§ 11-181. E-911 service.

(a)

Cellular and wireless telecommunication providers are hereby authorized to collect a service charge of $0.54 per month from each cellular and wireless telecommunications subscriber and, said cellular and wireless telecommunications providers shall remit same to the St. Mary Parish Communications District as hereinafter provided.

(b)

The emergency telephone service charge shall be added to and may be stated separately in cellular and two-way telecommunication providers billing to said subscribers.

(c)

Every billed cellular and two-way telecommunications subscriber shall be liable for any service charge imposed until it has been paid to the cellular and two-way telecommunication provider.

(d)

Cellular and two-way telecommunication providers shall have no obligation to take any legal action to enforce the collection of any emergency telephone service charge. The service charge shall be collected in accordance with cellular and two-way telecommunications providers regular billing practice. Good faith compliance by cellular and two-way telecommunication providers with this section shall constitute a complete defense to any legal action or claim which may result from the identification of cellular and two-way telecommunication subscribers in connection therewith.

(e)

The amount of the emergency service charge billed to cellular and two-way telecommunication subscribers by cellular and two-way telecommunication providers shall be due quarterly. Amounts billed to cellular and two-way telecommunication subscribers for emergency telephone service charges that are not collected from such subscribers may be taken as a credit against the payment due for the quarter in which the subscriber's account is determined to be uncollectible and written off the cellular provider's books of account. The amount of service charge due for a calendar quarter, shall be remitted to the St. Mary Parish Communications District no later than 30 days after the close of a calendar quarter. On or before the thirtieth day after the close of a calendar quarter, a return, in such form as the communication district and cellular and two-way telecommunication District, together with a remittance of the amount of service charge collected payable to the St. Mary Parish Communications District.

(f)

The cellular and two-way telecommunications providers shall respond in a timely fashion to any reasonable request of the District for information to be used in confirming the accuracy of the number of cellular and two-way telecommunication subscribers in St. Mary Parish and the amount of service charges billed to said subscribers. The communications district shall hold any such information received from the providers in strictest confidence and shall not release such information to any third party. Providers shall be entitled to retain as an administrative fee [of] one percent of the gross amount of service charges collected on behalf of the communication district.

(g)

This section is to acknowledge the fact that the St. Mary Parish Council is aware that cellular and wireless telecommunication providers do not provide exchange access facilities; that there are differences between providing 911 service to land line telephone subscribers and to cellular and wireless telecommunication subscribers; and that provision of 911 service to subscribers should be treated differently than is service to land line telephone subscribers and therefore authorizes cellular and wireless telecommunication providers to collect a service charge of $0.54 per month, this amount representing the highest amount charged to residential users of land line exchange service.

(h)

This section shall remain in effect until the proper amendments are made by state legislation and a vote taken by the people, or until revoked by the St. Mary Parish Council.

(Ord. No. 1311, 8-14-96; Ord. No. 1333, 4-9-97)