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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC AG PKT 2012-04-23 #I F SEAL AGENDA STAFF REPORT `U=., C'yC/FOR��i� DATE: April 23, 2012 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council THRU: Jill R. Ingram, City Manager FROM: Shally Lin, Interim Finance Director SUBJECT: PUBLIC HEARING - AUTHORIZE ANNUAL CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (CPI) INCREASE TO COMPREHENSIVE FEES SUMMARY OF REQUEST: That the City Council conduct a public hearing and adopt Resolution No. 6249 authorizing an annual adjustment in accordance with the increase in the Consumer Price Index (December to December) and approving the Cost of Services Study. BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS: At the March 12th Cost Allocation Plan and Comprehensive Fee Resolution review study session the City Council directed staff to place on the agenda a public hearing for consideration that the City's comprehensive fees may be adjusted annually on July 1st of each year in accordance with the increase in the Consumer Price Index, at the discretion of the City Council. The "Consumer Price Index" means the revised consumer price index for All Urban Consumers, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, 1967 = 100, as prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor, or if any such agency shall cease to prepare such an index, then any comparable index covering the Los Angeles and Orange County areas prepared by any other federal or state agency that is approved by the City Council. This would be calculated from the period of December to December. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: There is no Environmental Impact related to this item. LEGAL ANALYSIS: The City Attorney has reviewed and approved as to form. Agenda Item FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no Financial Impact at this time. RECOMMENDATION: Adopt Resolution No. 6249 authorizing an annual adjustment in accordance with the increase in the Consumer Price Index (December to December) and approving the Cost of Services Study. . SUBMITTED I3Y: NOTED AND APPROVED: o n belF SlJA/L.n 4' lot Sh' ly Lin, R. Ingram, City . nager Interim Director of Finance Attachments: A. Resolution No. 6249 Page 2 RESOLUTION NUMBER 6249 • A RESOLUTION OF THE SEAL BEACH CITY COUNCIL AMENDING THE CITY'S COMPREHENSIVE FEE • RESOLUTION TO ADOPT AN ANNUAL INCREASE PROVISION FOR CERTAIN FEES BASED UPON INCREASES TO THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX TO RECOVER COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PROVIDING PUBLIC SERVICES THE SEAL BEACH CITY COUNCIL DOES RESOLVE AND FIND AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. The City of Seal Beach ("City") has conducted an extensive analysis of its services, the costs reasonably borne by the City in providing those services, the beneficiaries of those services, and the revenues produced by those paying fees and charges for special services. Section 2. The City retained an independent consultant, Matrix Consulting Group("Matrix"), to conduct said analysis of the City's services and related costs. Matrix completed that certain Final Report on the Cost of Services Study ("Study")dated March 21, 2012, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit"A" and incorporated by this reference, and is on file with the City Clerk. The Fee Study set forth a mechanism for ensuring that fees adopted by the City do not exceed the reasonable estimated cost for providing the services for which the fees are charged. Section 3. California Government Code Section 66000 et seq. authorizes the City to adopt fees for municipal services, provided such fees do not exceed the cost to the City of providing the services. Section 4. On April 23, 2012, the City Council conducted a duly noticed public hearing concerning the proposed fees. At the conclusion of the public hearing, the City Council adopted a motion to amend the City's Fee Schedule to establish the fees charged by the City for providing services be adjusted annually on July 1st of each year in accordance with the increase in the Consumer Price Index ("CPI"). Section 5. The adoption of this Resolution approves and sets forth a procedure for determining fees for the purpose of meeting the operating expenses of City departments and is, therefore, exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (Public Resources Code Sections 21080 et seq.) pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21080(b)(8)(A). Section 6. All requirements of California Government Code Sections 66016 and 66018 are hereby found to have been satisfied. Section 7. The City Council hereby finds that an annual increase to user fees based upon increases to the CPI will not exceed the cost to the City of providing the services to which such fees apply. The basis for the fees and charges contained therein is set forth in the Study. Section 8. The City Council hereby approves the Study attached as Exhibit A as the City's comprehensive user fee report. Section 9. The City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this resolution. Resolution Number 6249 PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED by the Seal Beach City Council at a regular meeting held on the 23rd day of April , 2012 by the following vote: AYES: Council Members NOES: Council Members ABSENT: Council Members ABSTAIN: Council Members Mayor ATTEST: City C erk STATE OF CALIFORNIA } COUNTY OF ORANGE } SS CITY OF SEAL BEACH } I, Linda Devine, City Clerk of the City of Seal Beach, do hereby certify that the foregcing resolution is the original copy of Resolution Number 6249 on file in the office of the City