LA PALMA : City Considers More Street-Sweeping Signs

The City Council is considering putting up more signs to make sure motorists do not park their vehicles and block street sweepers.

The city has received complaints from out-of-town visitors who say inadequate signage has caused them to be ticketed for parking in temporarily restricted zones.

At last week’s council meeting, officials acknowledged that some city streets have only one sign to inform drivers not to park in certain areas during street-sweeping hours.

“It’s a little underhanded,” Councilman Larry A. Herman said.

“We don’t want to trick anybody. We are a small city, and we want to welcome visitors and not hit them with a $22 ticket.”

The city issues about seven parking tickets per day, contributing about $38,000 annually to city coffers, officials said.

A council committee will make recommendations to the council about signage later this month.

In other action, the council reviewed proposed increases in user fees.

Such fees for specific services that only benefit those who use them account for about 9%, or $430,000, of the city’s general revenue fund.

In the past, hikes in user fees usually bring in between $10,000 and $12,000 annually.

Fees for dozens of city services--including obtaining new business licenses, testing water meters and releasing impounded vehicles--may be increased, according to a preliminary report by the city manager’s office.

The council was undecided about how much, if at all, to subsidize selected youth recreation programs such as Tiny Tots and Day Camp.

The council is expected to vote on the proposed increases later this month.