[Adopted 9-8-2009 by Ord. No. 09-011]
In order to protect the City from extraordinary expenses resulting from the utilization of City resources in response to certain fire emergency, public safety and public utility incidents, this article authorizes the imposition of charges to recover actual costs incurred by the City in responding to such incidents.
Unless the context specifically indicates otherwise, the meaning of the terms used in this article shall be as follows:
ASSESSABLE COSTS
Those costs for services incurred by the City in connection with a response to a fire emergency or public safety incident or public utility interruption, including, but not limited to, the actual labor and material costs of the City (including, without limitation, employee wages, fringe benefits, administrative overhead, costs of equipment, costs of equipment operation, including depreciation, costs of materials, costs of transportation, equipment, costs of material disposal and costs of contracted labor), whether or not the services are provided by the City or by a third party on behalf of the City, service charges and interest, attorneys' fees, litigation costs and any costs, charges, fines or penalties to the City imposed by any court or state or federal governmental entities.
BOMB THREAT
The verbal or written threat of a bomb or other explosive device which, if discharged as threatened, would violate a federal, state or local law.
EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE
Emergency medical, public safety, police, fire, public utility and civil defense services provided by the City of Monroe.
FALSE ALARM
Any automated or manual device designed to request or summon emergency assistance, which device is activated, intentionally or otherwise, in the absence of an actual need for emergency assistance. The determination that there was no actual need for emergency assistance shall be made by the most senior person responding to a false alarm; provided, however, that a false alarm shall not be deemed to have occurred if caused by an act of God, i.e., a lightning storm, it originates from a motor vehicle alarm system or it has not occurred more frequently than two times in a calendar month or three times in a calendar year.
ILLEGAL FIRE
A fire set or determined to have been set in violation of a federal, state or local law. An illegal fire does not include an unintentional fire or fire caused by an act of God, i.e., a lightning storm.
MOTOR VEHICLE
Any self-propelled or towed vehicle designed or used on the public streets, roads and highways to transport passengers or property, which is required to be registered for use upon such public streets, roads and highways, and, for the purposes hereof, all trailers or appurtenances attached to any motor vehicle.
PUBLIC SAFETY OR FIRE EMERGENCY INCIDENT
A. 
Excessive requests for emergency assistance;
B. 
A false alarm;
C. 
An illegal fire;
D. 
Bomb threats;
E. 
Threats of harm to oneself or others;
F. 
A structure demolition; or
G. 
A utility line failure.
RESPONSIBLE PARTY
Any individual, firm, corporation, association, partnership, commercial entity, consortium, joint venture, government entity or any other legal entity responsible for a public safety or fire emergency incident or any owner, tenant, occupant or party in control of real and personal property from which, onto which or related to which there is a public safety or fire emergency incident and their heirs, estates, successors and assigns.
STRUCTURE DEMOLITION
The tearing down of a structure damaged by fire which must, in the opinion of the Fire Chief or his or her designee, be promptly demolished following the fire to protect public safety.
THREATS OF HARM TO ONESELF OR OTHERS
The verbal or written threat of physical harm to oneself or another or another's property which, if carried out, would be a violation of federal, state or local law.
UTILITY LINE FAILURE
The disabling of any transmission or service line, cable, conduit, pipeline, wire or the like used to provide, collect or transport electricity, natural gas, communication or electronic signals (including, but not limited to, telephone, computer, cable television and stereo signals or electronic impulses), water, sanitary sewage or storm sewage if the owner or party responsible for the maintenance of such utility line does not respond within one hour to a request to repair or correct such failure.
A. 
The City may recover from any or all responsible parties, jointly or severally, all assessable costs in connection with responses to public safety or fire emergency incidents and for the provision of emergency assistance and nonemergency assistance when requested.
B. 
The City Fire Chief or his or her designee shall determine the total assessable costs and shall, in consultation with the City Manager, determine whether to assess any, all or part of such costs against any of the responsible parties. In making such determination, the following shall be considered:
(1) 
The total assessable costs;
(2) 
The risk the public safety or fire emergency incident imposed on the City, its residents and their property;
(3) 
Whether there was any injury or damage to person or property;
(4) 
Whether the public safety or fire emergency incident required evacuation;
(5) 
The extent the public safety or fire emergency incident required an unusual or extraordinary use of the City personnel and equipment; and
(6) 
Whether there was any damage to the environment.
C. 
After consideration of the factors in Subsection B immediately above, the City Manager and Fire Chief may allocate assessable costs among and between responsible parties, including allocating all or some of such costs jointly and severally against more than one responsible party, regardless of whether a responsible party has other legal liability therefor or is legally at fault.
D. 
If the City Manager and Fire Chief determine not to assess all or a part of assessable costs against a responsible party, such determination shall not in any way limit or extinguish the liability of the responsible party to other parties.
E. 
The City Council shall, by resolution, adopt a schedule of the costs included as assessable costs. The schedule shall be available at the office of the City Clerk for inspection by the public during regular business hours.
After determining to assess assessable costs against a responsible party, the City Manager or the Fire Chief shall see that an itemized invoice is mailed to the responsible party at its last known address. Such invoice shall be due and payable within 30 days of the date of mailing, and any amounts unpaid after such date shall bear a late payment fee equal to 1% per month, or fraction thereof that the amount due and any previously imposed late payment fee remain unpaid. Any responsible party who fails to pay the costs assessed pursuant to this article within 30 days of the date of the statement shall be considered in default. In the case of a default, the City may authorize the City Attorney to commence a civil action to recover the costs, plus the late payment penalty of 1% per month during which the costs remain unpaid, together with its attorney fees and any other costs allowed by law. All of the charges imposed pursuant to this Ordinance shall be collectible through proceedings in District Court, or in any court of competent jurisdiction, as a matured debt. The City may proceed in District Court by suit to collect any monies remaining unpaid and shall have any and all other remedies provided by law for the collection of said charges.
The City shall be entitled to pursue any other remedy or may institute any appropriate action or proceeding in a court of competent jurisdiction as permitted by law to collect assessable costs from a responsible party.
The recovery of assessable costs pursuant hereto does not limit the liability of a responsible party under applicable local, state or federal law.
The foregoing rates and charges shall not be exclusive of the charges that may be made by the City for the costs and expenses of maintaining a fire department, but shall only be supplemental thereto. Charges may be additionally collected and/or continue to be collected by the City through general taxation as permitted by law or by a special assessment established under the Michigan statutes pertinent thereto. General fund appropriations may also be made to cover such additional costs and expenses as permitted by law.
All amounts collected as a result of this article shall be placed into a fund as established by the Finance Director to be used exclusively for personnel, supplies and equipment for the Police and Fire Departments.