Brushing Up on City Fees and Weeding Out Revenue Enhancers

The Chatsworth community has long been designated a brush fire area as we are the path where fires seem to go before they hit the Malibu hills.  Insurability has been helped by the installation of the helicopter facility in the Preserve and the proximity of our local fire departments. Meanwhile, our LA Fire Department is part of the city revenue enhancement project as they are charging many of us a "Brush Inspection Fee," which is due today.  I live adjacent to the Chatsworth Nature Preserve, so the brush that exists is owned by the DWP.  In any event, I dutifully paid the fee of $23.00 because of the penalty tripling the fee, and then, on Saturday, March 31, I received documents from the City advising me I could avoid the fee if I mail a Brush Self Inspection Certification document to the LAFD by April 30th!  It is  ironic that this mail came in around the time the fee was due.  I did not receive this mailing last year, so the timing is even more questionable.  Shouldn't the self inspection docs be sent in early March? Why should I pay a fee, when the Preserve is a DWP property? BTW, how much did it cost the city to send out this mailing? Seems like  good fodder for our D12 Councilman.  Also where do I get my refund?  How much does the DWP pay for brush inspections for those of us adjacent to the preserve? Maybe we can approach the high fuel, Oak Tree trimming issues with our LAFD Tree Wardens as well. I guess I will have to brush up on all of that....or Mr. Englander can tell me whether I am barking up the wrong tree...