Barger streamlines fire recovery
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger yesterday introduced a motion focused on easing the financial burden of permitting costs felt by residents whose homes were destroyed by the January 2025 wildfires.
The motion directs several County departments to develop a plan to defer all permitting and inspection fees for like-for-like rebuilds in unincorporated areas, as well as a funding strategy to ultimately waive those fees.
The proposal also calls for a framework that allows County departments to receive direct insurance reimbursements for eligible permitting costs, ensuring both financial relief for survivors and cost recovery for the County.
“The survivors of the Eaton Fire have already lost so much and now they face enormous costs in their rebuilding journey,” said Barger. “I’m committed to doing everything possible to ease that burden. Waiving these fees is not just about cutting red tape. It’s about restoring hope, stability, and dignity to families who are still reeling from the devastation. This motion is a step toward making the rebuilding process more accessible and fair.”
The motion builds upon a broader County effort to modernize and streamline permitting for disaster recovery, including the establishment of a Unified Permitting Authority for the Altadena One-Stop Permitting Center.
The Unified Permitting Authority works across the four County permitting Departments to employ quick solutions to ongoing challenges, establishes pre-approved site and building plans and focuses on ensuring that applicants do not need to face unnecessary hurdles that can otherwise be resolved through policy updates.
Hahn honors Paramount’s first sisters
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn honored Diane Martinez and Annette Delgadillo for making history as the first sisters and first educators to have served as mayors of the City of Paramount.
“Diane and Annette have been dedicated leaders for the people of Paramount, role models for young women, my partners in public service, and I am proud to call them both my friends,” said Hahn. “Their extraordinary story needs to be told, and their service deserves to be honored.”
Martinez served on the Paramount City Council for 25 years from 1994 to 2019, including six terms as mayor. She currently serves on the Paramount Unified School Board and as Vice Chairwoman for the Catholic Association of Latino Leaders. She earned her bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from California State University Long Beach, and has a master’s degree in education administration.
Delgadillo was elected to Paramount’s all-women City Council in 2022 and completed her term as mayor in April. She is Paramount’s representative in the Southern California Association of Governments General Assembly. Delgadillo holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from California State Long Beach, and a credential in elementary education.
Long Beach merges hiring departments
The City of Long Beach announced yesterday the merger of the Civil Service Department with the Human Resources (HR) Department to form one unified hiring department following the voter-approved passing of charter amendment Measure JB in November 2024.
This merge, which officially went into effect on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, streamlines and modernizes the City’s hiring processes to create a more efficient, community-centered, and responsible city government that is committed to merit-based hiring practices to attract, retain and develop high quality and diverse talent and in turn continue to improve the quality of public services to the community it serves.
“We’re closer than ever to becoming the first big city in California with a 90-day hiring standard,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “By bringing Civil Service and Human Resources together, we’re cutting red tape, making it easier to get hired, and staying true to our Long Beach Jobs Promise. This is about building a strong, committed workforce that truly reflects the community we serve.”
The new singular and restructured HR Department will manage all employee recruitment and hiring processes, implement local preferences in the classified service, and achieve a goal of hiring most positions within 90 business days.
Additionally, as part of Measure JB, an independent Civil Service Employee Rights and Appeals Commission was established. This new commission, effective July 1, 2025, will adjudicate classified employee disciplinary appeals and resolve complaints related to Civil Service rules. The City will announce more information about this commission at a later date.
