Kern County Municipal Code Ch. 4.28 Public Health Service Fees

The purpose of this chapter is to prescribe the fees that the health officer of the county shall charge and collect for rendering the respective services described in this chapter. Imposition of the fees is authorized by Section 510 of the California Health and Safety Code. The board of supervisors of the county finds and declares that:

A. The services of the health officer for which the respective fees are imposed are either required or authorized by state statute, order, quarantine, rule or regulation prescribed by a state officer or department relating to public health;

B. The expenses of the health officer in rendering these required or authorized services are not met by any fees prescribed by the state; and

C. The fees will pay no more than the reasonable expenses or indirect costs which the health officer incurs in rendering the required or authorized services.

(Ord. G-4217 § 2 (part), 1986: prior code § 5999)

The fees for health officer services imposed in this chapter may be waived all or in part by the health officer or his duly authorized representative under the following circumstances:

A. When he determines that the protection of the community is paramount to the protection of the individual recipient of services and that the recipient is unable to pay the applicable fee;

B. Services deemed necessary by the health officer in the course of his duties to prevent the spread of disease or to control environmental hazards;

C. At special health promotion events except as to fees which are donated or paid for other than by the recipient of the services.

(Ord. G-4747 § 2, 1988: Ord. G-4469 § 2, 1987: Ord. G-4217 § 2 (part), 1986: prior code § 5999.1)

The health officer shall not refuse to render services which he is required by law to render when the recipient of the services is unable to pay the fees therefor immediately; the health officer shall in such cases render the services and charge the fees therefor but shall delay his collection of the fees until such time as he determines that the recipient is able to pay them.

(Ord. G-4217 § 2 (part), 1986: prior code § 5999.2)

The health officer shall prepare such definitions, rules, regulations and fee schedules as he deems necessary to implement this chapter, and they shall be effective when the board of supervisors approves them by resolution.

(Ord. G-5263 § 2, 1990: Ord. G-4217 § 2 (part), 1986: prior code § 5999.3)