The Coronado City Council is set to hold four public hearings related to fees and taxes on April 15 and will consider extending an emergency proclamation for the ongoing Tijuana sewage crisis.
The meeting will commence at 4 p.m. at the Coronado City Hall Council Chamber, located at 1825 Strand Way, and will also be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person.
Public comment will be welcomed during the session.
One significant issue on the agenda is a proposed 13.2% increase in waste collection fees.
Despite Coronado’s residential waste collection fees being among the lowest in the county, the City Council will contemplate an increase from the current rate of $27.48 for a 90-gallon container to $31.11.
Additionally, commercial fees may rise; currently, a 3-cubic-yard bin costs $135.43 per week, which could increase to $152.77, reflecting a 12.8% increase.
If the council approves this increase, a public hearing will be scheduled for June 17.
The City of Coronado contracts with EDCO for waste removal services.
Another topic to be discussed is a proposed 6% increase in the city’s Uniform Transportation Mitigation Fee, which applies to newly constructed residential units.
This increase would raise the fee from $2,875.06 to $3,047.57 for each new home, taking effect on July 1 if approved.
All cities are required to collect a transportation mitigation fee to qualify for TransNet funding.
TransNet is financed by a half-cent sales tax administered by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) and is used for traffic infrastructure improvements.
The proposed fee increase is grounded in construction cost trends reported by SANDAG, which employs the Engineering News-Report Construction Cost Index for Los Angeles.
City officials assert that passing the fee increase will enhance Coronado’s eligibility for transportation infrastructure funding.
Staff members have recommended that the council approves this change.
The council will also deliberate on reauthorizing a 0.5% tax on prominent hotel properties, including the Hotel del Coronado, Loews Coronado Bay Resort, Coronado Island Marriott Resort & Spa, and Glorietta Bay Inn.
This tax would be in effect for the fiscal year 2025-26, targeting properties within the Coronado Tourism Improvement Districts (CTID) I and II.
The projected revenue generated from this tax is estimated at $2,175,000.
In addition to these considerations, the council will review an increase in fees for developers who opt not to reserve low-income units in their subdivision projects.
Under the current municipal code, developers are required to reserve 20% of their units for low-income residents or pay a fee.
That fee has stagnated at $7,000 per unit since 1993.
As a result, many developers have chosen to pay the fee instead of reserving units for low-income housing.
The collected funds contribute to a dedicated affordable housing fund, which currently has a balance of $1.7 million.
In a bid to reassess the situation, the City Council engaged a consultant in 2021, who found Coronado’s $7,000/unit fee to be significantly lower than that of neighboring jurisdictions.
In contrast, Del Mar imposes a fee of $27,350/unit, while San Diego charges a fee ranging from $25 to $50 per square foot.
The council is now being asked to consider whether to maintain a flat fee or adopt a square-foot-based fee.
City staff prefers a fee based on square footage, arguing that this method is more equitable.
The council may raise the fee up to $59 per square foot, with automatic yearly adjustments based on metrics like the Consumer Price Index.
They will also explore extending the fee’s applicability to rental units in addition to those available for sale, as well as discuss allowing pipelining or grandfathering projects in progress.
Additionally, the continuation of the local emergency for the Tijuana sewage crisis will be on the agenda.
This emergency was initially declared in March, due to construction projects in Mexico that have led to wastewater flowing into the Tijuana River, prompting the closure of Coronado’s beaches over the weekend.
Finally, a public hearing will take place regarding minor additions to a residential property, where the owner seeks to install an elevator to the second floor, alongside a mechanical room and hallway.
These modifications received initial approval from the Community Development Director; however, an appeal regarding an increase in storage space was denied.
The city recommends denying the appeal, as there isn’t sufficient evidence of a disability that necessitates further storage.
Moreover, allowing the change could create zoning conflicts, including exceeding its floor area ratio, reducing required parking, and encroaching on setbacks.
City staff has advised against the appeal due to the lack of submitted building plans.
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