Menlo Park residents likely to pay more for city services Menlo Park residents likely to pay more for city services (April 28, 2004)

** Child care, parking permits, appeals could get more pricey under plan.

By Rebecca Wallace
Almanac Staff Writer

It could soon get more expensive to buy a parking permit, get city-run child care, appeal a neighbor's permit to remove a heritage tree, or have an overdue library book in Menlo Park.

As the city continues its struggle to plug up a $2.24 million hole in the $27 million general fund budget, officials are proposing far-reaching increases in fees for city services, just as they did last spring. If approved by the City Council on April 27, fees would go up in the library and police department, as well as the community services, public works, planning and administrative services divisions.

"It's just a hard year," community services director Curtis Brown said.

The whole package of fee increases is expected to bring in an added $406,000 in revenues.

Last year, increases in fees for children's programs caused some emotional protests from parents in the lower-income Belle Haven area. In response, the council approved a tiered increase based on income level for an eight-week summer program, rather than a blanket hike from $150 to $225.

This year, increases are again proposed for child care. For example, "extremely low income" parents in Belle Haven would pay $182 instead of $165 for the summer program. Belle Haven after-school programs, which went up $20 a month last year, would see 33 percent fee increases, including a raise from $30 to $40 monthly for "extremely low income" children.

Patricia Watkins, a Belle Haven resident and after-school program coordinator at Belle Haven Elementary School, said she thinks the proposed increases for child care are fair.

"I feel that our community, we have to step up to the plate, too," said Ms. Watkins, who is also a member of the city's Parks and Recreation Commission. "I'm hoping that the community will go along with it, because it's really a small amount. I know it's tough times for everyone, and the city is having a tough time, too."

Traditionally, fees for child care in Belle Haven have been subsidized by the city because all participants qualify as low-income under San Mateo County criteria, Mr. Brown said. Families with higher incomes had always been welcome, but had never signed up.

This year, the community services division is also proposing adding non-subsidized fees to the fee schedule in case families with higher incomes sign up: $368 a month for the after-school program and $926 for the summer program.

Increases are also proposed for the Burgess child care programs held at the Civic Center, including an increase from $560 to $588 a month for the after-school kindergarten program.

Fees would also go up for gymnastics, use of the tennis courts, and preschool and toddler programs.

"We understand that it's hard for everyone, but until the city is in a better financial situation, we have to look at one of the remedies: to do it through some fee increases," Mr. Brown said. "We don't want to cut the service to the kids."

The proposed budget for the 2004-05 fiscal year also includes a range of cuts, including less staffing at Belle Haven's community and senior centers, and the elimination of 10.75 full-time positions throughout city government.

Police, planning, library fees

Most of the fee increases being proposed are in the police department, affecting both the naughty and the nice.

Drivers under the influence, for example, could find themselves reaching deep into their pockets. The fine for a drunken-driving arrest would go up from $520 to $700; for a drunken-driving incident that causes an injury accident, the increase would be from $520 to $1,000.

Overnight parking permits would cost $2 instead of $1, and residential parking permits would cost $15 instead of $10. A host of parking violation fees would go up from $25 to $35, including parking in a crosswalk or blocking a fire hydrant.

The average Joe, though, probably wouldn't be hit too hard by a new $200 fee for having a helicopter "land in or hover over City limits," as described in a staff report on the fee proposal that was authored by several city department heads.

Residents who want to appeal a city decision would also pay more. A new fee would charge residents $50 for appealing a decision to grant or deny a permit to cut down a heritage tree.

In addition, appeals on planning issues would go from a flat $110 fee to a $500 deposit. If staff time spent on the appeal ends up costing more than $500, the appellant would then pay the difference as well.

"All these things should be cost recovery," finance director Uma Chokkalingam said.

In the library, overdue fines would increase from 20 cents to a quarter per day for adult-section items and from 10 to 15 cents for children's items. Putting an item on hold would cost 75 cents, instead of 50.

The staff report listing all the proposed fee hikes is online at www.menlopark.org. The April 27 council meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at 801 Laurel St.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.