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The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday adopted a series of measures aimed at jump-starting recovery efforts for residents whose lives have been upended by devastating wildfires.
In a series of rapid-fire votes, the City Council hastened the arrival of federal emergency funds, assessed the potential for landslides after fires, and established new safeguards against price gouging and evictions, especially for pet owners and evacuees. Measures were adopted.
One measure aims to commission an independent “after-action” report on the city and county’s emergency response to the fire. The City Council also took steps to help the city, residents, workers, and businesses access federal disaster relief funds and other forms of assistance.
“As a city, our only goal must be to ensure our residents have the resources they need to rebuild their lives and return home,” said Councilmember Tracy Park, who authored many of the motions approved Tuesday. ” he said.
Park, who represents Pacific Palisades, said the outpouring of votes taken together provides a path to recovery for residents who have lost everything.
“I want voters to know that from now on, I’m going to focus on one thing and this will be the right thing for them,” Park said, holding back tears. “And I want the firefighters to know that I’m going to do everything I can and I’m going to move every mountain and make sure we have what we need.”
President Park and Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez also unveiled a proposal to begin work on a bond measure for the June 2026 ballot that would raise money to repair fire stations and build new ones. According to the proposal, the fire department doesn’t have enough money to maintain its 106 stations, more than half of which are more than 50 years old.
The proposal calls for the department to finalize recommendations for the 2026 bond measure within 60 days and is now before the City Council Public Safety Committee for further discussion.
Freddy Escobar, president of Los Angeles Local 112 United Fire Brigades, said he supports a 2026 ballot measure to raise money for the department, which has been “neglected for decades.” said.
Escobar said Mayor Karen Bass has already spoken to unions about such a proposal and has indicated she supports it.
“I know there is a commitment from Mayor Bass,” he said in an interview.
“Three years ago, the mayor met with UFLAC leadership and stated that he was interested in a bond initiative and would collaborate,” said Bass spokesman Zach Seidl.
The City Council’s action comes a week after the Palisades Fire broke out in the Santa Monica Mountains. The fire killed at least eight people and destroyed more than 5,300 structures, including many homes and historic buildings. This and other wind-driven fires that devastated Pacific Palisades, Altadena and other communities last week will almost certainly rank among the costliest disasters in U.S. history.
City Council members on Tuesday compared the fire to what L.A. experienced during the 1992 riots and the 1994 Northridge earthquake, calling it a once-in-a-generation disaster. Last week, the city council also signed a declaration of local emergency over Bass’ fire.
One proposal from City Council members Unis Hernandez and Hugo Sotomartínez would suspend rent increases and ban evictions for one year for tenants who experience financial or medical hardship related to the fire. That’s what it was. It was referred to a committee.
Hernandez’s other motion would create a 60-day grace period for parking tickets and vehicle impoundments while the fire emergency lasts. Ten of the council’s 15 members voted against it, and it failed to pass.
The motion includes issues large and small, including steps to allow the city to provide funding for future recovery, as well as short-term measures such as measures to help reunite people and pets in fire areas. It was included. One of the bills passed would be the first step in creating a long-term recovery plan based on recommendations from Santa Rosa, Paradise, Maui and other communities hit by similar tragedies in recent years.
Some of the measures approved Tuesday focused on accountability, including requiring the Los Angeles Fire Department to assess the fire, “the current state of the department and its ability to manage a wildfire of this magnitude.” It also included instructions to report to Congress “immediately.” Issues that may have impeded efforts to protect life and property. ” Another is asking the City Water and Power Department for transparency about the city’s infrastructure, including water pressure issues, depleted fire hydrants and the Santa Ynez Reservoir, which emptied during firefighting efforts.
Park worked with her team on a fire response motion introduced by officials in the Northern California communities of Santa Rosa and Paradise, which were devastated by the 2017 Tubbs Fire and 2018 Camp Fire, respectively. He said he did.
“It’s really hard to explain the scope and scale of this loss,” Park said, talking about the destruction in the Pacific Palisades. “A beautiful, thriving, vibrant and engaged community has now been completely wiped off our map.”
Some City Council members said city government needs to seize the opportunity to rethink how it prioritizes and allocates resources for public safety and infrastructure.
“There can be no business as usual,” said City Councilman Bob Blumenfield. “If we are to grow again and have a strong recovery, we must fundamentally change the way we do things in this city.”
Rodriguez also warned people across Southern California that “we are not out of the woods yet.”
With further strong winds still expected, the councilor said: “No part of this city, no part of this region, is safe from the threat.”
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