AGENDA and NOTICE
Special Meeting
Thursday, February 26, 2026
6:00 P.M.
A. ROLL CALL
B. PRESENTAION
1. Presentation regarding City Council's Role and Communications During Emergencies Training C. ADJOURNMENT
MEETING INFORMATION
Members of the public may attend the meeting in person, watch online or watch on Cable Channel 26. The ability to observe online or Cable Channel 26 is predicated on those technologies being available and functioning without technical difficulties. Should those platforms not be available, or become non-functioning, or should the City Council otherwise encounter technical difficulties that make those platforms unavailable, the City Council will proceed with business in person unless otherwise prohibited by law.
How to view the meeting remotely:
Livestream online at YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@cityofnewark3077/streams Copy/paste the YouTube URL into your browser if the link does not automatically open.
Cable Channel 26 - if the meeting does not broadcast live, please contact your service provider and request the City of Newark channel lineup.
Zoom will no longer be available for public participation unless required by Assembly Bill 2449. Should a Council Member or the Mayor attend the meeting via Zoom pursuant to Assembly Bill 2449, then the Webinar ID 873 2465 7028 will be activated. The Mayor will make an announcement at the beginning of the meeting that the City will be allowing public comment via Zoom. Raise your virtual hand to notify the City Clerk that you would like to speak during the item that you wish to speak on.
How to submit written Public Comment:
Send an email to City Clerk by 3:00 p.m. the day of the meeting. Please identify the agenda item number in the subject line of your email. Emails will be compiled into one file and will be distributed to the City Council before the meeting.
No question shall be asked of a council member, city staff, or an audience member except through the Mayor. No person shall interrupt the meeting. Any person who refuses to carry out instructions given by the Mayor for the purpose of maintaining order may be guilty of an infraction and may result in removal from the meeting.
Council Meeting Access/Materials:
The agenda packet is available for review at Agendas and Minutes. The packet is typically posted to the City website the Friday before the meeting, but no later than 24 hours before a special meeting.
Pursuant to Government Code 54957.5, supplemental materials distributed less than 24 hours before this special meeting, to a majority of the City Council, will be made available for public inspection at this meeting and will be posted at https://www.newark.org/departments/city-manager-s-office/agendas-minutes and will concurrently be made available for public inspection during regular business hours at the David W. Smith City Hall, 37101 Newark Boulevard, Newark CA. Materials prepared by City staff and distributed during the meeting are available for public inspection at the meeting or after the meeting if prepared by some other person. Documents related to closed session items or are exempt from disclosure will not be made available for public inspection. For those persons who require special accommodations, please contact the City Clerk at least two days prior to the meeting at City Clerk or 510-578-4266.
Certification of Meeting Notice and Agenda Posting
This notice and agenda were posted on the City’s website and at the City Hall bulletin board located at 37101 Newark Boulevard, Newark, CA, at least 24 hours prior to the meeting date, in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act.
Mission Statement
It is our mission to serve and partner with our community to continually enhance the quality of life of everyone in Newark.
Senior Staff Members
David J. Benoun
City Manager
Lenka Hovorka
Assistant City Manager
Kristopher J. Kokotaylo
City Attorney
Steven Turner
Community Development Director
Edwin Miranda
CIO/Information Technology
Director
Krysten Lee
Finance Director
Brittney Frye
Human Resources Director
Jonathan Arguello
Police Chief
Howard Young
Public Works Director
Nicholas Cuevas
Recreation and Community Services Director
Ryan Nishimoto
ACFD Deputy Chief
Roya Gonzalez
Strategic Initiatives Manager
Neetu Salwan
City Clerk
Colleen Lettire
Communications and Public Engagement
Manager
Item B. 1.
DATE 02/26/2026
TO Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM Lenka Hovorka, Assistant City Manager
SUBJECT Presentation regarding City Council's Role and Communications During Emergencies Training
Staff will present information to City Council in support of their role during emergencies, including best practices for media communications.
