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Los Gatos adopts 2026–27 fee schedule; council pulls adopt‑a‑bench fee for more study and raises fireworks fines
Summary
The council approved a comprehensive fee and fine schedule effective July 1, 2026, after amending the proposal to pull the adopt‑a‑bench fee for further review and raise fireworks fines to $1,000/$1,250/$1,500 for first/second/third offenses; staff estimated a $168,000 fiscal impact for the coming year.
The Los Gatos Town Council voted April 7 to adopt the 2026–27 comprehensive fee and fine schedule with two council amendments: the council pulled the proposed adopt‑a‑bench fee for further analysis and raised fines for fireworks violations.
Staff presentation: Administrative Services Director Christina Alfaro summarized the package and said staff used a 2.2% CPI escalator for established fees and proposed several new fees across departments. She told the council the preliminary estimated fiscal impact if the schedule is approved is about $168,000 for the next fiscal year.
Council questions and public input focused on several items. Council members pressed for clarification on development‑related supplemental fees, the grading permit incremental fee (staff identified a prior typo and confirmed the correct incremental rate is $71), the new residential alarm registration and renewal approach, and an adopt‑a‑bench fee that staff modeled to cover bench purchase plus 10 years of maintenance.
Concerns about bench cost: Several council members and public commenters said a $9,865 initial adopt‑a‑bench price appeared high and could deter donors. Parks staff explained the figure covered bench purchase (estimated $3,000–$4,000), shipping, installation and 10 years of maintenance and replacement parts; council asked staff to return with lower‑cost options and an itemized memo.
Amendments and vote: Councilmember Badami moved to approve the fee and fine schedule. Councilmember Renie seconded; council accepted friendly amendments to 1) pull the adopt‑a‑bench fee until staff provides more detail on past charges and lower‑cost alternatives and 2) increase the fireworks fine schedule to $1,000 for a first offense, $1,250 for a second, and $1,500 for a third. The motion passed unanimously.
What to expect: The approved items will be effective July 1, 2026. Staff committed to provide a memo on adopt‑a‑bench history, unit costs, and alternative bench specifications, and to refine parking‑permit replacement and administrative details before further action.
