PLEASE DOWNLOAD THE AGENDA DOCUMENT FOR
INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING
Meeting Agenda
CC250227_AGENDA.PDF
Item 2A
Consideration of Additional Public Workshops or Meetings for Local Coastal Plan Amendment and Municipal Code Amendment (LCPA/MMCA) Discussions CC250227_ITEM 2A.PDF
Item 2B
Participation in the County of Los Angele Palisades Fire Debris Removal Program CC250227_ITEM 2B.PDF
Item 2C
Fire Rebuild Policy Discussion
CC250227_ITEM 2C.PDF
1. Documents:
2. Documents:
3. Documents:
4. Documents:
HOW TO VIEW THE MEETING: The meeting will be live streamed at www.malibucity.org/video and via Zoom Webinar.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE BEFORE THE MEETING: Members of the public are encouraged to submit email correspondence to [email protected] before the meeting begins.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN-PERSON DURING THE MEETING: Members of the public may speak during the meeting in-person or through the Zoom application. In order to participate in-person, each speaker must complete and submit to the Recording Secretary a Request to Speak form. In-person participants may also surrender their opportunity to speak on a particular item to defer one minute to another in-person speaker.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE REMOTELY DURING THE MEETING: Members of the public may speak during the meeting in-person or through the Zoom application. In order to participate remotely, you must be present in the Zoom Webinar during the item that you would like to speak on and use the Raise Hand feature to request to speak when the Mayor calls the item. When you join the Zoom Webinar you may see a pop-up asking you to enter an email address, but a valid email address is not required. Be advised that those participating via Zoom do so at their own risk; remote participants should not expect the meeting to be cancelled or continued due the inability of some members of the public to access the remote meeting.
Malibu City Council
Special Meeting Agenda
Thursday, February 27, 2025
2:40 P.M. - CLOSED SESSION
City Hall – Council Chambers (call to order)
Westward Room (closed session)
23825 Stuart Ranch Road
3:00 P.M. – CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING
City Hall – Council Chambers
23825 Stuart Ranch Road
Zoom Webinar Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87637053004
To the members of the City Council of the City of Malibu:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Mayor has called a Special Meeting of the City Council of the City of Malibu to be held at Malibu City Hall, 23825 Stuart Ranch Road, Malibu, CA 90265, at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 27, 2025, for the purpose of holding a Closed Session and considering items related to fire recovery.
Two-forty p.m. Convene for Purpose of Closed Session
City Council Special Meeting Agenda Page - 2 - February 27, 2025 Call to Order – Mayor (Council Chambers)
Public Comment on Closed Session Items
Recess to Closed Session (to be held in the Westward Room) This time has been set aside for the City Council to meet in a closed session to discuss matters pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9, 54957, and 54957.6. Based on the advice of the City Attorney, discussion in open session concerning these matters would prejudice the position of the City in this litigation. The City Attorney will give an additional oral report regarding the Closed Session at the beginning of the regular session of the City Council meeting. At the conclusion of the Closed Session, the Council may continue any item listed on the Closed Session agenda to the Open Session agenda for discussion or to take formal action as it may deem appropriate.
Conference with Legal Counsel – Anticipated Litigation
1. Initiation of litigation pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) of Government Code section 54956.9
Number of potential cases: (2)
Conference with Legal Counsel – Anticipated Litigation
1. Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to paragraph (2) and/or (3) of subdivision (d) of Section 54956.9
Number of Potential Cases: (1)
Personnel Matters pursuant to Government Code Section 54957:
1. Public Employee Performance Evaluation
Title: City Manager
2. Public Employee Discipline/Dismissal/Release
3. Public Employee Appointment
Title: Interim City Manager
Conference with Labor Negotiator pursuant to Government Code Section 54957.6:
1. City representative: Interim City Attorney Trevor Rusin Unrepresented employee: City Manager
Three p.m. Regular Session
Call to Order - Mayor
Roll Call - Recording Secretary
Pledge of Allegiance
Closed Session Report
Report on Posting of Agenda – February 26, 2025
Approval of Agenda
City Council Special Meeting Agenda Page - 3 - February 27, 2025
1. Ceremonial/Presentations
A. Malibu Rebuilds Process Overview
2. New Business
New Business items are appearing for the first time for formal action.
A. Consideration of Additional Public Workshops or Meetings for Local Coastal Plan Amendment and Municipal Code Amendment (LCPA/MMCA) Discussions
Recommended Action: 1) Direct staff on scheduling additional workshops or meetings prior to final approval of the Local Coastal Plan Amendment and the Municipal Code Amendment; and 2) Provide direction on the current format of the March 4, 2025, City Council meeting.
Staff Contact: Acting City Manager Toney, 456-2489, ext. 224 B. Participation in the County of Los Angele Palisades Fire Debris Removal Program Recommended Action: 1) Authorize the City Manager to execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the County of Los Angeles and the City of Malibu regarding the consolidated debris removal program for opt-in properties within the City in response to the Palisades Fire; and 2) Authorize the City Attorney or City Manager to make and enter into minor, non-material and typographical changes or amendments to the MOU if necessary to effectuate its purpose.
Staff Contact: Acting City Manager Toney, 456-2489, ext. 224 C. Fire Rebuild Policy Discussion
Recommended Action: 1) Receive a report on the City’s post-fire recovery efforts, including proposals for public safety, environmental concerns, and community rebuilding initiatives; and 2) Provide direction to City Manager on key fire recovery items described in the agenda report.
Staff Contact: Acting City Manager Toney, 456-2489, ext. 224 Adjournment
Future Meetings
Monday, March 4, 2025 3:00 p.m. Special City Council Meeting City Hall Council Chambers Monday, March 10, 2025 5:30 p.m. Regular City Council Meeting City Hall Council Chambers Monday, March 19, 2025 TBD Regular City Council Meeting City Hall Council Chambers Guide to the City Council Proceedings and Decorum
Public Communications: Each speaker is limited to three (3) minutes. Members of the public may speak during the meeting in-person or through the Zoom application. In order to participate remotely, you must be present in the Zoom Webinar during the item that you would like to speak on and use the Raise Hand feature to request to speak when the Mayor calls the item. In order to participate in-person, each speaker must complete and submit to the Recording Secretary a Request to Speak form prior to the beginning of the item being announced by the Mayor. In-person participants may surrender their time by deferring one (1) minute to another in-person speaker, not to exceed a total of eight (8) minutes.
City Council Special Meeting Agenda Page - 4 - February 27, 2025 The speaker wishing to defer time must be present when the item is heard and their form must be submitted with the speaker form for the individual they are deferring time to. Speakers are taken in the order slips are submitted or hands are raised.
On specific agenda items Councilmembers may question any person addressing the City Council at the conclusion of all public testimony on that agenda item before the Council. Councilmembers shall not engage any member of the public in a dialogue with themselves other Councilmembers, city staff or other members of the public.
Role of the Presiding Officer: The presiding officer of the City Council, who shall be the Mayor, shall be responsible for maintaining the order and decorum of meetings. It shall be the duty of the presiding officer to ensure that these rules of procedure and decorum are followed at all times. The presiding officer shall maintain control of communication between Councilmembers, between the Council and the public, and chair each meeting in a fair and impartial manner. It shall be the duty of each Councilmember to support the presiding officer in maintaining the order and decorum of Council meetings.
Members of the Audience: Members of the audience shall not engage in disorderly or boisterous conduct, including clapping, whistling, stamping of feet, or other acts which disturb, disrupt, impede or otherwise disturb the orderly conduct of the City Council meeting. Persons addressing the City Council shall not engage in disorderly conduct which disrupts, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct or Council meetings. Any person who so disrupts a Council meeting may, at the discretion of the presiding officer or a majority of the City Council, be subject to ejection from that meeting.
No new items will be taken-up after 10:30 p.m. without a two-thirds vote of the City Council.
City Council meetings are aired live and replayed on City of Malibu Government Access Channel 3 and are available on demand on the City’s website at www.malibucity.org/video. Copies of the staff reports or other written documentation relating to each item of business described above are on file in the office of the City Clerk, Malibu City Hall, 23825 Stuart Ranch Road, Malibu, California, and are available for public inspection during regular office hours, which are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday. Written materials distributed to the City Council within 72 hours of the City Council meeting are available for public inspection immediately upon distribution in the City Clerk's office at 23825 Stuart Ranch Road, Malibu, California (Government Code Section 54957.5.b.2). Copies of staff reports and written materials may be purchased for $0.10 per page.
The City Hall phone number is (310) 456-2489. To contact City Hall using a telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD), please call (800) 735-2929 and a California Relay Service operator will assist you. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact Environmental Sustainability Director Yolanda Bundy, (310) 456-2489, ext. 229. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting. [28 CFR 35.102-35.104 ADD Title II].
Requests to show an audio or video presentation during a Council meeting should be directed to the Media Team at [email protected]. Material must be submitted by 12:00 p.m. on the meeting day.
I hereby certify under penalty of perjury, under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing agenda was posted in accordance with the applicable legal requirements. Special meeting agendas may be amended up to 24 hours in advance of the meeting. Dated this 26th day of February 2025 at 2:40 p.m.
Kelsey Pettijohn, City Clerk
Agenda Item # 2.A.
Council Agenda Report
To: Mayor Stewart and the Honorable Members of the City Council Prepared by: Kellan Martz, Assistant City Attorney
Reviewed by: Kelsey Pettijohn, City Clerk
Approved by: Joseph D. Toney, Acting City Manager
Trevor Rusin, Interim City Attorney
Date prepared: February 25, 2025 Meeting date: February 27, 2025 Subject: Consideration of Additional Public Workshops or Meetings for Local Coastal Plan Amendment and Municipal Code Amendment
(LCPA/MMCA) Discussions
RECOMMENDED ACTION: 1) Direct staff on scheduling additional workshops or meetings prior to final approval of the Local Coastal Plan Amendment and the Municipal Code Amendment; and 2) Provide direction on the current format of the March 4, 2025, City Council meeting.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact associated with the recommended action.
STRATEGIC PRIORITY: This item was not included in the Adopted FY 2024-25 Strategic Priority Project List, but this has been prioritized due to the declared emergency.
DISCUSSION: On January 7, 2025, a fire broke out in Pacific Palisades, north of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in between Temescal Canyon Road and Palisades Drive. The fire spread west, affecting areas within the jurisdiction of City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles, and the City of Malibu. The fire combined with a historic Santa Ana Wind event and power outages created conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property. The Acting Director of Emergency Services (Acting City Manager) proclaimed the existence of a local emergency on January 8, 2025, and the proclamation was ratified by the City Council on January 15, 2025. The City of Malibu’s Emergency Operations Center was activated on January 7, 2025 and continued to remain active during the event.
