Fee Called Vital to Fire Inspections

Without a controversial new fee, city firefighters will be unable to inspect all the properties this year that pose a hazard of brush fires, a top official said Tuesday.

The number of inspectors would be doubled this year as a result of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s $13 brush-clearance inspection fee. However, collection of the fee has been suspended, at least temporarily.

“Without it, I don’t know what we’ll do,” Fire Capt. Paul Quagliata said.

Last year, he said, only 80% of the property that needed inspection was inspected.

“Not enough time and not enough people,” Quagliata said.

New brush-clearance regulations expanding the clearance requirement from 100 to 200 feet have resulted in an increased workload.

Some observers of the April 13 city primary, including Los Angeles City Councilmen Joel Wachs and Hal Bernson, said an abrupt and confusing letter announcing the new fee played a part in the defeat of a proposed police and fire bond issue.

The City Council voted earlier this month to suspend collection of the fee until details could be ironed out.

The $13 fee, which represents the estimated amount needed for the program divided by the number of homeowners in the area, will be applied toward the cost of hiring 30 people for the month of May, considered to be the optimum time to inspect.

Under the fee program, property owners in the hazard areas will be billed $13 per parcel unless they prove brush has been cleared. Proof required is a photograph of the cleared area and a notarized statement that the work was done. Random inspections would be conducted periodically to confirm such self-inspections.

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At the Public Safety Committee meeting Monday, fire officials will submit the draft of a new letter to be sent the 180,000 property owners. The letter will include answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about the program, and explain homeowner options.

About 38,000 pieces of mail generated by the first mailing are being held unopened by the city treasurer’s office until the program suspension is lifted by the council.