The waived fees and new initiatives build on emergency orders designed to unlock innovation and prioritize getting residents back home
Mayor Karen Bass announced Monday that building permit fees will be waived for residents of Pacific Palisades who are rebuilding. The announcement came during her State of the City address, where she outlined efforts to expedite recovery in the fire-ravaged community.
Bass called on the Los Angeles City Council to pass an ordinance eliminating plan check and permit fees, aiming to ease the financial burden on residents and accelerate rebuilding. She also introduced a self-certification program to streamline the permitting process and an initiative to use artificial intelligence to speed up approvals, with plans to expand both citywide if successful.
“The faster we can rebuild, the faster we can heal,” Bass said, noting that the Palisades recovery is on track to be the fastest in California history. Permits are being issued twice as fast as after the 2018 Camp and Woolsey fires, with water and power restored significantly quicker than in past disasters.
The mayor highlighted the efforts of local leaders, including Councilwoman Traci Park, and community advocates like Larry Vein of Pali Strong, Maryam Zar of the Palisades Recovery Coalition, and Sue Kohl of the Pacific Palisades Community Council. She also praised Kevin Chin, a cancer patient who heroically fought flames to save lives during the fire.
Bass emphasized the city’s broader recovery efforts, including a Disaster Recovery Center that has assisted nearly 10,000 households and four Worker and Family Recovery Centers providing financial and business support to those affected by job losses. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, led by Colonel Swenson, has cleared 500 properties, enabling rebuilding to begin.
The fire, part of a series of blazes that forced evacuations across Sylmar, Hollywood, Brentwood, Encino, and Sherman Oaks, underscored the city’s ongoing challenges with housing, homelessness, and climate-driven disasters. Bass vowed to continue cutting red tape and fostering public-private partnerships to support recovery.
The waived fees and new initiatives build on emergency orders designed to unlock innovation and prioritize getting residents back home. “Home is at the heart of healing,” Bass said, reaffirming her commitment to a resilient and equitable recovery for all Angelenos.
