A. Service Established: Provisions are hereby established for the operation of an emergency telephone (“9-1-1”) service within the city.
B. Fee Established: There is hereby imposed an emergency telephone service fee in accordance with state law upon customers and users of such service to be collected and remitted to the city by the local exchange telephone company providing the 9-1-1 service (the “9-1-1 Service Provider”).
1. The city council is hereby authorized to impose such emergency telephone service fee at the rate of up to five per cent (5%) of the tariff rate, as defined in section 5-3-1 of this code, upon customers and users of such service to be collected and remitted to the city by the 9-1-1 Service Provider.
2. The city council is further authorized to allow the 9-1-1 Service Provider to retain up to three percent (3%) of the total amount of the service fee collected as an administrative fee.
3. The 9-1-1 Service Provider shall apply the first monies received from service users to satisfy the emergency number charge, with remaining funds to be credited for telephone charges, and forward the net proceeds collected in one (1) month to the City of Glenpool, “ATTN: City Treasurer,” no later than thirty (30) days after the close of the month in which such fees were collected, pursuant to Section 2815(A.) of the Nine-One-One Emergency Number Act, 63 Oklahoma Statutes sections 2811, et seq.
4. The city council shall review the emergency telephone service fee at least once each calendar year by no later than September 1 and shall establish the amount of the fee for the next calendar year.
5. Immediately upon fixing the new fee, the city council must publish it in the minutes and must notify every 9-1-1 Service Provider within the jurisdiction of the city of Glenpool of the new fee by certified mail.
6. The city council shall, as a part of the annual audit required by law, conduct an annual audit of any accounts established or used for the operation of the emergency telephone system. This audit may be conducted by the State Auditor and Inspector in accordance with 74 Oklahoma Statutes section 212A at the discretion of the city council. A copy of the audit must be filed with the State Auditor and Inspector. The cost of the audit of emergency telephone system accounts may be paid for and be considered a part of the operating expenses of the emergency telephone system.
7. The governing body shall meet at least quarterly to oversee the operations of the emergency telephone system, review expenditures, and approve an operating budget for the operation and management of the system. This duty may be delegated to the Regional Emergency Communication District created in accordance with the Regional Emergency 9-1-1 Services Act at 63 Oklahoma Statutes section 2870 and 2871.
C. Compliance With State Law; Liability For Fees; Failure To Pay:
1. The emergency telephone fee shall be imposed only as permitted by state law. Every billed service user shall be liable for any fee imposed pursuant to this chapter until it has been paid to the local exchange telephone company or other provider of dial tone.
2. Any service user wilfully failing or refusing to remit or pay any emergency telephone fee or portion thereof rightfully due under this chapter shall, upon conviction, be guilty of an offense punishable as provided in section 1-4-1 of this code and as set forth in the municipal bond schedule adopted by the governing body as provided in section 1-11-19 of this code, excluding costs. Each separate failure or refusal to remit or pay the emergency telephone fee set forth herein shall be deemed a separate offense and shall be punished accordingly.
D. Indication On Bills: Fees imposed pursuant to the authority of this chapter and that are required to be collected by the local exchange telephone company or any other provider of dial tone shall be added to and may be stated separately in the billings to the service user.
E. Use Of Proceeds: Proceeds shall be utilized to pay for the equipment and operation of emergency telephone and dispatch service.
(Ord. 588, 2-19-2008; amd. 2013 Code; Ord. 764, 6-17-2019)