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Universal City reviews first year of revised fence ordinance; council rejects new amendment request
Summary
Staff presented one year of data on the city’s revised fence-permit structure and code compliance; a councilmember proposed additional ordinance changes but the council declined to add the item to a future agenda.
City staff presented a one-year review of Universal City’s revised fence ordinance at the Feb. 18 council meeting, outlining permit categories, compliance outcomes and revenue, and council members discussed a resident’s motion to change the ordinance.
Michael (Quezada), a city development-services staff member, told the council the ordinance adopted in October 2023 created three permit categories: an $85 permit with inspection (major repairs/new fences), a reduced $25 permit for major fence maintenance, and a permit-free tier for minor repairs. Quezada reported that between Nov. 1, 2023 and Oct. 30, 2024 the city issued 112 permits in the $25 category (totaling $2,800) and 25 permits at $85 (totaling $2,125), generating $4,925 in revenue. He said the city typically issues about 35 fence permits per year and that code compliance produced 26 cases during the same period; 14 were owners who did not obtain a permit and 11 fences were found dilapidated and corrected through the process. From a variance standpoint, two height variances were granted by the board of adjustment.
At the meeting Councilmember Bovell moved to amend Ordinance 581 (the fence ordinance) to remove the $25 permit fee and to relax some of the current restrictions on in-kind repairs; he asked that the change be placed on a future agenda. Bovell argued his changes would streamline repair and reduce the inspection burden. Several council members pushed back, saying the 2023 ordinance represented extensive negotiation and compromise and that the requested changes would reopen lengthy debate. After discussion the council said it would not place the proposed amendment on a future agenda; meeting notes record a council consensus of “no.”
No formal ordinance amendment was adopted at the meeting. Staff said code compliance work largely resolved issues cooperatively and that two variances for height had been granted in the review period. The presentation noted the ordinance revisions resulted in $6,720 less revenue than if the previous fee structure had remained in place, per staff calculations.
Council members asked clarifying questions about how fences at new-builds and commercial (C-5) properties are handled; staff said fences for new single-family homes and new developments are typically included in building permits and are not tracked separately as fence permits, though existing commercial properties installing new fences still require a separate fence permit.
