Fire Protection and Prevention Standards - Ordinance Approval - City Council of Midwest City - November 9, 2021
Regarding an ordinance passed on November 9, 2021:
The City Council approved an ordinance amending the Midwest City Municipal Code Fire Protection and Prevention Standards. With the amendments, operational and construction permit fees included in the 2018 International Fire Code were adopted, along with a fee schedule for certain types of inspections and other permits processed by the Midwest City Fire Department – Fire Prevention Bureau.
These ordinance amendments were recommended by the Ordinance Oversight Council Committee and are comparable to fee schedules adopted by other communities in the region. Communities reviewed specifically in development of this schedule of fees included Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Moore, Lawton, other regional entities and communities in surrounding states.
When the council approved it in November, the ordinance excluded fees being charged to qualified educational and religious organizations. Mayor Matt Dukes and Vice Mayor Pat Byrne have asked City staff to draft an additional amendment to the ordinance for city council consideration. The amendment would also exclude qualified nonprofit organizations from being charged under the schedule of fees. Any necessary inspections and permits would still be required, only the fee would be removed.
In no way were any of the fees approved by the council meant to be punitive for the businesses and facilities that require permitting from the Midwest City Fire Department. Fees for inspections and permits of this type are recommended to improve community awareness, public safety and adherence to fire code standards.
The requested ordinance amendment by Mayor Dukes and Vice Mayor Byrne will require a vote of the council. Agendas for both the City Council of Midwest City and the Ordinance Oversight Council Committee are posted on the Meetings page at MidwestCityOK.org. The public can attend council meetings in person at 100 N. Midwest Blvd. or view the meetings on the City of Midwest City YouTube channel.
