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provide to non-residents, they have limited <br />authority to collect on unpaid bills. <br />Cities have also found that auto insurance <br />policies vary when it comes to coverage for <br />emergency responses. Insurance companies <br />of those responsible for accidents sometimes <br />deny payment for fire and ambulance <br />service. <br />Additionally, municipal public safety <br />personnel commonly respond to <br />emergencies that require the provision of <br />medical services. The medical services <br />provided by the city -employed first <br />responders are part of a continuum of health <br />care that is covered by insurance companies <br />when provided by paramedics and other <br />medical care providers; however, insurance <br />policies vary when it comes to coverage for <br />municipally provided medical services. <br />Insurance companies of those treated by <br />municipal public safety personnel frequently <br />deny payment for emergency medical <br />services when they are billed by a <br />municipality. <br />Thus, when a municipal public safety <br />agency provides first response medical <br />assistance, they commonly do so at the <br />expense of local property taxpayers. While <br />emergency responses are legitimate <br />functions of municipal public safety <br />departments, the costs of providing services <br />to non-residents should not be borne by the <br />community's taxpayers. <br />Response: Cities should be compensated <br />for emergency responses they provide to <br />non-residents. They should have the <br />authority to bill for the full cost of fire <br />and ambulance services they provide, and <br />to collect on unpaid bills. Finally, auto <br />insurance policies should be required to <br />insure for the cost of emergency <br />responses. <br />Further, while emergency medical <br />responses are legitimate functions of <br />municipal public safety departments, the <br />costs of providing emergency medical <br />care to individuals should be covered by <br />insurance and not be borne exclusively by <br />the community's taxpayers. Cities should <br />have the authority to bill for the full cost <br />of first responder medical services they <br />provide and to collect on unpaid bills. <br />Insurance companies should be required <br />to reimburse local governments for the <br />full cost of providing these emergency <br />medical services. Finally, auto and <br />homeowners insurance policies should be <br />required to insure for the cost of <br />emergency medical responses. <br />SD-35. Administrative Traffic <br />Citations <br />Issue: Cities have implemented <br />administrative enforcement programs for <br />violations of local regulatory ordinances, <br />such as building codes, zoning codes, health <br />codes, and public nuisance ordinances. This <br />use of administrative proceedings has kept <br />enforcement at the local level and reduced <br />pressure on over -burdened district court <br />systems. <br />The Legislature has repeatedly increased the <br />fine surcharge on district court cases to <br />generate revenues for the state's general <br />fund. The surcharge —the amount paid over <br />and above the fine —is now $75 per citation. <br />The growth in the surcharge has <br />dramatically increased the cost of citations <br />and has caused some to question whether the <br />total of the fine and surcharge is <br />disproportionate for minor matters. To lower <br />the amount imposed on their residents, a <br />number of cities have expanded their <br />administrative programs to include some <br />offenses traditionally heard in district court, <br />such as minor traffic offenses. <br />League of Minnesota Cities <br />2015 City Policies Page 24 <br />