Board approves urgent wildfire recovery motion directing fast-track rebuilding, asking state for temporary waivers

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 28 unanimously approved a motion directing county agencies to speed reconstruction in wildfire‑impacted unincorporated communities and to coordinate state, federal and private resources to support recovery.

The motion, introduced by Supervisor Catherine Barger and co‑authored by Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, directs multiple departments to create one‑stop permitting and local assistance centers, stand up surge staffing and contracting authority for quick reconstruction and infrastructure repairs, and asks the county CEO to seek limited, temporary waivers from select state housing and permitting requirements for fire‑impacted areas.

In a nearly three‑hour discussion, regional planning, public works, fire, the Office of Emergency Management and other departments described the scale of the task in front of the county. Amy Vodick, director of the Department of Regional Planning, told the board that the department cannot process an immediate influx of thousands of rebuild applications with current staffing. “We cannot accommodate this new growth given our current resources,” she said, adding that the county had rezoned 60,000 parcels in recent years and would return many areas to prior rules if property owners did not rebuild within five years.

Public concerns centered on two issues: speed and protection. Supervisors and department heads debated how to make permitting faster without abandoning safety standards. Fire Chief Anthony Maroney said the 2023 fire code differs from 2020 mainly by adding battery storage requirements; the department said it would allow storage systems under the more recent rules if homeowners sought them. Director Mark Pastrella of Public Works warned of the scale of damage to horizontal infrastructure — storm drains, conduits and utilities — and said the county may need temporary “one‑stop” permitting centers in the affected communities to manage both infrastructure and building approvals.

The motion authorizes delegated contracting authority and emergency spending to accelerate recovery. Chief Administrative staff described requests for broad delegated authority to award contracts and hire surge staffing; supervisors pressed for strong auditor and procurement reporting. Supervisor Holly Mitchell said the county must not “go fast and go wrong” and secured an amendment (directive 41) requiring the auditor‑controller and CEO to report back in 30 days with a staffing and tracking plan for revenues, expenditures and contracts tied to the fires.

A major flashpoint in public comment and board discussion was a provision the motion asked the county to request from the state: temporary, narrowly tailored suspensions of certain state housing and permitting laws in fire‑impacted unincorporated areas (identified in the motion as a discrete set of exemptions). Supporters — including some county officials and residents who said rebuilding costs could make recovery impossible — said waivers could prevent displacement by allowing homeowners and small business owners more flexibility to rebuild or add accessory units.

Opponents, including housing advocates, tenant groups and several public commenters, said suspending state streamlining laws would make recovery harder for renters and smaller property owners and could accelerate displacement. “This motion would make rebuilding harder, not easier,” said Michael Canavan, a Pasadena resident who lost property in recent fires. Multiple advocates urged the board to drop the request to suspend laws such as density bonus and other state streamlining tools that can enable affordable housing production. Board members acknowledged the concerns and said the waivers were a narrow, temporary request targeted to the most‑impacted unincorporated communities.

The motion also addressed hazardous‑materials handling and debris removal. Federal representatives explained that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had mission‑assigned staging areas for household hazardous materials (batteries, paints, other items) and that consolidation sites would be temporary and subject to perimeter monitoring and containment. EPA staff said the staging work “will be a matter of months — probably less than six months,” and that contractors would perform pre‑ and post‑soil sampling and air monitoring.

After amendments, including the auditor reporting requirement and edits to staff direction, the board voted 5‑0 to approve the motion. The final motion: (a) authorizes expedited permitting and one‑stop centers; (b) directs county departments to develop surge staffing and contracting plans; (c) asks the CEO to seek, where legally appropriate, limited state waivers for narrowly defined fire‑impacted unincorporated communities while preserving worker, safety and environmental protections; and (d) requires enhanced fiscal tracking and biweekly reporting to the board on recovery spending and contracts.

Supervisors said the county will pursue grants and state support; department leaders said they will return with staffing, surge contracting and implementation timetables. The board signaled it will continue to refine details as recovery proceeds and as the state responds to the county’s requests.

"The scale of devastation and destruction for these wildfires is unprecedented," Supervisor Barger told the board during the debate. "They want to rebuild and they need our support to do it," she said, adding that county action should prevent displacement and profiteering.

Next steps: county departments must report back with staffing plans, a capital‑improvements timeline for damaged infrastructure, a method for one‑stop permitting centers in affected communities, and the auditor’s 30‑day report on tracking and anti‑fraud safeguards. The county will also coordinate with state and federal partners on debris removal, staging areas and available grants.