Clerk, passed, approved, and adopted by the Seal Beach City Council at a regular meeting held on the 23rd day of April , 2012. City Clerk • Final Report on the Cost of Services Study CITY OF SEAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA matrix consulting group 721 Colorado Avenue, Suite 101 Palo Alto, CA 94303 v.650.858.0507 f.650.858.0509 March 21, 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS March 21, 2012 Page 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 2. LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND POLICY CONSIDERATIONS 6 3. USER FEE METHODOLOGY 10 4. RESULTS BY DEPARTMENT/ DIVISION STUDIED 14 Finance 15 City Clerk 16 Community Development 16 Public Works 17 Police 18 Community Services 18 5. CONCLUSION 20 ATTACHMENTS: COST RECOVERY REPORT TABLES A: Finance B: City Clerk C: Community Development D: Public Works E: Police F. Community Services - Recreation CITY OF SEAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA Final Report on the Cost of Services(User Fee) Study 1 . EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The report, which follows, presents the results of the Cost of Services (User Fee) Study conducted by the Matrix Consulting Group for the City of Seal Beach. 1. PROJECT BACKGROUND AND SCOPE OF WORK The Matrix Consulting Group analyzed the cost of service relationships that exist between fees for service activities in the following departments: Finance, City Clerk, Community Development, Public Works, Police, and Community Services. The results of this Study provide a tool for understanding current service levels, the cost and demand for those services, and what fees for service can and should be charged. 2. GENERAL PROJECT APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY The methodology employed by the Matrix Consulting Group is a widely known and accepted "bottom up" approach to cost analysis, where time spent per unit of fee activity is determined for each position within a department. Once time spent for a fee activity is determined, all applicable City costs are then considered in the calculation of the "full" cost of providing each service. The table on the following page provides an overview of types of costs applied in establishing the "full" cost of services provided by each Department included in this Study: Matrix Consulting Group Page 1 CITY OF SEAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA Final Report on the Cost of Services(User Fee) Study Cost Corn•onent Description Direct Fiscal Year 2011/12 budgeted salaries, benefits and allowable expenditures. Departmental Overhead Division and departmental administration/management and clerical support Citywide Overhead City costs associated with central service costs such as payroll, human resources, budgeting, City management, etc. These costs are established through the Cost Allocation Plan performed by the Matrix Consulting Group(provided under separate cover). Supporting (Cross) Where applicable, direct and indirect costs associated with external De•artment Review departmental assistance Together, the cost components in the table above comprise the calculation of the total "full" cost of providing any particular service, whether a fee for that service is charged or not. The work accomplished by the Matrix Consulting Group in the analysis of the proposed fees for service involved the following steps: • Departmental Staff Interviews: The project team interviewed staff in each department regarding their needs for clarification to the structure of existing fee items, or for addition of new fee items. • Data Collection: Data was collected for each item, including, time estimates and volume of activity. In addition, all budgeted costs and staffing levels for the FY 2011/12 fiscal year were entered into the Matrix Consulting Group's analytical software model. • Cost Analysis: The full cost of providing each service included in the analysis was established. Cross-checks such as revenue reports and allocation of not more than 100% of staff resources to both fee and non-fee related activities assured the validity of the data used in the Study. • Review and Approval of Results with City Staff: Departments and City Management have reviewed and approved these documented results. A more de':ailed description of user fee methodology, as well as legal and policy considerations are provided in subsequent chapters of this report. Matrix Consulting Group Page 2 CITY OF SEAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA Final Report on the Cost of Services(User Fee) Study 3. SUMMARY OF RESULTS Overall, this Cost of Services Study concluded that the City under-recovers its costs by approximately $886,000 per year for its fee-related services. While the detailed documentation of the Study will show an over-collection in some departments or certain fees (on a per unit basis), and an undercharge for others, overall, the City is providing an annual subsidy to fee payers for all services included in the analysis. The table below presents a summary of results by Department for the City of Seal Beach: Current Revenue at Surplus/ Cost Current Fee Total Cost- (Deficit) - Recovery Department -Annual ($) Annual ($) Annual ($) Percentage Finance 95 125 (30) 76% Clerk 214 1,978 (1,764) 11% Community Development 74,375 141,026 (83,151) 53% Public Works 28,611 25,624 2,987 112% Police 713 4,872 (4,159) 15% Community Services 710,475 1,682,621 (972,146) 42% TOTAL 814,483 1,856,246 (886,029) 44% The display of the cost recovery figures shown in this report are meant to provide a basis for policy development discussions among City staff and Council members, and do not represent a recommendation for where or how the Council should take action. The setting of the "rate" or "price" for services, whether at 100 percent full cost recovery or lower, is a decision to be made only by the Council, often with input from City staff and the community. 