State differs with FEMA
The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services will appeal the Federal
Emergency Management Agency’s denial of financial assistance for
families who lost their homes in the June 1 landslide in Laguna Beach
and some of the costs to repair the damaged slope and infrastructure.
An OES team came to Laguna Beach Monday to discuss the appeal of
FEMA’s denial of the state’s request for financial aid.
“We were very disappointed that FEMA declined our request on
behalf of the residents of Laguna Beach,” OES spokesman Gregrory
Renick said. “It was contradictory to its own geologists.”
Geologists from the U.S. Geological Survey were on record that the
slide was “almost certainly” related to the heavy winter rains that
occurred from December through February.
No reason was given for the about-face.
“The person who signed the FEMA letter has been put onto another
assignment, which we totally understand, with what happened in the
South,” City Manager Ken Frank said.
“Our disaster was absolutely the worst size -- too big to be
handled locally and too small to be declared a separate emergency.”
City officials had asked FEMA to attach the June 1 landslide to
the one of two national disaster declarations covering damage in
California. They hoped it would be tacked onto the January
declaration, because that authorized financial assistance for
displaced families, as well as for repairs.
Frank estimated government funding of $900,000 in his July 22
report to the council, but warned that the city had yet to get a
commitment.
The city was advised Aug. 25 that FEMA had concluded that the
landslide was not specifically attributable to the storms.
OES officials announced their dismay the very next day. The
following day, OES advised city officials they were preparing an
appeal.
“We are gathering information to try to make a successful appeal
in as timely manner as possible,” Renick said Wednesday. “We want to
do it as quickly as possible, but as thoroughly as possible.”
Frank said it will probably take a couple of weeks for city
consulting geologist Hannes Richter to prepare another extensive
report, documenting his conclusion that the landslide was the result
of the winter storms.
OES analyst Daniel Thorpe, who was part of the visiting team on
Monday, is preparing the appeal.
“We realize the importance of the impacts of the storm on the
residents and the budget of Laguna Beach,” Renick said.
Temporary repairs, estimated to cost about $7 million, are
underway, despite the FEMA denial and without a firm commitment for
funding from the state.
“I will be presenting funding options for the $7 million to the
council on Tuesday,” Frank said. “And for the first time we will
speculate on funding for the permanent project, which I guesstimate
to be between $5 and $8 million.”
Frank’s “guesstimate” is a tad less than earlier projections --
which topped out at about $20 million.
“A lot of the temporary work will shore up the permanent work,”
Frank said. “And Hannes has come up with some cost-saving proposals.”
Frank said the city has no choice but to continue emergency
prevention measures to winterize the slope from further erosion,
restore drainage, protect homes above the slide and ensure safe
ingress and egress for the 350 families that live in Bluebird Canyon.
Funding options include the sale of one of the three city-owned
properties on Poplar Street, above the Festival of Arts, and the two
lots on which the Girl Scout House sits.
The four lots used as the city’s nursery also will be sold, but
the proceeds are earmarked for the relocation of the city maintenance
yard to the Act V parking lot in Laguna Canyon.
Once the appeal completed, OES will send it to FEMA for review.
FEMA is the final court of appeal.
QUESTION
Should the city sell public land to pay for landslide costs? Write
us at P.O. Box 248, Laguna Beach, CA, 92652, e-mail us at
o7coastlinepilot@latimes.com f7or fax us at 494-8979. Please give
your name and tell us your home address and phone number for
verification purposes only.
* BARBARA DIAMOND is a reporter for the Laguna Beach Coastline
Pilot. She may be reached at (949) 494-4321.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.