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Council reviews draft lift‑assist ordinance with per‑facility and per‑residence fee options
Summary
Staff presented a draft lift-assist ordinance that distinguishes assisted-living facilities (facility-level fees) from individual residences, with assisted-living facility charges proposed at $250 (1–5 calls), $500 (6–8), and $850 (9+ calls) in a one-year rolling period; council discussed forgiveness mechanisms, billing enforcement, and whether to use a rolling year or calendar year.
City staff presented a draft "lift-assist" ordinance at the June 15 work session that would charge fees for repeated non‑emergency lift assists to reduce repeated service calls and recover costs.
Under the draft, assisted‑living facilities would be subject to a facility-level fee schedule over a rolling one‑year period: 1–5 calls $250, 6–8 calls $500, and 9 or more calls $850. Residential and independent‑living properties would be charged per property or person on a separate tier: 1–3 no charge; 4–8 $250; 9+ $500 in the same rolling year. Staff said the assisted‑living fee would apply to the facility as a whole (not per resident) if the facility chooses an agreement with the city.
Council members asked staff whether fees should be forgiven in exceptional circumstances, how unpaid fees would be collected and certified (staff indicated unpaid invoices could be added through the standard property-tax certification process), and whether a rolling one‑year period or a calendar-year approach would be clearer for administration. Staff recommended a rolling one‑year period measured from the date of the last lift-assist request, while some council members suggested a calendar-year approach for easier tracking; council directed staff to clarify the language and return with a clean draft.
Council also asked staff about the number of lift-assist calls in Minnetrista; staff reported reports show relatively few repeat offenders in city residential areas and that many of the calls come from assisted facilities in neighboring jurisdictions. The ordinance draft would allow council avenues to forgive fees during the fall certification process or through direct council action for hardship cases.
Staff indicated the draft ordinance could be brought forward for formal adoption at the July 20 meeting under the consent agenda if council has no further substantive edits.