4. CONSIDERATIONS FOR COST RECOVERY POLICY AND UPDATES The Matrix Consulting Group strongly recommends that the City use the information contained in this report to discuss, adopt, and implement a formal Cost Recovery Policy for the City, and also to implement a mechanism for the annual update of fees for service. Matrix Consulting Group Page 3 CITY OF SEAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA Final Report on the Cost of Services(User Fee) Study (1) Adopt a Formal Cost Recovery Policy The Matrix Consulting Group strongly recommends that the Council adopt a formalized, individual cost recovery policy for each department included in this Study. Whenever a cost recovery policy is established at less than 100% of the full cost of providing services, a known gap in funding is recognized and may then potentially be recovered through other revenue sources. The following table presents typical cost recovery policies set among other jurisdictions: De•artment Typical Cost Recovery Policy Administration Finance and City Clerk) 50- 100% Buildin• 80- 100% Communi Development Land Development—80-100% Public Works/Engineering Land Development—80-100%, Encroachment Permits 80-100% Police 20—40% Recreation 25-50% Information presented in the table above is based on the Matrix Consulting Group's experience in analyzing local government's operations across the United States and in California, and reflects the typical cost recovery policy observed by local adopting authorities. In recent years, more local jurisdictions have adopted formal cost recovery policies at the department / service level. The Matrix Consulting Group considers a formalized cost recovery policy for various fees for service an industry Best Management Practice. Matrix Consulting Group Page 4 CITY OF SEAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA Final Report on the Cost of Services(User Fee) Study (2) Adopt an Annual Fee Update / Increase Mechanism The Matrix Consulting Group recommends the City perform a complete update of its User Fee Study on a periodic basis. In general, 3 to 5 years for fee and rate studies is considered a best management practice. The purpose of a comprehensive update is to completely revisit the analytical structure, service level estimates and assumptions applied in the previous study, and to account for any major shifts in cost components or organizational structures. In between comprehensive updates, the City could utilize published industry economic factors such as CPI or other regional factors to update the cost calculations established in the Study on an annual basis. Alternatively, the City could also consider the use of its own anticipated labor cost increases such as step increases, benefit enhancements, or cost of living raises. The latter example provides a more realistic reflection than a CPI, given the fact that labor costs generally comprise the majority of cost calculations for a jurisdiction. Use of an automatic increase mechanism based on the City's own labor costs also provides a factor that is specific to it and its operations, rather than one that is specific to a region or industry as a whole. Utilizing an annual increase mechanism would ensure that the City receives appropriate fee and revenue increases that reflect growth in costs. Matrix Consulting Group Page 5 CITY OF SEAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA Final Report on the Cost of Services(User Fee) Study 2. LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND POLICY CONSIDERATIONS A "user fee" is a charge for services provided by a governmental agency to a public citizen or group. In California, several constitutional laws such as Propositions 13, 4, and 218, State Government Codes 66014 and 66016, and more recently Prop 26 and the Attorney General's Opinion 92-506 set the parameters under which the user fees typically administered by local government are established and administered. Specifically, California State Law, Government Code 66014(a), stipulates that user fees charged by local agencies "...may not exceed the estimated reasonable cost of providing the service for which the fee is charged". 1. GENERAL PRINCIPLES AND PHILOSOPHIES REGARDING USER FEES Local governments are providers of many types of general services to their communities. While all services provided by local government are beneficial to constituents, some services can be classified as globally beneficial to all citizens, while others provide more of a direct benefit to a specific.group or individual. The following table provides examples of services provided by local government within a continuum of the degree of community benefit received: Services that Provide Both Services that Provide a "Global" Benefit and also a Primary Benefit to an Services that Provide General Specific Group or Individual Individual or Group, with less "Global" Community Benefit Benefit "Global" Community Benefit • Police • Recreation/Community • Building Permits • Park Maintenance Services • Planning and Zoning • Fire Suppression/Prevention Approval • Site Plan Review • Engineering Development Review • Facility Rentals Matrix Consulting Group Page 6 CITY OF SEAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA Final Report on the Cost of Services(User Fee) Study Funding for local government is obtained from a myriad of revenue sources such as taxes, fines, grants, special charges, user fees, etc. In recent years, alternative tax revenues, which typically offset