Local News in Brief : Fees for Fire Inspections?

Over the objections of local businessmen, the Hawthorne City Council has decided to consider whether to begin charging for certain fire-prevention inspections.

At a public hearing this week, Councilmen Chuck Bookhammer and David M. York voted to put the question of fees on the agenda for the council’s Feb. 8 meeting. Councilwoman Ginny M. Lambert opposed the measure, saying that she wants more information about the concerns raised by area businessmen before she would establish fees.

At Monday’s hearing, several owners of small businesses said the fees would create a hardship, and they raised questions about the exact services covered.

Among the Fire Department’s proposed charges are $40 for checking a fire alarm system and $60 for checking a sprinkler system, plus $2 for each detector or sprinkler head. An inspection for a certificate of occupancy of a new building would cost $90. Details on the proposed fees are available by calling the Fire Department during office hours at (213) 970-7970.

The fees are being considered as the city contemplates a hiring freeze, which was also on Monday’s agenda but was deferred because Mayor Betty J. Ainsworth and Councilman Steven Andersen were absent.

Both the fees and hiring freeze would bolster the city’s budget and help pay for a second paramedic unit.