2UrbanGirls
  • Home
  • Local
    • Compton
    • Education
    • Inglewood
    • Los Angeles
    • Orange County
  • News
    • Elections
  • Business
  • Crime
  • Opinion
    • Letter to the Editor
    • Word on the Streets
  • Things to Do
    • Arts & Culture
    • Entertainment
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Mediakit
  • Shop
    • Cart

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

What's Hot
April 1, 2023

Man shot to death near Watts

April 1, 2023

Authorities ID man fatally shot on LA freeway

April 1, 2023

Police pursuit ends with driver slamming into Americana at Brand

Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • Man shot to death near Watts
  • Authorities ID man fatally shot on LA freeway
  • Police pursuit ends with driver slamming into Americana at Brand
  • Millions of Americans slated to lose COVID related Medicaid benefits
  • 5 Inglewood condos under $500,000
  • Judge pares down lawsuit filed against Metro
  • FUBU Radio Launches New Live Streaming Network
  • Efforts to recall Los Angeles Councilman Kevin de Léon fails
Facebook Twitter YouTube TikTok Instagram
2UrbanGirls
  • Home
  • Local
    1. Compton
    2. Education
    3. Inglewood
    4. Los Angeles
    5. Orange County
    6. View All

    Compton College Diverse Workforce Hiring Meets Benchmarks

    March 22, 2023

    Compton College to host job fair March 25

    March 21, 2023

    Authorities offer $20,000 reward for help solving murder of former NBA player’s father

    March 21, 2023

    Compton shooting leaves one dead

    March 17, 2023

    Cerritos College receives $480K grant to expand Registered Nurse Training Program

    March 29, 2023

    LAUSD service unions set to vote on new labor contract next week

    March 29, 2023

    LAUSD, unions reach tentative labor deal with assistance of Mayor Karen Bass

    March 25, 2023

    Inglewood school board meeting erupts into chaos during vote on school closure

    March 24, 2023

    5 Inglewood condos under $500,000

    April 1, 2023

    Women’s History Month spotlight: Karen Slade VP/GM KJLH

    March 30, 2023

    Inglewood looks to clamp down on fast food restaurants

    March 30, 2023

    Community outrage saves Inglewood Vons grocery store

    March 29, 2023

    Suspended LA Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas convicted in public corruption trial

    March 30, 2023

    Metro train hits ANOTHER pedestrian

    February 20, 2023

    LA city council approves relocation assistance for tenants following rent increases

    February 7, 2023

    LA Mayor makes new appoints to police commission

    February 7, 2023

    Off-duty Orange County deputy dies in single-vehicle crash

    February 9, 2023

    2 dead after wrong-way driver causes multi-vehicle crash in Orange County

    February 6, 2023

    Pedestrian killed while crossing street in Orange County

    February 6, 2023

    Man faces life sentence for kidnapping, rape of girl in Orange County

    February 4, 2023

    Efforts to recall Los Angeles Councilman Kevin de Léon fails

    April 1, 2023

    Gas prices remain steady around LA County

    April 1, 2023

    LA begins taxing sales of mansions exceeding $5 million

    April 1, 2023

    Karen Bass announces new members of her staff

    April 1, 2023
  • News
    • Elections
  • Business
  • Crime
  • Opinion
    • Letter to the Editor
    • Word on the Streets
  • Things to Do
    • Arts & Culture
    • Entertainment
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Mediakit
  • Shop
    • Cart
2UrbanGirls
You are at:Home»L.A. Controller: City Failing to Charge, Spend Developer Fees for Infrastructure

L.A. Controller: City Failing to Charge, Spend Developer Fees for Infrastructure

0
By 2UrbanGirls on November 5, 2015 Uncategorized

Controller-Ron-GalperinHow many jobs does this represent?  Apparently the good folks at the City of Los Angeles Dept. of City Planning aren’t charging maximum allowable fees, on all of those high rise building sprouting up around Downtown Los Angeles.  Nearly every vacant parking lot has construction going on and the general fund isn’t reaping the benefits.  Here are the details on the latest audit by City Controller Ron Galperin.