subsidies for services provided to the community, have become increasingly limited. These limitations have caused increased attention on user fee activities as a revenue source that can offset costs otherwise subsidized (usually) by the general fund. In the table on the previous page, services in the "global benefit" section tend to be funded primarily through voter approved tax revenues. In the middle of the table, one typically finds a mixture of taxes, user fee, and other funding sources. Finally, in the "individual /group benefit" section of the table, lie the services provided by local government that are typically funded almost entirely by user fee revenue. The following are two central concepts regarding the establishment of user fees: • Fees should be assessed according to the degree of individual or private benefit gained from services. For example, the processing and approval of a land use or building permit will generally result in monetary gain to the applicant, whereas Police services and Fire Suppression are examples of services that are essential to the safety of the community at large. • A profit making objective for the governmental agency should not be included in the assessment of user fees. In fact, California laws require that the charges for service be in direct proportion to the costs associated with providing those services. Once a charge for service is assessed at a level higher than the actual cost of providing a service, the term "user fee" no longer applies. The charge then becomes a tax subject to voter approval. Therefore, it is commonly accepted that user fees are established at a level that will recover up to, and not more than, the cost of providing a particular service. 2. GENERAL POLICY CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING USER FEES Undoubtedly, there are programs, circumstances, and services that justify a subsidy from a tax based or alternative revenue source. However, it is essential that Matrix Consulting Group Page 7 CITY OF SEAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA Final Report on the Cost of Services(User Fee) Study jurisdictions prioritize the use of revenue sources for the provision of services based on the continuum of benefit received. Within the services that are typically funded by user fees, the Matrix Consulting Group recognizes several reasons why City staff or the Council may not advocate the full cost recovery of services. The following factors are key policy considerations in setting fees at less than 100 percent of cost recovery: • Limitations posed by an external agency. The State or other agency will occasionally set a maximum, minimum, or limit the jurisdiction's ability to charge a fee at all. Examples include Transportation Permits commonly issued by Public Works departments, many types of Police records and processing fees, as well as charging for time spent copying and retrieving public documents in the City Clerk's office. • Encouragement of desired behaviors. Keeping fees for certain services below full cost recovery may provide better compliance from the community. For example, if the cost of a permit for changing a water heater in a residential home is higher than the cost of the water heater itself, many citizens will avoid pulling the permit. • Affect on demand for a particular service. Sometimes raising the "price" charged for services might reduce the number of participants in a program. This is largely the case in Recreation programs such as camps or enrichment classes, where participants often compare the City's fees to surrounding jurisdictions or other options for leisure activities. • Participation for individuals or groups that typically cannot afford services. Policy makers may decide to fully subsidize or set fees at a level that will allow" participation for certain segments of the community, such as Senior programs. • Benefit received by user of the service and the community at large is mutual. Many services that directly benefit a group or individual equally benefit the community as a whole. Examples include Recreation programs, Planning Design Review, historical dedications and certain types of special events, to name a few. The Matrix: Consulting Group recognizes the need for policy that intentionally subsidizes certain activities. The primary goals of a User Fee Study are to provide a fair Matrix Consulting Group Page 8 CITY OF SEAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA Final Report on the Cost of Services(User Fee) Study and equitable basis for determining the costs of providing services, and assure that the City is in compliance with State law. Once the full cost of providing services is known, the next step is to determine the "rate" or "price" for services at a level which is up to, and not more than the full cost amount. The Council is responsible for this decision, which often becomes a question of balancing service levels and funding sources. The placement of a service or activity within the continuum of benefit received may require extensive discussion and at times fall into a "grey area". However, with the resulting cost of services information from a User Fee Study, the Council can be assured that the adopted fee for service is reasonable, fair, and legal. Matrix Consulting Group Page 9 CITY OF SEAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA Final Report on the Cost of Services(User Fee) Study 3. USER FEE STUDY METHODOLOGY The Matrix Consulting Group utilizes a cost allocation methodology, commonly known and accepted as the "bottom-up" approach to establishing User Fees. The term means that several cost components are calculated for each fee or service. These components then