THOUSAND OAKS : City Rethinks Fee Hike for Landscaping

Responding to the anger of Thousand Oaks residents who face a 10% increase in fees charged for city landscaping in front of their homes, council members have agreed to search for creative ways to reduce costs.

The fees, which are charged to 11,000 Thousand Oaks households for gardening and landscaping work performed by city employees, are scheduled to be increased from $128.92 to $141.72 per year.

Since the proposed increase was announced, the city has received 77 letters protesting the hike.

One resident who spoke against the rate change at last week’s City Council meeting called the increase “unconscionable.”

“I don’t see how any government office can present an increase of this size,” resident Ed Greenwood said. “We don’t have an endless supply of money. The city has got to go back and see how it can be done for less.”

Council members said they were not satisfied with the city’s effort to minimize the price increase. City staff had already reduced the proposed increase from 19% to about 10%.

“I still don’t think it’s reasonable,” Councilman Frank Schillo said. “I think we can come up with some creative ways to handle this.”

Schillo suggested that the city look into the fiscal effects of trimming trees and mowing medians less frequently.

Public Works Director Don Nelson said last week that his staff was working to further reduce the cost increase.

“We’re going through all the numbers to make certain there’s nothing there that couldn’t be eliminated,” Nelson said. “But a lot of the increase has to do with a rise in water and labor costs, and I’m not sure there’s much we can do about that.”

Nelson said the final proposal will come to the council next Tuesday, when the panel is scheduled to vote on new fees.