Once it was safe, the Public Works Director and field staff were able to conduct damage assessments to the City’s infrastructure in the burn area.
City Council Meeting
02-27-25
Item
2.A.
Agenda Item # 2.A.
The Planning Commission met on February 20, 2025 to consider recommendations to the City Council regarding Local Coastal Program Amendment No. 25-001 and Zoning Text Amendment No. 25-001. These changes would modify standards and procedures to facilitate the rebuilding of structures damaged or destroyed by the 2025 Palisades Fire, 2024 Franklin Fire, and 2024 Broad Fire. The Planning Commission voted to approve a resolution recommending approval of the draft amendments with certain additional recommendations.
The City Council is currently scheduled to consider the LCPA/MMCA ordinance on March 10, 2025, following required public notice periods. The following requirements apply:
A 21-day public notice period is required before the City Council may consider the amendments.
A minimum of 5 days must separate the introduction and adoption of the ordinance. The final adopted version must match the text approved by the Council at the prior meeting where the text was introduced. Changes may be made to the ordinance during the meeting in which the ordinance is introduced, but no changes may be made to the ordinance at the meeting adopting the ordinance. If changes are made at the meeting where adoption was proposed, it will be treated as a re-introduction of the ordinance and adoption will have to be scheduled for a future meeting. The adoption of the ordinance must occur at a regular meeting of the City Council, or an adjourned regular meeting of the City Council.
The current schedule is designed to move this ordinance as fast as possible in order to make it possible for the California Coastal Commission (CCC) to certify the LCPA at its April 9-11, 2025. As a result, introduction/first reading of the ordinance is scheduled to occur on March 4, 2025, and the second reading of the ordinance is scheduled to occur at the March 10, 2025, City Council Meeting. If the ordinance is not submitted in time to be heard at the April 9-11 meeting, it is likely that the ordinance will not be considered by the CCC until its next regular meeting, scheduled for May 7-9.
The addition of workshops or meetings may impact the ability to have the ordinance presented to the CCC at its April meeting. If the March 4 special meeting is changed to be a workshop, the ordinance could be introduced on first reading at the March 10, 2025, with a second reading scheduled at least 5 days after that reading. CCC Staff have not confirmed whether this will give them enough time to bring the item forward at the April CCC meeting.
Agenda Item # 2.A.
Another consideration is that if the ordinance departs significantly from the ordinance that has been considered by the Planning Commission, the ordinance will have to be presented to the Planning Commission again before it can be considered by the City Council for adoption. If the goal of the Council is to consider additional changes to the LCP and MMC beyond the general scope of what has come forward, a workshop could be scheduled at a later date to consider additional LCP/MMC changes.
Options:
(1) Keep the current schedule, introducing the ordinance on first reading on March 4, and scheduling adoption for March 10, 2025.
(2) Convert the March 4 meeting to a workshop, schedule introducing the ordinance on first reading for March 10, 2025, and schedule adoption for a date at least 5 days after introduction.
(3) Set additional dates for workshops, either on the current draft ordinance or on additional changes, and set dates for introduction and second reading based on that schedule and the legal requirements.
ATTACHMENTS: None.
Agenda Item # 2.B.
Council Agenda Report
To: Mayor Stewart and the Honorable Members of the City Council Prepared by: Yolanda Bundy, Environmental Sustainability Director Approved by: Joseph D. Toney, Acting City Manager
Date prepared: February 18, 2025 Meeting date: February 27, 2025 Subject: Participation in the County of Los Angele Palisades Fire Debris Removal Program
RECOMMENDED ACTION: 1) Authorize the City Manager to execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the County of Los Angeles and the City of Malibu regarding the consolidated debris removal program for opt-in properties within the City in response to the Palisades Fire; and 2) Authorize the City Attorney or City Manager to make and enter into minor, non-material and typographical changes or amendments to the MOU if necessary to effectuate its purpose.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact associated with the recommended action.
STRATEGIC PRIORITY: This item was not included in the Adopted FY 2024-25 Strategic Priority Project List, but this has been prioritized due to the declared emergency. This MOU is necessary to maintain the City's fundamental operations.
DISCUSSION: On January 7, 2025, the Palisades Fire started in or around the Pacific Palisades area. The Palisades Fire burned 23,707 acres of land in Los Angeles County, prompting the declaration of a State of Emergency by the Governor of California. In Malibu, the Palisades Fire destroyed or substantially damaged approximately 700 structures, resulting in potentially hazardous fire debris on properties in the fire-affected areas of the City.
On January 15, 2025, the Los Angeles County Health Officer declared a Local Health Emergency, which prohibits the unsafe removal, transport, and disposal of fire debris until there is an inspection conducted by federal, state or local hazardous materials agencies. Fire debris includes:
City Council Meeting
02-27-25
Item
2.B.
Agenda Item # 2.B.
• Burned structural components
• Burned household and personal items
• Foundation
• Contaminated soil
The County has requested state and federal assistance to expedite recovery activities and ensure the safe removal of hazardous waste and fire debris from red and yellowtagged homes. The debris removal process is divided into two main phases, each managed by different agencies. Residents have the option to participate in the government-run program or manage the cleanup independently by opting out.
The County along with state and federal agencies has organized teams from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) to inspect impacted properties and remove household hazardous waste that may pose a threat to human health, animals, and the environment. This "Phase I" debris removal program is mandatory within the impacted cities and the Los Angeles County Unincorporated Area. Property owners do not need to sign up for Phase l. However, if the property has been damaged or destroyed, it must pass a Phase l household hazardous waste debris inspection by the EPA before being eligible for moving into Phase ll for removal of the remaining fire debris.
Officials have also developed a "Phase ll" debris removal program for the Army Corp of Engineers to oversee and complete the removal of fire debris remaining on properties after the removal of the household hazardous waste under Phase I. There are two options available to residents under Phase II. Option A is for residents who opt-in for the government-sponsored program. Option B is for residents who opt-out of the Fire Debris Removal Program and wish to be responsible for the removal on their own and at their own expense.
This staff report and recommended action is only for the Opt-In program under Option A below. Los Angeles County and the affected cities are still finalizing the MOU for the OptOut program. The affected cities are: Malibu, Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre.
It is expected that the MOU for Opt-Out properties will be brought to the City Council for consideration in early March. However, both programs will be described below to provide information to the City Council and the public.
• For Option A (Opt-In), the Army Corp of Engineers will operate the program.
This program will provide fire debris removal services for most properties at no cost to the property owner, provided the property owner provides a Right of Entry (ROE) form to authorize entrance to the property and remove debris. The deadline for residents to opt-in to this program is March 31, 2025. Failing to submit the ROE by that date is considered opting-out.
Agenda Item # 2.B.
• For Option B (Opt-Out), the County has proposed a Local Program to address the needs of residents who do not qualify for, or elect not to participate in, the Army Corp of Engineer’s program. The Local Program will take effect in the unincorporated portions of the County and within cities that choose to join the program. Joining this program will delegate authority to the County to supervise debris removal for residents. The County would assign staff to administer the Local Program application process either at the Debris Removal Operations Center or at City Hall.
The Opt-In MOU was negotiated to have alignment between the affected cities. This was found to be the best path forward so that the affected cities have the same level of understanding and agreement with the County of Los Angeles. The minor differences known at this time between the MOUs include (1) the request to have a County employee or County-contractor employee at Malibu City Hall to be available for questions and assistance to residents and (2) the provision for the City of Malibu to be involved in discussions related to haul routes, construction hours, etc.
The costs for fire debris removal services under this MOU will be apportioned among the affected cities based on the number of opt-in properties within each affected jurisdiction.
To ensure a collaborative effort, and the orderly remediation of the fire debris, staff recommend authorizing the City Manager to execute the MOU with the County of Los Angeles to participate in the Los Angeles County Fire Debris Removal Program. Staff also recommend authorizing the City Attorney or City Manager to make minor, nonmaterial and typographical changes or amendments to the MOU if necessary to effectuate its purpose.
ALTERNATIVES: Do not join the County's Local Program and instead administer our own local debris removal oversight program for residents who opt in. Should the City choose to administer our own local program, as per the Los Angeles County emergency ordinance, the City program will still need to ensure the equivalent requirements are met.
ATTACHMENT: MOU with the County of Los Angeles for Opt-In Properties
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE COUNTY
OF LOS ANGELES AND THE CITY OF MALIBU REGARDING THE
2025 LOS ANGELES WILDFIRES DEBRIS REMOVAL PROGRAM
I. RECITALS
WHEREAS, beginning on January 7, 2025, the County of Los Angeles (County) was impacted by critical fire weather, severe straight-line winds, and catastrophic wildfires (January 2025 Windstorm and Critical Fire Events), including the Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, Hurst Fire, Kenneth Fire, Hughes Fire, and multiple other fires (Critical Fire Areas). These unprecedented simultaneous events caused loss of life, widespread damage, and destruction to residential structures, businesses, public facilities and infrastructure, power outages, downed trees, road closures, rockslides, and significant debris. The January 2025 Windstorm and Critical Fires Events affected public and private properties in multiple jurisdictions, including the cities of Malibu, Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre (Cities), and unincorporated County areas (together with the Cities, the Affected Jurisdictions).
WHEREAS, on January 7, 2025, the Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (Board) proclaimed the existence of a local emergency (Proclamation of Local Emergency) in response to the January 2025 Windstorm and Critical Fire Events.
WHEREAS, on January 7, 2025, the Governor of the State of California (Governor) proclaimed a state of emergency for the fire and windstorm conditions in the County.
WHEREAS, on January 8, 2025, the Acting Director of Emergency Services of the City of Malibu (City) proclaimed the existence of a local emergency in response to the windstorm and critical fire events, pursuant to Title 2, Chapter 2.52 of the Malibu Municipal Code.
WHEREAS, on January 8, 2025, President Biden declared a major disaster exists in the State of California (State) and ordered federal aid for disaster response and recovery efforts in the County and Critical Fire Areas.
WHEREAS, on January 8, 2025, the Governor issued Executive Order (EO) N-2-25, which suspended State environmental statutes, rules, regulations, and requirements to expedite debris removal and other fire recovery activities.
WHEREAS, on January 10, 2025, the County Health Officer issued a Declaration of a Local Health Emergency due to the serious health impacts of the January 2025 Windstorm and Critical Fire Events in the County.