build upon each other to comprise the total cost for providing the service. The components of a full cost calculation are typically as follows: Cost Corn•onent Description Direct Salaries, benefits and allowable departmental expenditures. Departmental Overhead Division, Program, or Departmental administration/management and clerical support. Citywide Overhead City costs associated with central service costs such as payroll, human resources, budgeting, City management, etc. Established for this Study through a separate Cost Allocation Plan analysis performed by the Matrix Consulting Group. Cross-Departmental Support Costs associated with review or assistance in providing specific services. For example, costs established via study of the Public Works Department for review of Planning applications and Building permits are either included as an applicable cost toward the Planning and/or Building fees for service, or are listed as separate fee items chargeable by Public Works. Plan, Policy, and Systems Examples often include: General Plan Update, code enforcement, U•date and Maintenance and technology costs. The general steps utilized by the project team to determine allocations of cost components to a particular fee or service are: • Develop tirne-estimates for each service included in the study; • Calculate the direct cost attributed to each time estimate; • Utilize the comprehensive allocation of staff time to establish an allocation basis for the other cost components; and, • Distribute the appropriate amount of the other cost components to each fee or service based on the staff time allocation basis, or other reasonable basis. Matrix Consulting Group Page 10 CITY OF SEAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA Final Report on the Cost of Services(User Fee) Study The result of these allocations provides detailed documentation for the reasonable estimate of the actual cost of providing each service. The following are critical points about the use of time estimates and the validity of cost allocation models. 1. TIME ESTIMATES ARE A MEASURE OF SERVICE LEVELS REQUIRED TO PERFORM A PARTICULAR SERVICE One of the key study assumptions utilized in the "bottom up" approach is the use of time estimates for the provision of each fee related service. Utilization of time estimates is a reasonable and defensible approach, especially since these estimates were developed by experienced staff members who understand service levels and processes unique to the City of Seal Beach. The project team worked closely with each Department's staff in developing time estimates with the following criteria: • Estimates are representative of average times for providing service. Extremely difficult or abnormally simple projects are excluded from the analysis; • Estimates provided by staff are reviewed and approved by the department, and often involve multiple iterations before a Study is finalized; • Estimates are reviewed by the project team for "reasonableness" against their experience with other agencies. • Time in motion studies are not used, as they are not practical for the scope of services and time frame for this project. The Matrix Consulting Group agrees that while the use of time estimates is not perfect, it is the best alternative available for setting a standard level of service for which to base a jurisdiction's fees for service, and it meets the requirements of California law. The alternative to time estimating is actual time tracking, often referred to billing on a "time and materials" basis. Except for in the case of anomalous or sometimes very large and complex projects, the Matrix Consulting Group believes this approach not to Matrix Consulting Group Page 11 CITY OF SEAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA Final Report on the Cost of Services(User Fee) Study be cost effective or reasonable for the following reasons: • Accuracy in time tracking is compromised by the additional administrative burden required to track, bill, and collect for services in this manner; • Additional costs are associated with administrative staffs billing, refunding, and monitoring deposit accounts; • Customers often prefer to know the fees for services in advance of applying for permits or participating in programs; • Applicants may begin to request assignment of faster or less expensive personnel to their project; • Departments can better predict revenue streams and staff needs using standardized time estimates and anticipated permit volumes. Situations arise where the size and complexity of a given project warrants time tracking and billing on a "time and materials" basis. Matrix Consulting Group has recommended charging a deposit and charging Actual Costs (AC) for such fees as appropriate and itemized in each department. 2. CROSS CHECKS ENSURE THE VALIDITY OF OUR ANALYTICAL MODEL In addition to the collection of time estimate data for each fee or service included in the User Fee Study, annual volume of activity data assumptions are also a critical component. By collecting data on the estimated volume of activity for each fee or service, a number of analyses are performed which not only provide useful information to departments regarding allocation of staff resources, but also provide valuable cross checks that ensure the validity of each cost allocation model. This includes assurance that 100% of sta:f resources are accounted for and allocated to a fee for service, or "other non fee" related category. Since there are no objectives to make a profit in establishing user fees, it is very important to ensure that services are not estimated at a level that exceecs budgeted resource capacity. If at least and not significantly more Matrix Consulting