Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced on Feb. 8 that her appointed chief recovery officer will work for free to help rebuild the community affected by the deadly Palisades Fire, after public outcry from elected officials and residents over plans to pay him $500,000.
Bass has announced a flurry of appointments and contracts as the city recovers from the fire, including the appointment of former Pacific Palisades community leader Steve Soboroff as the recovery czar on Jan. 17. Soboroff, 76, raised his family in the Pacific Palisades area, where 7,000 homes were destroyed in the Palisades Fire that started Jan. 7.
