Council introduces fire-inspection ordinance after staff says fee pause created $415,000 revenue gap

The National City City Council on April 1 introduced an ordinance on first reading to establish a clarified fire life-safety inspection program and fee schedule after staff told the council that a pause in charging inspection fees had produced an estimated revenue shortfall.

What staff said: Deputy Fire Marshal Bob Drew and Fire Chief Sergio Mora briefed council members on the proposed code changes. Staff said the city now identifies roughly 2,500 inspectable premises in National City and that current staffing allows inspections of roughly 1,500 per year. Fire staff said past fee collection was tied to business-license processes but that the city lacked explicit municipal-code language authorizing routine inspections, charging fees and offering a self-inspection pathway for lower-risk occupancies.

The report said a temporary administrative pause in collection created a projected revenue gap of about $415,000. Chief Mora and staff said they continued to inspect properties during the pause and that the revised ordinance would clarify authority, reduce or streamline fees in some categories, and offer a business-friendly self-certification option for low-risk occupancies. The changes also formalize inspection schedules, clarify applicability by occupancy type and add a 4-year rotation to inspect all properties.

Council action: Councilmembers voted 4–1 to introduce the ordinance on first reading. Supporters said the code cleanup removes legal risk, removes ambiguity for the business community and helps the fire department focus on prevention. One council member expressed concern about how the pause occurred and asked staff to review processes to avoid future revenue gaps.

What residents and business groups said: The chamber of commerce representative in the audience told the council that she had discussed the proposal with staff and that the business community welcomed clearer rules and no retroactive fee charges. Fire staff said the proposed fees were not retroactive and that businesses that perform annual self-inspections would not be subject to more frequent in-person inspections unless triggered by complaint or condition.

Next steps: The ordinance will return for a second reading and final adoption; staff said they will provide a revised fee schedule and finer-grained cost allocation before final action. Council asked staff to bring back additional information about how the previous pause occurred and whether internal process changes are needed to prevent similar revenue lapses.

Ending: The first reading moves a clarified, business-focused fire-inspection program forward; the council requested additional detail on the $415,000 revenue shortfall and procedural changes to prevent future pauses in fee collection.