Deadline to Opt In or Out of County-Run Program Is April 15
By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor
With Phase 2 of debris removal for residential properties underway following the Palisades fire—and the deadline approaching to opt in or out of the county-run program—Palisadians have shared their first-hand experiences.
Phase 2 involves removing visible fire debris, such as chimneys, hazardous trees, ash and—if specified on a right-of-entry form by the owner—foundations.
Residents have two options for Phase 2: opting in to the county-run debris removal program, which is being led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Colonel Eric Swenson, at no out-of-pocket charge, or opting out and hiring a private contractor.
The deadline to opt in or out of the program has been extended from March 31 to April 15, Supervisor Lindsey Horvath announced on Friday, March 28. The form can be completed online at recovery.lacounty.gov/debris-removal or in-person at a Disaster Recovery Center, with the Westside location at 10850 West Pico Boulevard.
Residents who own condos, as well as their homeowner associations, should also opt in or out … Emiko Thompson with LA County Public Works explained during Mayor Karen Bass’ March 18 virtual town hall.
At the time of the meeting, the status of multi-unit parcels, which were not part of the initial USACE mission, were currently under discussion. FEMA confirmed on March 28 that now will be part of the mission.
Jenny Delwood with Bass’ office explained that the city would be asking FEMA to assign USACE with their clearance. Having the forms filled out puts the city in a “better position” to be able to make the “formal request to the federal government.”
USACE, in coordination with the state of California and FEMA, began Phase 2 debris removal for private residential properties in the Palisades in February.
There are a number of factors that determine when a lot will be scheduled for Phase 2 debris removal, which is not a “first-come, first-served process,” the county explained.
“To maximize efficiency, contractors schedule their work based on priorities set by the federal government with input from the county,” according to LA County. “As ROEs are collected and ownership is verified, the Army Corps of Engineers will batch properties together for clearing with the objective of moving as quickly as possible.”
Property owners will be informed three to five days before their property approaches the clean-up phase.
Once the removal process has begun, USACE aims for debris to be safely removed in two to three days per property. This can change depending on the size of the lot or parcel, the amount of debris, inclement weather and more.
“It will not be possible to estimate how long it will take to clean up your property until the contractor assesses the site,” according to LA County.
Palisadian Jordan Catapano told the Palisadian-Post that her property was cleared on Sunday, March 9, by USACE. It took the team one day to clear Catapano’s lot.
Catapano said the team was “very communicative” and gave her a call about three weeks after signing paperwork. She said they were easy to get a hold of when she had follow-up questions.
“They asked if we wanted to preserve any trees that weren’t severely damaged, protect any pet graves and if we wanted our pool drained,” Catapano said to the Post. “They were great. Feeling really good about this and am now going to spend my time imagining what our new home will look like.”
Palisadian Amy Horwath said USACE debris removal began on her property near Will Rogers State Historic Park on Monday morning, February 24.
The team reached out to Horwath a week prior to coordinate. Upon arrival, the team surveyed the property with Horwath, and discussed retaining walls and the septic system, so as not to damage them.
“The whole team appeared professional and clearly experienced,” she said. “We have a hillside lot, and they were able to navigate the excavator and dump trucks up the driveway with minimal damage.”
Horwath said debris removal was a three-day process.
A week before the then-March 31 deadline, Horvath urged residents to opt in or out of the program.
“Los Angeles County is calling on every property owner to partner with us to accelerate wildfire recovery by completing right of entry forms by March 31,” Horvath said in a statement March 24. “There’s only one week left, and we need everyone to make their choice—whether that is opting into our program or choosing to go private. Whatever you decide, please do so in the next seven days.”
Colonel Brian Sawser—commander of the USACE Pacific Palisades Emergency Field Office—said they are “rapidly increasing the number of crews to reduce the time needed to complete its mission.”
“This is an optimization challenge,” Sawser described. “Fewer constraints and fewer unknowns greatly assist the Corps in moving faster. The greatest unknown right now is whether the remaining 1,300 or so undeclared properties in the Palisades fire impact area will opt in or opt out of the Corps’ private property debris removal program.”
Owners who do not select a debris removal option by the deadline will be responsible for hiring qualified contractors, obtaining permits and clearing debris in compliance with local regulations by June 30, according to Horvath’s statement.
Editor’s note: This story was amended Friday, March 28, with the updated deadline to opt in or out, as well as information about multi-unit parcels.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
