Chapter 5.48 Charges for Services Performed

Each Commissioner shall have authority to direct his subordinate employees to perform duly authorized services for private persons or other governmental agencies for all of which services a reasonable charge shall be made as provided in Section 5.48.030.

Before any department or bureau of the City shall perform any service for a private person or other governmental agency, it shall be the duty of the department or bureau to obtain wherever practicable an application in writing requesting such service.  A deposit may be required when in the judgment of the head of the department or bureau it shall be deemed necessary to guarantee the payment of the service to be performed.  The application shall be retained by the department or bureau performing such services.

(Amended by Ordinance Nos. 132116, 137528, 138042 and 182377, effective December 26, 2008.)Unless the charge for services performed for private persons or governmental agencies other than the City is specifically fixed by the Charter or by action of the Council, all such services shall be charged for on the basis of actual costs, which shall be computed as follows:

A.Labor.

1.The amount for salaries and wages shall be either:

a.Actual time computed at the applicable hourly payroll rate when the services being provided require less than the full time of an employee on an annual basis, or

b.Annual salary including vacation, sick leave, holiday and other leave with pay when the services being provided require the full time of an employee on an annual basis.

2.To the amount for salaries and wages computed under paragraph A.1.a. above, add for the indirect cost of vacation, sick leave, holiday and other leave with pay and for the cost of disability, retirement and insurance as follows:

a.For other than sworn police personnel add 39 percent of salaries and wages.

b.For sworn police personnel add 42 percent of salaries and wages for labor provided at straight time.Add only 15 percent for labor provided at overtime rates.

3.To the amount for salaries and wages computed under paragraph A.1.b. above, add only for disability, retirement and insurance as follows:

a.For other than sworn police personnel add 21 percent of salaries and wages.

b.For sworn police personnel add 23 percent of salaries and wages provided at straight time only.

B.Materials consumed shall be at actual cost including delivery to the City.The Bureau of Water Works shall charge an additional 5 percent for stock handling.

C.Services from other City bureaus shall be at actual cost determined in accordance with Section 5.48.070.

D.Services provided from non‑City sources shall be at actual cost to the City.

E.Motorized equipment, trailers, etc., shall be actual time at rates for each particular class of equipment established by the Commissioner In Charge.

(Added by Ordinance No. 143377; effective March 30, 1977.)  The Bureau of Emergency Communications is authorized to charge the following rates or the rate established by a court in a particular case for services rendered in locating and delivering particular segments of tape recordings for court use:

A.  Labor.

1.  Ten dollars per hour (straight time) for staff time expended for salaries and wages.  After FY 1976‑77 this rate shall be set equal to the 4‑year rate for a police sergeant as approved in the official compensation plan of the City of Portland.

2.  Plus 42 percent of the foregoing straight time amount or 15 percent of the foregoing for labor provided at overtime rates for indirect costs for the vacation, sick leave, holiday and leave with pay, and for the cost of disability, retirement and insurance.

B.  Material Costs.

1.  In addition to the foregoing amount, there shall be charged for material costs, $6.22 per hour for the time City’s recording equipment is in use.

C.  General Overhead.

1.  To the total of the above there shall be added 10 percent for general overhead.

(Added by Ordinance No. 151447; Amended by Ordinance No. 181483, effective January 18, 2008.)  In making public records available for inspection by members of the public and in providing the members of the public with copies thereof, the office of City Attorney and the OMF Risk Management Division shall charge therefor on the basis of actual costs of making available and copying the records, as set out in Section 5.48.030.  This Section shall not apply to those cases in which the charge would be $5 or less, in which cases the charge shall be the amount set out in Section 5.60.020.

(Amended by Ordinance Nos. 147159, 149198, 165955, 181483 and 189413; effective March 6, 2019.)  The Office of Management and Finance of the City shall bill for all services performed for other persons by the City and for all City accounts receivable, contracts receivable and grants receivable except for bills and statements regularly sent by the Bureau of Water Works, the City Treasurer, the OMF Risk Management Division, the Revenue Division and payments made under leases managed by the OMF Business Operations Division.

