Sonoma County To Enforce Abatement Of Fire-Affected Properties

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Homeowners in Sonoma County face abatement proceedings if they do not select one of two options by Wednesday to remove hazardous materials from their properties damaged by the Sonoma Complex Fires that destroyed 6,000 structures in October. The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors this morning approved the abatement provision contained in an amendment to a fire cleanup emergency
ordinance they passed on Oct. 31.

The deadline was Nov. 13 to file a Right of Entry application that allows the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to remove the hazardous debris, ash and foundation of a home without cost to the homeowner.

Homeowners who want to pay a private contractor to do the job must file a debris and ash removal work plan by the close of business Wednesday.

The abatement process will allow the county to have the property cleaned and recover all cleanup costs, expenses and attorney's fees incurred in removing waste that poses a public health danger through summary abatement or judicial enforcement.

Sonoma County Environmental Health and Safety director Christine Sosko said owners of 653 properties in Santa Rosa and unincorporated Sonoma County have not selected either cleanup option.

Sosko said that number should decrease because some applications that have been filed contained missing pages or signatures, and 78 properties are included in an application filed by a homeowners' association.

She said 160 of the 190 applications for a private contractor work plan in unincorporated Sonoma County have been approved, and the Debris Removal Right of Entry center at 625 Fifth St. in Santa Rosa is still open.

"There's a steady stream of people with questions. We got some ROEs late," Sosko said.

The county sent 439 courtesy notices in English and Spanish and is now calling property owners to remind them of the two deadlines. Sosko said the abatement process is "a last resort."

Some homeowners who attended some of the 40 public meetings on the cleanup options objected to having the home's foundation removed by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Debbie Latham, an attorney in the County Counsel's Office, said those homeowners who want to keep their home's foundation can select the private contractor option.

But the goal is to take advantage of the Army Corps of Engineers' free cleanup option, County Counsel Bruce Goldstein said.

RELATED: 'Largest Wildfire Cleanup In California History' Launched In Sonoma County

Supervisor David Rabbitt, however, raised concern about the county facing litigation on the foundation removal issue.

Under the abatement provision, property owners will receive a 10-day notice in the mail and posted on their property 10 days in advance of the abatement.

The property owner will then have no more than 10 days from the date of the abatement notice to submit a written appeal to the Sonoma County Health Officer who will issue a written decision within 10 days. The Health Officer's decision is final.

When the abatement is completed, the property owner will be notified of the reason for the abatement and a statement of costs, expenses and attorneys' fees the property owner must pay. If the property owner is
responsible for the costs, the costs will become a lien against the property.

Property owners can appeal the costs and are entitled to an administrative hearing, and a hearing officer will issue a decision within 30 days.

By Bay City News Service

Photo by Al Francis/Napasonomaphotos.com