Citizen Portal
Sign In

Council approves subsidy route to waive permit fees for Pacific Palisades fire survivors

Los Angeles City Council · February 4, 2026

Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts

Subscribe
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Following extensive public comment from Palisades survivors, the council approved an amended relief measure—framed as a subsidized waiver of permit fees and related charges—to help residents and owners rebuild after January fires; an amendment conditions subsidy repayment if a property sells before certificate of occupancy.

The Los Angeles City Council voted to approve an amended measure to subsidize or waive certain permit fees and charges for residents and property owners affected by recent fires in the Pacific Palisades, following long public-comment testimony from survivors and property owners.

Residents, including Mark Smith, Bart Young and others, told the council they lost homes and livelihoods in the January fires and urged immediate relief. "I lost my house in the fires and I will be displaced for three years," Mark Smith said during public comment, urging approval of the fee waivers. Multiple speakers said waiving fees would speed rebuilding, reduce the risk of displacement and create long-term tax revenue for the city.

Councilmember Rodríguez proposed an amendment clarifying that the relief is structured as a subsidy rather than an unconditional waiver and that recipients would be required to reimburse the city if the owner sells the property before issuance of a certificate of occupancy; council members agreed to that repayment provision. Council discussion framed the measure as intended to remove barriers to rebuilding for homeowners, mobile-home parks and multi‑family properties.

Clerk recorded the vote with a tally of 15 in favor following amendment adoption. Council directed staff to implement the subsidy program and return with details on eligibility, scope, and administrative steps.

The council did not specify a final appropriation amount on the floor; staff and the budget committee are expected to provide detailed cost estimates and implementation rules in a follow-up report.