Mayor Karen Bass Friday issued an order to suspend collection of rebuilding fees for Pacific Palisades residents seeking to restore their homes lost in January's wildfires.
This marks the mayor's third executive order just this week to reduce rebuilding costs and expedite timelines for property owners in the Palisades. According to the mayor's office, the City Council will be required to take a vote before those fees can be officially waived.
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"City leadership must work together to remove these barriers, and today's action provides immediate relief for residents while expediting the process for City Council to waive these fees," Bass said in a statement.
The executive order is intended to support legislation introduced by Councilwoman Traci Park, who represents the Palisades. The councilwoman called for permits, plan check and other rebuilding fees to be waived to help residents recover.
"They've been through enough, and they did not ask for this. So, waiving these fees is reflective of our commitment to helping them start over," Park said in a statement. "I'm grateful to Mayor Bass for accelerating this effort through executive action, and I'm eager to finalize the legislative work to make it permanent."
Bass issued two executive actions Tuesday to expedite rebuilding efforts in the Palisades. The first was to make permit processing easier. The self-certification program is a pilot program that aims to allow qualified architects to certify their plans and that they meet the California Residential Code.
The second was to utilize artificial intelligence to support city staff review of project plans to ensure they meet building and zoning codes.
The wildfires in January caused billions of dollars in damage to property and businesses in the Pacific Palisades, Altadena and parts of the San Fernando Valley.
According to the mayor's office, to date, 27 permits for 19 addresses have been issued for rebuilding in the Palisades. City officials more permits to be issued much more quickly under these initiatives.
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