Post fire housing problems top the to-do list for the Butte County Board of Supervisors, which convenes later this morning.
With fire victims effectively banished from their own properties, the board will consider a suite of temporary moves aimed at reducing hardship.
Citing health risks FEMA pressured authorities to prohibit people from residing in the fire zone before debris is removed.
Now officials are scrambling to find affordable alternatives for those who lost their homes and are barred from camping on their own land, even in a trailer.
CalOES officials expect a year to pass before the last properties are scraped.
Among the strategies: ease zoning restrictions on where RVs can be parked—including in agricultural and rural zones, along with business parks, double the number of temporary units allowed on a parcel to four, allow more leeway for manufactured homes and even permit fabric structures capable of withstanding extreme wind.
Housing is only one item, among other issues, the board will consider reauthorizing a dispute resolution service available through the county courts, give final approval for Thermalito schools to sell bonds worth two and a half million dollars, launch billboard advertising to recruit volunteer firefighters, award a 2.3 million dollar contract for the repair of Oro Quincy Highway and hear a report on post-fire business activity.
The board is also expected to authorize nearly half a million dollars in additional overtime for the sheriff’s office. Utility Pacific Gas & Electric Company has requested the presence of additional law enforcement after repeated confrontations between restive fire survivors and PG&E repair crews. PG&E will reimburse the county for the expense.
The meeting gets underway in Oroville this morning at 9.