CITY COUNCIL MEETING
MINUtES
August 2, 2022
CALL TO ORDER & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IN HONOR OF THE US MILITARY TROOPS
The City Council Meeting was held in a hybrid format (in-person and via Zoom videoconference efore we begin, we would like to acknowledge the Ohlone people, who are the traditional custodians o his land. We pay our respects to the Ohlone elders, past, present and future, who call this place, Ohlone Land, the land that Pinole sits upon, their home. We are proud to continue their tradition of coming together and growing as a community. We thank the Ohlone community for their stewardship and support, and we look forward to strengthening our ties as we continue our relationship of mutual respect and understanding.
3. ROLL CALL, CITY CLERK'S REPORT & STATEMENT OF CONFLICT An official who has a conflict must, prior to consideration of the decision; (1) publicly identify in detail the financial interest that causes the conflict; (2) recuse himself/herself from discussing and voting on the matter, and (3) leave the room until after the decision has been made, Cal. Gov. Code § 87105.
A. COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT
Vincent Salimi, Mayor
Devin Murphy, Mayor Pro Tem
Norma Martinez-Rubin, Council Member
Anthony Tave, Council Member
Maureen Toms, Council Member
B. STAFF PRESENT
Andrew Murray, City Manager
Heather Bell, City Clerk
Eric Casher, City Attorney
Chris Wynkoop, Fire Chief
Roxane Stone, Deputy City Clerk
City Clerk Heather Bell announced the agenda had been posted on Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 4:30 p.m. with all legally required written notices. A written comment had been received in advance of the meeting, posted to the City website and distributed to staff and the City Council.
Following an inquiry, the Council reported there were no conflicts with any items on the agenda.
CONVENE TO A CLOSED SESSION: None
Citizens may address the Council regarding a Closed Session item prior to the Council adjourning into the Closed Session, by first providing a speaker card to the City Clerk.
Pinole City Council
Minutes - August 2, 2022
RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION TO ANNOUNCE RESULTS OF CLOSED SESSION There were no Closed Session items.
CITIZENS TO BE HEARD (Public Comments)
Citizens may speak under any item not listed on the Agenda. The time limit is 3 minutes and is subject to modification by the Mayor. Individuals may not share or offer time to another speaker.
Pursuant to provisions of the Brown Act, no action may be taken on a matter unless it is listed on the agenda, or unless certain emergency or special circumstances exist. The City Council may direct staff to investigate and/or schedule certain matters for consideration at a future Council meeting.
Natalie Lenz-Acuna, Principal St. Joseph School, representing St. Joseph School, parish communities and her colleague Carol Lujan, who was unable to attend the meeting to speak on her own behalf since she was a victim of a recent vehicle versus pedestrian accident in the crosswalk at Tennent Avenue and Pear Street, and had passed away from her injuries on July
28. She commented on the number of complaints from St. Joseph staff, teachers, parents and extended family members who chose to park in the church parking lot on Tennent Avenue and walk their children to St. Joseph School, and who had reported frequent near-miss accidents in the crosswalk. There was a great volume of pedestrian traffic from the school and the church and parents had even held up stop signs to allow people to safely use the crosswalk but vehicles did not always stop.
Ms. Lenz-Acuna asked the City of Pinole and St. Joseph School to work together to increase safety and consider a stop sign or light at the corner of the frequently-traveled crosswalk or an illuminated crosswalk. She hoped the City Council would consider these changes to make Pinole a safer and better place and asked for a moment of silence in memory of her friend Carol Lujan.
Aaron Covey, Pinole, a St. Joseph School parent, reported on the number of near-miss accidents he had personally experienced in the crosswalk. He too urged the City Council to consider all options to ensure the safety of children and residents.
Fatima Parker, Pinole, a St. Joseph School parent, and an active member of the community, important part of the community. She too urged the City Council to consider a stop sign or a speed bump for the busy intersection. Parents should not be required to try to stop traffic for themselves so children may safety cross the street.
Kate Gums, Pinole, a St. Joseph School parent, emphasized that the lack of safety at the crosswalk was a huge issue. Her elderly parents parked at the church and oftentimes had to use the crosswalk to pick up her children from school. She agreed a flashing stop light or speed bumps should be considered and urged the City Council to ensure the safety of the community.
Richard Gill, Pinole, emphasized the excessive speed of traffic along Tennent and San Pablo Avenues. He reiterated that Ms. Lujan was a valued member of his family and her death a terrible While he understood the Council was more focused on state and federal issues, he demanded that every block from Pinole Valley Road to the stop light at San Pablo Avenue include four-way stops along with painted crosswalks and signs to warn of stop signs ahead. He also suggested increased enforcement may possibly change the behavior of some drivers.
