Download Zipped Amended WordPerfect HB0342.ZIP
[Introduced][Status][Bill Documents][Fiscal Note][Bills Directory]

H.B. 342

This document includes House Committee Amendments incorporated into the bill on Thu, Feb 26, 2009 at 11:09 AM by ddonat. -->              1     

DISPROPORTIONATE RENTAL FEE

             2     
AMENDMENTS

             3     
2009 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Chief Sponsor: Gage Froerer

             6     
Senate Sponsor: Curtis S. Bramble

             7     
             8      LONG TITLE
             9      General Description:
             10          This bill modifies a provision of the Utah Municipal Code relating to disproportionate
             11      rental fees imposed by municipalities.
             12      Highlighted Provisions:
             13          This bill:
             14          .    clarifies that a municipality that has not already imposed a disproportionate rental
             15      fee is authorized to impose the fee after meeting specified requirements and
             16      conditions;
             17          .    requires municipalities imposing a disproportionate rental fee for the first time to
             18      establish a good landlord program allowing the landlord to qualify for a reduction in
             19      the disproportionate rental fee if complying with certain requirements;
             20          .    removes the requirement to update the municipal services study every six years for
             21      municipalities with a good landlord program;
             22      H. [     .    adds "enforcement of municipal ordinances" to the definition of municipal services; ] .H
             23          .    clarifies and rewrites provisions that grandfather certain municipalities from certain
             24      requirements and restrictions;
             25          .    establishes a deadline for completing a municipal services study for certain
             26      municipalities;
             27          .    changes the term "governing body" to "legislative body" in certain provisions;


             28          .    provides definitions; and
             29          .    makes technical changes.
             30      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             31          None
             32      Other Special Clauses:
             33          None
             34      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             35      AMENDS:
             36          10-1-203, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 207
             37     
             38      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             39          Section 1. Section 10-1-203 is amended to read:
             40           10-1-203. License fees and taxes -- Disproportionate rental fee -- Application
             41      information to be transmitted to the county assessor.
             42          (1) As used in this section:
             43          (a) "Business" means any enterprise carried on for the purpose of gain or economic
             44      profit, except that the acts of employees rendering services to employers are not included in
             45      this definition.
             46          (b) "Telecommunications provider" is as defined in Section 10-1-402 .
             47          (c) "Telecommunications tax or fee" is as defined in Section 10-1-402 .
             48          (2) Except as provided in Subsections (3) through (5), the [governing] legislative body
             49      of a municipality may license for the purpose of regulation and revenue any business within the
             50      limits of the municipality and may regulate that business by ordinance.
             51          (3) (a) The [governing] legislative body of a municipality may raise revenue by levying
             52      and collecting a municipal energy sales or use tax as provided in Part 3, Municipal Energy
             53      Sales and Use Tax Act, except a municipality may not levy or collect a franchise tax or fee on
             54      an energy supplier other than the municipal energy sales and use tax provided in Part 3,
             55      Municipal Energy Sales and Use Tax Act.
             56          (b) (i) Subsection (3)(a) does not affect the validity of a franchise agreement as defined
             57      in Subsection 10-1-303 (6), that is in effect on July 1, 1997, or a future franchise.
             58          (ii) A franchise agreement as defined in Subsection 10-1-303 (6) in effect on January 1,


             59      1997, or a future franchise shall remain in full force and effect.
             60          (c) A municipality that collects a contractual franchise fee pursuant to a franchise
             61      agreement as defined in Subsection 10-1-303 (6) with an energy supplier that is in effect on July
             62      1, 1997, may continue to collect that fee as provided in Subsection 10-1-310 (2).
             63          (d) (i) Subject to the requirements of Subsection (3)(d)(ii), a franchise agreement as
             64      defined in Subsection 10-1-303 (6) between a municipality and an energy supplier may contain
             65      a provision that:
             66          (A) requires the energy supplier by agreement to pay a contractual franchise fee that is
             67      otherwise prohibited under Part 3, Municipal Energy Sales and Use Tax Act; and
             68          (B) imposes the contractual franchise fee on or after the day on which Part 3,
             69      Municipal Energy Sales and Use Tax is:
             70          (I) repealed, invalidated, or the maximum allowable rate provided in Section 10-1-305
             71      is reduced; and
             72          (II) is not superseded by a law imposing a substantially equivalent tax.
             73          (ii) A municipality may not charge a contractual franchise fee under the provisions
             74      permitted by Subsection (3)(b)(i) unless the municipality charges an equal contractual franchise
             75      fee or a tax on all energy suppliers.
             76          (4) (a) Subject to Subsection (4)(b), beginning July 1, 2004, the [governing] legislative
             77      body of a municipality may raise revenue by levying and providing for the collection of a
             78      municipal telecommunications license tax as provided in Part 4, Municipal
             79      Telecommunications License Tax Act.
             80          (b) A municipality may not levy or collect a telecommunications tax or fee on a
             81      telecommunications provider except as provided in Part 4, Municipal Telecommunications
             82      License Tax Act.
             83          (5) (a) (i) The [governing] legislative body of a municipality may by ordinance raise
             84      revenue by levying and collecting a license fee or tax on:
             85          (A) a parking service business in an amount that is less than or equal to:
             86          (I) $1 per vehicle that parks at the parking service business; or
             87          (II) 2% of the gross receipts of the parking service business;
             88          (B) a public assembly or other related facility in an amount that is less than or equal to
             89      $5 per ticket purchased from the public assembly or other related facility; and


