Six years later, the struggle to rebuild continues
Erin Stone
covers climate and environmental issues in Southern California.
Published April 28, 2025 5:00 AM
Jimy Tallal stands on a porch overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Malibu. It's all that remains of her and her husband Scott's former home that burned down in the 2018 Woolsey Fire.
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Erin Stone
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LAist
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Topline:
Before this year’s Eaton and Palisades fires, the Woolsey fire was L.A. County’s most destructive. Six and a half years later, many are still struggling to rebuild.
Why it matters: Fewer than 40% of the 488 Malibu homes that burned in the 2018 Woolsey Fire have been fully rebuilt, according to city data. It's a warning for the latest round of fire survivors.
Read on ... to hear one couple's struggle to rebuild after the Woolsey Fire and what it may portend for those trying to rebuild after the Eaton and Palisades fires.
More than six years after the Woolsey Fire, a Malibu couple’s retirement dream remains deferred
Six and a half years later, fewer than 40% of the 488 homes in Malibu that burned have been fully rebuilt, according to city data.
One couple’s rebuild story
Scott and Jimy Tallal bought their dream home in Malibu in 2000 — a gorgeous, Spanish-style two-story house perched on a ridge in the Santa Monica Mountains. The house was old; it needed repairs. But it had good bones and a stunning view.
“ The neighborhood kids called it the Romeo and Juliet house,” said Scott.
“Because it had all the little balconies,” Jimy added.
Scott and Jimy Tallal's Malibu home burned in the 2018 Woolsey Fire. They bought it in 1998 and planned to retire there.
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Courtesy of the Tallals
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LAist
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The property was six acres and full of wildlife, which Jimy especially loved — deer, bobcats, foxes and the occasional mountain lion. She even started a wildlife rescue on their property, nursing orphaned baby squirrels and parrots found around town.
Jimy grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania. Scott in Dallas. For them both, it was a dream to settle in Southern California. Scott owned a small business doing surveys for TV stations and film studios, and founded the nonprofit Malibu Film Society. Jimy worked in human relations and as a local journalist for the Malibu Times.
“ We worked our whole lives for [the house],” said Scott. “Neither of us come from wealthy families.”
The house became home for 18 years.
Scott Tallal looks at photos of his former home that burned in the 2018 Woolsey Fire. Now he and his wife live in an upscale mobile home park in Malibu.
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Erin Stone
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LAist
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"Our plan was to live there until we went out feet first,” said Scott.
The Tallals knew the fire risk when they bought the house. They got insurance through the state’s FAIR plan, the insurer of last resort. They supplemented that with private insurance they thought also covered wildfire damage. They’d later learn it only covered damage from normal house fires.
Over the years, there were some close calls with fires. Still, to the Tallals, the risk was worth it.
In 2018, Scott was 64 and on the verge of retirement. Then came the Woolsey Fire.
A terrifying day
By 11 a.m. on Nov. 9, 2018, the sky was black with smoke. A 17-mile-wide fire front was marching toward Malibu. Some 300,000 people were put under evacuation order, including the Tallals.
They packed a week’s worth of clothes, grabbed computer hard drives and the dog. They took a few valuables, including Scott’s dad’s flute. Scott ran around the house taking photos of everything he could for insurance.
A photo of the inside of the Tallals' former home that burned in the Woolsey Fire in 2018. It's one of many photos Scott took just before evacuating.
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Erin Stone
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They couldn’t fit much in their small car. One of their biggest regrets ... leaving their photo albums.
“I was not really convinced our house was going to burn,” said Jimy.
As traffic backed up on Pacific Coast Highway, the intensity of the flames created what’s called a “firenado.” Scott and Jimy watched the gas dial go down on their car. They had to keep the windows up and the air on — Scott has a lung issue that makes smoke especially dangerous.
As flames advanced over the mountain, they considered getting out of the car and running for their lives. While they’ve recovered from the acute emotional trauma of that moment, it still returns to them.
It ended up taking them nearly five hours to get to Santa Monica, usually a 30-minute drive.
The next day, on a TV news report, they saw their house had been reduced to a smoldering ruin.
