The Culver Town Council members reviewed private fire protection fees in a work session last week.
The topic came to light in January when developer Kevin Berger asked to have the fee waived at the Sandhill Farms apartment complex as he said the service wasn’t activated until the second quarter of 2019 following the completion of construction at the facility. He received a bill for 2019 and 2020 where the annual fee is $1,203.81 as outlined in the water ordinance.
The ordinance doesn’t allow for the fee to be prorated. The fee is typically billed at the beginning of the year to all entities that possess a fire protection service at a facility.
During last week’s meeting, Developer Kevin Berger said he brought it to the attention of Town Manager Jonathan Leist last year, but it wasn’t brought before the town council for discussion or consideration. Berger stated that he thought he would take it to the town manager as the first step when he got the bill in 2019. At the time, he asked to have it waived as the building wasn’t occupied. When he received the bill for 2020 he discussed it with the clerk and the town manager and they told him to take it to the town council.
Town Council member Rich West made the motion to allow a credit for the first quarter of 2019 on the fire protection fees which was eventually approved by the entire council.