WHEREAS, on January 12, 2025, the Governor issued EO N-5-25 to coordinate debris removal and mitigate post-fire hazards, and directing the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) to develop a comprehensive plan for expeditiously removing debris from impacted properties, including the prompt execution of contracts for debris removal services.
WHEREAS, on January 13, 2025, President Biden amended his Major Disaster Declaration and increased to 100 percent the amount of federal funds assistance for total eligible costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures for a period of 180 days of the State's choosing within the first 270 days from the start of the incident period.
WHEREAS, on January 14, 2025, the Board ratified the Proclamation of Local Emergency and the Declaration of a Local Health Emergency.
WHEREAS, on January 14, 2025, the Malibu City Council unanimously resolved that there exists a local emergency resulting from the Wind and Fire Events and ratified the Declaration of Local Emergency (Resolution #25-01).
WHEREAS, on January 15, 2025, the Governor issued EO N-8-25, to permit federal hazmat crews to begin property cleanup. EO N-8-25 authorizes the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and their designees, to aid in the Critical Fire Areas, including by entering onto private property to remove hazardous debris and conducting necessary testing.
WHEREAS, on January 15, 2025, the County Health Officer issued a Local Health Emergency Order Prohibiting the Unsafe Removal, Transport, and Disposal of Fire Debris to Protect Community Safety (Emergency Order), prohibiting property owners in the Critical Fire Areas from removing, transporting, or disposing of fire debris until either they are participating in the Government-sponsored 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires Debris Removal Program (Government-sponsored Program or Program) or they register with and obtain permission from the County, due to the County Health Officer’s finding that contaminated debris from household hazardous waste and the destruction of thousands of structures created an imminent threat to public health.
WHEREAS, on January 20, 2025, the Governor issued EO N-13-25, streamlining emergency response efforts by suspending certain environmental rules and procedures, and enabling faster debris removal and protections against landslides, mudslides, and flash floods in areas affected by the emergency.
WHEREAS, on January 28, 2025, the Board adopted a motion titled "Los Angeles County Recovery Efforts and Building Urgency into Implementation of Long-Term Disaster Support," which authorized the Director of Los Angeles County Public Works to enter into memoranda of understanding with cities, districts, and other State and federal partners regarding debris removal efforts to protect life, property, and the environment from immediate hazards.
WHEREAS, US EPA, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, and the Los Angeles County Fire Department have initiated and will soon complete Phase I fire debris removal to assess damaged structures in the Critical Fire Areas, begin to remove household hazardous wastes from properties within these areas, and identify potential hazardous waste requiring further assessment.
WHEREAS, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), in coordination with County and State agencies, has mobilized to begin Phase II debris removal through the Governmentsponsored Program, which, as applicable, will remove fire debris from eligible properties in the Affected Jurisdictions, including properties within the City of Los Angeles (City), at no direct cost to the property owners.
WHEREAS, pursuant to the Government-sponsored Program, USACE, in coordination with County and State agencies, will clear fire debris from eligible residential properties whose owners execute a Right of Entry (ROE) form granting the County, the State, the federal government, and tribal representatives, including their officers, employees, agencies, and independent contractors (collectively, Government), a right to enter upon the properties to remove fire debris; assigning insurance proceeds for debris removal and/or hazard tree removal, if any, to the County to avoid a duplication of benefits, as required under State and federal law; and releasing and indemnifying the Government from all liability claims, damage, or losses arising out of the Program activities carried out pursuant to the ROE form.
WHEREAS, the Government-sponsored Program does not apply to commercial properties, public rights-of-way, or residential properties whose owners "opt out" of the Program, and/or do not execute a ROE form, or are otherwise ineligible.
WHEREAS, the State has directed the County to administer the Government-sponsored Program for properties located in all Affected Jurisdictions, including properties located in the City's jurisdiction, as outlined in the CalOES document titled "2025 Los Angeles Wildfire Private Property Debris Removal (PPDR) Program Guidance" (Program Guidance), attached hereto as Exhibit 1.
WHEREAS, in furtherance of administering the Government-sponsored Program for properties located in the Affected Jurisdictions, and particularly as pertaining to properties located in the City's jurisdiction, the County intends to fulfill its administrative responsibilities ("County Administration") of the Government-sponsored Program through the combined use of County employees and contractors.
NOW THEREFORE, the County and the City hereby enter into this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), and agree to the following:
II. TERMS AND CONDITIONS
A. City Responsibilities
1. The City agrees to pay the County for costs of County Administration of the Governmentsponsored Program for opt-in properties within the City's jurisdiction (City Cost) in accordance with, and as determined by, the method of calculation that follows. The City Cost shall be determined by the following method of calculation: [(total number of opt-in properties located within the City) ÷ (total number of opt-in properties in all Affected Jurisdictions)] × [(total costs to administer the Government-sponsored Program)]. For illustrative purposes only, if the total number of opt-in properties in all Affected Jurisdictions were 14,000, and the total number of opt-in properties located within the City were 5,000, and the total costs to administer the Program were $20,000,000, City Cost would equal: (5,000 ÷ 14,000) × ($20,000,000), which equals $7,142,857. The County has either entered into, or will exercise its best efforts to enter into MOUs with the other Cities participating in the Government-sponsored Program, which MOUs will include provisions reflecting the same method of calculating each city's respective payment obligation to the County for the costs of County Administration of the Government-sponsored Program for opt-in properties in their jurisdictions.
B. County Responsibilities
1. The County's responsibilities for County Administration of the Government-sponsored Program are outlined in the Program Guidance (Exhibit 1). Those responsibilities include the following tasks, some of which are discussed in further detail in the paragraphs after this listing:
a. The County will create a Right of Entry (ROE) form, approved by the appropriate State and federal agencies, to be completed by each property owner who intends to participate in the Government-sponsored Program, and establish a digital portal and database for processing and tracking submitted ROE forms. b. The County will collect and process ROE forms and ROE withdrawal forms, and respond to public inquiries regarding the ROE form and the Program. c. The County will seek to obtain homeowner’s insurance information from property owners, as required by the ROE form.
d. The County will review, assess (including verification of property ownership), and accept completed ROE forms, owner transfer affidavits, ROE withdrawal forms, and property owner insurance policies.
e. The County will, to the extent practicable, collect ROE forms from all eligible property owners who elect to enroll in the Program by the target date established by FEMA. f. Upon verification that an ROE form is signed by the legal property owner(s) of an eligible property and that relevant insurance policies, if any, have been received, the County will accept the ROE form and transmit accepted ROE forms on a rolling basis to USACE.
g. The County will make reasonable efforts to collect assigned insurance proceeds, as defined in the ROE form, for all insured properties that participate in the Governmentsponsored Program to avoid a duplication of benefits, as required by State and federal law.
h. Upon acceptance of an ROE form for an insured property, the County will notify the insurer by certified mail (Insurer Notice) of the assignment of insurance proceeds and communicate directly with the insurer regarding any and all insurance issues related to the Government-sponsored Program.
i. County will forward parcel cost information provided by FEMA to the insurer of each property.
j. Upon resolution of the insurance claim with the insurer, the County will request the assigned insurance proceeds directly from the insurer and make reasonable efforts to collect the assigned proceeds.
k. If the assigned proceeds are erroneously paid out to the policyholder by the insurer, the County will make reasonable efforts to seek remittance of unused policy funds from the insurer.
l. Once the County has exhausted reasonable efforts to collect the assigned insurance proceeds, the County will remit the collected insurance proceeds to the State, with accompanying documentation identifying the property owner, insurance company, property address, debris removal completion date, and amount of insurance proceeds collected for each parcel.
m. If a property participating in the Program is transferred to a new owner, the County will require that a Property Transfer Affidavit be executed by both the seller and purchaser of the property prior to recording the transfer. The County will seek reimbursement from the carrier of the insurance policy in effect at the time of declared disaster event.
n. The County will provide a liaison to the USACE field office while the Program is active, and the liaison will attend debris operations meetings to receive updates on the progress of the Program and provide any local input necessary to facilitate debris operations.
o. The County will assist USACE, as necessary, with intake, storage, and management of personal property discovered during debris removal operations. p. If requested, the County will notify and distribute personal property to the appropriate owner.
q. The County will receive FINAL SIGN-OFF (FSO) from USACE when USACE confirms that all eligible debris and hazard trees have been removed from the property, in accordance with Program requirements, and the County will be responsible for officially informing the property owner of the status of the property and returning the property to the owner.
r. The County will collect opt-out forms and verify property ownership for properties that elect not to participate in the Government-sponsored Program. s. The County will retain Program records for at least three (3) years from the date that the State submits to FEMA the final expenditure report for the Program. If, however, there is any litigation, claim, negotiation, audit, request for information, or other action involving the Program that starts before that date, the County will retain Program records until completion of the action and resolution of all issues that arise from it, or until the end of the 3-year period, whichever is later. t. The County will take such other actions as it reasonably believes are necessary and appropriate to fulfill its responsibilities for the County Administration of the Government-sponsored Program.
2. The City may, at its cost, assign one or more City representatives to participate with the County, and the County's retained contractors, in any aspects of the County Administration of the Government-sponsored Program for the purposes of observing, reviewing, or auditing such County Administration.
3. As specified in paragraph B.1, above, an ROE form, as approved by the appropriate State and federal agencies, is being used by the County to enroll eligible property owners in the Government-sponsored Program. Los Angeles County Public Works (Public Works) staff and contractors retained by Public Works will be trained and made available to review and accept completed ROE forms for properties located in all Affected Jurisdictions, including properties located in the City's jurisdiction. The County, inclusive of the County's retained contractors, will review each submitted ROE form for completeness, including ownership verification, and confirm all appropriate documents have been submitted. Once received, reviewed, and accepted, the County will process and digitize each ROE form and file them in an electronic format acceptable to State and/or federal agencies, and enter the ROE form into a digital database. The County is solely responsible for the timely approval and transmission of completed ROE forms to the appropriate State and federal agencies. a. The County will process ROE forms in and across all Affected Jurisdictions including the City, and, in doing so, the County will make reasonable efforts to ensure that no preference is made for the location of the corresponding properties unless verifiably needed to advance the legitimate purposes (logistical or otherwise) of the Governmentsponsored Program, with potential minor exceptions for schools or other critical public facilities.
b. The City will be given access to a dashboard developed by the County to track the status of ROE form processing and debris removal activities for properties within the City's jurisdiction. The County will create and maintain data access and will, to the maximum extent feasible, provide real-time updates to the City, including application status reports by parcel, for properties located within the City's jurisdiction. The County will provide the City with access to the database(s) supporting the dashboard so that the City may obtain from the database(s) any database information relating to the properties of all Affected Jurisdictions in the Government-sponsored Program. The City agrees that, in accordance with applicable laws, it will exercise its best efforts to protect and not disclose to third parties the information obtained hereunder, including from the database(s), that constitutes confidential information, such as Personally Identifiable Information (PII), that is exempt from disclosure pursuant to a Public Records Act or a discovery request, unless the City is compelled to do so by a court of competent jurisdiction.
