Board Accepts Federal Offer for Quake Repairs
The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday accepted a $53-million settlement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for repairs on county facilities damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake, ending a multiyear dispute.
By accepting FEMA’s offer, supervisors decided not to go to court to try and obtain the more than $700 million that county officials had believed they were entitled to under a strict reading of federal law.
“If we wanted to fight for a lifetime,” the county may have gotten more, said Sharon Yonashiro of the county chief administrative office. “We’re at the point where we’ve decided it’s important to get these buildings fixed.”
The county has received $40 million from FEMA for some earthquake repairs, with another about $600 million now on the way from a number of claims filed after the Northridge temblor.
The settlement approved Tuesday covers repairs on dozens of county buildings, including the Hall of Administration and Los Angeles Superior Courthouse on Hill Street. Yonashiro, who said FEMA has been “very helpful” recently, said the money would be sufficient to ensure that the buildings are safe.
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