City Council of Monterey Park
The City Council Acting on Behalf of the Successor Agency of the Former Redevelopment Agency, the Housing Authority, the Monterey Park Financing Authority and the Monterey Park Geologic Hazard Abatement District Agenda
Special Meeting - Amended to add staff report to Item No. 5A George Elder Park - Community Room
1950 Wilcox Ave., Monterey Park, CA 91754
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
5:45 PM
Mission Statement
The mission of the City of Monterey Park is to provide excellent service, foster growth and opportunity, and create a joyous and collaborative environment.
Land Acknowledgment
We would like to acknowledge that the land we inhabit today was once known as Tovangaar, the home of the Gabrieleño-Tongva people. We show our respect to the Gabrieleño-Tongva people, as well as all Indigenous people, past, present, and future, and honor their labor as original caretakers of this land. We commit to uplifting the Gabrieleño-Tongva people, invite you to acknowledge the history, and join us in caring for this land.
General Information
Documents related to an Agenda item are available to the public in the City Clerk’s Office located at 320 West Newmark Avenue, Monterey Park, CA 91754, during normal business hours and at wwww.montereypark.ca.gov/agendas.
Per the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please email City Hall at [email protected] or call (626) 307-1359 for reasonable accommodation at least 8 hours before a meeting. Interpretation requests are not guaranteed and are dependent on availability. Requester will be notified of availability. Council Chambers are wheelchair accessible.
Pursuant to Government Code § 54954.3(a), the public may address the City Council only on matters listed on this Agenda. No other public comment will be accepted. Pursuant to Rule 5 of Resolution No. 12226 (adopted February 17, 2021), speakers are limited to a total of five minutes for Public Comment.
If desirable, the Mayor and City Council may change the amount of time allowed for speakers. Written Communication will be accepted up to 3 hours before the meeting by completing an online form at www.montereypark.ca.gov/writtencomm.
The City Council will recess into Closed Session following public comment and the Open Session items, if any. Public participation is not allowed during Closed Session.
1. Call to Order
Mayor
2. Roll Call
Henry Lo, Vinh Ngo, Jose Sanchez, Thomas Wong, Elizabeth Yang
3. Telecommunications Announcement, if requested
4. Public Comments
5. Open Session
5.A. Declaration of Emergency: Los Palos Incident
Consideration and possible action to adopt a Resolution declaring a Local Emergency resulting from the Los Palos Incident (Boyle Heights Commercial Building Fire) identified on June 17, 2026
It is recommended that the City Council consider:
1. Adopting a resolution declaring a Local emergency resulting from the Los Palos Incident (Boyle Heights Commercial Building Fire) identified on or about June 17, 2026; and
2. Taking such additional, related action that may be desirable.
6. Adjournment
City Council Staff Report
Date: June 23, 2026
Agenda Item Number: 5.A.
To: The Honorable Mayor and City Council
From: Inez Alvarez, City Manager
Jason Hing, Fire Chief
Subject: Declaration of Emergency: Los Palos Incident Consideration and possible action to adopt a Resolution declaring a Local Emergency resulting from the Los Palos Incident (Boyle Heights Commercial Building Fire) identified on June 17, 2026
Recommendation:
It is recommended that the City Council consider:
1. Adopting a resolution declaring a Local emergency resulting from the Los Palos Incident (Boyle Heights Commercial Building Fire) identified on or about June 17, 2026; and
2. Taking such additional, related action that may be desirable.
CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act):
The Resolution and the actions anticipated by the Resolution were reviewed pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (Public Resources Code §§ 21000, et seq., “CEQA”) and the regulations promulgated thereunder (14 Cal. Code of Regulations §§15000, et seq., the “CEQA Guidelines”). Based upon that review, the proposed action is exempt from further review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines § 15269(a) because the protection of public and private property is necessary to maintain service essential to the public, health and welfare.1
Executive Summary:
On June 17, 2026, the Los Palos Incident, a fire at a Boyle Heights commercial refrigeration building located at 1400 S. Los Palos St. broke out at 2:35 PM impacting a cold storage facility operated by Lineage Logistics. Fire began impacting the facility that involved complex refrigeration systems, rooftop solar panel infrastructure and other industrial equipment that created a complex and hazardous firefighting operation including impacting refrigeration systems that began off-gassing ammonia, and prompted the City of Los Angeles Fire Department to order people nearby to shelter in place for several hours, due to a risk of exposure to hazardous materials. Additionally, smoke advisories have been issued for surrounding cities and the greater Los Angeles region. Subsequently, a South Coast Air
Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Air Quality Advisory was issued across Los Angeles County.
