Black Cloud Building Corp. v. Maricopa County

716 P.2d 424, 149 Ariz. 55, 1985 Ariz. App. LEXIS 821
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedDecember 10, 1985
DocketNos. 1 CA-CIV 7427, 1 CA-CIV 7375
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 716 P.2d 424 (Black Cloud Building Corp. v. Maricopa County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Black Cloud Building Corp. v. Maricopa County, 716 P.2d 424, 149 Ariz. 55, 1985 Ariz. App. LEXIS 821 (Ark. Ct. App. 1985).

Opinion

OPINION

JACOBSON, Judge.

In this action for declaratory judgment, the appellant, Black Cloud Building Corporation (Black Cloud), challenges the authority of the Maricopa County Department of Health Services (County Health Department) to regulate a spa located within the common area of a condominium complex. The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of the appellee Maricopa County.

The issues which we must determine on appeal are: (1) whether the County Health Department is authorized to define public and semipublic pools and bathing places, and to issue licenses and assess fees; (2) whether a spa located within the common area of a condominium complex is a semi-public pool or bathing place; and (3) whether regulation of spas by the County Health Department violates the City of Phoenix’s health ordinances.

The facts material to the resolution of this appeal are not in dispute. Prior to November, 1982, Black Cloud, a licensed general contractor, began constructing a 24-unit condominium development known as Village East Condominiums in Phoenix, Arizona. As part of the project, Black Cloud installed a 7.5’ x 7.5’ x 3’ fiberglass spa in the common area of the development. Black Cloud neither submitted construction plans nor obtained a permit from the County Health Department to operate the spa prior to or after installing it.

The Maricopa County Health Code proscribes the construction of bathing places without first submitting plans to and receiving the approval thereof from the County Health Department. The Code also proscribes the operation of public or semi-public bathing places without a permit issued by the County Health Department. In addition, the Department charges fees for inspecting, licensing and regulating public and semipublic bathing places.

On November 9, 1982, the County Health Department notified Black Cloud that the spa at the Village East Condominiums had been constructed illegally because of Black Cloud’s failure to obtain the necessary permits and approval, and because the color of the spa did not meet Code specifications.

On January 19, 1983, Black Cloud filed a complaint in superior court against Marico-pa County, requesting a declaratory judgment and injunctive relief. In the complaint, Black Cloud sought a judgment declaring the County Health Department regulations void where they conflicted with the regulations of the Arizona Department of Health Services (State Health Department) and that the County Health Department had no statutory authority to charge or collect inspection, testing or licensing fees. Black Cloud also requested the court to enjoin County Health Department employees from entering the condominium complex, harassing Black Cloud employees or subcontractors, and posting the spa closed or initiating legal action against Black Cloud because of the spa.

By its judgment, the trial court determined that the County had the necessary statutory authority to regulate the installation and inspection of semipublic swimming pools and to charge fees in accordance with a fee schedule adopted by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. The trial court further concluded that the condominium spa was a semipublic pool subject to regulation by the County Health Department. Black Cloud appeals from that judgment.

On August 9, 1983, the County Health Department issued a cease and desist order directing Black Cloud to cease operating the spa until construction plans were submitted to and approved by the County Health Department. Black Cloud requested and received an administrative hearing with the County Health Department to review the cease and desist order. On November 10, 1983, the County Health De[57]*57partment’s hearing officer rendered a written decision concluding that the issues raised by Black Cloud were moot in light of the proceedings in superior court. Black Cloud then instituted a special action in the superior court challenging the validity of the administrative hearing. Black Cloud has also appealed an adverse judgment in that proceeding. That appeal will not be addressed in this opinion.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY TO DEFINE, ISSUE LICENSES AND ASSESS FEES

Black Cloud first maintains that the County Health Department has no statutory authority to “define” public and semi-public pools and bathing places, or to issue licenses and assess fees. In determining the validity of this position, we start with the proposition that if the legislature gave statutory authority to the State Health Department to regulate a specific activity or to attain specific objectives, like authority is possessed by the County Health Department. State v. Kelsall, 22 Ariz.App. 97, 523 P.2d 1334 (1974).

Under Title 36 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, the State Health Department is charged with regulating health problems that affect the state at large. To accomplish this goal, the legislature has delegated substantive rule-making and enforcement powers, both general and specific, to that Department. Under A.R.S. § 36-136(F), the State Health Director is authorized to “make and amend rules necessary for the proper administration and enforcement of the laws relating to the public health.” A.R.S. § 36-136(F) (Supp.1984). More specifically, A.R.S. § 36-136(G)(14) provides that the State Director:

shall, by regulation: ... [prescribe reasonably necessary measures to prevent pollution of water used in public or semi-public swimming pools and bathing places and to prevent deleterious health conditions at such places. The regulations shall prescribe minimum standards for design of pools, for sanitary conditions which shall be maintained at any public or semipublic swimming pool or bathing place, and shall provide for inspection of such premises and for abatement as public nuisances of any premises and facilities which do not comply with the minimum standards.

A.R.S. § 36-136(G)(14) (Supp.1984).

In addition to enumerating the various powers and duties of the State Health Director, Title 36 also contemplates the involvement of local health boards to regulate health problems on a local level. For example, A.R.S. § 36-136(D) authorizes the State Health Director to delegate any of his or her functions, powers or duties to recognized local health departments. Furthermore, A.R.S. § 36-136(H) authorizes local health boards to adopt regulations as authorized by law within their jurisdiction, provided they do not conflict with state law, and are equal to or more restrictive than the regulations of the State Director. Pursuant to A.R.S. § 36-136(D), a delegation agreement is in effect between the State Health Director and the Maricopa County Health Department.

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Related

Marsoner v. Pima County
801 P.2d 430 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1990)
Maricopa County Health Department v. Harmon
750 P.2d 1364 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1987)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
716 P.2d 424, 149 Ariz. 55, 1985 Ariz. App. LEXIS 821, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/black-cloud-building-corp-v-maricopa-county-arizctapp-1985.