HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-08 Setting Wildfire Risk Reduction Fee and Repealing Resolution 2019-20RESOLUTION NO.2025-08
A RESOLUTION SETTING THE WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION FEE
(PREVIOUSLY AFR, ASHLAND FOREST RESILIENCY FEE) AND
REPEALING RESOLUTION 2019-20.
RECITALS:
A. The City of Ashland operates and provides water utilities for all residential and
commercial customers within its boundaries.
B. The City of Ashland maintains a wildfire reduction program that strives to create
wildfire -defensible space around homes throughout the City. The objective is to
reduce overall risk to the population and structures from future hazard events as well
reduce reliance on federal funding.
C. Using the existing water billing system to charge and collect a wildfire risk reduction
fee is an equitable and reasonable way of generating additional revenue for the
wildfire reduction program.
D. Funds generated through this assessment will be allocated exclusively to support
wildfire reduction, safety, mitigation, and related expenses incurred by wildfire safety
programs.
E. In order to maintain and preserve these services, the City wishes to impose the
following fees.
THE CITY OF ASHLAND HEREBY RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Resolution 2019-20, which set a Public Safety Support Fee of $3.00, is hereby
repealed in order to implement a new fee schedule as outlined below.
SECTION 2. A $7.00 per 3/4" meter surcharge and on each water meter per Section 2A below
shall be added monthly to the bill of each Ashland water utility customer to provide as a Wildfire
Risk Reduction Fee to fund the Wildfire Division.
A. Meter Size
Meter Fee
1
$7.00
1.5
$19.10
2
$28.02
3
$52.04
4
$79.06
6
$154.12
8
$244.19
Resolution No. 2025-08 Pagel of 2
SECTION 3. To account for inflation an annual adjustment will be applied on July 1st of each
fiscal year. The adjustment shall be based on the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index
for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), West Region, for the most recent 12-month period available,
not to exceed 5% annually. The Finance Department shall provide public notice of the proposed
adjustment at least 30 days before it takes effect, along with a brief explanation of the CPI
calculation. An annual increase above 5% requires separate approval by the City Council via a
duly noticed public meeting.
SECTION 4. Clarification of Fee Nature and Enforcement.
(a) The Public Safety Support Fee and Wildfire Risk Reduction Fee are hereby
designated as service charges and not taxes, special assessments, or systems development
charges.
(b) The obligation to pay these fees arises solely from the use of and connection to City
services and is the responsibility of the utility customer of record. These fees shall not be
imposed upon property or property owners as a direct consequence of ownership.
(c) Nonpayment of these fees shall not result in a lien on real property and shall not be
enforced through foreclosure or other remedies typically associated with property taxes
or assessments, unless the customer of record on the utility bill is also the owner of the
property, in which case enforcement is based on their role as the occupant and customer
of record, not by virtue of property ownership.
(d) Nothing in this Resolution shall be construed to authorize the imposition of any
charge subject to the limitations of Article XI, Sections 11 or 11 b of the Oregon
Constitution.
SECTION 5. This resolution is effective upon adoption.
This resolution was duly PASSED and ADOPTED this �� day of mi,
2025 and takes effect July, 12025, upon signing by the Mayor.
h� iZ4-n �A AAA_,�_
Alissa o odzinski, City Recorder
SIGNED and APPROVED this day of , 2025.
Tonya aham, Mayor
Reviewed as to form:
Resolution No. 2025-08 Page 2 of 2
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