HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-21-2017 Item 1, CooperCOUNCIL MEETING:. II - 1 7 y RECEIVED
ITEM NO.: a- __ FEB 21 2017
SLO CITY
From: Allan Cooper [
Sent: Monday, February 20, 2017 8:06 PM
To: Carloni, Marcus <mcarloni@slocity.org>; Johnson, Derek <djohnson@slocity.or>; Harmon, Heidi
<hharmon@slocitv.or>; ccrhristianson@slocity.org; Rivoire, Dan <DRivoire@slocitv.ore>; Pease, Andy
<a ease slocit .or >; Gomez, Aaron <aag_Qmez-uPs€ocity.org>; E-mail Council Website <emailcouncil@siocity.org>
Subject: Increase In Appeals Fees
Dear Derek and Marcus -
Would you kindly forward the letter attached below to the
City Council prior to their 4:00 P.M. meeting tomorrow?
Thanks!
- Allan
To: SLO City Council
Re: Proposed Appeals Fee Increase
From: Allan Cooper
Date: February 20, 2017
Honorable Mayor and Council Members -
I would like to give the Council guidance on staff's proposed fee structure for appeals.
Meritorious appeals should not be discouraged. The public at large benefits from the appeal
process. When a service or activity completely benefits the public at large the cost recovery
should be nearer 0%. When a service or activity completely benefits an individual or entity such
as an applicant/applicant representative, the cost recovery should be nearer 100%. It is good
policy to differentiate between the type of users, such as residents or business entities, as is
done in the City of Santa Rosa where the applicant/applicant representative is charged $5,469
for an appeal of a Planning Commission decision as compared to a neighbor/non-applicant
appeal fee of $475. Fee increases have the unintended consequence of driving away the
population served. As Dan Buettner described in his book "The Blue Zones", happiness is
related to social engagement where people of all ages are socially active and integrated into
their communities. The appeal process addresses these broader, local social values.
Appeal fees charged elsewhere and comparable to what San Luis Obispo presently charges are
as follows:
City of San Francisco $578
City of Palo Alto $136
City of Woodland $238
City of Encinitas $250
City of Petaluma $219
City of Santa Rosa $475
Finally, citing cost of living increases over the past eight years is hardly justification for raising
the appeals fee 277%. Based on cost of living research at the American Institute for Economic
Research, the cost of living increase between 2009 and 2117 was a mere 13.08%. Thank you!