Ord 56-2021 Amending Section 5 of Ordinance 49-2021 Fire Department Operations 11/02/2021 Ordinance No. 56-2021
Ordinance amending Section 5 of Ordinance No. 49-2021, the fee
schedule applied to Fire Department operations; providing for
severability; providing that such ordinance shall not be codified; and
providing an effective date
WHEREAS, City Staff has studied the cost of providing the services and enforcing
the regulatory schemes which are currently not being covered by the existing fees; and,
WHEREAS, after receiving and reviewing the aforementioned costs, the City
Council finds that the fees established herein do not exceed the amount reasonably
necessary to provide the services and administer and enforce the regulatory programs to
which they are related; and,
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that the fines, fees, and rates described herein
are necessary to provide for the services and regulated programs and further finds that
any discrimination established against non-residents in fee amounts does not provide
funds that exceed the taxpayer-funded amount of the described programs.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS, THAT:
1. The following schedule of fees and charges of Section 5 of Ordinance No. 49-
2021 shall be amended and adopted for all Fire Department operations, which are
authorized to create or enforce such fees by state or federal law or by the Code of
Ordinances:
5. Fire
5a.-1 Miscellaneous Fire Department Fees:
(1) The following fees shall be assessed and collected for the use or presence
of equipment and supplies in fire department responses to open burning
permit supervision, vehicle fires and accidents, hazardous material spills
and releases, and low water crossing rescues and rescue attempts:
• For each response to an incident scene involving at least one fire
apparatus (engine, truck, rescue/Hazmat, manpower squad,
command vehicle, mini-pumper): $450.00 per day, with a one-day
minimum;
• The actual cost of any consumable used or partly used for the mitigation
of any hazardous materials spill or release; and
• The actual cost of repairing or replacing any nonconsumable item
damaged during attempts to mitigate an incident covered under this
section.
• If a vehicle that is the subject of a response is covered by an automobile
insurance policy, the occupants of said vehicle will not be billed in
accordance with this section for the response, and the responsible
vehicle's insurance company will instead be billed for that response.
(Ord. No. 53-2010, § 1, 9-21-2010; Ord. No. 69-2011, § 2, 12-6-2011)
(2) Pyrotechnic display permit $100.00; plus $50.00 per hour for standby fire
crew with 2-hour minimum
(1) Bonfire Standby ... $50.00 per hour with 2-hour minimum
(4) Other fire department permits $50.00
(Ord. No. 69-2011, § 2, 12-6-2011)
5a.-2 General Fire Inspection ... $30.00 per year for any General Business that does not
fall into one of the following categories:
(1) State-Licensed Healthcare Facility ... $5.00 per bed, per year
(Hospitals, Nursing and Assisted Living Facilities, Rehab Hospitals)
(2) Education Campuses (Private and Public) ... $35.00 per campus, per year
(Elementary, Middle, High Schools, Technical/Career Centers)
(3) Apartment Complexes ... $35.00 per building, plus $20.00 per floor, per
year
(Residential Apartments [Single and Multi-Story])
(4) Hotel/Motel ... $75.00 per floor, per year
(5) Hazardous Material Occupancy ... $150.00 per year
(6) Outside of city limits inspections ... $45.00 per hour with 1-hour minimum
including follow-up inspections.
(7) Compliance Failure Penalty ... $25.00 after second failed inspection;
$50.00 after third failed inspection; $100 after fourth failed inspection.
5a.-3 New and Updated Fire Alarms and Sprinkler Systems
(1) Fire Sprinkler Systems
a. New fire sprinkler systems ... $125.00 plus $25.00 per 5,000 square
feet to a maximum of$500.00
b. Alterations/Repairs ... $40.00 for up to 50 heads; $80.00 for 51-100
heads; $125 for 100+ heads
c. Subsequent inspections ... $50.00
(2) Fire Alarm Systems
a. New fire alarm system ... $75.00 plus $25.00 per 5,000 square feet to
a maximum of$450
b. Alterations/Repairs ... $40.00 per alarm panel swap; $40.00 for up to
25 devices; $80.00 for 26-40 devices; New Alarm System rate for 41+
devices
c. Subsequent inspections ... $50.00
2. The fee schedule established by this ordinance shall be made available to the
public through the Office of the City Clerk, and be published online in such a manner as
to be available to the public.
3. Should any section or provision of this ordinance be declared by a court of
competent jurisdiction to be invalid, that decision shall not affect the validity of the
ordinance as a whole or any part thereof, other than the part so declared to be invalid.
4. To the extent that the Code of Ordinances establishes the existence of a fee,
this ordinance will govern the amount of that fee, but this ordinance shall not be codified.
5. This ordinance shall take effect December 2, 2021 and it is so ordained.
PASSED AND APPROVED this 2nd day of November 2021.
MAYOR
ATTEST:
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City Clerk