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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem a - Emergency DeclarationDATE: TO: FROM: January 13, 2025 Honorable Mayor and City Council Dominic Lazzaretto, City Manager By: Justine Bruno, Deputy City Manager SUBJECT: RESOLUTION NO. 7616 RATIFYING AND DECLARING THE EXISTENCE OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY FOR THE JANUARY 2025 WINDSTORM AND EATON FIRE CEQA: Not a Project Recommendation: Ratify and Adopt SUMMARY On January 7, 2025, and in the days thereafter, a significant windstorm and fire event impacted the City of Arcadia. As a result of high winds, which ranged upwards of 80-100 mph in certain areas, a series of fires erupted throughout Los Angeles County, with the Eaton Fire threatening the City of Arcadia’s urban-wildland interface. This area was previously impacted by the winter rain events of 2021 as well as the 2020 Bobcat Fire. Arcadia has suffered extensive fallen trees, vegetation damage, and debris clean-up throughout the City, as a result of the wind event. Preliminarily, fire impacts appear to be limited to a storage structure, fences, retaining walls, and ornamental vegetation in the same urban-wildland interface area of the City. A declaration of a local emergency will assist in a coordinated public safety response to this tree damage, debris and fire threat to protect lives and property of the residents of Arcadia. It is recommended that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 7616 ratifying and declaring the existence of a local emergency regarding the January 2025 Windstorm and Eaton Fire. DISCUSSION California Government Code Section 8630, et seq., and City of Arcadia Municipal Code Section 2211.2, empower the City Manager to proclaim the existence of a local emergency to protect and preserve public welfare when the City is affected or likely to be affected by an emergency. Under Government Code Section 8630(b), the Proclamation must be ratified by the City Council within seven (7) days to remain in effect. Reso. 7616 Ratifying Local Emergency Declaration January 13, 2025 Page 2 of 2 Resolution No. 7616 also provides for several delegations of authority to the City Manager to continue essential government functions regarding this emergency and to minimize any disruption to residents for the duration of the local emergency. The City Manager and several Department Directors will provide a verbal report on Arcadia’s response to the windstorm event and Eaton Fire at this City Council meeting. This update will detail a timeline of events, major efforts, and next steps in the coming weeks. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS The proposed action does not constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), per Section 15269(c) of the CEQA Guidelines, specific actions necessary to prevent or mitigate an emergency. FISCAL IMPACT The future costs of responding to the January 2025 Windstorm and Eaton Fire are unknown at this time due to evolving conditions. Local response efforts may be eligible for state or federal reimbursement as a result of the City Council’s ratification and declaration of local emergency. Additionally, future winter storms may increase the level of damage in the affected areas. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council determine this action does not constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”); and adopt Resolution No. 7616 ratifying and declaring the existence of a local emergency for the January 2025 Windstorm and Eaton Fire. Attachments: Resolution No. 7616 Proclamation of Local Emergency 1 RESOLUTION NO. 7616 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ARCADIA RATIFYING AND DECLARING THE EXISTENCE OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY FOR THE JANUARY 2025 WINDSTORM AND EATON FIRE WHEREAS, California Government Code Section 8630, et seq., and City of Arcadia Municipal Code Section 2211.2 empower the City Council to proclaim the existence of a local emergency to protect and preserve public welfare when the City is affected or likely to be affected by a public calamity; and WHEREAS, on January 7, 2025, and in the days thereafter, a significant windstorm event impacted the City of Arcadia and the broader region, with wind gusts reaching 80 – 100mph; and WHEREAS, on January 7, 2025, and in the days thereafter, a series of urban and wild land fires broke out across Los Angeles County, with the Eaton Fire impacting the La Cañada Flintridge, Altadena, Pasadena, Sierra Madre and Arcadia areas; and WHEREAS, on January 8, 2025, the City Manager, as the acting Director of Emergency Services, issued a Proclamation (“the Proclamation”) declaring a local emergency pertaining to the January 2025 Windstorm and Eaton Fire events; and WHEREAS, on January 8, 2025, the Assistant City Manager, as the acting Director of Emergency Services, issued an amended Proclamation (“the Proclamation”) declaring a local emergency pertaining to the January 2025 Windstorm and Eaton Fire events; and WHEREAS, the City Council has been requested by the City Manager, as Director of Emergency Services, to ratify the Proclamation; and WHEREAS, the significant windstorm and Eaton Fire caused the issuance of the Proclamation, and such conditions continue to constitute a threat concerning fire damage, 2 the deposit of additional debris, damaged structures, and burnt vegetation into the along the Arcadia’s urban-wildland interface and throughout the City; and WHEREAS, the City Council does hereby find that the conditions described in the Proclamation continue to support the need for the City Council to ratify and extend the Declaration of Local Emergency; and WHEREAS, a declaration of a local emergency will assist in a coordinated public safety response to this debris and mud flow emergency in order to protect lives and property of the citizens of the City; and WHEREAS, under Government Code Section 8630(b), the Proclamation must be ratified by the City Council within seven (7) days to remain in effect; and WHEREAS, the City Council desires to declare a local emergency and ratify the Proclamation. NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED