Camarillo approves fee waivers, prioritizes rebuild for Mountain Fire victims

The Camarillo City Council voted unanimously on Feb. 26 to adopt a resolution waiving select city fees to assist property owners rebuilding after the Nov. 6 Mountain Fire.

Staff presented the loss and recovery timeline and told the council the city is prioritizing plan review and coordination for affected properties. "The current status of the recovery process is that we're in the debris removal phase... Phase 2 is the county‑led consolidated program," a staff member (Mr. Sanchez) said, summarizing the multiagency cleanup. He told the council the city identified 30 affected properties within city limits: four were total losses and five had structural damage that will require rebuilding or rehabilitation.

The fee waiver proposal covered building permits, zoning clearances, drainage plan review and soils review conducted by Public Works. Staff estimated the total fee waivers for nine properties would be approximately $300,000, and recommended council adopt the resolution to waive those fees and prioritize plan review work for affected residents.

Councilmembers spoke in support of the item, praising staff outreach. "It's entirely appropriate to assist our residents in Camarillo that experienced this horrific loss," Vice Mayor Tennyson said. Councilmember Santangelo thanked staff for focusing on both waiving fees and ‘‘making efficiency a goal.’'

A motion to adopt the resolution carried on a roll‑call vote of 5‑0 (Martinez Bravo, Santangelo, Tremblay, Vice Mayor Tennyson and Mayor Kildee). Staff will implement the waivers and continue to coordinate with county debris‑removal programs and assigned city planners for each affected property.