Hermosa Beach council balks at fee increases
Hermosa Beach City Council on Tuesday tentatively rejected a call for $700,000 in increased fees charged to businesses and residents for inspections, permits, and a wide array of recreational and other services. The increases were recommended by a private consultant who conducted the first Hermosa fee study in five years, aiming to determine what it costs the city to provide a service and how the costs can be covered. Council members said they will reduce fees where the consultant determined they were set too high, and they would continue to discuss possible increases. But the idea of any significant fee increases received a cold reception. Mayor Peter Tucker and Councilman Kit Bobko questioned whether it should cost the city as much as it does to provide the services. Tucker said some building-related fees were higher than those in neighboring cities. Hermosa City Manager Steve Burrell said Hermosa has some “extra steps” for builders that were designed to “reflect the desires of the residents.” A builder might have to seek Planning Commission approval for some aspects of a project which could be approved with an over-the-counter permit elsewhere, he said. “That ads to the cost,”…
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