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HomeMy WebLinkAbout93-11 - Paramedic Service FeesRESOLUTION NO. 93- 11 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH APPROVING PARAMEDIC SERVICE FEES PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 5.60 OF THE NEWPORT BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE. •WHEREAS, the City Council is authorized, pursuant to Chapter 5.60 of the Newport Beach Municipal Code, to establish, by resolution, fees and charges for the provision of paramedic or emergency medical services; and WHEREAS, the City of Newport Beach has, since 1975, maintained and operated a paramedic service program designed to provide emergency medical services for residents of, employees in, or visitors to, Newport Beach; and WHEREAS, the City of Newport Beach currently maintains two paramedic units and also provides emergency medical services by way of the fire engine closest to the call for service; and WHEREAS, the City of Newport Beach, through mutual aid agreements, provides emergency medical services to, and receives emergency medical services from, nearby public entities such as Costa Mesa, Irvine and the County of Orange; and WHEREAS, General Fund revenues currently defray the entire cost of providing emergency medical and paramedic services; and WHEREAS, informal surveys suggest that 50% of the calls for emergency medical services are from non - residents; and WHEREAS, the City of Newport Beach faces significant and long • term reductions in revenue and may be forced to reduce its capability to provide paramedic and emergency medical services in the absence of the fees authorized by this Resolution; and 1 WHEREAS, the revenue generated by the fees established by this Resolution will defray only a portion of the actual costs of providing paramedic and emergency medical service in the City of Newport Beach; and • WHEREAS, the revenue generated by the fees established in this Resolution will be used solely to maintain and enhance the City's ability to provide paramedic and emergency medical service within Newport Beach and in neighboring jurisdictions pursuant to mutual aid agreements. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Newport Beach as follows: SECTION 1: Purpose. This Resolution establishes a paramedic service fee program. The basic concept of the program is to establish reasonable charges for the provision of emergency medical services and to allow residents and businesses to receive these services at a greatly reduced rate through subscriptions. The fees and charges authorized by this Resolution will help defray, but do not totally fund, the costs of providing paramedic and emergency medical services within the City of Newport Beach. The fees and charges authorized by this Resolution shall be used solely to maintain and enhance the City's ability to provide paramedic and emergency medical services. In the absence of the paramedic service fee program, paramedic and emergency medical services could be curtailed or eliminated given the significant long term reductions in municipal revenue occasioned by State withholding of property tax revenues traditionally allocated to cities and counties. SECTION 2: Definitions. For the purposes of this Resolution, • the following terms shall be defined as provided in this Section: (a) "Advanced Life Support or ALS" shall mean any advanced life support medical treatment performed by paramedics (EMT -P) outside of a hospital. This treatment shall E follow the current "Advanced Life Support Treatment Guidelines" as specified by the Orange County Emergency Medical Services Agency. (b) "Basic Life Support or BLS" shall mean any basic life • support treatment which is authorized by the State of California Department of Health to be performed by emergency medical technicians 1 (EMT -1) and /or paramedics (EMT -P) at the scene of a medical emergency. (c) "Subscription Program or Program" shall mean the plan specified in Section 4 of this Resolution pursuant to which members have the right to receive ALS or BLS within the City and /or at the workplace without payment of Normal Charges. (d) "Member" shall mean any person eligible to participate in the Subscription Program and for whom the Subscription Fee has been paid. (e) "Resident Member" shall mean any person eligible to participate in the Subscription Program because of their status as a resident in the City of Newport Beach and for whom the Subscription Fee has been paid. (f) "Business Member" shall mean any person eligible to participate in the Subscription Program because they are the owner, operator, employee or volunteer of a business located in the City of Newport Beach, and for whom the Subscription Fee has been paid. (g) "Subscription Fee" shall mean the annual fee, as established by resolution of the City Council which, when paid, entitles eligible persons to participate in the Subscription Program and receive BLS or ALS without payment of Normal Charges. • (h) "Non- member" shall mean any person who is not eligible to participate in the Subscription Program or any eligible person for whom the Subscription Fee has not been paid. (i) "Normal Charges" or "Charges" shall mean the fee to be 3 paid by any Non - member who receives ALS or BLS within the City of Newport Beach and the fees to be paid by Business Members who receive ALS or BLS within the City of Newport Beach at a location other than their workplace. (j) "Municipal Services Statement" shall mean the bill for • water, sewer and other municipal services issued by the City of Newport Beach on a bi- monthly basis. (k) "Enrollment Period" shall mean the following: (i) For the 1993 -94 plan year, the Enrollment Period shall commence on the effective date of this Resolution and continue to September 30, 1993; (ii) For the 1994 -95 plan year, and each successive plan year, the Enrollment Period shall run from May 1st through June 30th. (1) "Plan Year" shall mean the 12 month period between July 1, 1993 and June 30, 1994, and each successive 12 month period thereafter. (m) "Business" shall mean any corporation, partnership, company, business, association, organization or other entity with a workplace located in the City of Newport Beach. (n) "Employee" shall mean the owner, operator, employee or volunteer of any Business who spends at least 50% of their normal work time in the workplace located in the City of Newport Beach. SECTION 3: Payment for Services. Persons receiving ALS or BLS within the City of Newport Beach shall pay the Subscription Fee or Normal Charges as specified in this Resolution. In no event shall any person be denied ALS or BLS because of the inability, or failure, to pay the Subscription Fee or Normal Charges required by • this Resolution. SECTION 4: Subscription Program. A. Eligibility. The following persons shall be eligible for 4 participation in the Subscription Program: (i) Persons who are permanent residents of dwelling units in the City of Newport Beach; (ii) The employees of any business located in the City of Newport Beach, provided, however, the owner, • operator, employer or volunteer spends at least 50% of their normal work time at the Newport Beach workplace; Such other persons deemed eligible by regulation promulgated by the City Manager. 