4. As specified in paragraph B.1, above, the County will create and operate a debris removal hotline call center to provide up-to-date information and respond to inquiries from the public.
5. As specified in paragraph B.1, above, the County will make reasonable efforts to collect available insurance proceeds assigned to the County by property owners who submit a completed ROE form to "opt in" to the Government-sponsored Program. The County will request, receive, and collect the assigned insurance proceeds, as defined in the ROE form, directly from the insurer for each insured property. Once the County has exhausted its efforts to collect the available proceeds, it will remit the insurance proceeds to the State with accompanying documentation identifying the homeowner, the insurance company, the property address, debris removal completion date, and amount remitted per parcel, as required under State and federal law to avoid duplication of benefits. Notwithstanding that the City has no contractual involvement in, and no responsibility for, this process, the City maintains its rights to observe, review, or audit this process as provided for in paragraph B.2 above.
6. The County agrees to provide to the City available information about insurance proceeds collection for properties in all Affected Jurisdictions in the Government-sponsored Program. The City agrees that, in accordance with applicable laws, it will exercise its best efforts to protect and not disclose to third parties the information obtained hereunder, including from the database(s), that constitutes confidential information, such as Personally Identifiable Information (PII), that is exempt from disclosure pursuant to a Public Records Act or a discovery request, unless the City is compelled to do so by a court of competent jurisdiction.
7. The County will assign a City Liaison for Phase II debris removal dedicated to debris removal efforts conducted by the USACE for Opt-in Properties in the City. It is anticipated that the City Liaison will also provide information to City residents as to Opt-out Properties and related procedures and issues, but those terms shall be set forth in a separate MOU as described in “County Responsibilities”, Section 2(B)(12) above. The City Liaison will provide services from Malibu City Hall. The City Liaison's responsibilities will include liaising with USACE and their contractors, responding to property owners' complaints relating to the Government-sponsored Program, and providing information and updates upon request by the City.
8. The County has contracted with Tetra Tech BAS, Inc. (Tetra Tech) to provide some of the initial Government-sponsored Program administration services for the County, as reflected in the contract with Tetra Tech, attached hereto as Exhibit 2. It is also likely that the County will procure one or more additional contracts and use its own employees and contracted staff to fulfill the County's responsibilities as outlined herein, including, but not limited to, as set forth in the Program Guidance and in paragraph B.1, above.
9. Based on the data then available to the County, the County will monthly provide the City with a report and invoice that: states the total costs to date incurred by the County to administer the Government-sponsored Program; states the total number of opt-in properties to date in the entire program; states the total number of opt-in properties to date in each of the Cities; and shows the calculations specified in paragraph A.1, above, of the City Cost to date for each of the Cities. The City will remit to the County the City Cost, as calculated for each invoice. No interest or late charges will be applied.
10. Subject to applicable State and federal laws, rules, and regulations, to the extent the County receives any third-party funding (including but not limited to charitable donations or grant funding) that is expressly to be applied to administering the Government-sponsored Program for properties located within the City, that amount will be applied to reduce the City Cost. Subject to applicable State and federal laws, rules, and regulations, to the extent the County receives any third-party funding (including but not limited to charitable donations or grant funding) that is expressly to be applied to administering the Program for properties located in all Affected Jurisdictions, such third-party funding will be proportionally applied to reduce the "total costs to administer the Government-sponsored Program" in the formula in paragraph A.1., above, to thereby reduce each city's respective payment obligation.
11. The County agrees that it will not charge a mark-up or other County administrative fee on contractor invoices pertaining to the County Administration of the Government-sponsored Program, but the parties acknowledge that the costs of County staff and contractors incurred in County Administration will be included in the "total costs to administer the Government-sponsored Program" for the calculation specified in paragraph A.1, above.
12. Property owners who elect not to participate in the Government-sponsored Program must submit an opt-out form to the County, along with appropriate documentation for ownership verification, and must receive the County's approval before proceeding with debris removal. Property owners who opt out of the Government-sponsored Program must individually contract for and pay for debris removal from their property. The parties acknowledge that the costs of processing opt-out forms, including ownership verification, will be included in the "total costs to administer the Government-sponsored Program" in the formula in paragraph A.1, above. The County will provide the City with electronic versions of completed opt-out forms for properties located within the City in connection with the approval process for debris removal for opt-out properties in the City's jurisdiction, which the County and the City intend to address in a separate MOU.
13. The County will provide to the City all available documentation necessary to substantiate the City's request(s), if any, for State and/or federal funding, including, but not limited to, force account documentation, solicitation records, contracts and amendments, invoices, and proof of payments.
14. The City desires to negotiate and regulate certain aspects of debris removal for Opt-in Properties in the City, including, but not limited to haul routes and hours, damage to roads, construction hours, notification windows, best management practices for watershed protection, and environmental protection measures during debris removal and transport by USACE and its contractors. The County will notify the City about future meetings with State and federal agencies about these aspects of debris removal operations within the City so that the City may request to participate in the meetings. To the extent that the County negotiates and agrees to rules and/or regulations for debris removal operations in unincorporated County areas, the County will notify the City and, if the City so desires, work with the City and the appropriate regulating authority(ies) to assist in City attempts to extend such rules and/or regulations to apply within the City.
15. The County represents that the total cost of County Administration of the Governmentsponsored Program is unknown as of the date of the execution of this MOU and, for that reason, no such total cost amount has or can be reflected in this MOU; nevertheless, the County agrees to fully collaborate with the City, and to be as transparent and expeditious as is reasonably possible, in sharing information with the City about the status of incurred costs of the County Administration of the Government-sponsored Program.
16. Pursuant to Government Code, section 895.4, with respect to any claims or litigation brought against the City arising from the County Administration of the Governmentsponsored Program, the County will indemnify the City for such claims and lawsuits to the extent the Government is indemnified for those claims and lawsuits under the indemnity provision set forth in the ROE form. Such indemnification will survive the termination of this MOU.
The parties have reviewed and understand the contents of this MOU and agree to its terms and conditions. Upon execution by the parties, this MOU will become final and binding upon the City and County. This MOU will be in effect until any and all program audits of activities described herein are completed by the County, State, and federal government, and the MOU will thereafter terminate.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Memorandum of Understanding to be executed by their duly authorized respective officers.
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
By____________________________
MARK PESTRELLA
Director of Public Works
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
DAWYN R. HARRISON
County Counsel
By____________________________
Deputy
CITY OF MALIBU
By______________________________
JOSEPH D. TONEY, City Manager
ATTEST:
___________________________________
KELSEY PETTIJOHN, City Clerk
(seal)
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
___________________________________
TREVOR RUSIN, Interim City Attorney
2025 Los Angeles Wildfires Private Property Debris Removal (PPDR) Program Guidance
I. PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND.
To aid in the recovery efforts of Los Angeles County (County), the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) in conjunction with FEMA and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), established the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires Debris Removal Program (Program), wherein USACE will work with local, County, and state agencies to conduct fire ash and debris removal.
As a participant and partner in the execution of this Program, the County must perform certain tasks as outlined by this Guidance.
II. COUNTY RESPONSIBILITIES.
A. URGENCY ORDINANCE AND ABATEMENT.
1. The County will ensure requirements in their urgency ordinance are consistent with the Program. A model urgency ordinance is attached here as Exhibit A for the County’s reference. The County’s urgency ordinance should, at a minimum, contain the following elements:
a. An acknowledgment and recognition of the Local Health Emergency Declaration finding that the fire ash and debris, including hazard trees, constitute an imminent health and safety threat and a public nuisance.
b. A requirement that each property owner whose property contains wildfire debris choose an option for remediating the condition on their property, either through the Program or through a private option.
c. A delegation of authority to the appropriate County
department to develop criteria and metrics for a private alternative cleanup option.
d. A notice to all affected property owners that any remaining debris will trigger abatement procedures and costs of
removal will be levied against property owners.
2. The County will amend any portion of their urgency ordinance that conflicts with the Program. Cal OES recommends consultation between County Counsel, USACE, FEMA, and Cal OES Legal Affairs 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires Debris Removal Program
2025 Guidance for Counties
prior to finalizing and approving the urgency ordinance.
3. The County must pursue and execute abatement warrants for properties with qualifying structural debris not enrolled in the Program or an approved private option (Alternate Program). The County is not required to pursue abatement warrants for properties with only hazard trees.
B. RIGHT-OF-ENTRY (ROE) FORMS.
1. The County will open and staff an ROE form collection and processing center or provide an alternative method of soliciting ROE forms and ROE withdrawal forms and answering questions regarding ROE forms and the Program.
2. The County will ensure property owners provide homeowner’s insurance information as required in the ROE form.
3. The County will collect, review, vet, and verify property ownership and sign off on ROE forms, owner transfer affidavits, ROE withdrawal forms and property owner insurance policies. The County may, at its discretion, require property owners to tender copies of government-issued photo identification when submitting an ROE to assist in verification.
4. The County will, to the extent practicable, collect ROE forms from all property owners interested in the Program by the target dates established by FEMA.
5. The County will transfer ROE forms on a rolling basis to the USACE debris-planning team via the preferred transmittal system once local jurisdiction has verified that each ROE form is signed by the legal property owner(s) and that the parcel contains an eligible structure, potentially eligible hazard trees, or both.
6. The County will respond to public inquiries regarding the ROE form and the Program.
C. DUPLICATION OF BENEFITS - INSURANCE COLLECTION.
2025 Los Angeles Wildfires Debris Removal Program
2025 Guidance for Counties
1. The County will make reasonable efforts to collect available insurance proceeds from all insured property owners.
2. Upon processing of the ROE form, the County will notify the insurer by certified mail (Insurer Notice) of the existence of the Program, that the insured has opted to participate in the Program, and that the insured has assigned their benefits to the County. Upon completion of the mission, FEMA will provide per parcel cost information to the County to facilitate this process, and the County will forward that information to the insurer.
