October 15 of each year, certify the unpaid fire service charge to the County Auditor in which the recipient of the services owns real property for collection with property taxes.
The County Auditor is responsible for remitting to the city all charges collected on behalf of the city. The city must give the property owner notice of its intent to certify the unpaid fire service charge by September 15.
(5) False alarms will be billed as specified in § 34.08(A).
(B) Application of collections to budget. All collected fire charges will be city funds used to offset the expenses of the Fire Department in providing fire services.
(Ord. 291, passed 3-21-2012)