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CITY OF REDWOOD CITY, CALIFORNIA <br />Cost of Services (User Fee) Study <br />Matrix Consulting Group Page 7 <br /> <br />2. LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND POLICY <br />CONSIDERATIONS <br /> <br />A “user fee” is a charge for service provided by a governmental agency to a <br />public citizen or group. In California, several constitutional laws such as Propositions 13, <br />4, and 218, State Government Codes 66014 and 66016, and more recently Proposition <br />26 and the Attorney General’s Opinion 92-506 set the parameters under which the user <br />fees typically administered by local government are established and administered. <br />Specifically, California State Law, Government Code 66014(a), stipulates that user fees <br />charged by local agencies “…may not exceed the estimated reasonable cost of <br />providing the service for which the fee is charged”. <br />1. GENERAL PRINCIPLES AND PHILOSOPHIES REGARDING USER FEES <br /> Local governments are providers of many types of general services to their <br />communities. While all services provided by local government are beneficial to <br />constituents, some services can be classified as globally beneficial to all citizens, while <br />others provide more of a direct benefit to a specific group or individual. The following <br />table provides examples of services provided by local government within a continuum of <br />the degree of community benefit received: <br /> <br />Services that Provide <br />General “Global” <br />Community Benefit <br />Services that Provide Both <br />“Global” Benefit and also a <br />Specific Group or Individual <br />Benefit <br />Services that Provide a Primary <br />Benefit to an Individual or Group, <br />with less “Global” Community <br />Benefit <br /> <br />• Police <br />• Park Maintenance <br /> <br /> <br />• Recreation / Community <br />Services <br />• Fire Suppression / Prevention <br /> <br />• Building Permits <br />• Planning and Zoning Approval <br />• Site Plan Review <br />• Engineering Development Review <br />• Facility Rentals <br /> <br />7.A. - Page 19