Church agrees to pay fee to village business board

By Linh Tat

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Verbal disputes between a church and the Westwood Village
Business Improvement District ended in July after both sides met to
discuss assessment fees for the church.

Conflict initially arose when the BID asked the Westwood Hills
Christian Church to pay 25 percent of the fee normally assessed to
a business. The church contested the fee on the grounds that they
are not a business but a non-profit organization, and instead asked
for exemption.

The two sides agreed that Westwood Hills would pay its
assessment fees in full for the next two years, at which time
property owners will vote whether to continue the BID. Church
officials said they will then ask for an exemption from the
fee.

“It’s our understanding that the church is very
pleased with what (the group) came up with,” said Bob Walsh,
executive director of the BID. “From our point of view, the
effort was successfully engaged and completed.”

The BID previously only assessed fees from merchants in exchange
for business promotions, but began assessing fees to property
owners last September.

As a result, the church, which had never paid business fees
before, was assessed property fees.

John Mills, a lawyer and member of the church’s board of
directors, asked for exemption at the BID’s February
meeting.

Later, he proposed that the church’s already reduced fee
be further reduced to 8.5 percent.

After the five-person committee of BID board members and church
representatives met, it reported at last week’s meeting that
the issue had been resolved. From now until 2002, the church will
continue paying its $3,988 assessment fee each year.

Even though it was originally given a 75 percent reduction fee,
the church still ends up paying more than most businesses because
it owns more square footage, Mills said.

Representatives from both groups agreed the meeting resulted in
better relations between the two groups.

“Once we were able to have a discussion, the board
understood where the church is coming from and the church
understood where the board is coming from,” Mills said.

Mills pointed out that the church did not receive all BID
benefits, such as holiday decorations or street cleaning, but
acknowledged that the church only paid a quarter of normal
assessment fees.

Nevertheless, some community members who attended the meeting
voiced their dissatisfaction with the decision.

Shelley Taylor, a long-time Westwood resident, said at the
meeting that rather than assessing the church, the board should
exempt it from paying the fees.

“The board should take the high road and publicize the
fact that they’re not taking money from religious
organizations,” she said.

Taylor said asking a religious organization to pay money to the
BID puts Westwood in a bad light.

“As a PR move, it’s a bad one,” she said.
“It leaves a bad taste in the mouth of the
community.”

Board members defended the decision.

“I can’t pass judgment on that,” said Kambiz
Hekmat, chair of the BID who was not part of the group that met
with the church. “The two sides have met and they have come
up with a resolution on that matter “¦ They were able to solve
it amicably between the two parties.”

Mills said he understands that some people are disappointed with
the resolution, but he feels it is a reasonable one.

“I know there are folks who are upset with us but we
don’t have the resources nor the desire to fight with the
business community,” he said. “We’re part of the
Westwood community. We want to get along.”

“We came to something that’s reasonable, but if it
doesn’t work out, you’ll definitely be hearing from
us,” Mills continued.

In 2002, the BID is up for review with the city, and local
residents can determine new boundary lines and how to assess
fees.

Mills said depending on how things turn out for the next two
years, he will decide what further actions need to be taken.

“In two years I will recommend some policy to be adopted
about non-profit assessments,” Mills said.