City Hikes Fees for Some Services, Weighs Other Increases : Government: Child care and ambulance use will cost more. Public hearings will be held on proposals affecting the Planning Department and trash pickup.

How much is it worth for a city review of the location of a planned tennis court in Beverly Hills? Until now, that service cost nothing. But if the City Council follows the recommendations of a consultant, that service could cost homeowners as much as $5,180.

During its meeting Tuesday, the City Council approved some increases in fees charged to residents and businesses for city services. Those changes will be effective immediately. But the council agreed to delay proposed hikes in Planning Department fees, for services such as tennis court review, and refuse collection fees until public hearings can be held.

A public hearing on refuse fees tentatively has been set for July 14. A hearing for proposed increases in Planning Department fees is planned for Aug. 1.

The fee increases approved on Tuesday range from the fine for overdue books, which rose from 10 cents to 20 cents a day, to preferential street parking permits, which went from $10 to $12.

Some fees, such as city-subsidized child care during the school year, preschool and after-school adventure camp, were hit with modest increases of 5% to 7%.

But the Planning Department fee changes that were proposed represented a 43% overall hike, in addition to an annual increase tied to the consumer price index. The proposed hike would affect such costs as a single-family development review, which would increase from $981.45 to $1,243.20.

The proposed fee changes were the result of a study requested last year by the City Council, said Donald Oblander, the city’s finance administration director.

The request came last year as the city had to cut $9 million from its proposed budget, freeze city employee salaries and leave vacant positions unfilled. This week, faced with a continuing decline in sales tax revenues because of the recession, the council adopted a budget for 1992-93 that was slightly smaller than last year.

Each year, the city raises fees based on the rise in the consumer price index. But the council wanted the services re-evaluated to see what the city’s costs were in providing each service and how much of the cost should be paid by the city or the users, Oblander said.

Like most California cities, Beverly Hills collects fees for services provided to the general public, City Manager Mark Scott said. The intent is to recover a portion of the cost of providing the service. But, in most instances, the city still significantly subsidizes user fees with tax revenues.

A study of more than 170 city services conducted by a consultant concluded that the city spends $13.5 million for city services and recovers $6 million in fees, providing a $7.5-million or 56% subsidy.

If all of the fees are approved by the council, the tax subsidy would be reduced to 53.2%, Oblander said.

When deciding how much to subsidize a service, the city has to analyze whom the service benefits, said Noel Marquis, deputy director of finance administration.

“The underlying assumption is that, for services benefiting individuals and not society as a whole, the individual should pay for the cost of service,” Marquis said. If a service benefits the entire community, such as police and fire services, then the service should be entirely paid for by tax revenues, he said. “Where the service primarily benefits the individual, with some benefit to the community, the cost should be recovered primarily from the fees charged with some minimal support from tax revenues.”

Some of the increases approved Tuesday include:

* Child Care: City-subsidized child day care during the school year will be increased from $105 to $113 a month for three hours a day for income-qualified residents and from $178 to $192 for three hours for other residents. Fees for four and five hours daily will also be increased, as well as fees for non-residents.

* Police Services: The cost of getting a copy of a traffic accident report or crime report from the Police Department will increase from $12.50 to $22. An annual fee of $460 will be charged of fortunetellers for the first time. The fee is the same as for escort bureaus and introduction services.

* Fire Services: The cost of a fire report will increase from $12.50 to $20.50. Ambulance fees will also rise. The response fee will rise from $227.50 to $248.65, the cost of taking a patient to a hospital will increase from $121.25 to $134.70 and the cost of administering oxygen will rise from $40.90 to $42.35.

Fees that were proposed include:

* Planning Department: A request for a zoning variance would jump from $981.45 to $2,738.15. An application for a hillside development permit would rise from $946.95 to $1,916.60. A review of the location of a proposed game court, such as a tennis court, would rise from zero cost to as much as $5,180.

* Refuse Collection: The city’s staff is proposing a 49% increase in the refuse fee and street cleaning fee charged to residents every two months. The bill for lots with less than 10,000 square feet would rise $9. For lots of 10,000 to 20,000 square feet, rates would increase $18, and by $30 for lots more than 20,000 square feet. Commercial rates, which vary according to the size of the bin and number of pickups per week, would rise by 70%.

Scott, the city manager, said the council should take a closer look during the coming year at certain fees, such as charges for library books, ambulance services, and non-resident use of tennis courts and other recreational facilities.

The council also may consider an ambulance subscription fee, which would allow residents to pay a small fee as part of their utility bill. The fee would serve as a form of insurance to cover their charges, if they ever required ambulance service.

A list of the new fees is available at the Beverly Hills city clerk’s office.