Group Page 12 CITY OF SEAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA Final Report on the Cost of Services(User Fee) Study than 100% of staff resources are accounted for, then no more than 100% of costs associated with providing services will be allocated to individual services in the Study. Matrix Consulting Group Page 13 CITY OF SEAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA Final Report on the Cost of Services(User Fee) Study 4. RESULTS The motivation behind a cost of services (User Fee) analysis is for the City Council and City Staff to maintain services at a level that is both accepted and effective for the community, and also to maintain control over the policy and management of these services. Discussion of each department's results in this chapter is intended as a summary of extensive and voluminous cost allocation documentation produced during the Study. The full analytical results were provided to City staff under separate cover from this summary report. In addition, appendices A through F to this report also include more detailed cost calculation results for each Department from two perspectives: • First, on a "Per Unit" Basis: comparing the full cost of providing each unit of service to the current fee for each unit of service (where applicable). • Second, on an annualized basis: the project team utilized volume of activity estimates to project annual subsidies and revenue impacts associated with the implementation of each fee for service at full cost recovery levels. It should be noted that the results presented in this report are not a precise measurement. In general, a cost of service analysis takes a "snapshot in time"; where the most current fiscal year of adopted budgeted cost information is compared to the most current complete fiscal year of revenue and workload data available. Workload data may then be adjusted to reflect "reasonable and defensible" estimates for purposes of analysis. Changes to the structure of fee names, along with the•use of time estimates allow only for a reasonable projection of subsidies and revenue. Consequently, the Matrix Consulting Group Page 14 • CITY OF SEAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA Final Report on the Cost of Services(User Fee) Study Council and City staff should rely conservatively upon these estimates to gauge the impact of implementation going forward. 1. FINANCE The Matrix Consulting Group analyzed the costs associated with water use / billing services provided by the Finance department, including Water Turn On for New Customers and Non-Payments. The analysis of current fees shows that the City is currently recovering 76% of its cost. Attachment A shows the results of the detailed cost analysis on a unit and annual basis. Water Use / Billing Fees A summary of the Water Use / Billing fees for service analyzed in this report is shown in the table below. While the Finance Department does charge for other Water Billing Services, they are fine and penalty related, and therefore not included in the recovery calculations below. The following table presents a summary calculation of the total costs for these two services: Total Total Estimated Cost Estimated Percent Annual of Providing Annual of Surplus/ Fee Name Services—Annual ($) Revenue($) Recovery (Subsidy) ($) Water Turn On—New Customer 48 20 42 % (28) Water Turn On—Non-Payment 77 75 98 % (2) TOTAL 125 95 76 % (30) Matrix Consulting Group Page 15 CITY OF SEAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA Final Report on the Cost of Services(User Fee) Study 2. CITY CLERK The Matrix Consulting Group analyzed the costs associated with fees that are processed in the City Clerk's department. Six fees were analyzed: Copy Charge; CD Copy; Candidate Filing Fee; Certified Copy; Facsimile Copy; and Residency Verification. Per the Public Records Act, a $ .10 per page charge for making copies is recommended. A summary of the unit costs for each fee is shown below: Fee Name Estimated Unit Cost($) Copy Charge .10 CD Copy 8 Candidate Filing Fee 288 Certified Copy 8 Facsimile Copy .10 Residency Verification 8 3. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT The Community Development Department implements public policy and provides project review for new development in Seal Beach. Residential, industrial, commercial, public improvements, whether large or small, all require careful consideration for compatibility with 1:he City's land use/planning goals and objectives. The results of this cost of service analysis conclude that the City is currently recovering 53% of the costs to provide fee services for Community Development activities. The City of Seal Beach has the potential to recover an additional $83,000 in fee revenue for this division at 100% of recovery. The detailed analysis can be found in Attachment C. Most of the fees currently charged on a flat fee basis are showing an under-recovery. Those fees that vary considerably based on the project size and complexity are currently charged on a deposit basis with actual cost recovery. There is no change recommended for those Matrix Consulting Group Page 16 CITY OF SEAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA Final Report on the Cost of Services(User Fee) Study areas where the City has set a policy for actual costs recovery, except a recommended increase in the deposit amount. Matrix Consulting Group recommends the use of the newly calculated Fully Burdened Hourly rates included in the detailed analysis shown in Appendix C, as well as diligent time tracking for all project activity being charged against deposits. 