Board to consider waiving demolition fees, containment and cleanup plans after downtown square fire

City staff updated the board on recovery steps after the recent fire on the downtown square and moved two related items toward formal action at the next regular meeting.

Public Works Director Jack Williams told the board the east-side entrance near the Senior Lopez building remains closed because a containment wall above the debris field could fail. An engineering review advised that reducing the wall to about two feet above the building’s roofline would stabilize the structure and allow safer debris removal. “We’re not going to allow anybody in that debris… no one’s allowed in his building,” Williams said, citing the risk of collapse and the need to coordinate with insurers and building owners before permit work begins.

Planning Director Gentry said planning staff would bring a resolution to waive demolition permit fees for the four building owners affected by the fire (four permits at $25 each) so that owners are not charged for filing the required demolition paperwork; the city would still keep records of the demolitions for public record and insurance purposes. The waiver resolution was moved to the regular Tuesday meeting for formal consideration.

Board members also agreed to move staff’s proposed temporary changes to the seat wall (an earlier public-works item) onto Tuesday’s agenda so the board can vote on access and public-safety measures.

Why it matters: The board is balancing rapid cleanup and pedestrian safety with record-keeping and insurance coordination. The fee waiver is procedural (small revenue impact) but intended to reduce cost burdens on affected owners while preserving records of the demolitions.