[ Article originally appeared in https://mayor.lacity.gov ]
L.A.’s Disaster Recovery Effort On Track to be Fastest in Modern California History
LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass highlighted the completion of debris removal at the Palisades Branch Library, which was destroyed in the January wildfires. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cleared the property of all debris last week ahead of expectations following the Mayor’s call to prioritize public spaces in the debris removal operation.
The Army Corps was expected to complete the debris removal process at the library in 30 days – they did it in 6 days. Photos and B-Roll available here.
Last week, Mayor Bass visited the Palisades Recreation Center across the street from the Palisades Library to announce a new public-private partnership with LA Strong Sports, Steadfast LA and key Palisades groups that will fund, redesign and rebuild the Recreation Center, which was partially destroyed and severely damaged during January’s wildfires. Earlier this month, the City announced that it had secured private funding to replace the Pacific Palisades playground.
“My top priority has been to get people home – that means rebuilding houses, but it also means rebuilding the places that make up the heart of this community,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “These are city-owned properties and we’ve worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prioritize debris removal at each of them, including the Palisades Branch Library, to expedite the timeline to get them rebuilt and returned to this community.”
“I want to thank Colonel Brian Sawser, Captain Sheldon Tausch, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for their service – our community is truly grateful for their commitment,” said Councilwoman Traci Park. “It’s critical that we stay focused on removing the roadblocks that slow down recovery. I’m glad to be working with the Mayor to keep these efforts moving forward so that we can help people get home faster.”
“The Los Angeles Public Library is enormously grateful for Mayor Bass’ leadership and for the Army Corps of Engineers’ swift clearing of the site of our beloved Palisades Branch Library,” said City Librarian John F. Szabo. “In a time of profound loss for so many, we recognize how fortunate we are to begin to look ahead. We appreciate the team’s thoughtful attention to honor our requests for preserving elements of branch history, and we have a renewed sense of hope as we consider the possibilities for what comes next.”
Mayor Bass highlighted the start of the rebuilding process in the Palisades last week by visiting two different sites that have been issued building permits from the City. The first permits were issued 57 days after the Palisades Fire began. The first permits took more than twice that time to be issued after both the Camp Fire and the Woolsey Fire.
-
Fastest Hazardous Materials Clearing in EPA History: Thanks to President Trump and the Trump administration, Phase 1 of the debris removal finished in 28 days – months ahead of expectations – and removed more than 300 tons of hazardous materials, such as exploded lithium ion batteries, from the Palisades. In comparison, Phase 1 of the debris removal process for the devastating Camp Fire in Paradise, California took more than twice as long to complete.
-
Debris Removal Moving at Historic Pace: In coordination with the County, Phase 2 of the debris removal process is well underway and began just 35 days after the fires ignited — roughly half the time it took after the devastating 2018 Woolsey Fire.
-
Utilities Restored at Record Rate: In just two months, water and power were safely restored for standing homes in the Palisades. In comparison, safe drinking water wasn’t restored until 18 months after the devastating Camp Fire in Paradise, California.
-
Emergency Executive Orders to Return and Rebuild: Mayor Bass used her executive power to cut through red tape, help relocate impacted schools and childcare facilities, provide tax relief for small businesses, expedite the rebuilding of homes and businesses in ways that better protect against future wildfires, and more.
-
Reinforced Burn Areas Prone To Slides: The City shored up burn areas ahead of wet weather this season by urgently installing more than 10,000 feet of concrete barriers and laying down more than 6,500 sandbags.
-
Provided Relief and Protections to Fire Survivors:
-
Opened a Disaster Recovery Center to centralize critical resources from 70 city, county, state, and federal agencies. More than 9,500 households and counting have been helped so far.
-
Opened the One-Stop Rebuilding Center to help streamline the rebuilding of homes and businesses.
-
Worked with the Governor’s Office to ensure homeowners can access as-built plans and allow the City to automatically re-issue permits for homes built in recent years.
-
Opened four new Impacted Worker and Family Recovery Centers to help residents with job placement, financial assistance, youth opportunities, and more.
-
Signed new City ordinances to:
-
Deliver tax relief for local businesses that were destroyed or severely economically impacted by the wildfires.
-
Prohibit residential evictions for tenants housing people or pets displaced by the wildfires for the next year.
-
Prohibit price gouging for essential housing, lodging, and consumer goods and services, including contractor services for debris removal and rebuilding, during a declared state of emergency.
-
Federal and State Support: Mayor Bass led a Council delegation to Sacramento to advocate for support to rebuild. The delegation met with Governor Gavin Newsom, California State Senate President Pro Tempore Senator Mike McGuire, California State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and other state leaders.
SOURCE: https://mayor.lacity.gov/news/100-days-after-start-wildfires-mayor-bass-highlights-progress-rebuilding-heart-palisades-ahead