Locally, the Los Palos Incident prompted immediate need within the City to provide personal protection equipment (PPE) to persons with comprised immunities; asthma; and other afflictions related to airborne particulates. The City has already dispensed 3,000 N-95 masks to residents and is preparing for additional responses to the Incident. To help facilitate the City’s actions, it is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution declaring a local emergency regarding the recent Los Palos Incident to protect public health, safety, and general welfare.
Background:
The Los Palos Incident has affected the Greater Los Angeles Region. This fire is expected to continue for the next several days or weeks; an exact termination date is speculative.
Consequently, it is in the public interest for the City Council to consider declaring a local emergency on June 23, 2026. This action is desirable for several different reasons including, without limitation, the following:
• The City expended public resources (personnel, equipment, gas, etc.) while assisting neighboring jurisdictions during this emergency. It is in the public interest for the City to seek reimbursement from federal and state agencies for these costs.
• The circumstances of the Local Emergency prompted the City Manager, in consultation with the Fire Chief, to identify various methods to reduce the immediate threat of poor air quality concerns by utilizing City facilities as temporary relief centers for individuals seeking air conditioned facilities with improved air quality; distributing N-95 mask to residents; and cancelling outdoor recreational activities, programs and events due to poor air quality.
• Response efforts to the fire and post fire hazards are ongoing and likely to continue for a significant time, the fire continues to generate a substantial smoke plume that covers large areas of Los Angeles County including Monterey Park and the incident is impacting public access to businesses, residences, and recreational facilities along the impacted area due to smoke and firefighting and response activities.
While the City continues to assess the impacts of current and future needs, the proposed Resolution will address risks to reduce the magnitude of negative impacts to the community and help in the preservation of public health and safety. As fire fighting efforts continue from the Los Palos incident, local, regional and state governments continue to estimate damage costs. The City of Monterey Park is no different and will be seeking reimbursement for its response to the events. It is recommended that City Council adopt the proposed resolution which would allow staff to seek reimbursement for the response efforts to the fire, post fire hazards, and damages sustained during this event.
Strategic Plan Goal:
N/A
Fiscal Impact:
There are various costs associated with implementing the proposed Resolution. However, are
unknown at this time, e.g., the full cost of providing mutual aid. To the extent practicable, the City will seek full recovery of its costs.
1 see CalBeach Advocates v. City of Solana Beach (2002) 103 Cal.App.4th 529 (CEQA findings regarding an anticipated imminent emergency are valid).
Attachments:
1. Resolution with Emergency Declaration
1 ATTACHMENT 1
Resolution with Emergency Declaration
2 RESOLUTION NO.
A RESOLUTION DECLARING A LOCAL EMERGENCY RESULTING
FROM THE LOS PALOS INCIDENT (BOYLE HEIGHTS
COMMERCIAL BUILDING FIRE) IDENTIFIED ON OR ABOUT JUNE 17, 2026.
The City Council does resolve as follows:
SECTION 1: The City Council finds and declares as follows:
A. On June 17, 2026, the Los Palos Incident, a fire at a Boyle Heights commercial refrigeration building located at 1400 S. Los Palos St. broke out at 2:35 PM impacting a cold storage facility operated by Lineage Logistics.
B. Conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons exist following the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Proclamation of a Local Emergency (“Los Palos Incident Boyle Heights Commercial Building Fire”) date June 20, 2026 and the California Governor’s Proclamation of Emergency (“Palos Warehouse Fire”) dated June 20, 2026 due a structural fire ignited in a large cold storage warehouse in the Boyle Heights neighborhood in the City of Los Angeles in Los Angeles County.
C. The Palos Warehouse Fire involved a large commercial cold storage facility that contained refrigeration systems, rooftop solar-panel infrastructure, and other industrial equipment.
D. Reports from the City Manager and the Fire Chief confirm that the City is expending multiple public resources to help mitigate the effects of the Los Palos Emergency including, without limitation, providing equipment, personnel, and mobilization to support the fire incident.
E. During firefighting operations, emergency responders encountered complex conditions, including hazardous materials such as ammonia, requiring a specialized response and air monitoring, as well as continued fire flare ups.
F. Additionally, smoke advisories have been issued for surrounding cities and the greater Los Angeles region. Subsequently, a South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Air Quality Advisory was issued across Los Angeles County.
G. The circumstances of the Local Emergency prompted the City Manager, in consultation with the Fire Chief, to identify various methods to reduce the immediate threat of poor air quality concerns by utilizing City facilities as temporary relief centers for individuals seeking air conditioned facilities with improved air quality; distributing N-95 mask to residents; and cancelling
3 outdoor recreational activities, programs and events due to poor air quality.
H. Response efforts to the fire and post fire hazards are ongoing and likely to continue for a significant time, the fire continues to generate a substantial smoke plume that covers large areas of Los Angeles County including Monterey Park and the incident is impacting public access to businesses, residences, and recreational facilities along the impacted area due to smoke and firefighting and response activities.
