§ 30-51. Findings and background.

The city council finds and declares as follows:

(1)

The city is committed to providing adequate emergency fire services for its citizens and to the businesses and property located in the city.

(2)

The city council has considered adequate information, including the study developed by the city's fire service fee consultant.

(3)

Florida Statute § 166.201 authorizes a municipality to raise funds by the imposition of user fees or charges authorized by ordinance, which are necessary for the conduct of municipal government and may enforce their receipt and collection in the manner prescribed by ordinance not inconsistent with law.

(4)

The benefits of emergency fire service received from properties in the service area are many. First, there is a watch standing, or availability benefit that comes from the availability of fire service. Second, there is a service benefit that comes from actual calls for service to the property classes within the service area. Third, a benefit of the availability of fire service in the city is the availability of, and potentially reduced cost of fire insurance. The level of fire service provided can have an effect upon fire insurance rates with higher levels of service generally resulting in lower insurance rates. Finally, the ability of the city's fire service personnel to intervene in a fire event can potentially save structures or reduce damage to structures.

(5)

Insufficient funding is available from other general fund revenue sources to continue providing the level of emergency fire services that the city desires to provide to the citizens and properties located in the city.

(6)

Imposing an emergency fire service user fee is the most equitable manner of providing the additional funding needed to pay for these services.

(7)

It is the city's plan that the fire service fee will generate a portion of the budgeted operational costs of providing emergency fire services to the city's citizens and properties.

(8)

The fire service fee will be billed to all city properties as a part of the monthly utility bill.

(Ord. No. 2010-43, § 2, 5-4-2010; Ord. No. 2017-7, § 1, 11-1-2016)