Palisadians were required to line up in order to go to their properties.
Palisades is filled with smart professionals, but the officials helping us seem to be clueless about streamlining the process. Many of us work and don’t have time to wait in long lines. We don’t have time to line up in beach parking lots for hours, just to get a pass to go see our homes.
We are homeless people who pay taxes but are treated like kindergarten children who need pats on the backs and smiles and need to be told everything is going to be okay.
No. We don’t have years to wait around before we can build again.
We understand the process:
1) EPA has to clear hazardous materials before the debris can be removed.
2) Once the EPA certifies the lot, the Army Corp of Engineers can clear the property of debris. But for that to happen we have to opt-in by filling out a 12-page form and submit it to L.A. County Public Works.
This editor and her husband filled out the form, but rather than submitting via email and then being notified via email at some later date that something was missing, we dropped at the disaster center on Pico (former Westside Pavillion). We felt if a “real” person looked at it, they could tell us if it were complete.
There were tables and tables of people sitting around to help at the center, with almost no “customers.” The majority of people were lined up at public works about debris removal. The line became so long that people were then put in an overflow line outside the center.
There were only two workers manning the table.
Finally, we reached the front, the guy looked at it and we received a form that said that it had been submitted . . .but were told someone would still have to process it.
On the way out the door, after an hour of waiting to hand in the form, we stopped by L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s pink table. There were two workers, no one was waiting at that table.
I said, “if you really want to help, ask the Supervisor to put more people on the Public Works table.”
That is a question that all Palisadians can ask, “How many people has the County hired to help process Phase 2 – the opt-in, the opt-out?” Or will this be another big holdup as few people process an estimated more than 15,000 applications.
In the meantime, enjoy the progress in Lahaina, Maui, 17 months after the fire raced through that community. Is this what officials are aiming for in Pacific Palisades?
I understand the need for passes to enter our community. But the process is exhausting. I was happy to finally get my pass, but then read where it might only be good for one week. Why? We are not criminals. After three weeks of bouncing around from family and hotels I need to go home. I’m older and feel like everything is so overwhelming. My daughter and her four children have lost their home. I’m very lucky to have my little condo survive. Please just one pass is needed.