Rancho Palos Verdes mayor discusses the governer's state of emergency declaration for the city

PLATE TO DEAL WITH. >> THAT'S ALMOST AN UNDERSTATEMENT. JOINING US NOW, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL PROVIDING INFORMATION TO THE COMMUNITY AND IT'S NOT EASY. THE STATE OF EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION, YOU WILL BE GETTING MORE MONEY IN YOUR COMMUNITY. HOW WILL BE USED? >> WE APPRECIATE THE STATE OF EMERGENCY. THE MONEY WOULD BE ALLOCATED TO THE STATE OF EMERGENCY FOR PUBLIC ENTITIES. IT'S NOT FOR INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS YET. YESTERDAY WE HAD EMERGENCY MEETING. WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO URGE THE GOVERNOR TO OPEN UP FOR INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS. THEY ARE THE ONES THAT WILL HAVE TO MAKE THE CONVERSION. THEY LOST GAS AND POWER AND THEY NEED TO BE OFF GRID AND CONVERT APPLIANCES TO BE OFF GRID SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S A GREAT FIRST STEP IN REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR DO MORE FOR INDIVIDUAL RESI RESIDENTS. >> AN EVEN BIGGER FRUSTRATION FOR HOME OWNERS. WE ARE HEARING SO MANY STORIES HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT UNTIL YOU HEAR THE PERSONAL STORIES, I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU FULLY UNDERSTOOD THE DEPTH OF THE ISSUE. SOME OWNERS, TENS OF THOUSANDS OR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS WILL HAVE TO SHORE UP THEIR PROPERTY. WHERE IS THIS MONEY GOING TO COME FROM OR HOW DO YOU FIGHT THIS ISSUE? >> AS YOU ARE PROBABLY AWARE, THERE'S NO LANDSLIDE INSURANCE SO NO INSURANCE MONEY COMING FOR THESE HOMEOWNERS SO I CAN IMAGINE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE ARE PROBABLY IN THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. EVEN THE CONVERSION OF ENERGY FROM GAS AND OVERHEAD ELECTRIC APPLIANCE MORE THAN OFF GRID SOLUTION, PROBABLY 50 DOING HUNDRED THOUSAND THEIR FAMILIES SO WE ARE TALKING BIG DOLLARS RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE COMMITMENTS FROM COUNTY SUPERVISOR JANICE HAHN AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FROM FEMA FOR PROJECTS BUT MUCH OF THE MONEY IS NOT GOING TO THE INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS OF THE CITY WAS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PICK UP THE TAB AND SUBMIT THAT AS PART OF THE STATE OF EMERGENCY. >> WHAT ABOUT THE ISSUE OF SQUATTERS IN THE HOMES THAT ARE VACANT RIGHT NOW? IS THE CITY DOING ANYTHING TO PROTECT HOMES FROM BURGLARS? >> IT'S UNFORTUNATE WE ALWAYS HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE CRIMINALS AND LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THIS. WHEN PEOPLE HAVE TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES, THEY CAN HOMES OUT THERE. WE WORK THROUGH LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S, THEY ARE THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS AND ALWAYS HAVE BEEN. WE INCREASED PATROLS WITH OUR SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT BLACK COMMUNITY SPECIFICALLY. OF COURSE OUR RESIDENTS ARE VIGILANT AS WELL BUT WE HAVE INCREASED PATROLS WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. >> WE ARE TALKING POWER AND MULTIPLE ISSUES, ARE YOU HELPING HOMEOWNERS GET GENERATORS? >> IMMEDIATE NEEDS ARE GENERATORS AS YOU MENTIONED. MORE THAN A COUPLE HUNDRED HOMES LOST THEIR ELECTRIC POWER FROM OVERHEAD POWER LINES AND THAT IS INDEFINITE SO UNTIL THEY FEEL IT IS SAFE AGAIN TO RE-ENERGIZE THE POLLS, THEY WILL NOT BE DOING SO, SO WE HAVE TO ASSUME THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS TOMORROW OR EVEN NEXT MONTH SO OUR GOAL IS TO GET PEOPLE ON GENERATORS SO THEY CAN STAY IN THEIR HOMES TO LOOK FOR MORE SUSTAINABLE ABSOLUTION LIKE BATTERIES AND SOLAR AND OTHER OFF GRID TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLE. WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF PRIVATE COMPANIES INCLUDING TESLA READY TO HELP US WITH THESE OFF GRID SOLUTIONS. >> WE HEARD FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE ELDERLY ON A FIXED INCOME, A PERCEPTION EVERYONE HAS MONEY CAN AFFORD TO HANDLE THIS BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE. SOME SAY THEY WON'T LEAVE. HOW DO YOU PLAN TO HANDLE THAT? >> AT LEAST 25% OF OUR POPULATION ARE SENIOR CITIZENS AND ANOTHER FACTOR YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT BUT THERE ARE FAMILIES WITH YOUNG KIDS AS WELL SO ALL AGE GROUPS PEOPLE ARE BEING AFFECTED. FOR SOME, THIS IS THERE LIFE SAVINGS AND EVERYTHING THEY HAVE SO WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO GO? UNLESS THEY ARE ISSUED AN EVACUATION, THEY CAN'T GO BACK TO THEIR INSURANCE TO BE REIMBURSED BECAUSE HOTEL STAYS ARE PRETTY PRICEY AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS SO WE ARE TELLING PEOPLE IF YOU CAN STAY IN YOUR HOME AND YOU BELIEVE YOUR HOME IS SAFE THEN TRIED TO STAY THERE AND COME TO THE CITY FOR RESOURCES BUT WE ARE THERE TO HELP THEM. >> I'VE HAD PEOPLE ASK ME, WE KNOW THIS IS AN ONGOING SITUATION FOR DECADES NOW. OBVIOUSLY THE REINS THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAVE SPENT SOME OF THIS UP BUT WHY WERE DEVELOPERS ALLOWED TO CONTINUE BUILDING IN THIS AREA IF WE KNEW THIS WOULD BE A POTENTIAL PROBLEM AND EVENTUALLY GET TO THIS STAGE? HOW HAS IT BEEN ALLOWED TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING? >> A LOT OF THESE HOMES WERE THERE BEFORE THE LANDSLIDE WAS ACTIVATED IN 1956. THOSE HOMES ALL THE HAVE BEEN MOVING FIVE TO 7 FEET A YEAR SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF, THE HOMES ARE ALL ON TOP OF SHIPPING CONTAINERS OR DIFFERENT FOUNDATIONS THAT CAN BE JACKED UP SO HOMES COULD STAY LEVEL. THIS IS JUST THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WITH FROM FROM FIVE TO 7-FOOT MOVEMENT TO 50-FOOT MOVEMENT FIGURE AND THE AMOUNT OF RAIN SO THERE ARE OTHER HOMES DEVELOPED, THE CITY TRIED TO NOT ALLOW THEM TO BE DEVELOPED IN REGARDS TO PROPERTY RIGHTS AND OTHER AREAS HAVEN'T HAD ANY MOVEMENT FOR DECADES AND THAT IS THE ONE YOU ARE SHOWING ON THE SCREEN, THE RED TAGGED HOMES, AN AREA THAT WAS PICKED UP BY THE INITIAL REINS AND THEY WERE NOT PREPARED FOR THE SETTLE.