Park Maintenance Fees May Increase

Residents may soon face another increase in the fees they pay for the upkeep of the city’s parks, beaches and street lights.

Each single-family household now pays $86 a year to the lighting and landscaping assessment district. Under a preliminary plan approved last week by the City Council, that would rise by $7 a year.

The action came during the council’s review of the city’s long-term financial plan, which projects a 22% increase in maintenance costs because of the growing number of parks and so-called streetscape projects.

“As long as our community is desiring more parks, then we’ve got to pay for the ongoing care and maintenance of those parks,” said Bruce Wegner, director of beaches, parks and recreation.

To keep the projected fee increase down to about 7.8%, council members transferred some park capital expenses to other fund accounts.

The council also directed the city staff to search for other ways to pay for maintenance--enlisting corporate sponsors, for example.

Last year, the fee was raised $16 to cover care of two new parks and a three-mile ridgeline trail at Rancho San Clemente. The increase was the first in four years.

The addition of Richard Steed Memorial Park to the city’s park system and street landscaping for the Colony Cove bluff stabilization project are behind the increase being proposed this year, Wegner said.

“I think everyone on the council is committed to making sure this fee does not get out of hand,” Mayor Steve Apodaca said.

The council will seek public comment on the proposal before raising the fee, Apodaca said.