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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-06-24 - AGENDA REPORTS - CPI ADJUSTMENTS FEE SCHEDULE (2)PUBLIC HEARING DATE: SUBJECT: DEPARTMENT: Agenda Item: 2— CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT City Manager Approval Item to be presented by: June 24, 2003 Barbara Boswell ANNUAL CPI ADJUSTMENTS TO FEES AND ADJUSTMENTS TO THE FEE SCHEDULE Administrative Services RECOMMENDED ACTION L City Council open the public hearing, receive testimony, close the public hearing. 2. Adopt Resolution, establishing a schedule of fees and charges for City services. 3. Adopt Resolution, revising fees and charges for parking penalties and other related violations within the City. 4. Adopt Resolution, establishing fees and charges for the storm drainage utility services for fiscal year 03-04. BACKGROUND C.P.I. Fee Adjustment On June 11, 2002, City Council adopted a Resolution setting fees and allowing an annual C.P.I. adjustment to these fees. The proposed fee for services schedule reflects a 2.8% increase in the fees adopted by the City Council on June 11, 2002. This increase is consistent with the increase in the Consumer Price Index (C.P.I.) for the Los Angeles area for 2002. Staff is recommending this increase to help recover the increasing costs of providing these services. Parking Violations Staff is also recommending an increase to the fees related to parking citations. Assembly Bill 408 was adopted into law on September 29, 1992, and became operative July 1, 1993. AB408 amended the State Vehicle Code with respect to the processing and enforcement of parking violations. It also charged the City with the task of establishing the amount of parking penalties, late payments, administrative fees, costs of collection, and other related charges for those parking violations occurring in the City. In an effort to provide consistency, the City has made every effort to mirror the Los Angeles County fee schedule. This revision brings the City's fee schedule in line with the County's. Attached is a copy of the proposed bail schedule and the bail schedule originally adopted in 1993. Additionally, some new penalty fees are being incorporated into the Parking Citation Bail Schedule, as recommended by the Sheriffs department. Stormwater Utility Services For fiscal year 2003-04, staff is recommending a $1 per Equivalent Dwelling Unit (E.D.U.) increase from $21 to $22. This fee is based on the cost of providing the services required under the NPDES permit, which is estimated at $2,265,000 per year. The Federal Clean Water Act sets forth specific requirements with which the City must comply on an annual basis. These requirements are provided in the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the California Regional Water Quality Control Board. In order to fund the services needed to be in compliance with this federally mandated program, the City adopted Ordinance No. 94-7, enacting Chapter 15.50 of the Santa Clarita Municipal Code (SCMC), Storm Drainage Utility Enterprise Fund, including the Storm Drainage Pollution Abatement Charge. This charge was originally enacted in 1994. However, in compliance with the Government Code, it is reaffirmed each year. The fee was originally adopted by the Council in 1994 at $24 per E.D.U. to fund the activities necessary to get the utility up and running. hi 1997, the fee was decreased to $21. There have been no subsequent changes to the fee. For the past six years, the fee has been adequate to support the required activities under the permit. In FY 2003-04, changes to the requirements have resulted in increased costs to the utility including: $15,000 annual permit fee Over 900 additional restaurant inspections Over 5,100 additional commercial/industrial site inspections This increase to the Stormwater Utility Fee is lower than if the fee had been adjusted annually by C.P.I. New Fees Staff is also recommending establishing four new fees. These new fees include charging $1 per hour for the P.L.A.Y. program, establishing a mid-level development process review fee, a developer fee to pay for NPDES required plan checking, and to establish a fee to collect the cost of inspecting storm drains before they are transferred to the L.A. County Flood Control. During this process, staff contacted the Building Institute of America (B.I.A.) and discussed the development fee increase, as well as the proposed new fees. There were no concerns expressed by B.I.A. on the proposed fee schedule. Staff also invited the public and developers to comment on the fee increase and the new fees through public participation meetings. Separate public participation meetings were held for Parks & Recreation fees and Development related fees. The public was notified about the meetings through direct mailings and flyers presented on the public counters. No one from the public attended the meetings. All Development related fees will go into effect on October 1, 2003, and all other fees will go into effect July 1, 2003. ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS Other action as determined by Council. FISCAL IMPACT It is estimated that the revised fee for services schedule will result in additional revenues of approximately $365,000 dollars, based on projected FY 03/04 activity levels. These revenues have not been factored into the FY 03/04 budget. Revenues will be reviewed at midyear, and any appropriate adjustments will be recommended at that time. ATTACHMENTS Resolution - Establishing a Schedule of Fees and Charges for City Services Resolution - Establishing Fees and charges for Storm Drainage Utility Services Resolution - To Revise Parking Penalties and Other Related Charges for Parking Violations Within the City