These electrical poles snapped and burned on the Via Las Olas Bluffs in the Palisades Fire. Utilities should be placed underground in a very high fire severity zone, such as Pacific Palisades.
After listening to Steve Soboroff at a Pacific Palisades Community Council Zoom meeting last night, one resident wrote: “Soboroff convince me in less than two hours he’s the wrong guy to lead the rebuilding effort. He was all over the place. Knowledgeable on some things, shooting his mouth off in Trumpian fashion on others.”
Soboroff told Palisadians that “No two people will have the same yellow brick road.” He suggested that people should build with better materials, not plant Eucalptus, to stay on “the express lane” don’t build over 110 percent and add an ADU (accessory dwelling unit).
“None of you will have enough proceeds from insurance to cover the rebuild,” he said, and suggested that people should consider pre-fab construction.
He was also asked about under grounding facilities and replacing them. “To ask the rest of the city to pay for this is silly,” Soboroff said, and added, “The city doesn’t have insurance and doesn’t have the money to rebuild the library and the Recreation Center.”
He also suggested that the money raised in different fundraisers be given to the people who worked for the people in the homes that have been destroyed, such as gardeners and housekeepers.
Soboroff made no mention of the people who live in affordable housing and their needs: about 170 units of affordable housing at Palisades Bowl, 250 units at Tahitian Terrace, the 29 units at Malibu Village, the 100-city controlled affordable housing units at the base of the Highlands or the numerous apartments along Sunset Boulevard (about 25 percent of those living in Pacific Palisades rent).
Palisades, which is located in the very high fire severity zone, has been a cash cow for the city paying an estimated $550 million in property taxes annually. For Soboroff to suggest the City should not pay for undergrounding facilities, well . . .as one reader wrote: “Why shouldn’t the City pay for undergrounding electric lines in the Palisades? The Palisades has paid for everything that other parts of the City have needed for years?”
The Recreation Center built in the 1950s, has never been upgraded and lacked heat and WiFi. The bathrooms and playground at that center were not ADA accessible and supposedly were on the replacement list for the City Recreation Department because they were illegal.
The library was largely built with private funds and through fundraisers. Will residents be required to do it again?
The key question is “Do you want the residents not only to pay taxes, but also to pay for building the infrastructure in a fire that could have been prevented?”
Residents can either pay taxes or they can raise funds to rebuild the streets and other infrastructure that has gone neglected in this part of the City since the 1980s.
Mayor Karen Bass and Soboroff – you decide. Which is it?
A resident wrote CTN “Someone needs to listen to residents’ needs and wants, then lead and set priorities for the government.”
This is the Palisades Library, after the fire, as seen from the park. This editor had two books on hold.
Right you are, utilities should be placed underground. It’s not a favor, Mr. Soboroff, it’s just the right thing to do for the safety of this community. Hasn’t that been made amply evident? Perhaps we need to starting talking more about the role power poles and power wires played in destroying homes in the Palisades so we can all get on the same page regarding placing utilities underground. The Governor, Mayor, and DWP should already have a plan in place and publicly announce implementation.
Los Angeles City management (and County management ) is very provincial in two leadership skill sets: the ability to manage staffing and the ability to manage budgets. City Hall is in no way innovative or creative or efficient as a project manager of routine activities, let alone the tasks ahead of us. This is seen in how the city failed to manage police, fire, and water resources necessary to secure the Palisades from burning down. All leaders with poor judgement must leave the field.
All of Soboroff’s judgements must be debated in an objective manner. No personal offense intended, he seemed like he was well intended. Mr. Soboroff: have we done any global resourcing for workers that can reduce the budget and increase the speed of rebuilding? Budget and staffing should never be constraints for executing the right answer.
Gates Security presented a proposal to patrol the 26 square miles of the Palisades for $15K for the entirety of a six month pilot program, to supplement poor LAPD response to calls regarding fireworks and explosives. Sure sounds cheap now doesn’t it? Too bad no one was interested in an innovative and inexpensive way to patrol our neighborhoods, beaches, and bluffs. Maybe proactive and visible armed patrol might have deterred the firebugs on our hillsides that could have lit this fire.
Budget cut so fire engines and reservoirs sat un-repaired? Did anyone examine contractors who could bring in a workforce from overseas for a couple weeks to get the job done… cheaper and faster? No benefits, no overtime, no life long pensions required. No one making $500K a year in overtime or getting salaries of $750K a year.
When the American labor force is not large enough to address an urgent need, Corporate America brings in the best talent they can find from other countries. Budget and labor force issues solved. The guy/gal who heads up facilities for Amgen HQ in Thousand Oaks or Northrop Grumman in El Segundo might be a better head of operations for rebuilding the Palisades. I’m sure they would find a way to lay electric lines underground on time and under budget. And patrol the town, beach, and hillsides without blinking an eye. Bonus… no charge
We have paid a terrible price for incompetent government. Debate everything and loudly. Every assumption and excuse for lack of performance has to be challenged.
It is certainly possible that Soboroff is not the champion of the interests of the residents of Pacific Palisades.
It is possible that the reason Karen Bass chose Soboroff as her rebuilding tzar is that he is a champion of the social engineering interests of Karen Bass.
Jimmy Carter expressed his views that America and Americans were on the wrong path forward in his 1979 “malaise” speech
Soboroff’s comments about most Palisades homeowners being underinsured, the need to hire an attorney to fight the propensity of insurance companies to lowball policyholder settlements and his piquant humor (as in asking talent agents on a Zoom call if they validated for parking) may strike some as a refreshing exhibition of verve and leadership
Or the comments may suggest that Soboroff is the Jimmy Carter of Pacific Palisades
Even an extraordinarily liberal Pacific Palisades does not deserve its own Jimmy Carter
Agree-Soboroff not the person! He claims we won’t have enuf to rebuild at inflated prices but then he wants us to add ADUs??? What?
In fact that zoom mtg was a turning point for us. Realizing these are the same people who left us to burn. We will look at new homes elsewhere. Can’t spend the next 8 years dealing with this LA mess. Sell lot- we are older and don’t need to be there! Yippee
Soboroff is not the one. Neither is Bass, Bring in Caruso!
When is the last time Soboroff built something ? Who was President then ? He has had his time and it’s obvious to all that he needs to go and enjoy a well earned retirement!! Steve has already mouthed off several times. Retire Steve
Soboroff was involved in rebuilding of Malibu after Woolsey. He has a BAD reputation there. I am confused Karen Bass says in a speech we will rebuild rec center and library but Soboroff says they can’t afford it? How about use some of that dedicated fundraiser money they are always congratulating themselves and bragging about it for it not just Soboroff salary.
I don’t live in the Palisades, but as a Brentwood neighbor, I’m once again disappointed in Mayor Bass’s judgment. Soboroff is completely out of touch—a career politician who seems content with the status quo. And while I caught some backlash on Twitter for saying this (because apparently, “no one does good work for free”), the fact remains—he doesn’t need the money.
Agreeing to or even requesting half a million dollars for 90 days of work (assuming he’d even put in weekends) just doesn’t sit right with me. If you truly care about the Palisades, do the job for a dollar. Now, he’s working for free—but at the cost of his reputation.
Los Angeles is a big city, and there are plenty of people who would jump at this opportunity and do a far better job than Soboroff. Yet the same political machine keeps recycling the same inept choices.
Rebuilding the Palisades requires a coordinated effort combining government aid, private investment, insurance advocacy, and creative financing solutions. By leveraging multiple funding sources, the community can ensure a faster and more resilient recovery.
The City of Los Angeles does not have the capabilities to lead that effort alone.