§ 4-165. Regulations and standards for fees.

(a)

No permit required by this chapter shall be issued prior to payment of all applicable fees.

(b)

If a permit fee is paid by check, such payment shall be considered contingent upon payment by the drawee. If the drawee returns the check marked account closed, or insufficient funds, the permit shall be considered invalid.

(c)

Fees including the permit, registration, reinspection and appeal fees shall be charged in accordance with the amount as established by resolution of the city council.

(d)

If work requiring a permit is commenced prior to the issuance of a permit, and a permit is subsequently issued, the fee shall be twice the applicable amount as stated in the fee schedules except that this provision shall not apply to emergency work when it shall be proved to the satisfaction of the regulatory authority that such work was done out of urgent necessity and it was not practicable to obtain a permit prior to commencing the work. In all such cases, a permit must be obtained as soon as is practicable. If there is an unreasonable delay in obtaining such permit, a double fee as herein provided shall be charged.

(e)

No full refund shall be made of any fee paid unless a written request is submitted by the original permittee no later than sixty (60) days after the date of the fee payment, and:

(1)

The permit has been issued, and no part of the work was commenced; or

(2)

The permit has been issued through error on the part of the City, and it is found that the work applied for cannot be allowed.

(f)

Refund of a fee paid for any administrative action other than an irrigation permit shall operate pursuant to the "construction" chapter of the Code of the City of Copperas Cove.

(g)

When it is determined after a permit has been issued that the scope of work is to be significantly changed, the regulatory authority may authorize and require that appropriate adjustments be made to the permit fee. Any increase in the permit fee shall be paid prior to performing any part of such increased scope of work. Any decrease in the permit fee which is based on previously approved work which will not be performed shall be refunded in the amount of fifty (50) percent of the fee related to the work not to be performed, as determined by the regulatory authority. No refund shall be made, unless a written request is submitted by the original permittee not later than sixty (60) days following approval of the permittee's change in scope of work.

(h)

If, after a permit is issued, it is determined that the scope of the work is to be significantly changed, the regulatory authority may authorize and require that appropriate adjustments be made to the permit fee. Any resulting increase in permit fee shall be paid prior to performing any part of such increase scope of work. Any resulting decrease in permit fee shall be refunded based on the following equation: (Percentage of work not to be performed multiplied by permit fee paid.)

(1)

The determination of such refund shall be made by the regulatory authority.

(2)

The permittee shall make a written request for the refund.

(i)

The regulatory authority shall make such refund to the permittee no later than sixty (60) days following approval of permittee's written request.

(Ord. No. 2010-48, § 1(Exh. A), 11-2-10)