In a recent effort to assist those affected by January's Eaton and Palisades Fires, LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger introduced a motion aiming to ease the financial burden on survivors. According to Kathryn Barger's office, the initiative seeks to defer and potentially refund the County's costly permit fees essential for residents embarking on the daunting task of rebuilding.
As these homeowners face costs upward of $20,000 for permits alone, Barger's motion comes as a financial salve, targeting individuals who owned and resided in their properties pre-disaster, this measure presents a reprieve, by deferring fees and issuing refunds to those who've already dug into their pockets to pay these expenses unfortunately this doesn’t address the full scope of their challenges as many survivors grapple with insurance coverage that falls short of their needs.
"Families who lost everything in the fires shouldn’t be asked to pay thousands of dollars just to start rebuilding," Barger stated, highlighting the need for this stopgap solution while the County solidifies plans to fully waive the fees permanently; over 7,400 residential and commercial structures were consumed by the flames, leaving a swath of destruction and a community in need of substantial support.
With a report already in hand that assesses the waiving of permit fees, commissioned by Barger herself, the County's proposed plan shows a figure close to $120 million is required to cover the anticipated fee wavers, in this, Barger has directed the completion of a new fee study within 60 days to explore cost savings through improved efficiencies like streamlined software and unified permitting processes, emphasizing that her motion is also a directive for the County to pursue sustainable funding strategies to assure these waivers can be maintained longer-term.
Public officials like Barger are pushing for tangible actions that match the sentiments found within the community, such as the signs in Altadena declaring "Altadena Not For Sale," with a vote on the motion by the LA County Board of Supervisors expected soon, those impacted by the wildfires may soon find some of the financial relief they desperately need as Barger optimistically asserts, "Now’s the time to back that message with action."
