COSTA MESA : New User Fees May Bring in $1.5 Million

False alarms may soon cost residents $145 under a proposal to be considered Monday night by the City Council.

The false-alarm fee--$120 more than previously charged--is one of dozens of user-fee increases suggested by the city finance staff to help beef up ailing coffers.

From permits for Christmas tree lots to the granting of variances, anything that involves city staff time is a potential target for either a new or increased charge under the proposal.

The list is endless.

“This is the first time that all fees have been brought to the council at the same time,” said Marcus Davis, assistant director of finance.

In fact, according to officials, the last time city fees were overhauled was in the late 1980s when only a few city departments were affected.

During the last several months, the Finance Department has been busy calculating the costs for the various services, adding into the equation staff time, benefits and overhead costs.

According to city figures, if adopted, the new fees could bring in more than $1.5 million each year to the general fund.

This fiscal year could see about an $800,000 revenue boost, Davis said.

Under the plan, those who run afoul of the law could get hit hardest. Drunk drivers may soon have to dish out $715 to the city for their offense, up about $400 from the current charge.

If you want a copy of your police report, that will cost $20, not $5. And even though the first false-alarm is free, the second could cost $145 for both residences and commercial properties.

False alarms alone could net the city more than $300,000 each year in revenue, according to projections. The Police Department fees could result in $793,964 in new income to the city--over half of the $1.5 million income estimated under the new fee structure.

One of the only areas that could be left unchanged is recreation instruction classes. If adopted as recommended, children will still be able to attend Easter Egg-Citement at the city’s expense and still pay $41 for tap-dancing lessons.

The City Council already considered the suggested fee increases during a study session earlier this month. If adopted, the new charges would go into effect Dec. 7.

A public hearing on the user-fee increases will be held during Monday’s City Council meeting, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 77 Fair Drive.