Palisades residents tell recovery committee permit fees must be waived; urge clarity on rebuild rules and contractor safeguards

Residents of the Pacific Palisades urged the Los Angeles City ad hoc committee for LA Recovery to waive building and permit fees and give clearer guidance on rebuild rules after January wildfires that destroyed homes and left many uninsured or underinsured.

At the committee meeting Chair Councilwoman Tracy Park opened public comment and residents described severe financial strain and confusion about rebuilding rules. "Every penny counts for us to be able to rebuild," Jessica Rogers, president of the Pacific Palisades Residents Association, told the committee. "We will not tolerate anything less than the city stretch itself just as much as we have been forced to." Rogers noted earlier remarks from the chair that 186 building permit applications had been filed and 22 permits issued so far.

The request for fee waivers and clearer guidance was echoed by multiple neighborhood representatives. "The permit fees thing is huge for the members of the Alphabet Streets," said Kimberly Bloom, who said many households are generational residents without the means to rebuild. Leanne Sanderson, who lives on the El Medio Bluffs, and Lori Kudzel, a Palisades neighborhood representative, also asked the city to waive fees and to clarify whether rebuilds that exceed a 10% size threshold would be considered renovations or new construction and whether that classification would affect utilities such as natural gas access.

O'Donnell Islin, president of the Huntington Palisades Homeowners Association, said about half of the homes in his area were lost and urged the city to give explicit guidance on building fire‑resistant homes and contractor practices. "Addressing the wildfire risk in the surrounding area and giving clear guidance as to what you should do in terms of building fire resistant buildings would be very helpful," he said.

Speakers also raised health and safety concerns. Several residents asked for faster pool remediation and mosquito control after pools filled with water post‑fire. Council members directed Los Angeles Sanitation and Environment (LASAN) to provide the web link and process for residents to schedule pool draining; LASAN said a web‑based system is available for rapid approval once debris is cleared.

Labor and trafficking advocates urged contract safeguards. Paloma Bustos, identified as a policy associate with a university initiative, said recovery contracts with technical consultants should include protections to prevent labor exploitation: vet subcontractors, require fair labor standards and train workers to recognize trafficking. Bustos referenced a county motion passed April 1 that focused on public awareness and contractor safeguards and urged the city to adopt similar measures when contracting firms such as IEM International for recovery work.

Residents described insurance shortfalls and property sales. One commenter said roughly 200 lots were on the market and that many neighbors were underinsured or uninsured. Speakers emphasized that waiving permit fees and providing clear, fast guidance on rebuild rules would materially affect whether long‑time residents can return.

Councilwoman Park closed public comment with a commitment to continue advocacy and to pursue legislative and administrative changes the committee can make to support Palisades survivors.

The committee then proceeded to its agenda; public comment was closed after multiple speakers addressed permit fees, insurance, pool remediation, debris removal and anti‑trafficking contract provisions.