LA PALMA : City OKs Fee Hikes, Amphitheater Steps

The City Council approved a slew of user fee increases last week and also decided to install concrete steps for seating at a planned Central Park amphitheater, in favor of a grassy slope.

User fees in the city typically account for 9% of the city’s general revenue fund, or $430,000 a year. In the past, increases in user fees have generated $10,000 to $12,000 annually.

The increases covered fees on items ranging from impounded vehicles--from $46 to $52--to building demolition permits--from $105 to $107.

However, the council chose not to raise fees for new business licenses or a tiny tots program. It also agreed to subsidize several youth sports programs.

The council voted 3 to 2 to pay a Torrance contractor $16,810 to install the amphitheater steps as part of a $642,000 park renovation project. The project, which is funded partly by the Community Development Commission and urban park grants, will include a gazebo and a group picnic area.

“The concrete steps will accommodate more people,” Mayor Wallace D. Linn said. “And aesthetically, I think the concrete tends to have a more professional look.”