I. This Resolution, and its findings, is based upon the entirety of the record considered by the City Council at its June 23, 2026, meeting including, without limitation, the factual references identified in this Resolution, the staff report accompanying this Resolution, and the entire administrative record regarding the LA Emergency.
SECTION 2: Environmental Assessment. This Resolution and the actions anticipated by this Resolution were reviewed pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (Public Resources Code §§ 21000, et seq., “CEQA”) and the regulations promulgated thereunder (14 Cal. Code of Regulations §§15000, et seq., the “CEQA Guidelines”).
Based upon that review, this action is exempt from further review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines § 15269(a) because the protection of public and private property is necessary to maintain service essential to the public, health and welfare (see, CalBeach Advocates v. City of Solana Beach (2002) 103 Cal.App.4th 529: CEQA findings regarding an anticipated imminent emergency are valid).
SECTION 3: Declaration of Local Emergency; Request for Assistance. Subject to the limitations set forth in this Resolution and considering the emergency described above, the City Council takes the following actions:
A. The City Council declares a local emergency.
B. Based upon the entirety of the record, a local emergency exists within the City’s territorial limits. Subject to the limitations in this Resolution, the City Manager, as the Director of Emergency Services, is empowered to carry out all emergency powers conferred upon her as the Emergency Services Director by local and state laws, and by all other lawful authority, as may be necessary to protect life and property.
C. The City Attorney is authorized to take such legal action that is required to enforce this Resolution and the City Manager’s actions including, without limitation, initiation of litigation, without additional City Council authority.
D. The City Manager is authorized to take all steps necessary to protect public health, safety, welfare and property including, without limitation, awarding and executing contracts in accordance with MPMC §§ 3.20.050(1) and
3.90.040.
4 E. The City Manager and City Attorney are directed to request from the California Office of Emergency Services (“CalOES”) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) technical expertise, resources, and financial assistance
SECTION 4: Reporting. Government Code § 8630 requires that the City Council review a local emergency at least once every 60 days. The City Manager is directed to report back to the City Council within this time frame regarding implementation of this Resolution including, without limitation, the Emergency Declaration and Abatement Order.
SECTION 5: Preservation. This resolution does not affect any penalty, forfeiture, or liability incurred before, or preclude prosecution and imposition of penalties for any violation occurring before, this Resolution’s effective date. Any such amended part will remain in full force and effect for sustaining action or prosecuting violations occurring before the effective date of this Resolution.
SECTION 6: Severability. If any part of this Resolution or its application is deemed invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the City Council intends that such invalidity will not affect the effectiveness of the remaining provisions or applications and, to this end, the provisions of this Resolution are severable.
SECTION 7: Reliance On Record. Each and every one of the findings and determinations in this Resolution are based on the competent and substantial evidence, both oral and written, contained in the entire record relating to the project. The findings and determinations constitute the independent findings and determinations of the City Council in all respects and are fully and completely supported by substantial evidence in the record as a whole.
SECTION 8: Limitations. The City Council’s analysis and evaluation of the project is based on the best information currently available. It is inevitable that in evaluating a project that absolute and perfect knowledge of all possible aspects of the project will not exist. One of the major limitations on analysis of the project is the City Council’s lack of knowledge of future events. In all instances, best efforts were made to form accurate assumptions. Somewhat related to this are the limitations on the City’s ability to solve what are in effect regional, state, and national problems and issues. The City must work within the political framework within which it exists and with the limitations inherent in that framework.
SECTION 9: Summaries of Information. All summaries of information in the findings, which precede this section, are based on the substantial evidence in the record. The absence of any particular fact from any such summary is not an indication that a particular finding is not based in part on that fact.
SECTION 10: Construction. This Resolution must be broadly construed in order to achieve the purposes stated in this Resolution. It is the City Council’s intent that the
5 provisions of this Resolution be interpreted or implemented by the City and others in a manner that facilitates the purposes set forth in this Resolution.
SECTION 11: Electronic Signatures. This Resolution may be executed with electronic signatures in accordance with Government Code §16.5. Such electronic signatures will be treated in all respects as having the same effect as an original signature.
SECTION 12: The Mayor, or presiding officer, is hereby authorized to affix his signature to this Resolution signifying its adoption by the City Council of the City of Monterey Park, and the City Clerk, or her duly appointed deputy, is directed to attest thereto.
SECTION 13: This Resolution will become effective immediately upon adoption and remain effective unless superseded by a subsequent resolution.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MONTEREY PARK THIS ___ DAY OF JUNE 2026.
__________________________
Elizabeth Yang, Mayor
ATTEST:
_________________________
Maychelle Yee, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
__________________________
Karl H. Berger, City Attorney