It shall be the duty of the officers of various departments, bureaus and divisions of the City to furnish the Office of Management and Finance, daily, a list or journal of all charges that are to be billed, together with supporting data.

If payment of a City bill sent by the Office of Management and Finance is not received within 30 days after the date of billing, it shall be delinquent.  It shall be the duty of the Office of Management and Finance to pursue collection of these delinquent accounts using appropriate collection methods.  When collection efforts do not result in payment, invoices will be forwarded to the City Attorney for collection, or in appropriate cases to the Revenue Division to submit to the Council an ordinance assessing the unpaid bill upon property chargeable therewith.  The Director of the Bureau of Administrative Services may select delinquent accounts to refer to a collection agency if the director deems such referral appropriate.

Interest of 1 percent per month shall be charged on all bills which remain unpaid for 30 days or more after the invoice billing date.  Interest shall be computed from the invoice date and compounded monthly.

The Director of the Bureau of Administrative Services may add a rebill charge to delinquent accounts.  The rebill charge shall be the greater of $5.00 or 25 percent of the amount which is delinquent, up to a maximum charge of $25.00.  The rebill charge may be reassessed every 60 days, until the account is paid, assessed, canceled or waived.

The Director of the Bureau of Administrative Services may offer an early payment incentive discount of up to 2 percent on any or all invoices paid within 10 days of the billing date.

(Amended by Ordinance Nos. 144020 and 189413, effective March 6, 2019.)

A.  Whenever the City is requested to construct an improvement without using assessment procedures, and the improvement is to be constructed under contract in the name of the City, the person or agency submitting the request shall make an advance deposit into the Trustee Fund to protect the City against loss on account of obligations to be assumed in connection with the improvement.  The advance deposit shall cover the following items:

1.  Estimated amount of the contract for the improvement;

2.  A fee for engineering and superintending equal to the engineer’s estimate of the cost of providing such services.  Use accounting procedure 5.48.030.

3.  Overhead of City in advertising for bids, preparing the contract, disbursing funds, etc., at 1/2 percent of the estimated contract amount with a minimum of $100.

Additional deposits may be required by the Commissioner In Charge at any time he may deem necessary to protect the City.

B.  Advertising for bids and executing contract shall be authorized only by the City Council.  In no event shall a contract be awarded for more than 93 percent of the funds on deposit.

C.  The deposited funds shall be disbursed by the City Treasurer on order of the Commissioner In Charge of the improvement project and after approval by the Revenue Division.  Disbursements shall be made as follows:

1.  Contract payments shall be paid directly to the contractor;

2.  Engineering fees and overhead shall be paid to the appropriate fund as revenue after the final cost of the contract has been determined.

3.  Prior to the issuance of the certificate of completion by the City Engineer the fees charged to the permittee will be adjusted to agree with the actual costs of services as recorded by the City Engineer.  The remaining balance, if any, after payment of all costs shall be returned to the permittee.  If additional funds are required of the permittee, they shall be paid prior to the issuance of the certificate of completion.

(Amended by Ordinance No. 182377, effective December 26, 2008.) Each Commissioner shall have power and authority, in the direction of activities of their department, to use the officers, employees, material, and equipment in different bureaus or divisions of such department whenever in their judgment the most efficient and economical administration of the affairs of their department requires.Each Commissioner shall also have authority to direct their subordinate employees to perform duly authorized services for other bureaus or departments.The appropriations carrying the cost of such services shall be reimbursed by calculating the cost of such services.

(Amended by Ordinance No. 182377, effective December 26, 2008.)Unless a specific charge for interdepartmental services is fixed, reduced or waived by the Council, through ordinance or policy, all such services shall be charged on the same basis as work performed for private persons as provided in Section 5.48.030, except that stock handling costs under Subsection 5.48.030 B. shall not be added.