Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Disaster Recovery topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County updates Park/Thompson fire recovery and flood response: debris, trees, insurance and landfill locations
Summary
County staff reported enrollment status and operational details for Park/Thompson fire recovery, clarified that the state-led program has not begun large-scale tree removal, and said structural debris is being taken to Veil Road landfill; board discussed insurers and private levee responsibilities.
Butte County officials updated the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 11 about Park and Thompson Fire recovery operations and recent flood impacts across the county, including debris removal status, tree-removal plans and where ash and structural debris are being consolidated.
Deputy CAO Danielle Newsome told the board that of approximately 435 properties required to enroll in the private-property debris-removal program, 94 had not yet enrolled as of the report; staff are conducting concentrated outreach and scheduled a community meeting in Chico on Feb. 19. Newsome said the state has focused on structural debris removal so far and has not yet started its own large-scale tree-removal operation; she noted limited tree removal may happen in the course of structural-debris abatement when dangerous trees threaten clearance work.
Newsome reviewed operational clarifications: a ‘‘hazard tree’’ under local ordinance is a tree dead or dying within five years; CalRecycle has been approved by the state to serve as the abatement contractor for properties that fail to enroll; and if the county spends money under its 25% cost share, the state will later issue invoices and the county will pursue cost recovery from insurance where applicable. Newsome said prior data indicated roughly 60% of affected homeowners had insurance that would cover some costs.
Public Works Director Josh Pack and other supervisors discussed flood-related road damage after Highway 99 was temporarily closed and traffic was diverted onto local roads; Pack said staff can draft a letter to Caltrans documenting damage and requesting assistance. Pack also said structural ash and debris are being taken to Veil Road (county landfill) and vegetation debris to other approved locations.
Cal OES data cited by staff: 64 properties cleared of debris in the Park area, 28 properties had passed soil sampling and eight had completed erosion-control work.
For homeowners: staff said limited emergency restoration activity may be possible in certain cases, but routine private-levy maintenance and funding limits constrain county action; supervisors asked staff to meet with affected constituents to explain options.
What comes next: outreach continues to increase enrollment before the March 14 deadline; staff will coordinate a Feb. 19 community meeting and return with further updates on cost recovery and operational progress.
