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Commission recommends code changes to ease post-disaster rebuilding
Summary
The commission recommended that the city adopt code changes required by Senate Bill 1561 to speed repair and replacement of homes damaged by natural or involuntary events and discussed staffing and prioritization in a large disaster.
Staff presented required code changes tied to Senate Bill 1561 that make permanent and expand temporary rebuilding allowances originally adopted after the 2020 fires. The presentation emphasized the limited discretion local governments have under the statute and that the city attorney prepared the draft language.
"This was primarily written on expanding law that was written for the 2020 fires...so that's kind of the impetus for where this came from," a staff member said while walking through the required provisions. Commissioners discussed how the city would prioritize applications after widespread damage and whether additional temporary staffing would be needed; one commissioner said municipal experience in other jurisdictions showed extra staff were usually hired to process large numbers of rebuild applications quickly.
Commissioner Cherry moved and the commission seconded a recommendation to approve the ordinance implementing the SB 1561-related provisions (referred to in the meeting as ordinance 26-17). The motion passed and will be forwarded to city council for adoption.