Pinole City Council
Minutes - August 2, 2022
Cameron Sasai, Pinole, also spoke to the recent passing and tragic death of Ms. Lujan and offered his sincerest condolences to the Lujan family. He emphasized that everyone had the right to move about safely in the community and no parent should have to worry about their children walking safely home to and from school and/or a parent/grandparent being senselessly hit. He urged the City Council to commit to prioritizing pedestrian safety and consider consulting with local advocacy groups like Bike East Bay, Vision Zero network and others to put pedestrian safety first. He asked the City Council to revisit the recommendations and analyses from the outdated Three Corridors Specific Plan and consider a more comprehensive plan to redesign City streets to be more walkable and incentivize safe mobility usage. While he recognized the City's limited funds, such a project was needed and deserved in the community. The City Council should identify new revenue streams to make it possible.
Marisa Frias, Pinole, a St. Joseph School parent, commented on many occasions she parked at the church, was a church parishioner and had to cross the crosswalk which had been a challenge with three children. She too was concerned with pedestrian safety. Her daughter was a student of Ms. Lujan and she had been traumatized by Ms. Lujan's death along with the impacts on school children from the pandemic. She hoped the City Council valued the safety of the community and would do something to keep everyone safe.
Dimari Epps, a St. Joseph School parent, detailed his experiences using the crosswalk and stated Ms. Lujan's death was a tragedy but the incident was inevitable given the traffic conditions. He walked his two children to school daily and could attest to the number of near misses in the crosswalk and was disappointed residents had to stand before the City Council to request safety consideration such as signage. He emphasized that change was needed and he asked the City Council to do something.
Fiona Epps, Pinole, shared the sentiments on the loss of a beloved community member and the concerns raised by her husband. She suggested this was an opportunity for the City to take immediate action, particularly with school starting in a few weeks.
Sela Keating, Pinole, a St. Joseph School parent and a resident of Pinole Valley Road, had experienced the growth in the community in the five years she had lived in Pinole. She looked forward to future growth and new families but was concerned with safety in the community. Her residence was located across from Pinole Valley Park and there were challenges crossing the street to use the park due to the speed of traffic. She also commented on the excessive speed of traffic throughout the community, with much of the traffic involving cross-traffic from 1-80 traveling to the City of Orinda or to the other side of Contra Costa County. She agreed with the unsafe conditions using the crosswalk in the Tennent Avenue to Pear Street intersection to access St. Joseph School and suggested that could be avoided with plenty of options to consider, such as speed bumps.
Alicia Oliver, Pinole, a 6th grader at St. Joseph School, was blessed to attend the school and use the crosswalk two times a day and not be hit by passing motorists. She spoke to her personal experiences using the crosswalk with her family and her fear of being hit by a passing vehicle due to the speed of traffic. She suggested no child or anyone else should be in fear of crossing the street and pointed out the area was heavily populated with two nearby schools and with children traveling to and from school. She recognized this tragedy should never have happened but it had brought awareness to the problem and she hoped the City would so something about it.
Pinole City Council
Minutes - August 2, 2022
Rafael Menis, Pinole, spoke to the continued spread and case rates of COVID-19 with Pinole continuing to have one of the highest rates in Contra Costa County. He continued to encourage everyone to mask indoors, particularly in crowded areas. He also expressed his condolences to Ms. Lujan's family and the St. Joseph School and Church communities, and while he understood the City was working on an active transportation plan that may be completed at some point in the future there were numerous potential options for the intersection. There had already been a loss of life and if the City did nothing, he could not imagine that would be the last tragedy. In this case and given the proximity of a school and church as well as the adjacent City Emergency Operations Center (EOC), City Hall and Fire Station, it was critical for the City Council to prioritize the installation of stop signs to control traffic. He suggested that flashing lights or other options may not be enough to change the behavior of motorists.
Peter Myers, Pinole, a parent of upcoming students of St. Joseph School, explained that he had raised his children to live and experience the community from outside of a vehicle. He suggested Pinole had not focused or invested on pedestrian safety as compared to neighboring communities. Tennent Avenue and Pinole Valley Road had no bike lanes marked from the coast to the high school, with few safe bike lanes and crosswalks within the community. There were no safe crosswalks near Pinole Valley Park, and San Pablo Avenue also had no protected bike lanes within the City limits with four-lane crosswalks that were completely unprotected, absent flashing lights, bulb-outs or stop lights. While re-pavement had been done on Del Monte near the 99 Cent Store, the work included no bicycle or pedestrian improvements. He emphasized the City's infrastructure was decades old and while time and money was needed to make improvements it was the responsibility of everyone to invest in pedestrian and bicycle safety in the City. The City had failed Ms. Lujan and could not fail another soul.
