Fees Might Be Waived to Lure Firm : Moorpark: The council will consider incentives to attract a San Fernando company. A move could bring 300 jobs to the city.

In the latest example of a city attempting to lure new business through cash incentives, the Moorpark City Council tonight will consider waiving thousands of dollars in city fees for a mail-order firm mulling a relocation from San Fernando.

Mail Marketing Corp. has proposed construction of a 414,500-square-foot facility on 19.3 acres in a Moorpark industrial park, a plan that company officials say could eventually bring 300 jobs to the city.

In response, the council will consider waiving more than $60,000 in city fees for landscaping and public art, and capping the company’s contribution to a traffic mitigation fund at $200,000.

“I think every city goes through this as they start to grow,” Councilman John Wozniak said. “You find a lot of different cities making a lot of different deals to try and grow, to broaden the tax base and make the city more economically sound.”

Moorpark late last year agreed to waive some fees and expedite an application by Kavlico Corp. to nearly double the size of its Moorpark plant, and neighboring Simi Valley recently gave Warner/Elektra/Atlantic Corp. an aid package worth $168,800 as an incentive to build a 253,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution center in the city.

“That’s what makes things happen these days,” said Moorpark Mayor Paul Lawrason of the recent trend of cities sweetening the deal for incoming businesses. “It’s kind of competitive out there in terms of bringing people into your community, so we’re willing to--within very limited means--make special arrangements to ‘incentivise’ people to come into the city.”

Councilman Bernardo Perez said he supports the aid package proposed for Mail Marketing but cautioned against the city going too far in luring new businesses.

“I don’t want to get into the frenzy where I see, over the long range, cities will end up paying for their businesses through their incentives,” Perez said. “There comes a point where it’s not right or fair to make the community suffer just to entice a business to come to town.”

Mail Marketing approached the city about a year ago, Wozniak said, and expressed interest in moving to Moorpark. The city helped the company find property in an existing industrial park on Science Drive and has met with company officials several times to discuss incentives the city could offer, Wozniak said.

Asked to comment on the company’s possible move to Moorpark, a Mail Marketing spokeswoman who would not give her full name said it was too early to comment.

But Wozniak said he thinks council approval of the incentive package would seal the deal.

“I believe the council’s concurrence will be the final gesture that they are looking for,” said Wozniak, one of two council members who met with company officials and toured its current plant.

“They really have fallen in love with the city and with the freeway. That was a big plus for them.”

Wozniak said the firm handles mass mailings and marketing for catalogue companies.

The council will discuss the matter at its meeting beginning at 7 p.m. in City Hall, 799 Moorpark Ave.