[adsenseyu2]

Los Angeles – City Controller Ron Galperin issued an audit that found the City of Los Angeles is failing to exercise its power to charge citywide development impact fees, which State law says can be collected from developers to mitigate their projects’ impacts on neighborhoods and defray the costs of public facilities and infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, libraries, parks and police stations.

In preparing their report, auditors in Galperin’s office compared Los Angeles with other western cities. In FY 2013-14, San Francisco had $3.6 billion in permitted construction and collected $96 million in impact fees. Portland had $1.5 billion in permitted construction and collected $31 million. Meanwhile, Los Angeles had $5.3 billion in permitted construction but collected less than $5 million in impact fees. Based on these numbers, auditors said Los Angeles had the potential to collect tens of millions of dollars more in fees.

Also, when auditors looked at the fees the City had collected, they identified $54 million sitting in eight special funds whose balances had grown or remained stable over three years–which suggested the City was failing to spend the money it collected. Auditors cautioned that some unspent fees could be subject to challenges and/or refunds. Most of the fees the City charges are for neighborhood-specific purposes. In fact, the only citywide fees the City charges are for public art and fire hydrants.

“Development impact fees are some of the most important tools the State has given us to make the infrastructure improvements our City so desperately needs,” said Controller Galperin. “These fees should be applied fairly and consistently, and should be spent wisely in the public interest.”

The 1987 California Mitigation Fee Act allows cities to charge residential, commercial and industrial developers fees to pay for public facilities new developments necessitate. The fees can be used for many purposes, such as increasing fire and police protection, traffic mitigation, and the construction of libraries, parks, public art, child care facilities, and affordable housing.

Developers who spoke with the Controller’s office said their primary concern wasn’t having to pay mitigation fees, but the glacial pace of project approval–even when their projects generate jobs and revenues for the City–revenues that include impact fees.

“The key takeaway here is predictability,” said Clifford Goldstein, managing partner of GPI Companies, a real estate development and investment firm in Los Angeles. “Controller Galperin’s proposals address the development community’s need for predictability with regard to fees and our expectation that the fees we pay will be spent wisely.”

In his report, Galperin called for the City to establish a comprehensive impact fee program and designate one Department to take responsibility for making sure the funds are properly and efficiently used.

“The City’s haphazard application of the fees today is unfair to communities and to developers. Both have every expectation that the City will apply fees consistently and spend them to mitigate the impacts of development on our neighborhoods,” said Galperin.

Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association President Richard Close concurred. “In high development neighborhoods like mine, we have a great need for new infrastructure, but City officials often tell us they don’t have the money,” said Close. “I applaud Controller Galperin for finding a way to fund the infrastructure necessary to mitigate the effects of development on our communities.”

“The City’s current approach has produced a cycle of failure,” said David Barenholtz, who recently moved his American Tea Room from Beverly Hills to downtown Los Angeles, where he employs 43 people. “As a Los Angeles homeowner and business owner, I welcome Controller Galperin’s audit and thank him for shining a light on this important issue. These impact fees could be used to build infrastructure, spruce up the City’s curb appeal, and attract more businesses to Los Angeles, making it a more viable place for everyone to live and work.”

In preparing their report, auditors examined a three-year period ending in FY 2013-14. They identified seventeen funds established to hold development impact fee revenues. The balance of those funds at the end of the period was $68 million.

More information about the funds where impact fees are deposited, as well as the other 900+ City special funds, including fund contact information, can be found at controlpanel.la.