             90          (C) subject to the limitations of Subsections (5)(c), (d), and (e), a business:
             91          (I) that causes disproportionate costs of municipal services; or
             92          (II) for which the municipality provides an enhanced level of municipal services [in an
             93      amount that is reasonably related to the costs of the municipal services provided by the
             94      municipality].
             95          (ii) Nothing in this Subsection (5)(a) may be construed to authorize a municipality to
             96      levy or collect a license fee or tax on a public assembly or other related facility owned and
             97      operated by another political subdivision other than a community development and renewal
             98      agency without the written consent of the other political subdivision.
             99          (b) As used in this Subsection (5):
             100          (i) "Municipal services" [include] includes:
             101          (A) public utilities; [or] and
             102          (B) services for:
             103          (I) police;
             104          (II) fire;
             105          (III) storm water runoff;
             106          (IV) traffic control;
             107          (V) parking;
             108          (VI) transportation;
             109          (VII) beautification; H. [ [ ] or [ ] ] .H
             110          (VIII) snow removal H. [ [ ] . [ ] ] [ ; or
             111          (IX) enforcement of municipal ordinances.
] .H

             112          (ii) "Parking service business" means a business:
             113          (A) that primarily provides off-street parking services for a public facility that is
             114      wholly or partially funded by public moneys;
             115          (B) that provides parking for one or more vehicles; and
             116          (C) that charges a fee for parking.
             117          (iii) "Public assembly or other related facility" means an assembly facility that:
             118          (A) is wholly or partially funded by public moneys;
             119          (B) is operated by a business; and
             120          (C) requires a person attending an event at the assembly facility to purchase a ticket.


             121          (c) (i) Before the [governing] legislative body of a municipality imposes a license fee
             122      [or tax] on a business that causes disproportionate costs of municipal services under Subsection
             123      (5)(a)[(iii)](i)(C)(I), the [governing] legislative body of the municipality shall adopt an
             124      ordinance defining for purposes of the tax under Subsection (5)(a)[(iii)](i)(C)(I) [what
             125      constitutes]:
             126          (A) the costs that constitute disproportionate costs; and [what]
             127          (B) the amounts that are reasonably related to the costs of the municipal services
             128      provided by the municipality.
             129          (ii) The amount of a fee under Subsection (5)(a)(i)(C)(I) shall be reasonably related to
             130      the costs of the municipal services provided by the municipality.
             131          (d) (i) Before the [governing] legislative body of a municipality imposes a license fee
             132      [or tax] on a business for which it provides an enhanced level of municipal services under
             133      Subsection (5)(a)[(iii)](i)(C)(II), the [governing] legislative body of the municipality shall
             134      adopt an ordinance defining for purposes of the [tax] fee under Subsection (5)(a)[(iii)](i)(C)(II):
             135      [what]
             136          (A) the level of municipal services that constitutes the basic level of municipal services
             137      in the municipality; and [what]
             138          (B) the amounts that are reasonably related to the costs of providing an enhanced level
             139      of municipal services in the municipality.
             140          (ii) The amount of a fee under Subsection (5)(a)(i)(C)(II) shall be reasonably related to
             141      the costs of providing an enhanced level of the municipal services.
             142          (e) (i) As used in this Subsection (5)(e):
             143          (A) "Disproportionate rental fee" means a license fee [or tax] on rental housing based
             144      on the disproportionate costs of municipal services caused by the rental housing or on an
             145      enhanced level of municipal services provided to the rental housing.
             146          (B) "Disproportionate rental fee reduction" means a reduction of a disproportionate
             147      rental fee as a condition of complying with the requirements of a good landlord program.
             148          (C) "Good landlord program" means a program established by a municipality that
             149      provides a reduction in a disproportionate rental fee for a landlord who:
             150          (I) completes a landlord training program approved by the municipality;
             151          (II) implements measures to reduce crime in rental housing as specified in municipal


