Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Fees topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council schedules second hearing on ordinance to collect delinquent fire‑inspection fees on utility bills
Summary
In a first reading, the city’s fire chief outlined a shift allowing delinquent commercial fire‑inspection fees older than 30 days to be attached to a business owner’s utility bill when appropriate; the council set a follow‑up public hearing for April 20, 2026.
The Oviedo City Council on April 6 scheduled a second public hearing for April 20 on Ordinance No. 17‑64, a proposal to permit the city to place delinquent commercial fire‑inspection fees on a business owner’s utility bill when their name is tied to a city account and invoices are more than 30 days past due.
Fire Chief Woodward told council that the city changed its inspection process in 2022, instituted modest fees for annual life‑safety inspections, and later moved to electronic invoicing and online payment. He said roughly 1,377 annual inspections and about 1,380 reinspections were completed in 2025. "To date, for that 2025 inspection cycle, we billed about $131,800 in inspection and reinspection fees. To date, we've only collected about $69,000," Chief Woodward told council, explaining the city’s interest in improving collections.
Under the proposal, staff said fees more than 30 days delinquent could be attached to the customer’s utility bill if the business owner has a utility account in the city. Chief Woodward said similar procedures had been used in other jurisdictions and that attaching fees to business tax renewals or utility accounts had improved collection in prior work.
Council had no substantive objections and moved to schedule the ordinance for a second public hearing; the clerk called the roll and the motion carried.
