FAIRFAX TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE September 2, 2026
PREPARED FOR Mayor and Town Council
PREPARED BY Heather Abrams, Town Manager
SUBJECT Receive a Presentation on the Marin County Emergency Operations Plan and Coordinated Preparation for the 2026–27 El Niño Season
RECOMMENDATION
1. Receive a presentation from Marin County Office of Emergency Management Director Steven Torrence regarding the 2026 Marin County Emergency Operations Plan.
2. Receive a presentation from Assistant County Executive Chris Zapata regarding countywide El Niño storm readiness.
3. Provide direction to staff regarding any additional emergency preparedness reporting the Council wishes to receive from staff or the Citizens’ Disaster Council.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Marin County has completed a comprehensive update of its Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), and County officials are preparing for a forecasted El Niño winter. Staff has scheduled both presentations for the same meeting so that the Council and the public can understand how the Town’s preparedness efforts fit within the countywide emergency management system, and what residents and businesses can do now to prepare. No Council action is required beyond receiving the presentations and providing any direction regarding future reporting. There is no fiscal impact.
BACKGROUND
On June 5, 2024, the Council approved an updated agreement with OEM. At that time, Marin County had moved the Office of Emergency Services (OES) from the Sheriff’s Office to report to the Marin Fire Department as the Office of Emergency Management (OEM). OEM is even more proactive in working with the Marin Cities and Towns, and the approved expanded agreement reflects this. At Fairfax’s August 7, 2024 Council Meeting, the Director of OEM, Steven Torrence, presented to the Fairfax Council to describe the OEM services more fully to the public and the Council.
In late June 2026, the Marin County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) announced the completion of the County's updated Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). The plan and public summary is available to the public at MarinCounty.gov/eop. OEM Director, Steven Torrence will present the plan to Council at the September 2, 2026 meeting.
Additionally, with meteorologists preparing for El Niño conditions in the Pacific region this fall and winter, the County of Marin, and Fairfax specifically, are ramping up public awareness. County public safety officials presented their readiness strategy to the Marin County Board of Supervisors on August 18, 2026.
Assistant County Executive Chris Zapata was joined by Marin County Department of Public Works (DPW) and the Marin County Fire Department’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to outline how County departments and regional partners, such as Fairfax, plan for the forecasted El Niño season. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an El Niño pattern is when Pacific trade winds weaken and warm water is pushed toward the west coast of the Americas. The result can be significantly wetter and more extreme weather in California. Assistant County Executive Chris Zapata will present the information to Council at the September 2, 2026 meeting.
DISCUSSION
Staff recommends that the Council and community hear the presentations from OEM Director Torrence and Assistant County Executive Zapata together, as the two emergency preparedness topics naturally fit together. Bringing these presentations to the Council Meeting allows staff to describe and demonstrate the coordinated preparedness efforts taken by Town staff and regional partners such as the County of Marin. The presentations will also help residents understand what they can do to prepare and to keep themselves safe. Fairfax Police Chief Tabaranza and Public Works Director Arnold will be available for any questions regarding coordination or Fairfax-only questions during the meeting. During an emergency, if traffic control or evacuations of the Town are needed, Chief Tabaranza would lead the effort.
Infrastructure preparation, such as drainage clearing and sandbag preparation, and storm response such as clearing debris from local roads would be led by Director Arnold. The Town Manager’s role is to coordinate the work and foster communication between the Council, community, and staff of Fairfax and our regional partners, which is why these presentations were scheduled.
The Town’s Citizens’ Disaster Council met on Monday, August 24, 2026. Discussion topics included: a) results of driveway evacuation drill on June 3, 2026, b) fire fuel reduction project update from Nicole Marcucci of Ross Valley Fire Department, c) Updates from PG&E regarding the August 15 underground fire and on PG&E Public Wildfire Safety Webinar scheduled for August 26, and d) Overview of Microgrid concept and next steps from Mayor Stephanie Hellman.
During the September 2 Town Council Meeting, Council may decide whether they would like additional reports or additional Fairfax Emergency Preparedness Information from staff or the Citizens’ Disaster Council in the future.
Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)
Reflecting a commitment to strengthening preparedness and resilience throughout Marin County, OEM offered to provide a briefing to the Town Council and members of the public regarding the updated EOP and countywide disaster preparedness efforts.
The updated EOP reflects the collaborative role of Marin County, cities, towns, special districts, community-based organizations, and other partners in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from emergencies. We believe it is important that elected officials and community members understand how these coordinated efforts support the safety and well-being of our residents.
In recognition of National Preparedness Month, OEM is pleased to present to Town Council meetings during September.
Discussion topics will include:
• Overview of the newly adopted Marin County Emergency Operations Plan • How county, city, town, and special district emergency plans work together • Roles and responsibilities of local governments during emergencies • Alert and warning, public information, and community preparedness initiatives • Opportunities for residents to become more prepared for disasters • Ongoing efforts to strengthen resilience across Marin County El Niño Preparations
As described in recent public outreach, forecasters continue to refine the weather outlook and emphasize that an El Niño is not a guarantee of a single severe weather event. Rather, it increases the potential for conditions that can contribute to flooding and other impacts when combined with atmospheric rivers, king tides, high winds, saturated soils, and storm surge. At a town hall hosted by State Senator Mike McGuire, Dr. Sophia Merrifield of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography described the potential for the combination of El Niño and the timing of king tides to produce what she characterized as likely the highest sea levels ever recorded on the California coast.
Town of Fairfax and Marin County regional partners are already planning, coordinating, and training, to be as ready as possible if conditions deteriorate. The public is encouraged to do the same, prepare by taking a few simple steps now, before the winter storm season begins.
Fairfax Emergency Preparedness encourages residents and businesses to:
• Sign up for AlertMarin, the County’s primary emergency alerting system. • Review family or business emergency plans.
• Assemble or refresh emergency supply kits.
• Prepare your home or business by clearing gutters, drains, trimming vegetation, servicing pumps, etc.
The most concerning El Niño impacts often occur when multiple hazards happen simultaneously, such as a king tide event coinciding with heavy rainfall, a storm surge, and strong winds.
Some of the coordinated preparedness efforts that will be discussed include:
• A countywide readiness strategy focused on translating forecast information into practical action before storms arrive.
• Evaluation of temporary flood mitigation measures and coordinated operational planning well before the winter season begins.
• Highlighting AlertMarin’s capabilities designed to provide location-specific awareness messaging to those in areas likely to experience coastal, bay, creek, and roadway flooding. • A comprehensive series of emergency exercises involving County departments, cities, towns, first responders, public works agencies, utilities, and other Operational Area partners.
• Efforts to apply lessons learned from recent California flood events and collaboration with the National Weather Service to improve local forecasting, decision-making, and public communication.
• Preparedness resources are available on the County’s Ready Marin webpage. During storm season, emergency updates will be available on the County’s Emergency Portal as well as the County’s social media platforms.
Fairfax is taking a number of actions to prepare for storms this year, including:
• Checking and clearing major inlets to the storm water system • Managing debris in creeks
• Deploying the MSS street sweeper to clear debris on roads with curbs • Purchasing a tow-along leaf mulcher to more quickly clear debris from drainage on roads without curbs
• Completing the Park Rd storm water system upgrade and repaving project funded by ARPA • Participating in regional tabletop exercises for storm preparedness and emergency response • Planning to participate in regional practical staff level training in storm readiness and response • Ensuring communication with regional first responders • Prepositioning staff and equipment before rain begins
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with receiving these presentations.
ATTACHMENTS
None