Hesperia council approves inflation-based fee increases with changes; request to rescind 2016 refugee resolution is pulled

The Hesperia City Council voted 5-0 on Sept. 15 to raise a range of city fees in line with inflation, after amending the staff proposal, and set aside a council member's request to rescind a 2016 resolution opposing refugee resettlement in the city.

Both actions are recorded in draft minutes of the meeting, which were posted for approval on the council's Oct. 6 agenda.

Fee schedule

Staff proposed updating the citywide fee schedule to reflect a 3.3% rise in the Consumer Price Index for the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario area, measured January to January.

A staff report by Assistant City Manager Casey Brooksher and Deputy Finance Director Keith Cheong says that of 570 fee types, 198 would go up and 344 would not change. Another 28 state-set fees for mobile home parks and special occupancy parks would be added to the schedule for transparency; the city collects those and sends them to the state.

The largest average increases were in planning, at 3.3%, building and safety, at 3%, and engineering, at 2%.

As an example, the report says a 2,000-square-foot house would see building fees, not counting developer impact fees, go up $99, to $4,490 from $4,391.

The council did not adopt the proposal as written. The minutes say the motion by Council Member Gregg, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Pullen, approved the item with three changes: the business license fee stays as it is, a subsidy for massage parlors and adult entertainment businesses is removed, and staff is to return with the study of police and public safety fees so those can be raised as far as allowed.

Staff had recommended raising business license administration fees by $8 for new licenses and $4 for renewals.

The report estimated the proposal as written would add about $114,000 a year to the general fund and about $1,600 to the water district. It says the general fund budget for 2026-27 carried a $476,000 deficit when adopted. Revised revenue figures reflecting the council's changes are not in the records reviewed.

The staff report gives Dec. 1, 2026, as the date the new fees take effect.

Refugee resolution

The final item concerned Resolution No. 2016-05, which Council Member Ochoa had asked the council to rescind.

The council adopted that resolution 5-0 on Feb. 16, 2016. It declares the council "is opposed to the United States Refugee Resettlement Program."

A staff report says Ochoa asked on Aug. 18 that the matter be placed on an agenda. It says rescinding the resolution would remove the council's formal statement of opposition but would not create a resettlement program, authorize spending or obligate the city to offer services.

The report adds that such resolutions "are often symbolic in nature" because cities have no jurisdiction over federal matters.

Two members of the public spoke on the item, the minutes show. Ochoa then asked that it be taken off the agenda and brought back at a future meeting. No vote was taken, and no return date appears in the records reviewed.