Title
Public Hearing to Consider Adoption of Resolution Amending Master Fee Resolution No. 12191 to Revise City Attorney Office and Rent Program Fees. (Finance 10024051)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Adam W. Politzer, Interim City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Annually, City of Alameda (City) staff review existing fees and charges as part of the budget development process. Any modifications to the Master Fee Schedule (MFS) are recommended to reflect increases in the cost-of-living adjustments authorized by Resolution and the Alameda Municipal Code (AMC) with City Council’s approval.
The City Attorney’s Office fees were administratively adjusted by 2.5% based on the 2026 San Francisco Bay Area percentage change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The Rent Program fees were administratively adjusted by 3.8% based on the April 2026 percentage change in the CPI. This adjustment is consistent with the City’s established practice of applying annual CPI-based increases to help offset rising operational and program administration costs.
Staff recommends that City Council adopt the proposed City Attorney Fees sections (City Attorney’s Office and Rent Program fees) of the MFS for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-27 to ensure ongoing fiscal sustainability, transparency, and alignment with City priorities and legal requirements. These sections were excluded from the City-Wide MFS.
BACKGROUND
On January 22, 1992, City Council adopted Resolution No. 12191, codifying all fees for services and linking the rate at which the City’s fee schedule may be increased based on the percentage change in the CPI. Subsequently, each year, via resolution following a public hearing, the fee structure is revised to streamline fee collection.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced the percentage change in the CPI as 2.5% for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-26. Based on Resolution No. 12191, the eligible fees in the MFS would be increased in accordance with this percentage change. However, pursuant to Ordinance No. 1928, as referenced in Resolution No. 12191 and Resolution No. 14027, City fees are subject to administrative adjustments not greater than 5% annually. Therefore, eligible City Attorney’s Office fees were increased by 2.5% based on the 2026 percentage change in the CPI and Rent Program fees were increased by 3.8% based on the April 2026 percentage change in the CPI.
DISCUSSION
City Attorney’s Office
The proposed updates to the City Attorney’s Office fees reflect a 2.5% administrative adjustment based on the percentage change in the CPI.
These adjustments are intended to help maintain the City Attorney’s office's financial sustainability by aligning fees with rising administrative and operational costs associated with services, oversight, and activities. The CPI-based adjustment is consistent with the City’s broader fee adjustment practices and helps ensure the program may continue providing services without significant impacts to the General Fund.
Rent Program
The proposed updates to the Rent Stabilization Program fees reflect a 3.8% administrative adjustment based on the percentage change in the CPI. These adjustments also keep fees aligned with increasing costs and help ensure the program may continue providing services without significant impacts to the General Fund.
ALTERNATIVES
• Adopt the proposed City Attorney’s Office and Rent Program fees. This would ensure City fees remain in line with current market rates, allowing the City to keep up with rising costs while continuing to provide essential services for our community.
• Adjust specific fees when adopting the City Attorney’s Office and Rent Program fees. Any fee reductions would impact the FY 2026-27 budget as proposed and described above.
• Do not increase the fees as proposed in the MFS. This would negatively impact the FY 2026-27 budget as proposed by reducing anticipated revenues.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The proposed MFS updates are expected to result in a modest increase in revenues, while primarily advancing the City’s Budget Sustainability Initiative by improving cost recovery and aligning fees with the actual cost of services.
Overall, these updates support long-term fiscal sustainability by ensuring fees are fair, transparent, and more closely aligned with service costs, while avoiding sudden financial impacts on the community.
The projected revenues from the fees outlined in the MFS were included in the proposed Biennial Budget for FY 2025-27.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
All other sections of the AMC dealing with this subject matter have been thoroughly analyzed and found to be compatible with the proposed amendment to the AMC. This action is consistent with the Strategic Plan action to Practice Fiscally Responsible, Equitable and Inclusive Governance.
CLIMATE IMPACT
There are no climate impacts from revising the MFS. The proposed fee schedule includes keeping certain permit fees related to electrification affordable to further Climate Action and Resiliency Plan goals.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Adoption of a revised fee schedule is a governmental fiscal function and not subject to environmental review in that it is not a "project" as defined by CEQA. Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(4), a "project" does not include the creation of governmental funding mechanisms or other governmental fiscal activities which do not involve any commitment to any specific project that may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment.
RECOMMENDATION
Hold a public hearing and adopt a resolution to amend Master Fee Resolution No. 12191 to revise City Attorney Office and Rent Program Fees
Respectfully submitted,
Adam W. Politzer, Interim City Manager
By,
Carlos Figueroa, Senior Financial Analyst, Finance Department
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Ross McCarthy, Finance Director