3. In the Insurer Notice, the County will demand payment for reimbursement with the following limitations.
a. Payment will only be made pursuant to a specific debris removal provision in the policy. If such a specific coverage provision exists, reimbursement shall be limited to the particularized debris removal costs for the insured property, or the coverage limits under the debris removal provision, whichever is lower. Further, other documented costs of the property owner for the removal of debris related to the wildfires that are not removed as part of the Program,
incurred within six (6) months of the Insurer Notice, shall take priority over reimbursement for the Program. However, any remaining amounts shall be payable to the local jurisdiction. b. If a specific debris removal provision does not exist in the policy, and if debris removal coverage is contained as a portion of the total amount available for rebuilding, all rebuilding and other debris removal costs incurred within four (4) years of the Insurer Notice shall take priority over reimbursements for the Program. In other words, if the cost of rebuilding equals or exceeds the policy limits, no insurance payment to the program will be required and the owner
shall bear no liability for any program costs. However, any remaining amounts shall be payable to the County.
c. If debris removal coverage is contained as a portion of the total amount available for rebuilding, and the
homeowner decides not to rebuild, no insurance
payment to the Program will be required and the
property owner shall bear no liability for any program
costs.
2025 Los Angeles Wildfires Debris Removal Program
2025 Guidance for Counties
4. If no payment or response is received from the insurer, the County will continue to pursue contact with the insurer until affirmative contact is made.
5. If the insurer indicates that payment has been made to the policyholder, the County will make a request in line with the above sections by certified mail to the policyholder requesting remittance of unused policy funds.
6. The County will not be required to pursue collection funds from property owners beyond the homeowner’s insurance proceeds.
7. Should the County engage a contractor to administer the insurance collection process, the costs associated with this contract may be eligible for reimbursement by FEMA subject to the local cost share assuming all applicable local, state, and federal procurement procedures and rules are followed.
8. Once the County has exhausted its efforts to collect the available proceeds, it shall remit the insurance proceeds to the State with accompanying documentation identifying the
homeowner, the insurance company, the property address, debris removal completion date and amount remitted per
parcel.
9. When a property participating in the Program is transferred to a new owner, the County should seek reimbursement from the policy in effect during the insurable event. The County shall require a Property Transfer Affidavit be executed by both the seller and purchaser of the property prior to recording the transfer. A model Property Transfer Affidavit is attached as Exhibit C.
D. COST SHARE. Per DR-4856-CA Amendment 001, FEMA Public Assistance (PA) will cover 100 percent of the costs of debris removal and emergency protective measures for 180 days of the state’s choosing within the first 270 days since the disaster declaration. After this period, FEMA will only cover 75 percent of debris removal until the conclusion of the incident. In this instance, the County agrees to remit 25 percent of the non-federal share of the FEMA PA costs for the jurisdiction under the Program, except as otherwise documented.
2025 Los Angeles Wildfires Debris Removal Program
2025 Guidance for Counties
E. COUNTY LIAISON.
1. The County will provide a liaison to the USACE field office while the Program is active in that jurisdiction.
2. The liaison may work remotely where available.
3. The liaison will attend debris operations meetings for updates on and progress of the Program and provide any local input necessary to facilitate debris operations.
F. HOMEOWNER PERSONAL PROPERTY.
1. The County will assist USACE as necessary with intake, storage, and management of personal property discovered during debris operations.
2. If requested, the County will notify and distribute personal property to the appropriate owner.
G. COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT (LE) AND OTHER ASSISTANCE.
1. LE will take onsite possession of any firearms. LE will store and return to property owners to dispose of firearms discovered during debris removal operations.
H. FINAL SIGN-OFF (FSO) AND RETURN OF PROPERTY.
1. The County will receive FSO from USACE when USACE confirms that all eligible debris and hazard trees have been removed from the property in accordance with Program requirements.
2. The County will be responsible for officially informing owner of status of property and returning the property to the owner.
I. ALTERNATE PROGRAM (OPT-OUT PROGRAM).
1. The County will establish, at its discretion, an Alternate Program (or opt-out program).
2. Alternate Programs permit property owners to remove fire debris and hazard trees on their own or with professional contractors in accordance with applicable environmental laws and reasonable 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires Debris Removal Program
2025 Guidance for Counties
cleanup standards established by the County.
III. RECORDS RETENTION. The County will retain Program records for at least three (3) years from the date that the State submits to FEMA the final expenditure report. If, however, there is any litigation, claim, negotiation, audit, request for information, or other action involving the project or subaward that starts before that date, the records must be retained until completion of the action and resolution of all issues which arise from it, or until the end of the 3-year period, whichever is later.
Where assistance is authorized under the California Disaster Assistance Act, Cal OES will notify applicant of the start date of the 3-year records retention period via the Audit Waiver Letter, which will be sent once the final state cost share closeout for all of an applicant’s projects are completed.
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
“To Enrich Lives Through Effective and Caring Service”
900 SOUTH FREMONT AVENUE
ALHAMBRA, CALIFORNIA 91803-1331
Telephone: (626) 458-5100
http://dpw.lacounty.gov
MARK PESTRELLA, Director
ADDRESS ALL CORRESPONDENCE TO:
P.O. BOX 1460
ALHAMBRA, CALIFORNIA 91802-1460
IN REPLY PLEASE
REFER TO FILE: EPD-9
February 2, 2025
Ms. Christine Arbogast
Tetra Tech BAS, Inc.
21700 Copley Drive, Suite 200
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
Dear Ms. Arbogast:
TECHNICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES FOR SOLID WASTE FACILITIES AND PLANNING – AMENDMENT 1
2025 WILDFIRES – PRIVATE PROPERTY DEBRIS REMOVAL SUPPORT SERVICES NOTICE TO PROCEED - CONTRACT PW15496
You are authorized to proceed with providing 2025 Wildfires – Private Property Debris Removal (PPDR) Support Services as described in Amendment 1, Attachements A and A.1(copy enclosed). The services shall be provided for a total cost not-to-exceed $10,670,964.50 and are subject to the terms and conditions of your Contract No. PW15496. Any work in excess of this fee will require prior written authorization from Public Works.
If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Aric Rodriguez at (626) 703-6573, Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Very truly yours,
MARK PESTRELLA, PE
Director of Public Works
CHRISTOPHER SHEPPARD
PRINCIPAL ENGINEER
ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS DIVISION
CS:cs
AMENDMENT NO. 1
TECHNICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES FOR SOLID WASTE FACILITIES
AND PLANNING
CONTRACT NO. PW15496
THIS AMENDMENT NO. 1, made and entered into this day of ____________, 2025, by and between the County of Los Angeles, a subdivision of the State of California, a body corporate and politic (hereinafter referred to as COUNTY) and Tetra Tech BAS, Inc., (hereinafter referred to as CONSULTANT) amends Contract No. PW15496 (hereinafter, Contract) as set forth below.
WHEREAS, Contract No. PW15496 was entered into between COUNTY and CONSULTANT, on May 18, 2021, to provide Technical and Environmental Services for Solid Waste Facilities and Planning, for a period of three years with two (2) one-year renewal options, commencing on May 18, 2021; and
WHEREAS, on January 28, 2025, the Board of Supervisors adopted a motion titled "Los Angeles County Recovery Efforts and Building Urgency into Implementation of Long-Term Disaster Support" (Motion) to facilitate efforts to respond to and recovery from the January 2025 Windstorm and Critical Fire Events (Critical Fire Events); WHEREAS, Directives 6.a. and 6.f.iii. of the January 28, 2025 Motion authorized Los Angeles County Public Works (Public Works) to enter into or amend existing contracts, including debris removal and emergency recovery service contracts, without giving notice to let bids for contracts where there are exigent or emergency circumstances, for emergency actions in response to or recovery from the Critical Fire Events;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of these facts and payment to be made by COUNTY, COUNTY and CONSULTANT agree that the Contract shall be amended as follows:
The parties agree that effective upon execution of this AMENDMENT NO. 1 by CONSULTANT, the corresponding change will take effect. The Contract shall be revised as shown below and this Amendment shall be incorporated in the Contract by reference.
FIRST: The Contract is hereby amended to provide that CONSULTANT shall perform 2025 Wildfires – Private Property Debris Removal (PPDR) Support Services, as requested by COUNTY, to address exigent and emergency circumstances directly resulting from the Critical Fire Events. ATTACHMENT A is added as Paragraph 4 to Exhibit A of the Contract.
SECOND: The Contract's not to exceed amount will increase from $5,000,000 to $20,000,000, an increase of $15,000,000.
THIRD: Except as modified by this Amendment, all other terms, conditions, requirements, and specifications of the Contract shall remain in full force and effect.
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
By______________________________
Deputy Director of Public Works
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
DAWYN R. HARRISON
County Counsel
By __________________________
Deputy County Counsel
__________________________
Type/Print Name TETRA TECH BAS, INC.
By _____________________________
President
_____________________________
Type/Print Name
By _____________________________
Secretary
_____________________________
Type/Print Name
Chief Financial Officer
Jeffrey M. Williams
Christine M. Arbogast
____________________________
President
yp
y __________________
Secretary Chief Fin
Heidi Liu
ATTACHMENT A
SCOPE OF SERVICES
2025 WILDFIRES – PRIVATE PROPERTY DEBRIS REMOVAL (PPDR)
SUPPORT SERVICES
PW15496 – TECHNICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
ATTACHMENT A is added as Paragraph 4 to Exhibit A of the Contract.
4. Additional Emergency Work for January 2025 Windstorm and Critical Fire Events (Critical Fire Events) as indicated below.
A. Work Description
1. Background
Beginning on January 7, 2025, the County of Los Angeles (County) was impacted by critical fire weather, severe straight-line winds, and catastrophic wildfires, including the Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, Hurst Fire, Kenneth Fire, Hughes Fire, and multiple other fires. These unprecedented simultaneous events caused loss of life, widespread damage, and destruction to residential structures, businesses, public facilities and infrastructure, power outages, downed trees, road closures, rockslides, and significant debris. The Critical Fire Events damaged or destroyed approximately 12,000 homes and other structures in multiple jurisdictions, including the Cities of Malibu, Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre, and unincorporated County areas.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), in coordination with County and State agencies, will remove, transport, and dispose of fire debris from eligible properties at no cost to the property owners through the Governmentsponsored Consolidated Debris Removal Program (CDRP). To participate in the CDRP, a property owner must execute a Right of Entry (ROE) form, which requires the property owner to assign to the County debris removal and/or hazard tree removal insurance proceeds, if any, to avoid a duplication of benefits, as required under federal law. The property owner must also provide a copy of their insurance policy(ies), as applicable.
