Merchants in the Orange Plaza are reeling from an unannounced increase in fees they must pay to the city to maintain use of the small areas outside their businesses used for outdoor dining and seating.
According to the owner of Two’s Company Cafe and Catering, the city raised her fee for the outdoor dining area in front of her shop from $1700 a year to $4000, an approximately 135% increase. The business owner, as well as other business owners said they received no notice from the city before receiving the bills.
Across the Plaza from Two’s Company, the seating area outside Casa Lulu and the Squeeze increased from $2200 to $3900, an increase of 77% and again with no advance notice or input from residents and business owners.
Some merchants around the city, and particularly in the Plaza, have reported a significant downturn in sales in the last 30 days.
The fee increases for these areas were part of the much larger City of Orange Strategic Plan that included increases to the Master Fee Schedule, which affected dozens of fees that was passed by the Orange City Council this Spring.
