EAST PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
STAFF REPORT
DATE: January 17, 2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Patrick Heisinger, Interim City Manager
BY: Patrick Heisinger, Director of Emergency Services/Interim CityManager Humza Javed, Public Works Director
Greg Henry, Senior Management Analyst
SUBJECT: Status of Local Emergency
Recommendation
Hear and file this report on the status and City response to the storms beginning December 31, 2022.
This recommendation is primarily aligned with:
Priority No. 1: Enhance Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Priority No. 4: Improve Public Facilities and Infrastructure Priority No. 5: Improve Communication and Enhance Community Engagement Priority No. 6: Create a Healthy and Safe Community
Background and Analysis
Beginning December 31, 2023 there was record rainfall. The result of the rain early was ponding on the west side of the City. However, as the storm stalled over the Peninsula, flow rates through the San Francisquito Creek because of focus of emergency response concerns.
Ponding continued throughout the next day, spread over more the City.
There was a letup in the rain between January 1st and January 5th which allowed the City to respond to initial storm and prepare for the storm on the 5th. The City’s primary activity between the storms was debris removal and sandbagging efforts.
The City hired Tou-Bar construction and Badger Daylight Corporation to support debris removal efforts. The one focus of those efforts was debris in the San Francisquito Creek and in particular under the bridge. Over 30 tons of debris were removed from the Creek. A second focus was the removal of mud from the Runnymede Channel and storm drains citywide. Over 10 tons of mud was removed.
The City maintained two sandbag sites for residents to fill sandbags. The City hired the San Jose Conservation Corps to support staff and volunteer efforts filling and deploying sandbags.
The City has deployed between nine and ten thousand sandbags and 200 tons of sand.
On January 4, 2023 the City Manager activated the Virtual Emergency Operations Center (VEOC) and directed the Police Department to active their onsite Emergency Operations Center. The VEOC allowed staff across all departments and in particular Police and Public Works staff to coordinate their efforts. One particular benefit was the ability of staff remotely answering the City main telephone line to pass information back to those in the field to respond quickly to residents who noticed storm effects such as ponding.
The VEOC also allowed City staff to coordinate with Menlo Fire, San Francisquito Creek Joint Power Authority sharing information directly. Staff also coordinated significantly with staff from Palo Alto and Menlo Park to direct efforts on the Creek.
On January 5, 2023, the City Manager in his role as Director of Emergency Services, issued a proclamation of local emergency (Attachment 1) in East Palo Alto due to the damage and impacts resulting from the extreme and unprecedented levels of rainfall and associated severe weather.
Under Chapter 2.76 of the East Palo Alto Municipal Code, a proclamation of local emergency declared by the Director of Emergency Services shall remain in effect for no more than seven days unless it is ratified and extended by the City Council.
On January 6, 2023 the City Council ratified and extended the proclamation.
Beginning the evening of January 8th and continuing through the morning of January 9th, there was substantial rainfall continuing the ongoing local state of emergency and further impacting the residents of East Palo Alto. Staff reactivated the VEOC to ensure a coordinated response as they continued to monitor the storm. Luckily, while the Creek rose, it did not hit the peeks of the 31st and there was a limited impact on the City.
Staff will provide more information to the City Council and the community during the Council’s meeting on January 17, 2023.
Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact with this report. The City has identified approximately $100,000 in direct response expenses associated with the storm in its preliminary damage assessment submitted to the County. This cost does not include any administrative staff time (such as staffing the Emergency Operations Center) or Police response to the storm.
Public Notice
The public was provided notice of this agenda item by posting the City Council agenda on the City’s official bulletin board outside City Hall and making the agenda and report available at the City’s website and at the San Mateo Co. Library located at 2415 University Avenue, East Palo Alto.
Environmental
The action being considered does not constitute a “Project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to CEQA Guideline section 15378 (b)(5), in that it is a government administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.