Attachments
Presentation - City Council's Role and Communications During Emergencies Richard Martinez
Emergency Services Coordinator
January 26, 2026
City Council’s Role
During Emergencies
It is our mission to serve and partner with our community to continually enhance the quality of life of everyone in Newark.
Agenda
Overview Standard Emergency Management
System (SEMS)
Incident Command System (ICS)
Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
City Council Responsibilities
Staff Training
EOC
briefing
2 EOC
training
Five levels of SEMS
3 Incident Command System (ICS)
4 Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Overview
5 Simple Definitions
• Incident is any local emergency
• Event is planned
• Disaster is any event that overwhelms local resources 6 Activation of the EOC
• City Manager (EOC Director) or designee
• Police Chief or designee
• Chief Officer as requested by City Manager
• Senior law enforcement or Emergency Management
official on duty
7 EOC Levels of Activation
• Level 3 – Monitoring
• Level 2 – Partial Activation
• Level 1 – Full Activation
* Each of these levels can be activated virtually
8 City Council Roles During a Disaster
• Remain informed and engaged through regular briefings • Participate in City Council meetings to ensure Continuity of Government (COG)
• Make policy decisions, not operational ones
• Issue and ratify local proclamations
• Serve as a liaison and host to other visiting elected officials • Act as a conduit between the City and the public by
disseminating information provided by the EOC Director and PIO 9 Briefings
• Overview of general situation
• Provide incident update on response and actions being taken • Current jurisdictional authority over the incident
• Status of communications, confirmation of media procedures • Schedule of required briefings
10 Local Emergency Proclamations
• Issued by
• City Council or
• Director of Emergency Services
• Prerequisite for requesting State and Federal Assistance • Disaster Response
• Disaster Recovery
• Authorizes issuance of Special Rules
• Enables Emergency contracting/procurement
11 Timeline for Local Emergency Proclamations
• Issuance
• Within 10 days of occurrence
• By either Director of Emergency Services or City Council • Ratification
• Within seven (7) days by governing body
• Renewal reviewed every thirty (30) days until terminated • Termination
• When conditions warranting proclamation have ended
• CA State Emergency Act § 8630
12 Staff Training
• Required training
• Introduction to the Incident Command System
• An Introduction to the National Incident Management System • Introduction to Standardized Emergency Management System • Basic Incident Command System for Initial Response*
• National Response Framework, An Introduction*
*Supervisors only
• Recommended training
• Incident Command System (ICS) Overview for Senior Officials • Incident Command System/Emergency Operations Center Interface 13 Summary of City Council Roles
The Council’s primary roles during a disaster are
policymaker and liaison.
City Council has an important role in helping instill
confidence in the City’s ability to respond and recover from a disaster.
14 Colleen Lettire
Communications and Public
Engagement Manager
February 26, 2026
City Council Communications
During Emergencies
It is our mission to serve and partner with our community to continually enhance the quality of life of everyone in Newark.
One City, One Voice
• Why Protocols Matter: Misinformation spreads six times faster than the truth.
• Goal: To provide consistent, accurate, and timely
information to the public.
• Risk of Inaction: Contradictory statements break trust and confuse residents.
• Objective: Establish a unified, coordinated approach to all media interaction.
16 Key Emergency Media Protocols
• Designated Spokesperson: Only authorized officials (e.g., Mayor, City Manager) should speak for the city
• Direct All Media to PIO: All council members should immediately direct media inquiries to the City Manager and designated Public Information Officer (PIO)
• Verify Before Speaking: Never share unverified information or rumors
• Coordinate with Staff: All messaging must align with the Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
17 Social Media Guidelines During Emergencies
• Pause Scheduled Posts: Turn off any scheduled content immediately to avoid potential insensitive posts.
• Amplify, Don't Create: Share official city updates rather than posting individual, unverified commentary.
• Monitor and Report: Use social listening to spot rumors, but route corrections through the City Manager/PIO.
• Avoid Emotional Reactions: Maintain a calm, empathetic, and professional tone.
18 Questions & Answers
It is our mission to serve and partner with our community to continually enhance the quality of life of everyone in Newark.