West Hollywood will increase the charges on hundreds of services it offers — everything from parking garages to building inspections — in order to raise an additional $677,148 in revenue for the city over the next two fiscal years.
City Council will hold a public hearing Monday to discuss and potentially adopt a new resolution establishing updated fees and charges for services provided by the city in Fiscal Year 2024-25.
Most of the increases are in city’s Planning and Development Services, like site inspections and plan checks, which in total will produce $189,000 in extra revenue for the city.
Some of the notable changes that the general public might encounter are:
Electric vehicle charging
Instead of an hourly fee, drivers will be charged by kilowatt hour. Currently, the fee is based on the duration of a charging session ($1.50 per hour for the first two hours and $2.50 per hour thereafter). Drivers instead will pay a rate of $0.34 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity used. This is expected to earn an additional $107,015 for the city, more than double what the city brought in during fiscal year 23-24.
Administrative Tow Fee
This fee is being increased from $40 to $45. Its purpose is to offset the cost of conducting tow hearings. This is the first increase since the fee inception in 1997.
New Crescent Heights parking lot
Rates at the parking lot under construction Crescent Heights and Santa Monica Boulevard will be $2 per hour from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m., $20 for special event parking and up to $120 for monthly parking.
West Hollywood Park Parking Garage
The maximum daytime Sunday rate will increase from $6 to $12 per hour. Evening rates Monday through Sunday will be $10 per hour. New required keycards will cost $25. These changes alone are expected to net around $200,000 more for the city.
West Hollywood Library Parking Garage
Maximum rate for 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. rises from $9 to $10.New required keycards will cost $25.
Kings Road/Santa Monica Boulevard Parking Garage
The maximum rate from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. increases from $5 to $8. New required keycards will cost $25.
Pool fees
Small increases are set for Group, Private, Lap and Recreational Swim for non-resident older adults.
Decreases
All pickleball and tennis court reservations for resident adults 55 and older will be offered at a reduced rate of 30% by the concessionaire. The same applies for resident recreation classes or programs for low-income and adults 55 years of age or older. Also, a new plot fee for the city’s community gardens is being established for resident adults who are 55 and over and qualify as low income. The reduced fee is $84 and will be applied to qualified individuals assigned to a Community Garden Plot.
The city operates on a system where each city division annually reviews and proposes changes to their fee schedules. These proposed changes are first submitted to the Revenue Division and are subsequently compiled into a Master Fee Schedule. This comprehensive document is then presented to the City Council for approval.
The process also involves a detailed, external consultation every four years to ensure that the city’s fees remain comprehensive and competitive. The last comprehensive user fee analysis was conducted for Fiscal Year 2022-23. The updated User Fee Model for this year has been adjusted to reflect current salary rates and other economic factors relevant for Fiscal Year 2024-25.
Nice – let’s gouge the Sunday park goers by doubling the cost to park – just because the garage is constantly full. It is WEHO’s own da#n fault for building the new recreation structure and not doubling the parking spaces. And then run council meetings out of here and set aside the whole ground level parking for your meetings. The spaces are marked off and empty most of weekend day when these occur. And like someone said below, how about utilizing some exiting funds to power wash the filthy sidewalks in front of the bars. WEHO increased meter rates years… Read more »
I find it ironic that the City mandates what percentage, if any, building owners are allowed to increase rents, but then does not abide by the same standards for themselves, as demonstrated here. Rent increases used to follow inflation, but then Council decided to put a cap on that (3%), regardless of the rate of inflation (8%). In no other sector are these restrictions allowed, such as capping the amount a restaurant can charge for a plate of spaghetti or for necessities like bread and milk at Gelson’s. Should the City expect to run their business free of restrictions, then… Read more »
Wow! Doubling the rates on Sundays just seems greedy. This increase is not going to in any way lessen the demand for a place to park and it seems like just a cheesy way to take advantage of park patrons. What is next? An entry fee at the dog parks?
All the abandoned buildings in west Hollywood,should lose their fire insurance,because a lot of them are apparently letting the homeless burn down the buildings,just so they can collect fire insurance,which puts the community at risk !
So what are they going to do with the $31 Million surplus they were just patting themselves on the back for? Tree canopies, bike lanes and ice rinks?
On what would you like to see the money spent?
Please start a list.
How about simply fix the sidewalks. They are full of tons of pot homes. I saw several people trip and fall on the one front of Revolver.
Put utility polls and power lines underground.
Power wash all sidewalks
Resurface streets.
Plant more trees.
Fix sidewalks
Add police.
Subsidized e-scooter charging stations, special OutZones for unicyclists, and discount Tofu Tastee-treats at all city events.
Probably wouldn’t need to raise a single fee for another decade if they just stopped with the stupid bike lanes that no one but like five people will ever use.
Yes.
Yep
The council members have such poor judgment, it’s hard to trust anything they do. And no, Chelsea Byers, we will not institute a new tax on Jews.
“And no, Chelsea Byers, we will not institute a new tax on Jews.”
Enough. You want to be a victim so badly. It’s so embarrassing.
Thats a good one. You never know what they do if they thought it could help them politically. They didnt include a single Jew on the social justice task force, – She hid her work as the Director of Operations for an anti-Jew group Beautiful Trouble..she hid her trip to Israel that was paid for lobbyists. If Unite Here supported a tax on Jews they probably would say yes..(if mother hen Lindsey Horvath gave the approval). And neither Byers or Shyne has appointeed a single Jew to any commission that was not a Horvath holdover.
So the city is running revenue collection under a Capitalist for profit system, but they run apartment rentals under Marxist and Fascist rent control. And they operate freeloader handouts under a vote getting scheme. I get it now.
Tax and spend, big government, soft on crime…all you democrat voters keep voting for that. If you hate Trump fine but think about state and local races. Let CA know you want checks on one party rule.
It’s the free handouts the leeches of society want. They’ve been given handouts for decades and Democrats keep promising more. Tax the workers and give the lazy asses what they want for votes.