COSTA MESA

The city recently created a one-stop permit processing center to collect developer fees for all of its departments, and officials have invited Newport-Mesa Unified to join in. “It makes perfect sense. It’s an efficiency thing,” said Mike Fine, assistant superintendent of business services for the district. Fine said the new process would benefit taxpayers, who will have to go to only one place to pay their fees. At the same time, the district will be able to reduce the costs of collecting and processing fees.

The district collects about $325,000 a year from developers who must pay fees--30 cents a square foot for commercial projects and $1.84 for homes--to offset the effect of those developments on schools. Last year, because of the huge development at 1 Ford Road in Newport Beach, the district collected more than $2.3 million in developer fees, Fine said. Part of the money was used to refurbish Eastbluff Elementary School, and other funds will be used to put portable classrooms at overcrowded elementary schools.