Council to tackle money, parking issues

A few ongoing city issues will likely be put to rest at tonight’s Costa Mesa City Council meeting, including new Fire Department fees and parking regulations.

First the council will decide whether it wants to finalize three money-making proposals that it tentatively approved last month to make up $1 million of a projected $19 million shortfall in next year’s budget.

One of the proposals would charge businesses anywhere from $40 to $1,600 to inspect facilities for fire safety, something that surrounding cities already do, according to Costa Mesa fire officials.

A second revenue source would come from charging Costa Mesa residents $275 to $460 when the Fire Department has to respond to a medical emergency and the resident is transported to a hospital. This is a service that is free to residents, but already required to be paid by nonresidents.

The Fire Department’s final idea is to hire a firm to bill auto insurance companies for wear and tear and damage to equipment when the department has to respond to a collision.

The council will also vote on two new ordinances that represent a watered-down version of a few controversial parking laws that were shot down following community uproar a few weeks ago. If passed, the laws in front of the council tonight would set a maximum width of 26 feet for most newly constructed driveways (up to 36 feet for larger lots) and require a third garage parking spot for new houses with five or more bedrooms.

The ordinances originally proposed and approved by the Planning Commission would have required extra parking spots for large houses adding bedrooms as a way to discourage people from changing single-family homes into rehab homes, and would have forbade residents from parking on concrete slabs not directly in front of their garages.

Those laws were voted down after dozens of residents complained they violated their rights to use their property as they choose.

Reporter ALAN BLANK may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at alan.blank@latimes.com.