Business landlords and residents in Pacific Palisades have received notices that they have to pay a $13 fee for a brush inspection on their property because the entire community is located in what the Los Angeles Fire Department deems a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. The Palisadian-Post received numerous complaints from residents and landlords alike about the notice, and the topic also came up at last Thursday’s Community Council meeting. When L.A. City Councilman Bill Rosendahl was contacted last Friday, he said, ‘This is not a bill, it is only a notification. Don’t pay anything yet; the bill will come in April.’ He admitted that the notice was confusing. The Post was among the businesses on Via de la Paz that received the letter. Our building is surrounded by cement and pavement, and is devoid of vegetation, save for a few rosemary plants in a front-window box. Ted Mackie, owner of the building that houses his bicycle repair shop, Beckwith Insurance and Special Moments at 871 Via, was angered by the notice. ‘It’s a fundraiser for the city,’ Mackie said. ‘How did they decide on that particular fee’the city deficit divided by the number of properties?’ LAFD Battalion Chief Patrick Butler told the Post that the fee was needed to cover the cost of the inspections. ‘It’s geared towards homeowners’ safety,’ he said. The dollar amount ($13) was actually adopted in 1999 under fee ordinance 172.675. The same ordinance was recently updated and readopted as number 172.449, in response to the current budget crisis, Butler said. The city hopes to bring in $1.7 million through the mandatory inspection payment from property owners that abut the Santa Monica Mountains, on either side of the Mulholland Highway and continuing through to the 5 Freeway. Pacific Palisades (with about 10,000 homes and business landlords) could yield a maximum of about $130,000. Homeowners can avoid the fee if they self-inspect their property and fill out the appropriate paperwork. A more detailed packet will be mailed in April explaining a self-inspection procedure that requires a property owner to (l) provide a copy of the County Assessor’s map book page reflecting the parcel or a drawing of the property (either must depict the dimensions of the property, location of structures on the property and structures on adjacent properties, 2) conduct an inspection of the property under LAMC 57.21.07, 3) make corrections to the property, and 4) submit photographs depicting the property and the owner’s compliance. Or, a resident can simply send the city a check for $13. Some businesses may file for an exemption, but that will also be explained in the packet. When asked what the administrative cost might be to print these letters and pay for two mailings, Butler could not provide a figure. When queried that if hundreds of thousands of residents chose the self-inspect option and send in the required documents and photographs, will additional help have to be hired, Butler did not know. He added that when the next mailer is sent out, a hotline will be made available to answer residents’ questions. Rosendahl was asked if this inspection fee is actually a tax. He agreed that it could be called a tax and added, ‘Our people do pay a lot of taxes, but the fire department feels it has no other option.’ Rosendahl said he has requested that Butler appear before an upcoming Community Council meeting to answer questions regarding brush clearance, the fee, waivers and self-inspection.
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