             152      ordinances; and
             153          (III) operates and manages rental housing in accordance with applicable municipal
             154      ordinances.
             155          [(B)] (D) "Municipal services study" means a study, or an updated study, conducted by
             156      a municipality of the cost of all municipal services that the municipality provides to the
             157      applicable rental housing.
             158          [(C)] (E) "Rental housing cost" means the municipality's cost:
             159          (I) of providing municipal services to the rental housing;
             160          (II) that is reasonably attributable to the rental housing; and
             161          (III) that would not have occurred in the absence of the rental housing.
             162          (ii) A municipality may impose and collect a disproportionate rental fee if:
             163          (A) the municipality:
             164          (I) adopts the ordinances required under Subsections (5)(c) and (d), as applicable;
             165          (II) conducts a municipal services study;
             166          (III) updates the municipal services study:
             167          (Aa) before increasing the amount of the disproportionate rental fee; and
             168          (Bb) before decreasing the amount of the disproportionate rental fee reduction; and
             169          (IV) establishes a good landlord program; and
             170          (B) the disproportionate rental fee does not exceed the rental housing cost, as
             171      determined by the municipal services study.
             172          [(ii)] (iii) (A) [Each] The requirement under Subsection (5)(e)(ii)(A)(IV) to establish a
             173      good landlord program does not apply to a municipality that [levies] imposed and [collects]
             174      collected a disproportionate rental fee [that exceeds $17 per unit per year or that intends to
             175      impose a disproportionate rental fee for the first time shall: (I) before] on January 1, [2007 and
             176      except as provided in Subsection (5)(e)(iv), conduct a municipal services study; and (II)] 2009.
             177          (B) A municipality claiming an exemption under Subsection (5)(e)(iii)(A) shall
             178      conduct an updated municipal services study[: (Aa) every six years after the first municipal
             179      services study, if the municipality has established a program that provides a reduction in the
             180      disproportionate rental fee for a landlord that participates in a landlord training program; and
             181      (Bb)] at least every four years [after the first municipal services study, for each other
             182      municipality].


             183          [(B) Each] (iv) The requirement under Subsection (5)(e)(ii)(A)(II) to conduct a
             184      municipal services study does not apply to a municipality that [levies]:
             185          (A) imposed and [collects] collected a disproportionate rental fee [that is] on May 2,
             186      2005 of $17 or less per unit per year [and that intends to]:
             187          (B) does not increase the amount of its disproportionate rental fee [shall conduct a
             188      municipal services study before increasing]; and
             189          (C) does not decrease the amount of its disproportionate rental fee reduction.
             190          [(iii) (A) Beginning January 1, 2007, a disproportionate rental fee may not exceed the
             191      rental housing cost, as determined in a municipal services study. (B)]
             192          (v) The fee limitation under Subsection (5)(e)[(iii)(A)](ii)(B) does not apply to a
             193      municipality [whose] that:
             194          (A) imposed and collected a disproportionate rental fee [is] on May 2, 2005 that was
             195      $17 or less [and that] per unit per year;
             196          (B) does not increase the amount of its disproportionate rental fee[.]; and
             197          (C) does not decrease the amount of its disproportionate rental fee reduction.
             198          [(iv) The] (vi) Until May 2, 2012, the requirement under Subsection
             199      (5)(e)(ii)(A)[(I)](II) to conduct a municipal services study before [January 1, 2007] imposing
             200      and collecting a disproportionate rental fee, does not apply to a municipality that [levies]:
             201          (A) on May 2, 2005, imposed and [collects] collected a disproportionate rental fee that
             202      exceeds $17 per unit per year [if the municipality:];
             203          [(A) has] (B) had implemented, before January 1, 2005, a good landlord program [that
             204      provides a reduction in the disproportionate rental fee for each landlord that implements
             205      measures to reduce crime in the rental housing];
             206          [(B)] (C) does not decrease the amount of the disproportionate rental fee reduction
             207      [provided in a program described in Subsection (5)(e)(iv)(A)]; and
             208          [(C)] (D) does not increase the amount of its disproportionate rental fee.
             209          (6) All license fees and taxes shall be uniform in respect to the class upon which they
             210      are imposed.
             211          (7) The [governing body] municipality shall transmit the information from each
             212      approved business license application to the county assessor within 60 days following the
             213      approval of the application.


             214          (8) If challenged in court, an ordinance enacted by a municipality before January 1,
             215      1994, imposing a business license fee [or tax] on rental dwellings under this section shall be
             216      upheld unless the business license fee [or tax] is found to impose an unreasonable burden on
             217      the fee [or tax] payer.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 2-11-09 2:53 PM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


[Bill Documents][Bills Directory]