5 B. Enrollment. (i) Persons eligible to be members of the Subscription Program and who receive Municipal Services Statements from the City of Newport Beach shall be enrolled upon execution of a subscription enrollment card and payment of that portion of the Subscription Fee shown on the Municipal Services Statement. Persons eligible for membership in the Subscription Program may enroll by signing the subscription enrollment card and paying the annual Subscription Fee during the enrollment period or at any time during the Plan Year. Any eligible person who enrolls during the enrollment period shall become a member immediately upon payment and the Member shall be entitled to receive ALS and BLS without payment of Normal Charges during the remainder of the then current Plan Year as well as the Plan Year for which the Member enrolled. • (Enrollment before July 1, 1993 shall entitle a Member only to receive ALS and BLS from the date of enrollment through June 30, 1994.) 5 Persons eligible for membership in the Subscription Program and who receive Municipal Services Statements from the City of Newport Beach may enroll by executing the Subscription Enrollment card which accompanies the Municipal Services Statement and paying that • portion of the Subscription Fee shown on the Municipal Services Statement on or before the date that utility charges are due. For the 1993 -94 Plan Year, enrollment shall be deemed effective as of July 1st so long as the enrollment card and payment are submitted on or before the expiration of the Enrollment Period. Members who enroll and pay Subscription Fees pursuant to Municipal Services Statements shall continue to be Members unless membership is terminated as specified in Section 4(f). Persons eligible for membership in the Subscription Program during the Enrollment Period, but who chose not to enroll through the Municipal Services Statement during the Enrollment Period may enroll only as specified in subsection B(1). Persons who were not eligible for membership in the Subscription Program during any Enrollment Period may, by showing proof of ineligibility to the Fire Chief or designee, enroll in the Subscription Program at any time during the Plan Year and, in such event, membership shall be effective when the City receives the enrollment card, • proof of ineligibility during the Enrollment Period, and payment. In such event, membership shall continue until terminated as provided in Section 4(f). C. Member Benefits. (i) Enrollment by one permanent resident of any dwelling unit shall entitle the Resident Member and all other permanent residents of that dwelling unit to receive ALS or BLS without charge at any time so • long as the ALS or BLS response is provided within the corporate limits of the City of Newport Beach. (ii) Enrollment by a Business Member shall entitle the Business Member and those employees enrolled for whom the appropriate Subscription Fee has been paid, to receive ALS or BLS without charge so long as the ALS or BLS the response is provided at the workplace. D. Subscription Fees. (i) The annual Subscription Fee for a Resident Member shall be $42.00 for each Plan Year, or portion thereof; (ii) The annual Subscription Fee for a Business Member shall be $42.00 for the Plan Year, provided, however, for businesses with more than the Business Member and ten eligible employees, the annual Subscription Fee shall be an additional $12.00 for each additional group of up to ten employees, to a maximum of $210.00. E. Payment of Fees. (i) Subscription Fees for Resident Members shall be paid as follows: (a) The payment of $42.00 during the Enrollment Period or at any time during the Plan Year; (b) In the event a Municipal Services Statement is sent to the dwelling unit of the Resident Member, the payment of that portion of the annual Subscription Fee on or before the date II on which utility charges become delinquent. (ii) Subscription Fees for Business Members shall be paid as follows: (a) The payment of required annual Subscription • Fees during the Enrollment Period or at any time during the Plan Year; (b) In the event a Municipal Services Statement is sent to the workplace, the payment of that portion of the annual Subscription Fee shown on the Municipal Services Statement on or before the utility charges become delinquent. F. Termination of Membership. Membership shall terminate in the event of any of the following: (i) The City Council of the City of Newport Beach terminates or modifies the Subscription Program through rescission or amendment of this Resolution, or a successor resolution, in which event the City shall refund, on a prorata basis, the unused portion of the Member's Subscription Fee; (ii) As to any Member whose fees are not paid pursuant to a Municipal Services Statement, the failure to pay, on or before the expiration of the then current Plan Year, the Subscription Fee for the next year, provided, however, that membership shall be reinstated if, at any time during the Plan Year, the Subscription Fee for that Member is paid. As to persons whose Subscription Fees are paid • pursuant to the Municipal Services Statement, the failure to pay that portion of the Subscription Fee shown on the Municipal Services Statement on or before the date the utility charges become delinquent. SECTION 5: Normal Charges. The charges for rendering emergency medical services to Non - members shall be as specified in this Section: • (a) For emergencies requiring BLS by paramedics and /or EMT -1, the charge shall be $150.00 per response; (b) For emergencies requiring ALS by paramedics, the charge shall be $250.00 per response; (c) These charges cover only the delivery of ALS or BLS and do not include the cost of emergency ambulance transportation to the hospital. (d) These charges shall be adjusted on July 1, 1994, and on the 1st of July of each succeeding year to reflect the increase or decrease in the Consumer Price Index, as more clearly specified in regulations adopted by the City Manager, for each 12 month period (commencing April 1st and terminating March 30th) preceding the adjustment date. SECTION 6: Implementation. The City Manager shall have the authority to promulgate regulations necessary or appropriate to the administration of the Subscription Program, the provision of services described in this Resolution, or the billing or collection of charges due for the provision of emergency medical services. ADOPTED, this 8th day ^f March I nn, ity Clerk kr\paramfee.res 9 c� P7r