A. No new hospital shall be developed, either through construction or conversion of existing space, or an existing noncity hospital expanded, in the City of Poteau, Oklahoma, unless a permit therefor has been issued by the City Clerk.
B. Before developing a facility for use as a licensed hospital or expanding an existing noncity hospital, the person, firm or corporation, proposing to operate the hospital shall apply to the City Clerk for a permit for the facility, which shall be in addition to any other required approvals. The application for permit shall be in such form as the City Clerk shall prescribe and shall include a demonstration of the hospital's or hospital expansion's probable impact on existing hospital and surgical services in the City of Poteau including permitted facilities not yet completed.
C. The application for permit shall be accompanied by a filing fee equal to five percent (5%) of the capital cost of the proposed hospital plus two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00), with a minimum fee of three thousand five hundred dollars ($3,500.00) and a maximum fee chargeable hereunder of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00). It is intended that the fee charged herein shall be used to cover the costs of the application administration and evaluation by the City staff in an amount of two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00). In addition, the remainder of the application fee shall be used to pay all costs for a feasibility study, to be conducted by a recognized healthcare industry consulting firm, demonstrating the existence of the matters herein, declared essential for determination by the City Council, prior to the issuance of such a permit, as well as costs of publication and other matters required to be accomplished under this chapter. Any portion of the application fee not so expended shall be refunded to the applicant. If it is determined that costs of the feasibility study shall exceed the amount submitted with the application fee, the City Clerk or Mayor or his/her designee, shall notify the applicant, in writing. Said applicant shall submit the additional amount requested within ten (10) days or the application shall be stayed until such time as the remainder of the application fee is submitted to the City Clerk.
D. Within two (2) working days after receipt of the application fee the City Clerk shall provide the applicant with a notice of receipt and shall present to the Mayor or his/her designee, the application for permit. Within ten (10) days after receiving a completed application for permit, the Mayor or his/her designee shall cause a paid public notice to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the area where the hospital or hospital expansion is to be located and in a newspaper of general circulation in the area where the application is available for inspection. The notice shall include the name and proposed location of the facility, a brief description of the proposal, information on where the original application can be viewed, and an explanation of how parties may file material to be considered along with the application. The Mayor or his/her designee shall also request information on firm conducting feasibility study, with consideration given to all costs related to said study.
E. Any person may submit written evidence and argument regarding the proposed hospital to the Mayor or his/her designee to be reviewed by City staff and the Planning and Zoning Commission. Written materials shall be submitted to Community Development within thirty (30) days after publication of the paid notice. The Mayor or his/her designee shall immediately provide these materials to the applicant by certified mail or in person with the applicant signing a receipt. The applicant shall have fifteen (15) days after receipt of the materials, to respond in writing to materials timely filed by other persons. The Planning and Zoning Commission shall be provided with all materials included in the application process described herein and at a meeting to be held within sixty (60) days of the completion of process. The application and feasibility study shall be examined by the Planning and Zoning Commission, who shall make a recommendation to the City Council.
F. No permit to establish a hospital or expand an existing hospital shall be issued by the City Clerk unless, after reviewing the application, the feasibility study and timely filed written material and responses, the Mayor or his/her designee shall provide to the City Council the following findings made by the Planning and Zoning Commissioners:
1. The proposed hospital will contribute to the orderly development of hospital and surgical services in the City of Poteau; and
2. The proposed hospital will not cause an undue financial or staffing hardship on any existing provider of essential hospital or surgical services in the City of Poteau including permitted facilities not yet completed, which hardship shall be deemed potentially capable of causing the existing facility to alter its services to such a degree that it will adversely impact the citizens of Poteau, Oklahoma; and
3. The proposed hospital can be adequately served by the City's existing utility systems and/or infrastructure; and
4. The proposed hospital or existing hospital expansion will not cause an increase in the cost of medical care which would adversely impact the citizens of the City of Poteau. The findings of the Planning and Zoning Commission shall be summarized with appropriate documentation by the Mayor or his/her designee, with said findings to be provided to the City Council for its consideration in determining the granting or denial of said permit.
G. The Mayor or his/her designee shall schedule the application for permit for consideration by the City Council within one hundred fifty (150) days after publication of the paid notice. A permit shall be effective for thirty six (36) months from the date of issue of the permit, during which time an applicant shall start construction or conversion work on the hospital or hospital expansion. At the time the building permit is issued, the applicant shall submit a construction schedule to the City. If construction or conversion work is not started within the time required by this section, the permit shall be null and void. The City Council in approving or denying the application, will consider the recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission, but only grant or deny the application subsequent to its consideration of those items addressed in subsection F of this section.
H. In the event the City Council approves the application for permit submitted by the prospective builders, it shall be understood that all existing requirements contained in this title and title 11 of this Code, dealing with appropriate zoning and building standards, shall be complied with by the permit recipient. (Ord. 764, 1-7-2019)