DOWNEY - Effective July 1, it will cost an additional 25 cents to ride the DowneyLINK bus.The new rate of 50 cents per ride is part of several new and increased fees approved by the City Council on Tuesday. In total, 57 fees for city services were increased, 14 new fees were created and 24 fees were deleted. Among the fee changes: The City Clerk no longer charges for copies of minutes, agendas, ordinances or resolutions, but computer flash drives are $14; The cost of a traffic collision investigation report from the Downey Police Department has increased from $2 to $15; Tennis court reservations at Independence Park have jumped from $5 for two hours to $5 hourly. Several city fees remained the same, including green fees at Rio Hondo Golf Club, room and auditorium rentals at the Barbara J. Riley Community and Senior Center, and rental fees at the Downey Theatre. City officials said many of the fees are priced to only cover the cost of service. Fees are reviewed each year by department heads. "In fact, many fees do not cover the full cost of City operations, but the annual review at least allows the City to keep the deficiency from increasing," wrote John Michicoff, director of finance, in a report. All new fees take effect July 1.

********** Published: June 24, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 10