AGENDA
CORCORAN CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL MEETING
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
1015 CHITTENDEN AVENUE
March 22, 2023, 4:00 P.M.
ROLL CALL Mayor: Jeanette Zamora-Bragg
Vice Mayor: Patricia Nolen
Council Member: Greg Ojeda
Council Member: Sidonio "Sid" Palmerin
Council Member: Jerry Robertson
2. STAFF REPORT
2-A. Ratification of proclamation of local emergency (Shortnacy) (VV)
3. COUNCIL DISCUSSION AND COMMENTS
PUBLIC COMMENT
5. ADJOURNMENT
I certify that I caused this agenda of the Corcoran City Council meeting to be posted at the City Council Chambers, 1015 Chittenden Avenue on March 21, 2023.
NOTICE AND CALL OF
SPECIAL MEETING
OF THE CORCORAN CITY COUNCIL
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CORCORAN:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a special meeting of the City Council of the City of Corcoran is hereby called to be held on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, commencing at 4:00 P.M. at the City Council Chambers, 1015 Chittenden Ave.
Said special meeting shall be for the purpose ratifying the local emergency proclamation. /sl
DATED: March 21, 2023
Jeanette Zamora-Bragg, Mayor
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a special meeting of the City Council of the City of Corcoran will be held on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, at 4:00 PM.
DATED: March 21, 2023
City of
CORCORAN
FOUNDED 1914
A MUNICIPAL CORPORATION
March 20, 2023
STAFF REPORT
ITEM#: 2-A
To: Corcoran City Council
From: Reuben P. Shortnacy, Chief of Police
Director of Emergency Services
Subject: Ratification of proclamation of local emergency RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council ratify the proclamation of a local emergency due to flood conditions in Kings County that threaten flooding to the City of Corcoran.
DISCUSSION:
The California Emergency Services Act, Government Code section 8550, et seq., authorizes the Council to proclaim local emergencies based on the "existence of conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to safety of persons and property" caused by flood (Gov. Code, § 8558, subd (c). On March 18, 2023, the City's Director of Emergency Services proclaimed a local emergency due to flood conditions, pursuant to Government Code section 8630, subdivision (a), which states that a proclamation by the Director of Emergency Services must be ratified within seven days by the Council.
Rains have continued unabated since January throughout Central California, and large amounts of snow have accumulated in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the watersheds of the Kings River, the Kaweah River, the Tule River, Cross Creek and Deer Creek, resulting in flood releases from Pine Flat Dam, Terminus Dam, and Success Dam and uncontrolled flood flows in these and other local streams, on both the east and west sides of the Valley. Water has already accumulated on the south and east side of Corcoran and has caused several road closures to and from Corcoran.
The threat of conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property have arisen within the City of Corcoran caused by excessive precipitation and flooding, and local resources are insufficient to address the situation effectively.
BUDGET:
The declaration of a local emergency will help in making resources available and may provide some financial and administrative relief to help local businesses and government agencies in addressing the problems associated with flood risk.
City Offices:
832 Whitley Avenue *Corcoran, CA 93212 Phone 559.992.2151 *www.cityofcorcoran.com Proclamation 23-01
A PROCLAMATION BY THE DIRECTOR OF
EMERGENCY SERVICES PROCLAIMING
THE EXISTENCE OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY
PURUSANT TO CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT
CODE §8550 et seq.
WHEREAS, Government Code Section 8630 and Chapter 4 of the Corcoran Municipal earliest practical time, except where different timelines are otherwise lawfully prescribed or allowed;
WHEREAS. Chapter 4 of the Corcoran Municipal Code of Ordinances allows for a local emergency to be declared and defines emergency to include the actual or threatened existence of conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within Corcoran caused by conditions which include, but are not limited to flood, storm, epidemic, earthquake, or other conditions which are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of this city, requiring the combined forces of other political subdivisions to combat; WHEREAS, Government Code Section 8680.3 defines "disaster" as "a fire, flood, storm. tidal wave, earthquake, terrorism, epidemic, or other similar public calamity that the Governor determines presents a threat to public safety":
WHEREAS, the Governor declared a State of Emergency throughout California related to the series of atmospheric river systems impacting California on January 4, 2023; WHEREAS. President Joe Biden through the Department of Homeland Security issued a Notice of Emergency Declaration on January 9, 2023 covering areas in the State of California and on January II, 2023 issued Amendment No. 2 to that that Notice to include Kings County;
WHEREAS, the Governor again declared a State of Emergency on March 1, 2023, lue to conditions of extreme peril to the safety of person and property due to the impacts of storms across California beginning late February 2023;
WHEREAS, recent atmospheric river storms have brought significant amounts of runoff and flooding to Corcoran. surrounding agricultural lands, and throughout California in a short
Proclamation 23-01
period of time, causing an imminent threat of mass flooding and flood related disaster to Corcoran and throughout Kings County: and
WHEREAS, with the impending large amounts of snow accumulated in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and destined for the watersheds of the Kings River, the Kaweah River, the Tule River and Cross Creek, the City anticipates more flood releases from Pine Flat Dam, Terminus Dam and Success Dam and uncontrolled flood flows in Tule River, Dry Creek, Cross Creek and other local streams, on both the east and west sides of the Valley; WHEREAS, these conditions constitute an extreme peril to the health, safety and welfare of persons in Corcoran, and such conditions are beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of this City, therefore, necessitating this Proclamation of the existence of a local emergency;
WHEREAS, City's local resources are inadequate to respond to the imminent threat, and the resources of multiple political subdivisions of the State of California are required to respond to these conditions; and
WHEREAS, the Corcoran City Council is not in session, and cannot immediately be called into session.
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY PROCLAIMED by the Corcoran Director of Emergency Services that conditions of disaster and extreme peril to the safety of persons and property have arisen within the City of Corcoran and County of Kings caused by the large amounts of snow accumulated in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, precipitation from atmospheric river storms and imminent threat of flooding the City is experiencing as a result, and, therefore, a local emergency now exists in the City of Corcoran.
IT IS FURTHER REQUESTED by the Corcoran Director of Emergency Services that the State of California waive any regulations that may hinder response and recovery efforts and to make available recovery assistance under the California Disaster Assistance Act.
This Emergency Proclamation is issued pursuant to the Emergency Services Act. commencing with Goverment Code §8550.
This Proclamation shall be reviewed and ratified by the Corcoran City Council within 7 days, or it shall have no further force or effect. This Proclamation shall take effect immediately.
Proclamation 23-01
It is so ordered and declared this 18th day of March. 2023 Reuben/P. Shortnacy, Chief of Police
Director of Emergency Services
City of Corcoran