Government agencies rev up efforts for quake rebound: tallies rise for damage to structures and economy.

The damage toll from the Jan. 17 Northridge earthquake continued to rise last week, as building inspectors decided thousands more structures were at least partially uninhabitable.

And more evidence made its way into the news that the quake would mean additional damage to Southern California's already shaky economy -- at least over the next few months.

By mid-week, Los Angeles County's estimate on the number of buildings damaged or destroyed countywide had grown 10 times to 22,000 -- at an estimated repair cost of $1.4 billion.

Estimates on the cost to repair damage to the transportation system and provide interim transit service in the Southland also were updated to a figure of more than $2 billion. Gov. Pete Wilson's office was sticking by its estimate of total quake damage of $30 billion.

On the good news front, President Bill Clinton announced that the federal government would waive a requirement that local governments in Southern California match federal grants to the tune of 25 percent in most instances.

Under the waiver, local governments will only have to pay 10 percent of the cost of most public repairs to government facilities and roadways. And Clinton asked Congress for an aid package of $6.6 billion. Combined with $900 million previously committed, Clinton's request totaled $7.5 billion.

Some of the local government matching funds may come from a $1.3-billion earthquake funding plan announced last week by state Treasurer Kathleen Brown.

Speaking in Northridge on Jan. 25, Brown proposed tapping into earthquake bond funds, approved for sale by voters in 1990 after the Loma Prieta earthquake.

To repair school buildings, Brown suggested providing loans from the state's $24 billion Pooled Money Investment Board. The loans could be repaid through school district bond sales.

Brown also suggested tapping into $74 million in school bonds that have been reserved by the State Allocation Board but remain unsold.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau released a report last week projecting that the earthquake would cost the local tourism industry $308 million in lost revenue, which translates into the temporary loss of 9,240 jobs over the next few months.

Trucking firms raised shipping prices by as much as 53 percent, due to the cost of traffic delays.

And Dun & Bradstreet released a survey showing that more than a third of California's manufacturers are situated within 40 miles of the earthquake's epicenter, that more than half of those firms were under financial strain before the quake, and that 200,000 manufacturing jobs are at firms within 20 miles of the epicenter.

Linda Bohlinger, finance director for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, told the MTA board last week that the governor's task force on transportation relief expects to receive $1.31 billion in federal highway funds to fix broken freeways, and $515 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to pay for increases in mass transit service and repairs to local roads, for a total of $1.9 billion in federal aid. FEMA began to prepare road damage survey reports Jan. 26.

In order to pay the state's share of repair costs, Gov. Pete Wilson and the Legislature are considering using half-cent sales tax revenue or gasoline tax money, Bohlinger said. The task force, she added, advocates the sales tax, since the funds it generates are more flexible.

The MTA board placed an item on its meeting agenda for February to reduce Metrolink fares for 30 to 60 days to allow greater access to the commuter train service. The idea has already been approved by the Southern California Regional Rail Authority, which governs Metrolink.

Activist John Walsh suggested the MTA should also reduce bus fares during the crisis, to be fair to poor, inner-city residents.

State Controller Gray Davis and Los Angeles County Assessor Ken Hahn last week made announcements about tax relief for the owners of earthquake-damaged property.

Hahn urged property owners to request reappraisals of their property, explaining that property qualifies for tax relief if the earthquake damage to the structure exceeds $5,000. The property owners also may apply for a property tax deferral, Hahn said.

Davis advised earthquake victims that property damage losses can be deducted from personal income and corporate income on their tax returns.

The Franchise Tax Board said it would waive late payment penalties for earthquake victims on a case-by-case basis and would delay billings for overdue taxes in the disaster area.

Several pieces of state and local legislation were introduced related to the earthquake.

At the state level, the measures included:

* a bill to waive the one-week waiting period for unemployment insurance for people who lost their jobs because of the quake;

* a bill that would allow taxpayers to deduct 100 percent of earthquake-related losses for five years from their income taxes;

* a bill under which the state would foot the entire matching funds requirement necessary to obtain federal aid;

* a bill to reimburse counties for the cost of lowering property tax bills through reassessment and tax deferrals.

Los Angeles City Council motions included:

* a measure requiring the Department of Water and Power to provide bill relief to utility customers whose dwellings were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable (approved by council).

* a suspension of parking restrictions for 30 days in the Warner Center business district, where parking structures were severely damaged, and near disaster application centers (approved by council).

* a motion to waive permit fees related to the installation of fire hydrants, arts projects, and demolition work (approved by council, with other building permit fee waivers referred to the new Ad Hoc Committee on Earthquake Recovery).

* a proposal to grant quake victims relief from sewer service charges and hook-up fees (referred to the Ad Hoc Committee).

* a motion to have the Department of Building and Safety and the Fire Department review the city's building codes and recommend any needed changes and reinforcements to damaged structures.

The City of Culver City announced that it had set up programs to help quake victims there apply for grants to pay for repairs not covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency or by insurance.

Grants of $2,000 are available for families suffering damage to roofs, ceilings, windows, utilities, water heaters, toilets, plumbing or chimneys, and grants of $2,500 for business property owners and tenants in certain redevelopment project areas. These grants are available on a reimbursement/invoice basis. The city also announced that grants were available to pay for uncovered repairs to homes exceeding $2,000 and for repairs to commercial properties that exceed $2,500.