§ 10.5-20. Government property.

(a) In the event fire protection assessments are imposed against government property, the city commission shall provide fire protection assessment bills by first class mail to the owner of each affected parcel of government property. The bill or accompanying explanatory material shall include:

(1) A brief explanation of the fire protection assessment;

(2) A description of the unit of measurement used to determine the amount of the fire protection assessment;

(3) The number of units contained within the parcel;

(4) The total amount of the parcel's fire protection assessment for the appropriate period;

(5) The location at which payment will be accepted; and

(6) The date on which the fire protection assessment is due.

(b) Fire protection assessments imposed against government property shall be due on the same date as all other fire protection assessments and, if applicable, shall be subject to the same discounts for early payment.

(c) A fire protection assessment shall become delinquent if it is not paid within thirty (30) days from the date payment was due, as identified in paragraph (a)(6) of this section. The city commission shall notify the owner of any government property that is delinquent in payment of its fire protection assessment within sixty (60) days from the date such assessment was due. Such notice shall state that the city commission will initiate a mandamus or other appropriate judicial action to compel payment.

(d) All costs, fees and expenses, including reasonable attorney fees and title search expenses, related to any mandamus or other action as described herein shall be included in any judgment or decree rendered therein. All delinquent owners of government property against which a mandamus or other appropriate action is filed shall be liable for an apportioned amount of reasonable costs and expenses incurred by the city, including reasonable attorney fees, in collection of such delinquent fire protection assessments and any other costs incurred by the city commission as a result of such delinquent fire protection assessments and the same shall be collectible as a part of or in addition to, the costs of the action.

(e) As an alternative to the foregoing, a fire protection assessment imposed against government property may be collected as a surcharge on a utility bill provided to such government property in periodic installments with a remedy of a mandamus action in the event of non-payment. The city commission may contract for such billing services with any utility, whether or not such utility is owned by the city.

(Ord. No. 2008-26, § 1, 8-4-08)