Department of Housing and Community Development: database of local fees.

Existing law requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to collect, publish, and make available to the public information about laws regarding housing and community development and authorizes the department to provide a statistics and research service for the collection and dissemination of information affecting housing and community development. Existing law also requires the department, by June 30, 2019, to complete a study to evaluate the reasonableness of local fees charged to new developments, as provided. This bill, by December 31, 2019, would additionally require the department to collect information from cities, counties, and special districts on the fees imposed for new developments and to publish and make available a database of the fees charged by those public agencies to new developments by jurisdiction. The bill would also require the department to periodically update this database. The bill would require each special district to annually report to the department the fees that the special district charges to new developments. The Planning and Zoning Law requires a city or county to adopt a general plan for land use development within its boundaries. Existing law requires the planning agency of each city and county, after the legislative body has adopted all or part of a general plan, to annually report specified information to the legislative body, the Office of Planning and Research, and the Department of Housing and Community Development, including the status of the plan and progress in its implementation. This bill would require the planning agency to also include in its annual report the fees charged to new developments. By imposing new reporting duties on local agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.