Camarillo City Council
AGENDA REPORT
Date: November 13, 2024
To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: Greg Ramirez, City Manager / EOC Director
Subject: Proclamation of Local Emergency
BACKGROUND
California Government Code section 8630 and Camarillo Municipal City Code (CMC) Chapter 2.32 empower the City Manager, acting as the EOC Director, to proclaim the existence or threatened existence of a local emergency when conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of persons and property exist within the territorial boundaries of the City, and the City Council is not in session. On November 7, 2024, the EOC Director proclaimed that a local emergency existed within the City due to what is now referred to as Mountain Fire. Under CMC Chapter 2.32, the EOC Director may declare a state of local emergency for seven (7) days. After that, it must be ratified by the City Council.
On Wednesday November 6, 2024, a fast-moving brush fire broke out in the Somis area, just west of Balcom Canyon Road. The intense Santa Ana wind event already in progress quickly spread the fire south and west across Hwy 118 and into the Camarillo Heights area. Mandatory evacuation orders we in place in parts of Camarillo and surrounding Ventura County areas and the fire had spread to over 14,000 acres and efforts were undertaken as further described in the attached Proclamation.
DISCUSSION
Since EOC Director proclaimed a Local Emergency, the fire has grown to over 20,000 acres and numerous structures have been destroyed and damaged. On November 7, 2024, Governor Newson declared a State of Emergency for Ventura County to enable the County to deploy all available resources, actions and measures deemed necessary to ensure the safety of the residents, property and infrastructure. The Governor’s State of Emergency provides in part that the Office of Emergency Services shall provide assistance to local governments, if appropriate, under the authority of the California Disaster Assistance Act, Government Code section 8680 et seq., and California Code of Regulations, Title 19, section 2900 et seq.
The Mountain Fire’s impacts are beyond the control of local resources, services,
Proclamation of Local Emergency
November 13, 2024
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personnel, equipment, and facilities, and these conditions warrant and necessitate the ratification of the Proclamation of a Local Emergency.
FISCAL IMPACT
No fiscal impact to adopting the Resolution ratifying the Proclamation of Local Emergency.
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a resolution of the City Council of the City of Camarillo, California, proclaiming and affirming the existence of a Local Emergency, and confirming and ratifying Proclamation by City’s EOC Director of the Existence of a Local Emergency, in response to the Mountain Fire.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution - Ratification of Proclamation of Local Emergency
2. Governor Newson’s Proclamation of a State of Emergency REFERENCE MATERIALS – AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW AT CITY HALL None.