2. Description of Services
CONSULTANT will process all ROE forms submitted by property owners and provide administrative services for the CDRP, including, but not be limited to, review of ROEs and supporting documentation, verifying property ownership, obtaining missing information from property owners, preparing ROEs for final approval by the County, transmitting approved ROEs to USACE, processing and transmitting withdrawal forms, and providing call center services.
CONSULTANT will perform the following tasks, as appropriate and not necessarily in the order set forth below:
Part 1: High-Level Organization Framework
CONSULTANT will provide a Manager to oversee all services required to accomplish the full extent of tasks required herein. The Manager, in coordination with their team, will develop a mobilization and demobilization plan for collection of the ROE forms, in consultation with and at the direction of the County. CONSULTANT will track applications to participate in the CDRP and report on the completion rate for each land parcel. CONSULTANT and Manager will obtain and maintain daily Incident Command System (ICS) Activity Log (ICS 214) forms for all CONSULTANT and subconsultant staff working on this project.
Task 1.1: General Technical Assistance
CONSULTANT will attend relevant task force meetings to advise their staff and Public Works on outreach and call center needs. CONSULTANT will also provide general technical assistance on the CDRP, including development of public outreach materials such as flyers and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
x Assume 12 weekly meetings for estimating purposes.
Part 2: Community Outreach
CONSULTANT will deploy a comprehensive community outreach strategy that includes providing staff (local hiring preference) for Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) and community events, operating a call center to make and receive calls from members of the public, coordinating with the County to ensure that the County's website provides the most up-to-date information, and facilitating Public Service Announcements as directed by County. The call center can be used to conduct outreach and answer caller questions.
Task 2.1: Disaster Recovery Center Support
CONSULTANT will assign at least one staff per DRC to provide general support and assist with the collection of ROEs. CONSULTANT will also provide outreach material such as handouts and FAQs, to be publicly disseminated with County approval, and as-needed IT equipment support. CONSULTANT will attend public and/or community meetings as requested by the County, and will prepare summaries of the meetings.
x Assume two DRC locations, 12 hours per shift, and two staff per location per shift for estimating purposes.
Task 2.2: Call Centers
CONSULTANT will create and maintain detailed records of the County’s existing voicemail backlog, follow up and respond to all voicemails as it relates to the County’s debris removal hotline, and log all pertinent information in the voicemail records. CONSULTANT will also log and respond to all relevant email inquiries. CONSULTANT will coordinate with the County to disseminate the most up-to-date information through calls and emails from the call center.
CONSULTANT will respond to all inquiries in a manner consistent with the information approved by the County.
x Assume 1000 calls/day for estimating purposes.
Task 2.3: Attend Community Meetings and Workshops
CONSULTANT will attend and provide support at community meetings as requested by Public Works. CONSULTANT will also provide outreach materials such as handouts and FAQs, to be publicly disseminated with County approval. x Assume 15 meetings for estimating purposes.
Task 2.4: Provide Outreach Materials as Needed
CONSULTANT will provide material support for outreach events and DRCs, including IT equipment (e.g., copiers, scanners, printers, etc.). CONSULTANT will also provide hard copies of typical outreach materials such as flyers, handouts, mailers, and door hangers.
Part 3: Collection and Processing of ROE Forms (Opt-In) x Assume 10,000 ROEs for estimating purposes.
Task 3.1: Review of Right-of-Entry Applications
CONSULTANT will review each submitted ROE form for completeness, including identity verification, and confirm all appropriate documents have been submitted. The County will provide CONSULTANT with access to the necessary computer applications to conduct reviews of submitted ROE forms and to track the status of each ROE. CONSULTANT shall process and digitize all incoming ROEs and file them in a Countywide database by parcel number.
CONSULTANT shall transfer previously collected ROEs to the new ROE database, allowing property owners to upload required documents and submit legally-binding digital signatures. CONSULTANT will review previously collected ROEs for completeness and verify the address, ownership, incident, submission type, insurance information, and supporting documentation for each property. CONSULTANT shall confirm the identity of the applicant as the owner of the property. CONSULTANT shall notify the applicant when a required submittal is approved.
Task 3.2: Contact Property Owner and Request Missing Information County will provide CONSULTANT with County email access and voicemail templates to reach out to property owners and request any information that is missing from their ROE. If the property owner did not provide their email address or phone number, CONSULTANT shall prepare and mail a written request using a template provided by the County. CONSULTANT shall monitor the email inbox for communications relating to “ROE supporting documents.” CONSULTANT shall save all necessary supporting documents, which shall be available for the County to access at any time for review.
Task 3.3: Prepare documents for final review and approval by the County CONSULTANT shall verify with the property owner directly that the information provided on their ROE is complete and correct and request missing or additional information as needed. CONSULTANT shall review submitted ROEs and flag unique property features, including, but not limited to, utility locations, solar panels, vehicles, and special requests. CONSULTANT shall use the State requested naming convention (“APN_addressnospace_countyname”) for digital files related to this project. Each folder should contain one combined pdf with the ROE, identification, legal documents, insurance documents, and any additional documentation or information such as access details or additional contact information. Documents that do not need to be submitted to the State, such as correspondence, shall be saved in a separate folder named “Misc.
Documents.” CONSULTANT will also collect data that can be transferred into ArcGIS to use for situational awareness purposes.
Task 3.4 Process Withdrawal Forms
CONSULTANT shall process all ROE withdrawal forms, ensure the records for those properties are updated to reflect their withdrawn status, and clearly communicate the withdrawal to USACE to avoid any unauthorized work.
CONSULTANT will track withdrawals in the program database.
Task 3.5: Submit ROE to State
CONSULTANT shall prepare completed ROE forms for review and approval by the County. Approved ROEs will be stamped by the County and returned to CONSULTANT. CONSULTANT shall transmit approved ROEs to USACE according to federal requirements and provide proof of delivery to the County.
CONSULTANT shall also transmit a Final Sign-off to the property owner, upon approval by the County. CONSULTANT shall also respond to inquiries regarding ROEs.
Task 3.6: Dashboard / Reporting
CONSULTANT shall develop a dashboard to track the status of debris removal applications. This dashboard will be accessible to the County, as well as the Cities of Los Angeles, Malibu, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre to track the status of applications for properties within their respective jurisdictions.
Task 3.7: Non-Responsive Properties
CONSULTANT shall track, investigate, and conduct outreach and follow up for any properties that do not submit the ROE form by the March 31, 2025 deadline. CONSULTANT will develop and implement an outreach strategy for non-responsive properties.
B. Reporting
CONSULTANT will provide daily activity reports and monthly summary reports to provide information including, but not limited to, ROEs received, ROE approvals, calls received, etc. CONSULTANT shall create and maintain online dashboards and data access providing real-time updates for each jurisdiction, including application status reports by parcel. Data shall be organized into separate categories for single-family homes, multi-family residential, condominiums, etc.
C. Compensation
For the services set forth in ATTACHMENT A, CONSULTANT will be compensated as shown in CONSULTANT’s proposal, included as ATTACHMENT A.1.
1 Private Property Debris
Removal Support Services
Technical and Environmental Services (PW15496)
Los Angeles County, California
February 1, 2025
ATTACHMENT A.1
2 Submitted Electronically February 1, 2025
Subject: PPDR Support Services (PW15496)
Dear Mr. Sheppard,
Tetra Tech, Inc. (Tetra Tech) is honored to submit the enclosed proposal to provide Private Property Debris Removal (PPDR) Support Services for Los Angeles County (County) from the impacts of the 2025 Wildfires. The Tetra Tech team is the most experienced and qualified contractor and prepared to support the County and its communities affected by the recent fires.
We bring unparalleled experience nationally and throughout California to execute a successful program.
Tetra Tech has managed PPDR programs in nine states, including California, and has been actively engaged in PPDR operations every year for the past decade. In total, we have managed more than 42,700 PPDR parcels. We have hired and trained over 5,100 field staff for PPDR missions, monitored the collection of millions of cubic yards of PPDR debris, including over 271,000 hazardous trees and over 10,000 structural demolitions. Our experience spans a diverse array of events, including wildfires, flooding, and severe storms. Our vast footprint across California allows us to respond immediately. With Tetra Tech, the County gains access to a team of experts who have proven success in managing the exact type of program the County is planning to implement.
We have established SOPs that have been previously approved by prior State-run response missions. Our stringent SOPs are supported by an integrated quality assurance and quality control program that adheres to established compliance processes. In all, we implement compliant protocols throughout the project to provide truly turnkey and reliable service.
We are ready to respond immediately and are committed to LA County’s recovery.
Tetra Tech’s ability to rapidly mobilize is unmatched in the industry. Our project team has been carefully selected based on the requirements of the scope of work and are prepared to meet immediate response needs, as well as long-term recovery needs. Tetra Tech is qualified and prepared to overcome the logistical and technical challenges a large-scale program of this nature will encounter. Our team stands at the ready to mitigate these risks by assigning seasoned staff who are experienced with complex programs at key positions, leveraging technology to streamline operations, and oversight by our division and corporate leadership.
Our readiness, combined with local field staff recruitment methodologies, poises Tetra Tech for seamless integration into the County’s recovery efforts. We are dedicated to delivering the highest quality services while maintaining a strong focus on compliance, safety, and cost-effectiveness.
Tetra Tech would be honored to serve as LA County’s PPDR services provider. We are fully prepared to provide the high-quality service the County expects.
Sincerely,
Tetra Tech, Inc.
Jonathan Burgiel | Business Unit President, Tetra Tech Disaster Recovery 3 23
Local Offices
Pasadena HQ
1,400+
Local Staff
38 County Clients
UNMATCHED EXPERTISE IN
WILDFIRE RECOVERY
We have provided project management and recovery
oversight for some of the nation’s largest wildfires,
including the 2021 Dixie Fire, 2018 Camp Fire, 2017
Northern California Wildfires, Thomas, Mendocino
Complex, Carr, Camp, and 2020 California Wildfires
(Northern Branch division).
Tetra Tech has supported our clients with post-fire
remediation since 2011, gaining specialized skillsets in structural debris management in compliance with
strict state and federal regulations and protocols. Our team has also assisted numerous clients in
assessments, surveying, documenting, and
monitoring the remediation of wildfire debris. In total, our team has successfully managed the removal of
and reimbursement for over 7.6 million tons of fire
debris, 3.1 million hazardous trees, and the demolition and debris removal of over 22,000 fire-damaged
residential and commercial structures.
