Blythe Municipal Code Ch. 3.32 Building Construction Funds

The city council finds and determines that the development and construction of new residential living units and of new commercial and industrial structures within the city create an immediate and urgent need for funds because of the increased demand placed upon public services, including police and fire protection, public utilities, water drainage, treatment and disposal of sanitary sewage, parks, and leisure oriented facilities.

(Ord. 536 § 1, 1979)

As used in this chapter, the words and phrases contained in this section shall be defined as follows:

A. "Dwelling unit" includes each single-family dwelling and each habitation unit of an apartment duplex or multiple-dwelling structure designed as a separate place for habitation of a family.

B. "Person" includes every person, firm, or corporation engaging in construction activities itself or through the services of any employee, agent or independent contractor.

C. "Trailer space" means each space, area or building, in a trailer park or mobile home park or other place, designed as a place to accommodate any mobile home, trailer, van, bus, or other vehicle or mobile structure, at a time when the same is being used as a living or sleeping quarters for human beings.

(Ord. 536 § 4, 1979)

In addition to any other fee or fees prescribed by the city ordinances, every person constructing any new building or trailer space in the city shall pay to the city a sum appropriately computed as follows:

A. For each dwelling unit in a single-family structure, condominium, apartment duplex, or multiple-family structure, five hundred dollars per each dwelling unit;

B. For each trailer space five hundred dollars, with no additional sum for any directly accessory structure;

C. For new industrial and commercial buildings five hundred dollars for the first five thousand square feet of gross building area under roof, and thereafter ten cents per square foot of gross building area under roof;

D. For any other construction not falling within the definition of "dwelling unit," "trailer space," "commercial building," or "industrial building," five hundred dollars for the first dwelling unit and twenty cents per square foot of living area in each additional unit.

(Ord. 536 § 2, 1979)

Such fees shall be due and payable upon application to the city for a building permit for the construction of any such dwelling unit or building; provided, however, that there shall be a refund of such fees in the event that the building permit is not approved, or is not used, for such construction.

(Ord. 536 § 3, 1979)

All proceeds from the fees collected under this chapter shall be paid into a special fund of the city and shall be used solely for capital outlay and expenditures, as authorized from said fund, for purposes such as, but not limited to the following:

A. Purchase of land and interests in land;

B. Development of parks, and buildings for use thereon;

C. Acquisition and development of other varieties of open space;

D. Acquisition and development of parkways and median islands;

E. Acquisition and development of bicycle trails, riding trails, and other types of trails for recreational use;

F. Constructing buildings and improvements;

G. Purchasing machinery, equipment and other capital type facilities which the city may develop or approve;

H. Expanding public parks, public services, police and fire protection, public utilities, including water drainage and sewage treatment.

In expending said funds for said purposes, the city may act alone or may exercise its powers directly with any other public entity to accomplish any of the foregoing purposes for the benefit of the whole, or any portion, of the city.

(Ord. 536 § 5, 1979)

The fees provided for in this chapter, and the fees required to be paid, shall be applicable with respect to fees in this code to building permits for construction activities issued on or after June 20, 1978. Any person constructing one or more dwelling units, or otherwise engaging in construction taxable under this code, pursuant to a building permit applied for on or after said date, or applied for before said date, but not actually issued until on or after said date, shall be liable for payment of said fees irrespective of whether said fees were collected at the time of building permit application or issuance. No occupancy permit shall be issued with respect to any completed structure or construction taxable under this chapter, unless and until the proper tax has been paid.

(Ord. 536 § 7, 1979)