###

Related

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
2UrbanGirls
  • Twitter

2UrbanGirls has been cited in Daily Breeze, Daily News, Inglewood Today, Intersections South LA, KCRW, KPCC, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Wave, LA Weekly, LA Watts Times, Mercury News, New York Times, Orange County Register, Sports Illustrated, The Atlantic, and Washington Post. Former contributor to CityWatchLA.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Most Read
Local
March 25, 20230

Winning Mega Millions lottery ticket sold in Long Beach

LONG BEACH, Calif. – A ticket with five numbers, but missing the Mega number, in…

March 10, 2023

Orange County movie theater evacuated after fight breaks out

March 29, 2023

Winning Mega Millions lottery ticket sold in San Bernardino

March 26, 2023

Driver killed, two injured in fatal crash in Orange County

THINGS TO DO
March 31, 2023

Knotts Berry Farm announces extension of Boysenberry Festival

March 29, 2023

Essence Festival announces 2023 lineup ft. Ms. Lauryn Hill, Megan Thee Stallion, Wizkid, Jermaine Dupri & more

March 23, 2023

Disneyland Resort celebrates return of Mickey’s Toontown

March 5, 2023

Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival underway

Elections
March 24, 2023

Early in-person voting begins Saturday in LA special election

March 21, 2023

Grace Yoo announces candidacy for Los Angeles Council District 10

March 21, 2023

2022 election data shows Republicans gained in majority Latino districts

March 11, 2023

Gloria Gray maintains lead in Inglewood runoff election

Entertainment
April 1, 2023

FUBU Radio Launches New Live Streaming Network

March 31, 2023

Diversity in Hollywood trended downward in 2022, according to study

March 30, 2023

The K-Flow Show LIVE at Inglewood’s Miracle Theater

March 29, 2023

Essence Festival announces 2023 lineup ft. Ms. Lauryn Hill, Megan Thee Stallion, Wizkid, Jermaine Dupri & more

Business
March 30, 2023

What Are the Best Items To Donate to Homeless Shelters?

March 28, 2023

FedEx maintenance facility at LAX Airport is departing for Indiana

March 28, 2023

Mielle expands Pomegranate & Honey Collection with new Air Dry Stylers

March 28, 2023

Disney begins layoffs by eliminating Metaverse team

Transportation
April 1, 2023

Judge pares down lawsuit filed against Metro

March 25, 2023

Biden nominee withdraws nomination to head FAA after Republican attacks

March 25, 2023

CA Transportation Commission awards millions to LA County for infrastructure projects

March 24, 2023

County Supervisor issues statement on extending law enforcement contracts for Metro transit services

Sports
April 1, 2023

Dodgers continue to renew retired players contract for him to keep his medical insurance

March 27, 2023

Angel City FC loses opener

March 26, 2023

Former NFL star sued over attack at West Hollywood club

March 20, 2023

Magic Johnson part of group making bid for Washington Commanders

Real Estate
April 1, 2023

5 Inglewood condos under $500,000

March 24, 2023

California may scale down new loan program designed to assist first-time homebuyers

February 28, 2023

In a World of Shrinking Apartments, L.A. Rentals Got Bigger – Here’s Why 

February 27, 2023

Homes owned by Black families appreciated the fastest during the pandemic

Newsletter

Recent Posts
  • Man shot to death near Watts
  • Authorities ID man fatally shot on LA freeway
  • Police pursuit ends with driver slamming into Americana at Brand
  • Millions of Americans slated to lose COVID related Medicaid benefits
  • 5 Inglewood condos under $500,000
Recent Comments
  • Transparency is essential on Professor must turn over teaching curriculum in lawsuit against former DA, late husband
  • Non-Transparent = Inglewood’s Watchword on Opinion: Inglewood calls special meeting to pay for questionable Super Bowl 56 expense
  • Is there a Sunrise Coming? on Opinion: Inglewood residents rack up another significant victory against City’s embattled mayor
Copyright © 2011-2023 2UrbanGirls.
  • Cookie Policy
  • DMCA
  • Privacy Policy

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

 

Loading Comments...