Throughout these projects, our team has conducted
damages assessments, hazardous site assessments
and environmental sampling (soil and water),
completed air monitoring and sampling activities,
coordinated and monitored debris removal
operations, monitored hauling/disposal operations,
and provided extensive data management. The
magnitude and nature of these events has allowed us
to develop real-time data collection platforms,
operational, and logistical methodologies that will be
utilized for this project.
1. RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
Tetra Tech personnel have supported clients
throughout California since 2000, performing more
than 3,200 projects. Tetra Tech’s ability to rapidly
mobilize is unmatched in the industry. With over
30,000 employees globally and dedicated disaster
recovery staff stationed nationwide, our team can
deploy resources and establish operations within 24
hours of a Notice to Proceed. Our readiness,
combined with local field staff recruitment
methodologies, poises Tetra Tech for seamless
integration into the County’s recovery efforts.
4 PPDR Program Experience
Tetra Tech has unparalleled experience managing complex debris programs, having administered more than 70 PPDR programs addressing more than 42,700 parcels since 2005, including many of the largest PPDR programs in U.S. history.
Our comprehensive understanding of the full PPDR lifecycle including legal justification, programmatic planning and contractor procurement, intake center establishment and staffing, program promotion / public information office assistance, system of record establishment and maintenance, call center operations, field assessments, and program closeout and reimbursement. Tetra Tech assists communities with each step of the PPDR process, beginning by ensuring they have the legal authority via local and state ordinances to enter onto private property. As PPDR programs progress, we assist with preparing submittal packages for FEMA to approve the program, establishing intake centers and promoting the Right-of-Entry (ROE) program with eligible applicants, and ensuring the program is properly documented. Our team has managed PPDR missions in every context, ranging from large, gated programs in wildfire-damaged parcels in California, high-profile residential demolitions in Louisiana, and now in western North Carolina following Tropical Storm Helene.
SAMPLE PPDR PROGRAMS
2015-2024 CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES
Led PPDR efforts following multiple wildfire events. Our support to the State of California and its local activating entities has included complex requirements for air
monitoring, environmental testing, and insurance
subrogation – lessons we will apply to this mission.
2005 HURRICANE KATRINA
Oversaw the high-profile City of New Orleans
residential demolition program following Hurricane
Katrina, managing complex environmental and
historical considerations across 6,000+ assessments
and 2,300+ demolitions.
2024 TROPICAL STORM HELENE
Currently managing intake and documentation of the
Buncombe County PPDR program, including complex
ownership issues and environmental considerations.
2018 HURRICANE MICHAEL
Managed five distinct PPDR programs in Florida across
one county and four cities. In total, our team
coordinated the monitoring of more than 201,000 CYs
of debris through these PPDR programs.
5 Tetra Tech PPDR Experience
Client Name State Date Start Date End Disaster Parcels
Buncombe County NC 11/17/2024 Ongoing Hurricane Helene 1,053 CalRecycle CA 10/23/2024 1/23/2025 Park Fire 431
CalRecycle CA 10/15/2024 1/23/2025 Borel Fire 142
DRC Emergency Services NM 7/30/2024 1/20/2025 South Fork and Salt Fire 619 Calcasieu Parish LA 11/8/2023 12/14/2024 Hurricane Laura 161 City of Lake Charles LA 7/14/2022 9/5/2024 Hurricane Laura 159 Tangipahoa Parish LA 9/28/2022 5/15/2024 Hurricane Ida 279 St. John The Baptist Parish LA 2/28/2023 4/13/2024 Hurricane Ida 382 City of Spokane WA 2/8/2024 3/26/2024 2023 Washington Wildfires 13 City of Sulphur LA 1/31/2024 2/22/2024 Hurricane Laura 42 Madera County CA 9/20/2023 1/12/2024 Fork Fire 24
El Dorado County CA 2/15/2023 6/5/2023 Mosquito Fire 20 CalRecycle CA 10/25/2022 6/5/2023 Mckinney, Mill, Mountain Fires 249 Placer County CA 2/1/2023 5/26/2023 Mosquito Fire 26
USACE – New Mexico NM 8/13/2022 2/7/2023 Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds 322 Mariposa County CA 9/15/2022 2/2/2023 Oak Fire 166
CalRecycle Dixie Fire CA 10/15/2021 10/3/2022 Dixie Fire 2,922 CalRecycle Northern Branch CA 11/30/2020 8/25/2022 California Wildfires 3,280 CalRecycle CA 11/13/2020 11/6/2021 Camp Fire 7,315
Bay County FL 2/14/2020 3/19/2021 Hurricane Michael 746 City of Lynn Haven FL 6/8/2020 2/4/2021 Hurricane Michael 20 Town of Malden - DRC WA 11/18/2020 12/30/2020 Babb Fire 113 CalRecycle - Lake County CA 9/25/2018 11/12/2020 Mendocino Complex Fire 159 City of Callaway FL 6/1/2020 8/30/2020 Hurricane Michael 34 City of Springfield FL 5/28/2020 8/27/2020 Hurricane Michael 37 CalRecycle - Butte County CA 1/18/2019 3/26/2020 Camp Fire 12,732 CalRecycle - Shasta County CA 8/31/2018 2/7/2019 Carr Fire 1,046 Craven County NC 10/17/2018 10/17/2018 Hurricane Florence 1 CalRecycle - Ventura County CA 1/16/2018 7/12/2018 Wildfires, Flooding, And Mudflows 691 USACE - CA - ECC CA 11/1/2017 5/9/2018 Wildfires 2,474
USACE - CA - Ceres CA 1/18/2018 4/13/2018 Wildfires 165 USACE - CA - Ashbritt CA 11/14/2017 4/5/2018 Wildfires 660 Orange County, TX TX 12/4/2017 1/25/2018 Hurricane Harvey 44 Dougherty County GA 11/10/2017 12/21/2017 Severe Storms And Tornadoes 374 Calaveras County CA 1/30/2017 12/19/2017 Severe Storms and Flooding 236 Jefferson County TX 12/11/2017 12/14/2017 Hurricane Harvey 1 CalRecycle CA 10/10/2017 12/12/2017 Helena Fire 73
CalRecycle CA 8/22/2017 10/30/2017 Detwiler Fire 129
Lake County CA 2/9/2016 8/31/2017 Severe Storms and Flooding 404 Ascension Parish LA 10/6/2016 1/20/2017 Severe Storms and Flooding 15 Hays County TX 2/15/2016 5/18/2016 Severe Storms and Flooding 18 City of New Orleans LA 3/17/2015 12/3/2015 Hurricane Katrina 6,000 Bastrop County TX 11/4/2011 7/31/2013 Wildfire 29
TOTAL 42,753
6 2. PROJECT TEAM
Tetra Tech has assembled a team of Private Property Debris Removal (PPDR) experts with direct experience responding to recent disasters and managing large-scale PPDR programs. Our dedicated project management team is deeply familiar with the policies, procedures, and requirements associated with delivering successful Right of Entry (ROE) and PPDR services.
Our record of success includes serving over 300 state and local government clients in response to over 100 presidential disaster declarations over the last decade. Our team has successfully managed more than 70 PPDR missions, overseeing more than 42,700 PPDR parcels. Tetra Tech is committed to providing LA County with an experienced project manager and consistent project management team that will expedite recovery efforts by establishing a coordinated and organized approach to PPDR program administration.
Proposed Project Manager: Donald Kunish
Mr. Donald Kunish is a disaster recovery management expert with 25 years of experience and has worked on more than 70 disasters throughout his career. Currently he supports multiple communities in utilizing federal grants to respond to, recover from, and mitigate both natural and human-made disasters across the country. These programs include the management of application development, project formulation, grant management, project implementation, and closeout. Throughout his career, his continued focus has been to build back damaged infrastructure to be more disaster-resilient and mitigate against future disaster for state and local governments under FEMA PA and HMGP. Donald specializes in the evaluation of recovery processes to identify and implement improvements using his programmatic and technological experience to move support his client’s recovery goals.
In addition to his disaster grant management and response work, Donald has been a project manager on disaster debris removal and debris removal monitoring projects and supports communities as they evaluate flooded properties to make substantial damage estimations under the National Flood Insurance Program. He began his career with the State of Florida Division of Emergency Management and worked there for 13 years serving as the State’s Planning Section Chief, Incident Management Team Commander, Deputy Hazard Mitigation Chief, and Hazardous Material Auditor. Over the past 25 years, Donald has responded to disasters from the private and public sector emergency management perspective including hurricanes, floods, ice storms, fires, emergency repatriations, tornadoes, public health epidemics, hazardous material releases and earthquakes.
Organizational Chart
The proposed organization structure is based on industry best practices and an understanding of geography and the distinct management responsibilities of each position. Our proposed organizational structure ensures orderly communication, distribution of information, effective coordination of activities, and accountability. Tetra Tech’s project team can scale as needed, coordinate response, establish common processes for planning and managing resources, and adapt organizational structure to match the needs and complexities of projects. Full resumes will be provided upon request.
25+ YEARS OF
EXPERIENCE
72 DISASTERS
13+
YEARS OF
CALIFORNIA
DISASTER
EXPERIENCE
7 Project Organization Chart
8 3. COST
The estimated budget is based on Tetra Tech’s current understanding of the project requirements and best estimates of level of effort required to perform the basic services and may be subject to change upon agreement between the County and Tetra Tech. The fee for services (scope of work provided by Public Works) will be based on the actual hours of services furnished multiplied by Tetra Tech's hourly labor rates plus non-labor expenses. Figure 1 below provides the hourly labor rates, Figure 2 shows the estimated cost breakdown by task, and Figure 3 outlines the anticipated staff positions and level of effort.
Figure 1. Hourly Labor Rates [1]
Labor Category Hourly Labor Rate
Administrative Assistant $66.78
Customer Service Representative $66.78
CSR Supervisor $113.42
Subject Matter Experts $201.40
Program Manager $201.40
Waste Services PM $201.40
Outreach Coordinator $127.20
Application Specialist - Outreach $83.74
Application Specialist - Processing $83.74
Application Specialist - On Site (DRC) $83.74
Application Specialist Lead $92.22
Data Analyst $113.42
Data Supervisor $121.20
Application Specialist QA/QC $92.22
Figure 2. Estimated Cost Breakdown by Task [2][3]
Task Estimated Cost
Task 1.1 Technical Assistance $256,728.00
Task 2.1 DRC Support $1,049,794.00
Task 2.2 Call Center $3,718,811.00
Task 2.3 Attend Community Meetings $105,131.00
Task 2.4 Provide Outreach Materials $19,971.00
Task 3.1 Review ROE Applications $1,436,956.00
Task 3.2 Contact Property Owner $795,314.00
Task 3.3 Prepare Docs for Final Review $795,314.00
Task 3.4 Process Withdrawal Form $679,855.00
Task 3.5 Submit ROE to State $795,314.00
Task 3.6 Dashboard and Reporting $415,574.00
Task 3.7 Non-Responsive Properties $251,373.00
Billable Expenses $350,829.50
Estimated Total $10,670,964.50
9 Figure 3. Estimated Hours by Labor Category [2][3]
Est. Hours per Position
Labor Category
Est.
