More Fire Fees on the Way for Long Beach?
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12 August 2011
At the July membership meeting, Long Beach Fire Marshal Jeff Reeb and Deputy Marshal David Zinnen outlined their plan to assess landlords for annual fire inspections.
These external inspections for multi-family residential properties are no different than inspections previously performed (for the last 30+ years) with the exception that there will be fees, ranging from $47 per year (units 3 – 10) to $134 for 200 or more units.
However, condominium complexes with three to 10 units will be $170 per year, yet condos from 11 to 50 units will be charged $71 per year; 51 to 100 units will have an $80 per year fee and 101 to 200 units will be assessed $97 per year.
All these fees assume that the building is not a high rise (75 feet or taller) and will not require reinspection. If problems are cited, the first reinspection will have no charge but the second reinspection will be 150 percent of the permit fee and the third will be 200 percent of the original fees.
ALL UNITS IN THE CITY ARE INCLUDED
This residential fire inspection program will be presented to the City Council on Tuesday, September 6, during the 5:00 p.m. meeting and the electeds will determine whether or not the fee will be implemented.
Please plan to attend this meeting.
Please call or email your Councilmember now.
- District 1 – Robert Garcia 562-570-6919 - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
- District 2 – Suja Lowenthal 562-570-6684 - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
- District 3 – Gary DeLong 562-570-6300 - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
- District 4 – Patrick O'Donnell 562-570-6918 - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
- District 5 – Gerrie Schipske 562-570-6932 - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
- District 6 – Dee Andrews 562-570-6819 - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
- District 7 – James Johnson 562-570-7777 - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
- District 8 – Rae Gabelich 562-570-6685 - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
- District 9 – Steven Neal 562-570-6137 - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Remind them:
1. Although the inspections are mandated by the State Fire Marshal, the fee is NOT mandated.
2. With a high vacancy rate in Long Beach and an 11 percent unemployment rate, this is not the time to raise fees on owners or tenants.
3. The inspections are part of fire fighter training and are done during their "downtime".
4. 83 percent of all fire calls in Long Beach are paramedic calls, leaving a significant amount of "downtime".
5. Owners currently must have external fire compliance (extinguishers, alarms and clear walkways and stairways) to keep their fire insurance in place.
6. Owners are subject to health department fees.
7. Every fee on the City Fee Schedule is raised annually, usually by ordinance and this fee will be just the beginning.
8. This fee will not increase our fire safety with more rigs, firemen or stations but rather is earmarked for a computer system; however, the fees will be placed in the general fund and will become "untraceable".
9. Owners are also paying business license fees on every property.
There will also be a sprinkler retrofit alternative fee presented at the meeting. This fee schedule will be for those high rise buildings 75 feet or taller, and that fee will be $2,202 per year.
The Fire Marshal indicated that no building will be subject to both the annual fire inspection fee and the annual sprinkler retrofit alternative fee.