4. PUBLIC WORKS The Engineering Department ensures quality assurance and conformance of specifications and standards as well as enforces City and agency regulations of all development and infrastructure projects through the plan check and inspection of development projects. The detailed cost analysis is shown in Attachment D. The results of this cost of service analysis conclude that the City is currently over recovering its costs by about 12% for Public Works fees. The number of fees that require a deposit, and are then charged for time and materials can explain this over recovery, as all unused monies are refunded to the payee. Most of the fees currently charged on a flat fee basis are showing an under- recovery. As with the Planning department, those fees that vary considerably based on the project size and complexity are currently charged on a deposit basis with actual cost recovery. There is no change recommended for those areas where the City has set a policy for actual costs recovery, except a recommended increase in the deposit amount. Matrix Consulting Group Page 17 CITY OF SEAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA Final Report on the Cost of Services(User Fee) Study The current: policy of the Public Works department is for full cost recovery, Matrix Consulting Group recommends the use of the newly calculated Fully Burdened Hourly rates included in he detailed analysis shown in Appendix D, in order for the department to ensure continued full cost recovery. 5. POLICE The Matrix Consulting Group analyzed the costs associated with the following Police Service categories: Alarm System Applications; Parking Stickers; Traffic Collision Reports, Vehicle Storage; and miscellaneous business and transportation permits. If the City were to implement fees for service at 100 percent of their cost, an additional $4,159 in revenue could be achieved. As shown in attachment E, at current fee levels, the Police Department is recovering approximately 15% of the total City costs associated with providing their fee related services. 6. COMMUNITY SERVICES The Community Services Department provides a variety of recreation programs for youth and adults including day camps, swimming, senior programs, and a variety of recreational classes. This Department also oversees the reservations for meeting rooms and park pavilions; in addition to providing community special events to resident and non-resident attendees and athletic fields to organized non-profit youth sports teams and their participants. Unlike other departmental analyses included in this report, the focus of the Recreation Cost of Services analysis was performed largely at the "program" level, rather than the individual fee-per-unit level for a number of reasons: Matrix Consulting Group Page 18 CITY OF SEAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA Final Report on the Cost of Services(User Fee) Study • Recreation programs rarely recover the full cost of providing services and are considered largely as a "community benefit" rather than "private benefit" service, as discussed previously in Chapter 2 of this report. Recreation programs tend to be highly subsidized and funded more via general fund and other sources than user fees for service. • Although it is useful to obtain information on the total citywide cost of recreation services, the setting of actual "prices" for services for recreation programs is typically "market" driven, rather than "cost of service" driven. This means that recreation programs often compete with others in their surrounding areas on price and largely determine their fees with this fact in mind. The results shown in Attachment F of this report present the cost calculation results on a "per program" basis, where the annual cost of providing services is compared to the annual revenue received. The results identified an overall annual subsidy of approximately $886,029 provided to the community for these services. At current fee levels, the Community Services Department is recovering approximately 42% of the total City costs associated with providing the services studied in this report. • Matrix Consulting Group Page 19 CITY OF SEAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA Final Report on the Cost of Services(User Fee) Study 6. CONCLUSION The City of Seal Beach engaged the Matrix Consulting Group to determine the total cost of services provided to its citizens and businesses for all City functions. To calculate the total cost of each Department or Divisions' services, Matrix Consulting Group employed both a widely accepted and defensible methodology, as well as the experience and input of City staff to complete the necessary data collection and discussion to complete the analysis. City leaders can now use this information to make informed decisions and set its fees to meet the fiscal and policy goal objectives of the City. Overall, this Cost of Services Study concluded that the City under-recovers its costs by approximately $886,000 per year for its fee-related services. While the detailed documentation of the Study will show an over-collection in some departments or certain fees (on a per unit basis), and an undercharge for others, overall, the City is providing an annual subsidy to fee payers for all services included in the analysis. The project team recommends the City try to recover as much of the service costs as is feasible. For most fee related services, the Matrix Consulting Group recommends setting fees at 100% cost recovery. However, as discussed in Chapters 1 and 2 of this report, several policy factors often warrant adoption of fee levels at less than 100%. Matrix Consulting Group Page 20 Attachment A: Finance < m U do EtN N 01 N t7 I0)0) d• N .E C N tv n O N W O) N Of NLL IA . 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