Quantity
of Staff
Task 1.1
Technical
Assistance
Task 2.1 DRC
Support
Task 2.2 Call
Center
Task 2.3
Attend
Community
Meetings
Task 2.4
Provide
Outreach
Materials
Task 3.1
Review ROE
Applications
Task 3.2
Contact
Property
Owner
Task 3.3
Prepare for
Final Review
Task 3.4
Process
Withdrawal
Form
Task 3.5
Submit ROE to
State
Task 3.6
Dashboard
and Reporting
Task 3.7 NonResponsive
Properties
Total Est. Hours
per Position
Administrative Assistant 1 52 52 52 - - 209 104 104 104 104 104 21 906 Customer Service Representative 50 - - 52,096 - - - - - - - - 4 52,100 CSR Supervisor 2 - - 2,084 - - - - - - - - - 2,084
Subject Matter Experts 2 716 - - 144 - 72 72 72 72 72 72 - 1,292 Program Manager 4 233 104 0 285 0 520 520 520 520 520 520 148 3890 Waste Services PM 1 47 21 - 57 - 104 104 104 104 104 104 29 778 Outreach Coordinator 1 414 261 - 57 157 - - - - - - 48 937 Application Specialist - Outreach 8 - - - - - 1,670 1,253 1,253 1,253 1,253 - 402 7,084 Application Specialist -
Processing 15 - - - - - 3,132 2,349 2,349 2,349 2,349 - 753 13,281 Application Specialist - On Site
(DRC) 10 - 10,419 - - - - - - - - - 1 10,420
Application Specialist Lead 7 - 365 - - - 1,462 1,096 1,096 731 1,096 - 351 6,197 Data Analyst 6 - - - - - 3,132 - - - - 2,088 1 5,221
Data Supervisor 1 - - - - - 522 - - - - 261 - 783
Application Specialist QA/QC 17 - 887 - - - 3,550 2,662 2,662 1,775 2,662 - 853 15,051 Est. Total Hours 1,462 12,109 54,232 543 157 14,373 8,160 8,160 6,908 8,160 3,149 2,611 120,024 [1] The hourly labor rates apply only to the services outlined in scope of work provided by Public Works. [2] The above estimated level of effort and associated costs are based on available information at the time the estimates were prepared and do not represent the actual cost of the project. The fee for services will be based on the actual hours of services furnished multiplied by Tetra Tech's hourly rates plus non-labor expenses. Non-labor related project costs (travel, outreach materials, docusign, appraisals, and other direct project expenses) will be billed to the County at cost with no mark-up. Tetra Tech shall submit monthly invoices to the County detailing the hours worked and expenses incurred. [3] Tetra Tech may take the following actions, in its discretion, so long as Tetra Tech does not exceed the estimated total: (i) Use fewer hours of one labor category and more hours of another labor category or categories and (ii) use fewer hours within one deliverable/task and more hours within another deliverable/task.
Agenda Item # 2.C.
Council Agenda Report
To: Mayor Stewart and the Honorable Members of the City Council Prepared by: Kellan Martz, Assistant City Attorney
Approved by: Joseph D. Toney, Acting City Manager
Trevor Rusin, Interim City Attorney
Date prepared: February 18, 2025 Meeting date: February 27, 2025 Subject: Fire Rebuild Policy Discussion
RECOMMENDED ACTION: 1) Receive a report on the City’s post-fire recovery efforts, including proposals for public safety, environmental concerns, and community rebuilding initiatives; and 2) Provide direction to City Manager on key fire recovery items described in the agenda report.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact associated with the recommended action.
STRATEGIC PRIORITY: This item was not included in the Adopted FY 2024-25 Strategic Priority Project List, but this has been prioritized due to the declared emergency.
DISCUSSION: On January 7, 2025, a fire broke out in Pacific Palisades, north of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in between Temescal Canyon Road and Palisades Drive. The fire spread west, affecting areas within the jurisdiction of City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles, and the City of Malibu. The fire combined with a historic Santa Ana Wind event and power outages created conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property. The Acting Director of Emergency Services (Acting City Manager) proclaimed the existence of a local emergency on January 8, 2025, and the proclamation was ratified by the City Council on January 15, 2025. The City of Malibu’s Emergency Operations Center was activated on January 7, 2025 and continued to remain active during the event.
Once it was safe, the Public Works Director and field staff were able to conduct damage assessments to the City’s infrastructure in the burn area.
City Council Meeting
02-27-25
Item
2.C.
Agenda Item # 2.C.
With the immediate threat contained and damage assessments and initial repairs underway, the City now shifts its focus toward short- and long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts. At the February 10, 2025, City Council meeting, staff was directed to return as soon as possible with an agenda item to discuss the policy topics detailed below.
The City Council may consider a range of initiatives related to these topics to support affected residents, businesses, and neighborhoods while ensuring public safety, environmental health, and economic stability. The following discussion points outline key recovery considerations that were of importance to the City Council, including measures for community security, environmental testing, infrastructure improvements, and strategies for accelerating the rebuilding process. Council direction on these items will guide staff in developing targeted recovery plans and ensure a coordinated and efficient response to the aftermath of the fire while providing information and clarity for members of the public and local, regional, state, and federal partners.
Businesses and Economic Recovery
The recent fire has deeply impacted local businesses, and the Council has expressed interest in exploring strategies to support economic recovery. This item is intended as an open discussion via public comment, inviting business owners and community members to propose ideas for revitalizing the local economy. No specific measures are being proposed at this time; instead, this discussion will serve as a starting point for future policy development.
Topics for consideration could include fee waivers, tax relief, temporary zoning adjustments, or grant opportunities aimed at helping businesses reopen and attract customers. The public comment section may also provide an opportunity for stakeholders to highlight specific challenges they are facing and collaborate on creative solutions to support the long-term stability of the business community.
Security on City Streets
To protect fire-affected neighborhoods during the rebuilding process, the Council may consider implementing temporary security measures, including hiring private security personnel to staff or patrol key neighborhood entrances that include damaged or destroyed properties and potentially restrict public access to certain streets. These measures would be designed to help prevent looting, vandalism, and unauthorized entry, and augment the safety of both residents and rebuilding crews. Currently, the City and
Agenda Item # 2.C.
Sheriff have coordinated with the National Guard for support, but that assistance is not long-term.
If the Council wishes to pursue long-term security options, staff recommends that the Council direct a cost analysis of these security measures, and provide direction on what scope of services should include, including specific areas to be monitored, and the duration of security coverage. With a clearly defined plan, staff can return with budget estimates and logistical options for Council consideration.
Environmental Study for Residential Properties
Environmental safety is a critical concern in fire-damaged neighborhoods, particularly regarding potential air and soil contamination. The Council may consider directing staff to research options for environmental testing in affected areas, focusing on air quality assessments as an initial priority. Agencies like AQMD and the EPA may already be conducting some monitoring, but further investigation may be necessary to determine if additional testing is needed to protect public health.
If the Council supports moving forward with environmental studies, staff will return with proposals outlining testing types, frequency, costs, and potential vendors. Staff can also coordinate with other agencies and universities who may be considering testing as well.
The Council may also request that appropriate government agencies perform targeted tests or instruct staff to identify gaps in existing data. Defining the scope of testing— whether it focuses solely on air quality or includes soil and water analysis, and what areas should be tested—will help ensure residents have accurate information about environmental risks.
Planning Commission Fire Rebuild
The Council has been asked to consider the creation of a dedicated Planning Commission (PC) focused solely on fire-related rebuilds. While this idea aims to streamline project approvals, government codes limit the City’s ability to form a commission specific to a single issue. Additionally, most fire rebuild projects will not require Planning Commission review unless they propose more than a 10% increase in size or relocate beyond the original structure’s footprint.
Rather than establishing a separate commission, staff recommends providing existing Planning Commissioners with specialized training on fire-related rebuilds to ensure a consistent and efficient review process. Staff will also provide future updates that clarify
Agenda Item # 2.C.
the legal constraints around forming a dedicated commission should the Council wish to consider such a commission. This approach balances the need for timely project reviews with compliance with state law.
Rebuild Czar
The goal of a a Rebuild Manager “Czar” would be to help coordinate an efficient rebuilding effort by establishing a single-source rebuild team to manage all aspects of the recovery process. Other names for this position may be Program Director or Recovery Coordinator, to name a few. This individual would centralize oversight, manage relevant staff, and coordinate efforts across city, local, and state departments and agencies, serving as a primary contact for residents and stakeholders. This role would report directly to the City Manager. Cities like Los Angeles have implemented similar roles during past and current recovery efforts. Should the Council wish to consider creating such a position, staff can return with a detailed report about the options and process for implementing such a position upon receiving direction from the Council.
Sewer Review
The fire has exposed vulnerabilities in existing infrastructure, particularly for beachfront and hillside properties that rely on septic systems. The Council may consider initiating a review of sewer options for these areas, particularly along the PCH beachfront and in neighborhoods like Las Flores Mesa and Big Rock. Improved wastewater systems could enhance environmental safety and long-term resilience for affected properties.
The Council may opt to form an ad hoc committee or direct staff to research potential sewer expansions, including feasibility studies, environmental impacts, and possible funding sources. Expanding sewer infrastructure would not only benefit fire-affected areas but could also provide long-term improvements in public health and environmental protection.
Insurance Review
Homeowners affected by the fire are facing significant challenges with insurance claims, leading to confusion and delays in the rebuilding process. The Council should consider hosting a community town hall focused on insurance-related issues, where residents can access guidance and resources to help navigate claims and better understand their rights and options. The town hall could include representatives from insurance companies and industry experts, the California FAIR Plan and city staff to offer direct assistance.
Agenda Item # 2.C.
The Council may provide direction on whether to hold such an event and also the format of the event, who to invite, and key topics to be addressed. A town hall setting would foster transparency, encourage dialogue, and help residents advocate for themselves as they work through insurance hurdles.
ATTACHMENTS: None.