City of Gainesville - File #: 150196.

• File #: 150196.
• Version: 2
• Type: Resolution
• Status: Adopted
• File created: 7/29/2015
• In control: City Attorney
• On agenda: 9/10/2015
• Final action: 9/10/2015
• Title: RESOLUTION CREATING THE FIRE SERVICES SPECIAL ASSESSMENT PAYMENT PROGRAM FOR RELIGIOUS AND CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS (B) Resolution No. 150196 A Resolution of the City of Gainesville, Florida, creating a program to pay the annual Fire Services Special Assessment on certain properties owned and used by religious and charitable organizations; providing for program guidelines and procedures; providing for findings and remedies; and providing an effective date.

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
9/10/2015	2	City Commission	Adopted (Resolution) and Approved the Recommendation	Pass
8/6/2015	1	City Commission	Approved, as shown above	Pass

title
RESOLUTION CREATING THE FIRE SERVICES SPECIAL ASSESSMENT PAYMENT PROGRAM FOR RELIGIOUS AND CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS (B)

Resolution No. 150196
A Resolution of the City of Gainesville, Florida, creating a program to pay the annual Fire Services Special Assessment on certain properties owned and used by religious and charitable organizations; providing for program guidelines and procedures; providing for findings and remedies; and providing an effective date.

explanation
At the July 27, 2015 Special City Commission meeting, the Commission re-visited its prior discussions on the subject of exempting churches and non-profits from the annual fire services special assessment and directed the City Manager to place a discussion item regarding this topic on the August 6, 2015 Commission agenda. On August 6, 2015, the City Commission discussed the issue and directed staff to pay the fire services special assessment on behalf of churches and non-profits with undesignated reserves for FY16 and for FY17 and forward to amend the ordinance to exempt churches and non-profits from the fire services special assessment.

To carry out the intent of this direction, Staff has prepared a resolution that, effective October 1, 2015, creates the FSSA Payment Program whereby the City will, each year, budget and appropriate from lawfully available non-Fire Services Special Assessment funds an amount necessary to pay the Fire Services Special Assessment for certain properties owned and used by religious and charitable organizations. The Resolution provides the Program guidelines and procedures, which includes relying on the annual determination by the Property Appraiser of religious and charitable use of property and removing those properties from the assessment roll for purposes of billing. The Resolution expresses the Commission's findings including an express recognition that the properties are not exempt from the Fire Services Special Assessment; but rather ...