Inspired by an incident last week when a 2006 Hummer rolled into the Mt. Carmel City Pool, city officials on Monday unanimously passed a resolution calling for some financial reimbursement for city departments that get called out in the middle of the night to make repairs.

The city will be putting to paper the verbal resolution approved Monday, which provides for a $250 minimum assessment to individuals who cause negligent or intentional damage to city property, and prompt department personnel to come in after hours to make repairs.

The resolution likely takes in the water and street departments; Mt. Carmel police and fire departments already have legislation in place covering call-in situations.

Street Commissioner Mike Witters brought the resolution to the table - and to a motion - Monday.

"Starting with this incident, there's going to be a $250 assessment to call street department personnel after hours to replace the window you drove your truck through, or replace the fence you tore down, or do whatever to get by 'til the morning," Witters said.

"This incident" refers to the night of Sunday, Aug. 7, when the driver of a Hummer reportedly lost control of the vehicle on Park Road. The vehicle skidded through the fence at the city pool and rolled into the water. The fence, and one of the pool's slides, were reportedly damaged.

Not only were police and fire authorities called to the scene that night, but the street department as well.

Later in the discussion, the decision was made to include all departments - not just the street department - in the resolution, the exception being those who already have such legislation in place.

The $250 assessment, officials discussed, is the minimum charge. "If the street department's out all night, then you're gonna be billed accordingly with overtime rates," Witters explained.

"But the city simply should not have to bear the cost of this anymore. So starting with the Hummer, we're going to assess that charge."

Witters stressed that the fee is neither a fine nor a penalty.

"This is the labor cost only," he said. "If we have to go buy 100 feet of fence to put around the pool, that's something different.

Rather, this resolution covers the after-hours call-outs that are "a direct result of the damage when they smashed our property."

These are "the charges that we incur right now when we are called out after hours," Witters said.