California Construction New staff writer
One month after the start of the Palisades Fire, Mayor Karen Bass announced significant progress in the city’s largest-ever disaster recovery operation.
“It has been 30 days since unprecedented fires engulfed parts of our city. Much has already been done, and so much more lies ahead,” said Mayor Bass. “We’ve eliminated red tape to ensure that the rebuilding of the Palisades will be swift and safe every step of the way.”
Highlights of the work so far:
- City inspectors have assessed all 15,000+ structures in the Palisades.
- More than 6,000 families have been helped at the Disaster Recovery Center, which opened the first week of the fire to bring together 70 City, County, State & Federal agencies to support Palisades residents.
- Waived business taxes for businesses impacted by the wildfires, and cleared the way to help schools and childcare centers relocate to support families.
- California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Recovery Fund raised more than $50 million from 36,000 donors.
- Online LA Disaster Relief Navigator, which has helped more than 1,000 individuals download their action plans for recovery.
Hagerty, a disaster recovery firm, has been hired to assist in the rebuilding process, focusing on community resilience, infrastructure restoration, and environmental mitigation. The firm will support the efforts and ensure implementation includes community input and consideration.
“We are not waiting; we are not hesitating – we are making tough decisions to cut through delays and red tape,” said Mayor Karen Bass.
A one-stop-shop permitting office will open this week and property owners will be able to access “as-built plans”. Also, the city to will automatically re-issue permits for homes built in recent years, giving the option to build back what was on the property.
Bass said she will work with city council to waive all unnecessary building permit and planning fees, open new Impacted Workers and Family Recovery Centers to offer jobs training, direct financial assistance and youth opportunities across the city.