“We were devastated and in shock at the sight,” Jimy later wrote in an essay about the experience.
The Tallals learned their home burned down by seeing it on the local news.
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Courtesy of the Tallals
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LAist
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Picking up the pieces
The next day, the Tallals got past checkpoints to see what was left of the house themselves. There was only rubble.certified
Over the following weeks and months, they went to as many of the city and federal recovery centers and events as they could. They appreciated the donations of clothes and other essentials — Jimy couldn’t bring herself to go shopping. It felt more comforting somehow to go to donation centers launched by the community and with other survivors.
Scott and Jimy Tallal pose for a portrait in the rubble of their home. Their neighbor, Eric Myer, a photographer, took the photo.
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Eric Myer
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“Your friends and your family, they don't know what to say after a fire,” said Scott. “They always say, ‘Well, at least you weren't hurt or worse.’ And that's true. But they don't realize that the home you make is a tangible representation of your lives together. We're together now for almost 40 years.”
“We had inherited antiques from Scott's family, there was a baby grand piano, there was art, there were mementos of all our travels, and just our lives,” Jimy said. “I still think about some of those items today. Almost every day, things will remind me of something I don't have anymore.”
A small bird-shaped vase that was a gift from Jimy's mother survived the fire and now is displayed on a shelf in the Tallals' new home.
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Erin Stone
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They picked through the rubble to see what they could find. A small antique vase shaped like a bird that was a gift from Jimy’s mother.
"The colors were much different before it went through the fire," Jimy said. "Now it reminds me that I didn't lose everything."
Another small ceramic antique that was long in Scott’s family. A few coffee mugs and dishes.
Gone was the piano that had been in Scott’s family for 80 years. Gone were the photo albums — pictures of their wedding, their trips abroad. Gone were the art pieces they’d collected from their travels. Gone were many precious gifts from friends.
They had to list all of it in the excruciating process of creating an inventory of every single thing they owned for their insurance claim.
A couple of weeks later, their neighbor, a professional photographer, took a photo of the rubble of their former home. That day, a rainbow stretched across the sky. The photo hangs on the wall of their new home today, an acknowledgement of the day that changed their lives forever.
The Tallals' neighbor, Eric Myer, took this panorama of the rubble of their home in 2018.
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Eric Meyer
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Roadblocks to rebuild
The Tallals couldn’t stay with friends or at hotels for long, and the longer they used insurance for temporary housing, the less money would be available for their rebuild. FEMA ended up giving them nothing — they later learned it may have been due to the Trump administration’s anti-California politics.
Despite their house being destroyed, they still had to pay their mortgage. They had no idea how they’d pay that plus sky-high rents without digging deeply into their retirement savings.
Luckily, a 90-year-old woman who lived nearby heard of their plight and said they could stay in her small guest apartment for free. They ended up staying there for four years as they attempted to rebuild.
Today, six and a half years after the Woolsey Fire, the Tallals' former house remains an empty dirt lot. Their former landscaper lives on the property in a trailer they bought for him. He makes sure weeds and grasses remain cut, per fire requirements.
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Erin Stone
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LAist
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The city of Malibu waived permitting fees and other red tape to help speed up the recovery. They hosted events to help people find the resources they needed.
The Tallals went to these rebuild meetings hosted by the city and other government and local entities. The Tallals’ FAIR Plan insurance would cover up to $1.5 million. Their private insurance, it turned out, wouldn’t help them at all — they were not insured for wildfire losses, only typical house fire losses.
They joined a lawsuit against Southern California Edison, hoping the settlement would eventually make them whole for the rebuild. Three years later, they won the money, but federal income tax cut it down significantly (a law passed since exempts such settlements from federal income tax).
Jimy Tallal stands on the lot that was the site of her former home.
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Erin Stone
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LAist
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The Tallals soon realized they’d never be able to afford to rebuild their house as it had been. The house was 30 years old and would require a new foundation to be up to new earthquake building codes. Fire officials told them they’d have to widen their driveway and install a water tank more than three times the size of their previous one to meet new fire codes. (In 2020, California passed a law requiring insurers to provide at least 10% additional coverage for new building code upgrades.)
