Presenter
SPONSORED BY COUNCILMAN DAN GILMAN
TITLE
Ordinance amending and supplementing the Pittsburgh Code, Title One, Administration, Chapter 170 Fees, so as to add language in Section 170.01 to create a formal process for setting an annual fee schedule for all city departments.
BODY
WHEREAS, fees and charges specifically set in the Pittsburgh City Municipal Code and those that are authorized in the Code or otherwise to be set independently by the City Clerk or City Directors are not currently documented in a central location that is easily accessible to the public; and,
WHEREAS, the Department of Finance has not conducted a broad fee study since the 1990s, which makes many of the City fees inconsistent with the increased costs of doing business.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh calls upon the Department of Finance to lead an annual fee study, in conjunction with every individual department, to ensure that all fees and charges accurately reflect increased costs of administration; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOVLED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Amending the Pittsburgh City Code, Title One: Administrative, Article VII: Procedures; Chapter 170.01 Fee Determination, by adding language as follows:
CHAPTER 170: - FEES
§ 170.01 - FEE DETERMINATION AND COLLECTION.
(a) Authority to establish. The City Clerk and directors of all City departments are authorized to establish a schedule of fees for the use of city-owned or operated facilities or vehicles; for the furnishing or identification passes and copies of records, maps, drawings, plans, reports and any other similar materials; and for any other services furnished by any department for the benefit of any private individual or entity.
(b) Determination of fees. The fees shall be commensurate with the cost of rendering the service in the opinion of the City Clerk or Director and may be adjusted from time to time at his or her discretion, subject to subsections (d) and (e) herein.
(1) Exempt agencies. No charge shall be made for furnishing copies of records to agencies of the federal government, any state government and other local governments.
(c) Disposition of moneys. All fees so collected by the various departments shall be transmitted to the City Treasurer.
(d) Creation of an annual fee schedule:
(1) The Director of Finance shall create and maintain a fee schedule containing all fees and charges set in the Pittsburgh City Municipal Code or authorized to be set by the City Clerk or Department Directors pursuant to this Section 170.01, pursuant to other Municipal Code Sections, or pursuant to other applicable law.
(2)This fee schedule must be made accessible to the public and shall be posted on the City’s website.
(3) On or before June 30, 2015, and each year thereafter, the City Clerk and department directors shall submit to the Director of Finance a list of proposed departmental fees and charges for the following year.
(e) Adjusting fees and charges to CPI- U:
(1) In order to ensure that all fees and charges accurately reflect the costs of administration, the Director of Finance shall review the fee schedules proposed by each department and adjust all fees and charges annually based upon the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Statistics, Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (“CPI-U”) for Pittsburgh. This index adjustment will not apply in the event that a director offers a discretionary increase for a fee or charge for the following year. All other fees and charges will be subject to this index adjustment except as otherwise directed by the Director of Finance or as prohibited by collective bargaining agreement or applicable state or federal law.
(2) The fee schedule shall be submitted by the Finance Director and/or Mayor as a part of the annual budget submission to City Council
(3) Council shall approve the fee schedule as a part of the annual approval of the City’s Operating Budget.
(4) The inaugural fee schedule shall be created and presented to Council along with the Mayor’s proposed 2016 Budget. Subsequent adjustments to CPI-U shall be made annually.
(5) The inaugural fee schedule shall become effective as of January 1, 2016. Upon said effective date:
(a) The fee schedule shall thereinafter supersede any conflicting amounts for fees or charges prescribed by the Code; and
(b) All resolutions, ordinances or parts thereof authorizing the City Clerk or directors to set fees without Council approval shall be hereby amended to comply with the authorization process set forth in this Chapter.
§ 170.02 - FEES FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.
(a) The following fees shall be assessed by the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services:
Basic Life Support Base Charge .....$700.00
Advanced Life Support-1 Base Charge .....850.00
Advanced Life Support-2 Base Charge .....900.00
Patient Loaded Mile, per mile .....13.00
Oxygen .....60.00
EKG Monitor .....100.00
Nitrous Oxide .....60.00
Cervical Collar .....40.00
Additional Attendant .....400.00
Extrication .....750.00
The fees may be adjusted from time to time at the discretion of the Chief of the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services who shall annually report such adjustments to Council. All fees shall be commensurate with the cost of providing said emergency medical services and shall be computed in accordance with generally recognized industry standards.
(b)
The Bureau is hereby authorized to promulgate appropriate regulations for the billing and collection of the aforesaid charge; provided, however, that nothing herein shall require payment prior to and conditioned upon, the rendering of services and transportation by the Bureau. The City is committed to providing emergency medical services to all of its residents regardless of ability to pay.
(c)
When the Bureau renders ambulance and life support services, it shall inquire if the patient (whether a resident or non-resident of the City) is covered by any private or public health insurance plan. If the patient has coverage, the Bureau shall make further inquiry to obtain any information it requires in order to maintain accurate records and/or submit bills to the insurance carrier. Failure to respond to such inquiries within thirty (30) days shall be a violation of this section punishable by a fine of up to three hundred dollars ($300.00); provided, however, nothing herein shall require a patient to make any payment or provide any insurance information prior to the rendering of services or transportation by the Bureau. Residents and non-residents shall be billed directly for any balance amounts still owing for services rendered after any applicable payment by an insurance company is made.
(Ord. 36-1991, eff. 11-14-91; Ord. 21-2004, § 6, eff. 12-2-04; Ord. No. 21-2013, § 1, eff. 8-5-13)
§ 170.03 - CONTRIBUTION RATE FOR 911 SYSTEM.
The monthly contribution rate of one dollar ($1.00) per local exchange access line is hereby enacted for the City of Pittsburgh 911 System. The rate shall be payable by telephone subscribers within the municipal boundaries of the City in accordance with the provisions of the Pennsylvania Public Safety Emergency Telephone Act, Act 79 of 1990, as amended, and regulations promulgated thereunder. Any person who fails to pay such rate within thirty (30) days of billing therefor shall be in violation of this section.
(Ord. 28-1992, eff. 7-8-92)
§ 170.04 - FEES FOR CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATIONS.
The Director of the Department of Personnel and Civil Service Commission is hereby authorized to establish and implement a fee to be paid by individuals who take Civil Service examinations so long as such fee does not violate a collective bargaining agreement.
The fee shall be calculated not to exceed the cost to the City of administering such examinations.
(Ord. 26-1998, eff. 12-31-98)
§ 170.05 - FEES FOR CITY COURT.
A charge of five dollars ($5.00) per case shall be charged to individuals entering into an alternative program for low level crimes. This charge will be assessed when individual is referred to a community service organization. These charges shall be commensurate with the costs of rendering referrals.
A charge of five dollars ($5.00) per case shall be charged to individuals receiving citations. These charges shall be commensurate with the minimum assessment of court costs.
(Ord. 27-1998, eff. 12-31-98)
§ 170.06 - FEES FOR POLICE SECONDARY EMPLOYMENT.
The following fee shall be assessed by the Bureau of Police:
Ten (10) percent of the hourly wage of a Police Officer Fourth Year per hour per officer.
All fees shall be commensurate with the cost of providing said Police Secondary Employment Details and shall be computed in accordance with generally recognized industry standards.
Fees and Cost Recovery for Special Events shall continue to be governed by Chapter 470: Permitting of Special Events.
(Ord. No. 12-2013, § 1, eff. 4-19-13)
Sponsored by Councilman Dan Gilman