Proposal to Combine the Annual Fire Inspection Fee Billing with the Annual Business Tax Renewal Collection. City of Culver City California City Council Agenda Item Report Meeting Date: 10/23/06 AGENDA ITEM: Proposal to Combine the Annual Fire Inspection Fee Billing with the Annual Business Tax Renewal Collection. Item Number: A 4 Contact Person/Dept.: Richard Gallagher Crystal Alexander Fiscal Impact: Yes Public Hearing: Public Notification: Commerce (10/18/2006) X No Phone Number: (310) 253 5926 (310) 253 5844 General Fund: Yes X No Attachments: X Action Item: X Master Notification List (10/19/06); Culver City Chamber of Department Approval: Crystal Alexander (10/18/2006) Jeffrey I. Eastman (10/18/06) City Controller Approval: Mary V. Noller (10/18/2006) RECOMMENDATION: City Manager Approval: Jerry B. Fulwood (10/18/2006) Staff recommends the City Council approve the proposal to change the billing methodology for the annual fire inspection fee. Approval of this proposal would permit annual billing of the fire inspection fee for in City businesses during the annual business tax certificate renewal process rather than hand generating monthly bills resulting in augmented funds via efficiencies (reduced billing costs) and additional revenues (increased collections and inspections.) BACKGROUND: Fire inspection fees were introduced in 1988 as a cost recovery form of revenue to reimburse the City for costs incurred while performing annual fire inspections. Such inspections are conducted in commercial (not home occupation) business locations throughout the City. Since the inception of this fee it has been difficult to administer. The billing process is labor intensive and cumbersome involving hard copy transfers of billing information individual processing and the involvement of numerous divisions. Additionally as currently designed the fire inspection fee does not include cost recovery of the back office billing and collection performed by the City Treasurer s Office. The...
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