Even with their insurance and settlement money, the Tallals ended up more than $1 million short of what they’d need to rebuild.
“We ended up getting 20 cents on the dollar of what we needed,” said Scott.
So they decided to go with the cheaper option of “pre-fabricated modular housing.” They thought they’d found a contractor they could trust. After they’d planned the house and paid the company, they were abruptly told the road to their property was too narrow and winding. The house couldn’t be delivered.
Instead of digging even deeper into their retirement savings, they realized they needed to give up on rebuilding at all.
Where the Tallals are now
In 2022, the Tallals bought a doublewide trailer in an upscale mobile home park in Malibu. They renovated it, installed solar panels and battery storage because there are frequent power outages in the area. State rebates helped cover the cost.
Their house still has a beautiful view of the ocean. They can see the hill their former home was on from the balcony. They moved in in 2023.
The mobile home where the Tallals now live.
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Erin Stone
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LAist
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The Tallals still own the property where their former house was but say they’ll probably sell it eventually. Jimy estimates fewer than half of the homes in their former neighborhood have been rebuilt.
With all the costs, their retirement dreams are now deferred.
“I'll never retire now. I can't afford it,” said Scott. Both Scott and Jimy are now 70.
Scott and Jimy Tallal, with dog Enzo, are grateful to still live in Malibu.
When they had to evacuate again during the Palisades Fire, all of the trauma of the Woolsey Fire came rushing back. Now, more of their friends have lost their homes. The whole experience has led to “empathy overload,” Scott said.
Jimy Tallal shows a family heirloom that survived the Woolsey Fire. They keep some of the other items they managed to salvage in this cabinet.
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Erin Stone
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LAist
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Things are forever different — they have a lot less space and miss the rural feel of their former home. Jimy especially misses the wildlife.
But, still, Malibu is home.
“There isn't a day that goes by that we don't appreciate how wonderful it is to live here,” said Scott.
Worse fire, more people affected
The conditions that set the stage for the Woolsey Fire — sparked by power lines after record drought, then driven by Santa Ana winds — is eerily similar to the conditions that drove the fires we just experienced.
“I mean, yes, this has always been a wildfire ecology here, but climate change is just making it so much worse,” Jimy said.
Beyond the Woolsey Fire, the Tallals have experienced this firsthand. When they first moved in in 1998, their former house didn’t have air conditioning.
“The longer we were here, the hotter it would get, and we ended up having to put air conditioning in,” Jimy said. “It's definitely changing. ... I can see it, and it's happening in a very short period of time.”
And policy to help is struggling to keep up.
Jimy Tallal stands on the patio of her house that burned in the Woolsey Fire. That's all that remains of the structure after the fire and debris removal.
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Erin Stone
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LAist
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Policy changes since Woolsey
A suite of laws were passed in 2020 to help wildfire survivors in the wake of increasingly devastating fires in recent years.
In 2023, Congress passed a law to exempt federal tax requirements in the case of wildfire settlements, which could help some victims recoup costs if it turns out the Eaton Fire was sparked by Southern California Edison equipment.
Since this year’s fires, lawmakers have introduced more legislation to help survivors, including removing the inventory requirement for insurance claims in the case of a total loss. Other legislation is being introduced to further help wildfire victims and lessons have been learnedsince Woolsey.
But the biggest issue is the insurance conundrum. Most wildfire victims remain underinsured or not insured at all, and insurers increasingly are refusing coverage in high-risk fire areas. Those areas are only expanding.
Jorge "Coqui" H. Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on Wednesady to demand the Dodgers not visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.
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J.W. Hendricks
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The LA Local
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Topline:
Less than 24 hours before season opener, longtime Dodgers fans demand the team divest from immigration detention centers and decline the White House visit.
More details: More than 30 people joined Richard Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. “We are demanding that the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together we have the power to make a change.”
Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium.
“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.
Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.
More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team.
“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”
Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”
Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.
Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.
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J.W. Hendricks
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The LA Local
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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers.
“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.
The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants.
The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.
When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a “slap in the face.”
“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”
According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.
“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”
The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place.
Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.
“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.
