PORT HUENEME : Building, Parking Fees May Increase

Port Hueneme residents could be paying more for beach parking, building, and water conservation as the city adjusts its fee schedule for the first time in three years.

The City Council will hold a public hearing on the fee adjustments tonight.

The city is considering raising the daily parking rate at Port Hueneme from $4 to $5 and increasing the yearly beach-parking pass from $60 to $75, according to a staff report.

City staff said the changes will bring the fees up to the levels of other beach cities from Malibu to Santa Barbara and raise more than $31,000 annually to maintain local beaches. The city also might impose one-hour parking limits on roads near the beach to encourage use of the paid lot.

The council will also consider increasing fees for building permits and developers.

The latest revision to the city’s building code, in 1994, increased building fees by about 40%. But the report does not recommend raising the fees by that much, saying it will hurt the building industry.

Instead, the city will consider the consumer price index when calculating the new fees.

Based on the index, fees could go up by 7.5%, the rate of inflation between 1991 and 1994.

“This is our effort to keep these fees at the lowest level possible while recouping our costs and not impairing development,” Community Development Director Tom Figg said. Currently, Port Hueneme has the second-lowest building permit fees for a single family dwelling in the county, behind Fillmore, city officials said.

And finally, the city will discuss modifying its fees for installing water-saving devices in new buildings or adding them to existing structures.