SIMI VALLEY : Council Increases Fines, Service Fees

The Simi Valley City Council has voted to raise fines and service fees for everything from parking violations to water hookups.

The council voted Monday to approve the new schedule of fees and fines, saying the increases are needed to offset the rising costs to the city of providing certain services. The increases are not intended to raise revenues, city officials said.

The new fees and fines will take effect March 27.

The council agreed to raise all planning fees about 7%. As a result, the fee for a proposed zoning change with an environmental impact report will rise from $3,990 to $4,267, while the fee for an on-site inspection of a developer’s property by city staff will increase from $1,428 to $1,523.

Water connection fees will increase from between $1,286 to $1,761, up from previous charges ranging from $954 to $1,354.

In addition, fines for parking violations, most of which previously ranged from $7 to $12, were increased to levels that will make them more consistent with those of other cities in Ventura County, officials said. Parking fines in Thousand Oaks range from $20 to $55, while fines in Oxnard run between $30 and $105, according to a city staff report.

Several parking fines that previously were $12 will increase substantially. For example, a simple parking violation will increase to $30; fines for parking in a posted fire lane will jump to $55; the fine for blocking a handicapped space will rise to $55; abandoning a vehicle on a highway will cost violators $79; parking on the boundary lines of parking stalls reserved for the handicapped will increase to $105; and parking a vehicle for sale on private or public property will cost $55.