Monday, October 26, 2026

Eaton Fire Recovery Contracts Face Two County Votes Tuesday

From left, 4th District Supervisor Janice Hahn, 1st District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, 3rd District Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger and 2nd District Supervisor Holly Mitchell. [David Franco / Board of Supervisors]

Supervisors will consider continuing emergency contracting authority for public infrastructure repairs and wildfire recovery work without standard competitive bidding procedures

Los Angeles County supervisors will vote Tuesday, Oct. 27, on whether two county departments can continue using emergency contracting powers for Eaton Fire recovery work affecting Altadena, allowing certain contracts to be awarded or extended without the usual competitive bidding process. 

The measures, listed as Items 7 and 8 on the Board of Supervisors’ agenda, would preserve authority granted to the county’s Internal Services Department and Department of Public Works following the January 2025 windstorms and wildfires. 

Both proposals require approval from at least four of the county’s five supervisors. 

The Internal Services Department measure would continue allowing its director to amend, extend or supplement existing as-needed or on-call contracts and award new contracts for qualifying emergency recovery work involving county facilities and related support services. 

The Public Works measure would maintain similar authority for emergency repairs and reconstruction of public property, buildings, facilities and infrastructure, including the procurement of necessary equipment, services and supplies. 

Both departments received emergency contracting authority under Board Order No. 13-C, issued Jan. 28, 2025. 

The proposed continuations cover recovery from the Eaton, Palisades, Hurst and Kenneth fires, along with other fires associated with the January 2025 emergency. 

For Altadena, the contracting authority is relevant to ongoing efforts to restore public infrastructure damaged by the Eaton Fire. 

According to Los Angeles County’s infrastructure recovery information, those efforts encompass roads, water supply systems, sanitary sewers and other essential public facilities. The county is also assessing community needs, coordinating infrastructure improvements and planning longer-term investments. 

The proposed contracting exceptions are governed by California Public Contract Code Section 22050, which permits public agencies to bypass ordinary competitive bidding requirements when immediate emergency action is necessary. 

The law requires supervisors to determine that emergency circumstances continue to justify the exception. It also requires periodic review and termination of emergency contracting authority when conditions permit a return to ordinary bidding procedures. 

Tuesday’s decisions would continue the departments’ existing emergency contracting powers. Neither agenda measure identifies a new, separately approved Altadena construction project or specifies a new contract amount. 

A separate proposal, Item 9, concerns terminating the local health emergency declared following the January 2025 wildfires. 

Supervisor Kathryn Barger has requested that consideration of that measure be postponed until Nov. 24. The proposed postponement concerns the health emergency declaration, not the two emergency contracting measures. 

The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to meet at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in Board Hearing Room 381B at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, 500 W. Temple St., Los Angeles. 

Residents wishing to address the Board may register beginning at 9 a.m. at publiccomment.lacounty.gov. Remote participants may call (213) 444-2600 using the telephone number provided during registration.