Council backs higher planning appeal fees and seeks to clear stormwater permit backlog
3 min readTuesday, November 10, 2026·Official Council record
Published briefingOfficial record and source links included
Los Angeles voted to draft higher fees for people appealing planning decisions and sent a proposed exception for displaced tenants to committee. Council also ordered a stormwater permit fix for small projects and approved up to $16 million in charter school bonds.
“Disruption should never jeopardize housing and essential services.”
Public commenter · Housing and services for veterans · YouTube captions
“Excessive fees disapproportionally impact lower income communities.”
Public commenter · Planning appeal fees · YouTube captions
“We should be funding prevention measures to make sure that the basic needs of homeless people are met.”
Public commenter · Homelessness spending · YouTube captions
Agenda Items
ITEM 35 · 09-0969-S4Planning appeal feesDrafting directed, 13-0The Council chose proposed fees of $1,145 within the project notice radius and $2,289 outside it for appeals by people other than the applicant. It asked the City Attorney to draft the ordinance and sent the proposed $229 exception for tenants facing displacement to Budget and Finance.
ITEM 7 · 26-0742Stormwater permit backlogDrafting directed, 13-0The City Attorney will draft an administrative process for pending projects with 500 to 2,499 square feet of impervious area to move from older stormwater requirements to the current ordinance's thresholds.
ITEM 6 · 26-1546Ararat Charter School bondsSubstitute adopted, 13-0Council approved a substitute resolution allowing the California Enterprise Development Authority to issue up to $16 million in conduit bonds for school facilities in Council District 6. Repayment is the borrower's responsibility.
ITEM 31 · 26-1570Police overtime in Council District 11AdoptedCouncil approved transferring $75,000 from the district's additional homeless services account to police overtime for work related to preventing crimes and aggravated assaults at encampments, subject to mayoral approval.
ITEM 28 · 26-1567Pacoima Lifestyle CenterAmended, 13-0Written amendment 28A authorizes adding $350,000 to the center's repair, maintenance and operations contract and directs an $80,000 transfer for fire recovery, maintenance and repairs.
ITEM 25 · 15-0989-S75LA28 purchasing from city businessesContinued to Nov 17The proposal would have city departments seek a specific procurement spending commitment from LA28 for businesses in the City of Los Angeles. Council continued the item without objection.
What Happens Next
The Clerk lists November 13 as the next regular Council meeting. The LA28 procurement item was continued to November 17. The City Attorney is to return with the appeal fee ordinance, and Budget and Finance will review the proposed tenant exception.
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Planning appeals, permits and the next votes
Los Angeles voted to draft higher fees for people appealing planning decisions and sent a proposed exception for displaced tenants to committee. Council also ordered a stormwater permit fix for small projects and approved up to $16 million in charter school bonds.
The key distinction
The appeal vote sets the amounts for a draft ordinance. The proposed tenant exception remains with Budget and Finance.
Planning appeal fees
Planning appeal fees in the record
The selected option recovers 5 percent of estimated costs inside the notice radius and 10 percent outside. Amendment 35A would keep the $229 charge for a residential tenant at the property who would be displaced by the project. At 3:08:24 the chair confirms the referral of 35A. The Council then votes separately on the underlying item.
Stormwater permits
Stormwater permits in the record
Item 7 applies to projects still pending under Ordinance No. 183833. The proposed release process would let those projects use the applicability thresholds of Ordinance No. 188125. The Council took a separate grouped vote that included item 8, which keeps the current ordinance and adopts revised program fees.
School financing
School financing in the record
The revised agenda carried forward the Ararat item from November 6. The written substitute updated the hearing date to November 10. The recording captures one unanimous vote to substitute and a second unanimous vote on the substituted item. The resolution caps the financing at $16 million.
Pacoima fire recovery
Pacoima fire recovery in the record
Amendment 28A sets a new contract ceiling of $398,000. The $80,000 transfer comes from the Community Investment Department's Economic Development Trust Fund and goes to the appropriation account for the center's operations and maintenance.
Sources and method: Reported actions and vote totals come from the official recording and posted motions. The Clerk page displayed no outcomes or Council Journal when checked. Public comment excerpts use the recording’s timestamped YouTube captions, which have not been human verified.
