Camarillo adopts updated building and safety fees, allows manager discretion to reduce or waive fees for local rec district

The Camarillo City Council on Feb. 12 adopted a resolution updating the city’s building and safety fee schedule, including a proposed general plan fee and a technology surcharge, and added language granting the city manager discretion to reduce or waive certain fees for the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District.

Council members voted unanimously to approve the resolution after a staff presentation and discussion about how the changes would affect cost recovery and local programs.

Staff told the council the city’s building and safety fees were last updated in February 2007 and that a consultant, NBS, found current fees recover about 48% of building and safety costs. “The current fees recover about 48% of building and safety costs with the general fund subsidizing approximately $1,200,000 annually,” a staff presenter said. The study also identified two additional cost-recovery avenues — a general plan fee and a technology surcharge — that could together recover roughly $800,000 more, staff said.

The council debated an amendment proposed at an earlier meeting to provide flexibility for the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District. Councilmember Tremblay offered the amendment and, after discussion, councilmembers agreed that the language would allow the city manager to determine case-by-case whether a fee should be reduced or waived. Vice Mayor Tennyson said he would like clearer criteria in the future but supported the amendment. The city manager said he would work with the building official and the community development director on implementation and that the city would report any fee waivers or reductions back to council.

The vote to adopt the resolution with the amendment was unanimous: Councilmember Martinez Bravo — yes; Councilmember Santangelo — yes; Councilmember Tremblay — yes; Vice Mayor Tennyson — yes; Mayor Kildee — yes. The resolution and related fee schedule were posted online with supplemental pages that staff said were inadvertently omitted from the original packet but had been part of prior staff reports.

Why it matters: The fee update replaces rates set in 2007 and aims to reduce the general fund subsidy for building and safety services by shifting more costs to permit applicants through a combination of fee adjustments and new surcharges. The council’s added waiver/reduction language preserves local flexibility for recreation programming while requiring transparency through a report-back.

Council direction and next steps: The city manager will implement the amended resolution, working with the building official and community development director on criteria for reductions or waivers and will report back to council on any fee adjustments made under the new authority. Staff also confirmed the full exhibit for the public hearing materials is available online.

Votes at a glance

- Camarillo Sanitary District — Consent Calendar (items A–C): approved, unanimous 5–0 (Directors Kildee, Martinez Bravo, Santangelo, Secretary Tenison, Chair Tremblay recorded yes). (Recorded during the Sanitary District meeting.)

- Successor Agency — Consent Calendar (items A–B): approved, unanimous vote (Council member roll call: Martinez Bravo, Santangelo, Tremblay, Tennyson, Mayor Kildee recorded yes). (Recorded during the successor agency meeting.)

- City Council — Adoption of building and safety fees (public hearing continued from Jan. 22): adopted with amendment granting city manager discretion to reduce or waive certain fees for the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District; unanimous vote (Martinez Bravo, Santangelo, Tremblay, Tennyson, Mayor Kildee recorded yes).

Background and context: City staff and consultant NBS presented a multi-meeting review of building and safety fees that began in October of the prior year, included finance committee review, and was discussed by the full council in December and Jan. 22. The Jan. 22 meeting produced direction to consider reduced fees for the local recreation district and led to the continuance to allow the full council to participate in the final decision.

Staff contact: the city manager and community development department will handle implementation and reporting under the adopted resolution.