Destiny Torres
is LAist's general assignment reporter and brings you the top news you need for the day.
Published March 25, 2026 3:38 PM
The warmer weather and high water flow are causing an early outbreak of black flies in the San Gabriel Valley.
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Courtesy SGV Mosquito and Vector Control District
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Topline:
The warmer weather and high water flow are causing an early outbreak of black flies in the San Gabriel Valley, according to officials.
What are black flies? Black flies are tiny, pesky insects that often get mistaken for mosquitoes. The biting flies breed near foothill communities like Altadena, Azusa, San Dimas and Glendora. They also thrive near flowing water.
What you need to know: Black flies fly in large numbers and long distances. When they bite both humans and pets, they aim around the eyes and the neck. While the bites can be painful, they don’t transmit diseases in L.A. County.
A population spike: Anais Medina Diaz, director of communications at the SGV Mosquito and Vector Control District, told LAist that at this time last year, surveillance traps had single-digit counts of adult black flies, but this year those traps are collecting counts above 500.
So, why is the population growing? Diaz said the surge is unusual for this time of year.
“We are experiencing them now because of the warmer temperatures we've been having,” Diaz said. “And of course, all the water that's going down through the river, we have a high flow of water that is not typical for this time of year.”
What officials are doing: Officials say teams are identifying and treating public sources where black flies can thrive, but that many of these sites are influenced by natural or infrastructure conditions outside their control.
How to protect yourself: Black flies can be hard to avoid outside in dense vegetation, but you can reduce the chance of a bite by:
Wearing loose-fitted clothing that covers the entire body.
Wearing a hat with netting on top.
Spraying on repellent, but check the label. For a repellent to be effective, it needs to have at least 15% DEET, the only active ingredient that works against black flies.
Turning off any water features like fountains for at least 24 hours, especially in foothill communities.
See an uptick in black flies in your area? Here's how to report it
SGV Mosquito and Vector Control District Submit a tip here You can also send a tip to district@sgvmosquito.org (626) 814-9466
Greater Los Angeles Vector Control District Submit a service request here You can also send a service request to info@GLAmosquito.org (562) 944-9656
Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control Submit a report here You can also send a report to ocvcd@ocvector.org (714) 971-2421 or (949) 654-2421
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Robert Garrova
explores the weird and secret bits of SoCal that would excite even the most jaded Angelenos. He also covers mental health.
Published March 25, 2026 3:28 PM
Jeremy Kaplan and Florence at READ Books in Eagle Rock.
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Courtesy Jeremy Kaplan
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Topline:
Local favorite mom and pop shop READ Books in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say they’re just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.
The backstory: Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and their shop dog Florence.
What happened? The building where Kaplan and his wife Debbie rent was recently sold and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.
What's next? While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.
Read on... for what small businesses can do.
A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.
Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.
Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.
“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.
But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.
Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.
California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.
Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.
What can small businesses do?
Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.
Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.
“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.
She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.
“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.
Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.
While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.
Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.
Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.
By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.
When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.
“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.
“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”
Kavish Harjai
writes about infrastructure that's meant to help us move about the region.
Published March 25, 2026 3:12 PM
A field team member of the Bureau of Street Lighting installs a solar-powered light in Filipinotown.
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Mayor Bass Communications Office
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Topline:
The Los Angeles City Council approved a plan in a 13-1 vote on Tuesday to send ballots to more than half a million property owners asking if they are willing to pay more per year to fortify the city’s streetlight repair budget, most of which has essentially been frozen since the 1990s. The item still requires L.A. Mayor Karen Bass’ signature, but her office confirmed to LAist on Wednesday that she’ll approve it.
Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.
Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.
Near unanimous vote: L.A.City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote on Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.
Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.
How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.
Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired.The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.
Topline:
The Los Angeles City Council approved a plan in a 13-1 vote Tuesday to send ballots to more than a half-million property owners asking if they are willing to pay more per year to fortify the city’s streetlight repair budget, most of which essentially has been frozen since the 1990s. The item still requires L.A. Mayor Karen Bass’ signature, but her office confirmed to LAist on Wednesday that she’ll approve it.
Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.
Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.
Near unanimous vote: L.A.City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.
Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.
How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.
Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.