by the City Council that a local emergency now exists in the City of Arcadia, as set forth in the Proclamation. IT IS HEREBY FURTHER RESOLVED AND ORDERED that the City Council ratifies the Proclamation issued by the City Manager and Assistant City Manager, as the acting Directors of Emergency Services, on January 8, 2025. IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that the City Manager, acting as the Director of Emergency Services, is hereby authorized to furnish information, to promulgate orders and regulations necessary to provide for the protection of life and property pursuant to California Government Code Section 8634, to enter into agreements and to take all actions necessary to obtain State emergency assistance to implement 3 preventive measures to protect and preserve the residents of the City within the scope of the local emergency hereby declared. IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED AND ORDERED that as authorized in Government Code Sections 8630 and Arcadia Municipal Code Section 2211, and based on the foregoing, an “emergency” as defined in Government Code Section 54956.5(a) and City of Arcadia Municipal Code Section 2211.1, and a “local emergency” as defined in Government Code Section 8558(c), hereby exist within the territorial jurisdiction of the City of Arcadia and are deemed to continue to exist until their termination is proclaimed by the City Council. IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED AND ORDERED that in accordance with the California Disaster Assistance Act and the Stafford Act, a copy of this proclamation be forwarded to the Director of California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services requesting that the Director find it acceptable in accordance with State law; that the Governor of California, pursuant to the Emergency Services Act, issue a proclamation declaring an emergency in Los Angeles County; that the Governor waive regulations that may hinder response and recovery efforts; that recovery assistance be made available under the California Disaster Assistance Act; and that the State expedite access to State and Federal resources and any other appropriate federal disaster relief programs. IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED AND ORDERED that during the existence of this local emergency, the powers, functions, and duties of the emergency organization of this City shall be those prescribed by State law, and by the ordinances and resolutions heretofore and hereafter adopted by the City Council. 4 Passed, approved and adopted this 13th day of January, 2025. ____________________________ Mayor of the City of Arcadia ATTEST: ___________________________ City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: ____________________________ Michael J. Maurer City Attorney PROCLAMATION OF LOCAL EMERGENCY WHEREAS, City of Arcadia Municipal Code Section 2211.1, et seq. empowers the Director of Emergency Services to proclaim the existence or threatened existence of a local emergency when the City is affected or likely to be affected by a public calamity and the City Council is not in session; and WHEREAS, on January 7, 2025, and continuing, a significant windstorm and wildfire event impacted the City of Arcadia, causing significant structural damage to homes and businesses, property damage, and street and sidewalk debris, impacting all of the City; and WHEREAS, hundreds of trees, signage, traffic lights, and structures were damaged and displaced, requiring immediate repair and clearance for emergency access and evacuations; and WHEREAS, as a result of the event, hundreds of residents were evacuated due to wildfire risk, threat to structures, extensive power loss and live wires, all of which are projected to continue for several more days; and WHEREAS, the Director of Emergency Services of the City of Arcadia does hereby find that the windstorm and wildfire events, and the foregoing conditions, constitute an extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the City of Arcadia, and an extreme financial and service burden on the City due to all the foregoing conditions; and WHEREAS, these conditions are or are likely to be beyond the control and the current capacity of the City of Arcadia to provide services, personnel, equipment, and facilities to address this emergency; WHEREAS, on January 7, 2025, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency to make additional resources available, formalize emergency actions already underway across multiple state agencies and departments, and help the state with ongoing responses to the recent events; and NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY PROCLAIMED, that a local emergency now exists in the City of Arcadia; and IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that during the existence of said local emergency the powers, functions, and duties of the emergency organization of the City of Arcadia shall be those prescribed by State law, and by ordinance and by resolutions of the City of Arcadia; and that this emergency proclamation shall expire 7 days after issuance unless confirmed and ratified by the governing body of the City of Arcadia; and IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that in accordance with the California Disaster Assistance Act and the Stafford Act, a copy of this proclamation be forwarded to the Director of California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services requesting that the Director find it acceptable in accordance with State law; that the Governor of California, pursuant to the Emergency Services Act, issue a proclamation declaring an emergency in Los Angeles County; that the Governor waive regulations that may hinder response and recovery efforts; that recovery assistance be made available under the California Disaster Assistance Act; and that the State expedite access to State and Federal resources and any other appropriate federal disaster relief programs. Dated: __________________ By: __________________________________ Director of Emergency Services Printed Name: __________________________ Address: ______________________________