Money headed this way

There’s a whole lot of money coming in to Butte County because of the Camp Fire. That much is sure after PG&E—the utility found to have caused last year’s devastating blaze—came to financial agreements on Tuesday (June 18) with 14 public entities that had filed lawsuits. The settlements total $1 billion and include damage incurred by Northern California fires going back to 2015.

“The town of Paradise will rebuild, and this is an important step towards our recovery,” Paradise Mayor Jody Jones said in a press release. Her municipality will receive the largest share at $270 million. “On behalf of the town, we hope to receive the money as soon as possible so we can put it towards rebuilding our infrastructure and providing those necessary services for community resiliency.”

A separate statement indicated the town has yet to decide what to do with the money—which may take some time to secure, as it must first be approved in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

“The town’s financial future is critical to the recovery of our community,” the statement reads. “The town lost 90 percent of its property tax base and, virtually, all of its sales tax revenue. The settlement will help cover these losses while the town works to re-establish its revenue base.”

Also receiving funds related to the Camp Fire are Butte County ($252 million), Paradise Recreation and Park District ($47.5 million), and Yuba County ($12.5 million).

“This is an important step towards stabilizing the county so we can continue to provide key services to residents, especially as our communities recover from the Camp Fire,” County Counsel Bruce Alpert, who represented the county, said in a press release.

Nine entities will split $415 million related to 2017 and 2015 fires. They include the cities of Clear Lake, Napa and Santa Rosa; plus the counties of Lake, Mendocino, Nevada, Sonoma and Yuba (separate from the $12.5 million mentioned above). Also, the Calaveras County Water District will receive $3 million related to the 2015 Butte Fire.

The money will be disbursed as part of PG&E’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy hearing, which includes a plan of reorganization. Earlier this month, two top executives announced their departure from the utility, which came under fire in December for its lack of safety culture.

“There will be long-term impacts to the county that are unknown and unquantifiable at this time,” Alpert said. “We know this is the first step in a long process, and many more approvals have to happen before the county receives any money.”