Board May Lift Cap on Appeals Costs

The cost of appealing a decision by either the Ventura County Planning Commission or its director would no longer be limited to $1,200 under a plan to be considered today by the Board of Supervisors.

The county currently requires an $800 deposit--with a maximum $1,200--to file an appeal, officials said.

The county’s cost for writing staff reports and analyses associated with appeals, however, occasionally exceeds the $1,200 cap, said Todd Collart of the county’s Resource Management Agency.

When this happens, the county must dip into its general fund to pick up the remaining costs, he said.

To reduce expenses, the Resource Management Agency has recommended that applicants be responsible for the entire cost of processing the appeal, Collart said.

Meiners Oaks resident Pat Baggerly has complained in a letter to the board that if the fee cap is lifted, only wealthy individuals or large corporations would be able to afford appeals. Moreover, she said, there would be no motivation for the county’s planning staff to keep a lid on costs.

Baggerly, a board member of the Ventura County Environmental Coalition, which has participated in appeals in the past, recommends that the county either maintain its current fee cap or reduce it.

“My hope is that the board will keep a lid on fees so that people can afford to participate in the democratic process here in Ventura County,” Baggerly said.