Joint Special Council/BFPD
08/19/25 06:00:PM
City Manager Department
Rochelle Clayton
Resolution
Doc ID: 6094
FIRE AGENDA ITEM
AGENDA MATTER:
ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BARSTOW RATIFYING THE CITY MANAGER/DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY SERVICES’ PROCLAMATION OF EXISTENCE
OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY DUE TO A SEWER MAIN LINE BREAK AND CONCLUDING THE LOCAL
EMERGENCY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Due to a sewer line break on a line serving Barstow High School, staff recommends the City Council Adopt a Resolution (1) ratifying the City Manager/Director of Emergency Services’ Proclamation of the Existence of a Local Emergency due to a sewer main line break and (2) concluding the local emergency.
DISCUSSION:
Section 2.16.050 of the Barstow Municipal Code empowers the Director of Emergency Services/City Manager to proclaim a local emergency if the City Council is not in session and requires that the City Council shall take action to ratify the proclamation within seven days thereafter.
Acting under this authority, the City Manager/Director of Emergency Services proclaimed the existence of a local emergency on August 1, 2025 due to a sewer line break on a line serving Barstow High School, a critical public safety and instructional facility, caused by a sudden and unexpected intrusion into the City’s sewer line by another utility, Golden State Water Company (“GSW”), requiring immediate repair to ensure to ensure safe sewer services are available to the students, faculty, staff, and community members who rely on Barstow High school. The emergency was caused by GSW’s 8-inch main line encroaching the City’s 8-inch clay pipe main line on Art Davis Way and First Street.
Further acting under this authority, the City Manager/ Director of Emergency Services entered into an agreement for emergency sewer line repairs (the “Sewer Line Repair Agreement”) for a total of $9,587.95 to address the sewer line repair break. The repairs were within the City Manager’s authority to approve with a negotiated contract per the Barstow Municipal Code and Barstow Purchasing Policy.
City staff ordered a temporary patch repair immediately to ensure continued public health and safety for students, faculty, staff, and community members at the Barstow High School. It was determined that a permanent fix will only be possible once GSW has relocated its utility line. Therefore, the circumstances constituting the emergency have been addressed and the City may deem the local emergency concluded.
The City will enter into a formal bidding process to do a more permanent repair once the GSW utility water line has been moved.
The City Manager/Director of Emergency Services recommends that the City Council adopt the attached resolution to confirm and ratify this declaration of a local emergency, approve the emergency sewer line repair agreement, and declare the emergency concluded.
Joint Special Council/BFPD
08/19/25 06:00:PM
City Manager Department
Rochelle Clayton
Resolution
Doc ID: 6094
FIRE AGENDA ITEM
CEQA/ ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:
The adoption of this resolution is not subject the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it does not constitute a “project” in accordance with CEQA Guidelines (Cal. Code Regs., Title 14, § 15000, et seq.) section 15378(b)(4) and (5). Furthermore, even if it is considered a “project,” the common sense exemption under section 15061(b)(3) would apply because there is no potential that adoption of this ordinance will have a significant effect on the environment. Additionally, these emergency sewer line repairs are exempt from CEQA review under CEQA Guidelines section 15301 as repairs to existing facilities.
Attachment 1 - Resolution Confirming local emergency declaration due to Barstow High School sewer line break.
Attachment 2 - August 2025 Sewer Break Proclamation of Emergency - Executed. Attachment 3 - Campus Way Emergency Sewer Line Repair.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The cost of these emergency sewer repairs can be accommodated within the City’s existing contingency budget for the wastewater enterprise system. As directed in the proposed Resolution, staff recommends the City Council direct the City Manager and City Attorney to pursue full cost recovery for these repairs from Golden State Water Company and any other responsible parties who caused the sewer line break.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Adopt a Resolution (1) ratifying and Confirming the Proclamation of the Existence of a Local Emergency, (2) declaring that the local emergency has concluded.