Robert Prinz, Education Director, Bike East Bay, a 50-year old bicycle traffic and safety non-profit representing Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, also expressed his condolences to the friends and loved ones of Ms. Lujan, which he suggested was completely avoidable and the outcome of decisions made on how streets were designed. Bike East Bay strived to encourage more people to bike and walk via infrastructure and programs to ensure the well-being of communities and the environment but rapidly significant traffic safety issues were a deterrent to those goals in Pinole and across the East Bay. Bike East Bay was ready to work with City staff and elected officials to find solutions to the issues described and looked forward to connecting with the City and its residents.
Mayor Salimi thanked the public for the comments and expressed his condolences to the friends and loved ones of Ms. Lujan. As the Mayor, he had worked with the City Manager to make edestrian and school safety his number one priority. As part of that effort, an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) had been prepared and would be discussed as part of agenda Item 12A.
He asked for a Moment of Silence in Memory of Carol Lujan at this time.
City Manager Andrew Murray stated City staff was shocked and saddened by the recent incident which had taken Ms. Lujan's life and also had been saddened it had taken such an incident to crystalize this issue. The City Council and City staff had taken steps to create an active transportation plan and funding for a Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP). Staff would be taking a particular look at this section of the Tennent Avenue corridor to see whether new interventions could be put into place. He also reached out to the Principal of St. Joseph School to be the main contact for the St. Joseph community and assist in brainstorming ideas that could be implemented as solutions. He too offered his condolences to the Lujan family.
Pinole City Council
Minutes - August 2, 2022
Council member Martinez-Rubin offered her condolences to the Lujan family and anyone who may have been impacted by her loss. She thanked everyone for their comments and urged the community to help the City Council to have people follow the rules and consider viable solutions and sources of funding that could decrease the likelihood of another tragedy. She otherwise provided an overview of how regional roads of significance were defined and why any changes in the long term may take some time.
Council member Tave offered his condolences to the Lujan family, acknowledged there were potential solutions and the community needed to come together to make those decisions on what solutions may work today. He also encouraged public participation on updating the City's land use plan which dictated how the City was designed and built. He emphasized the City Council took the concerns seriously and would work towards a viable solution.
Mayor Pro Tem Murphy was disheartened and felt the pain expressed by the public. As a frequent pedestrian, he was frustrated that cities were typically centered on vehicles rather than people but he recognized the power of community and innovation and this was an opportunity for viable solutions. He added that while government worked slowly they had to push to make things work faster. He thanked the public for their comments, particularly the young people for describing their personal experiences. He also encouraged public participation in the City's Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (TAPS) meetings which offered an opportunity to address issues ahead of time, and which currently had vacancies, and he encouraged input on the City's Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), which was reviewed by the City Council each May/June. He found this was an opportunity to honor the life and spirit of Ms. Lujan.
Council member Toms thanked the St. Joseph School/Church community for its input and for honoring Ms. Lujan in this way to better the community and avoid similar tragedies like the one that had taken her life. She reiterated that the City was working on a LRSP, input had been provided on problem intersections earlier in the year and that data along with the recent tragedy and issues at the crosswalks at Tennent Avenue and at Pear and Plum Streets would be folded into the LRSP. She hoped that City staff would alert the Principal of St. Joseph School when the LRSP was to be considered by the TAPS and the City Council. The TAPS would next meet on August 10, 2022 where public comment would be invited. She encouraged the public to continue its advocacy in Ms. Lujan's name.
Mayor Salimi declared a recess at 7:18 p.m. The City Council meeting reconvened at 7:22 p.m. with all Councilmembers present.
REPORTS & COMMUNICATIONS
A. Mayor Report
1. Announcements
Mayor Salimi thanked the public for its trust in him as the Mayor for the past four years. It had been a pleasure serving the City of Pinole as a City Council member. He had also been proud of the accomplishments the City Council and staff had made over the past few years to unify the City and he detailed a number of accomplishments over the last few years and his own personal accomplishments he promised to make over his four-year term. He took the opportunity to announce he would not be seeking another term on the City Council in November and would serve out his time as the Mayor in the next few months.
Pinole City Council
Minutes - August 2, 2022
Mayor Salimi emphasized this had been a once-in-a-lifetime experience as a member of the Pinole City Council and he thanked all City staff and his fellow Council members.
B. Mayoral & Council Appointments: None
C. City Council Committee Reports & Communications
Council member Martinez-Rubin reported she had attended a West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee (WCCTAC) meeting and briefed the Council on the discussions.
D. Council Requests for Future Agenda Items
Council member Martinez-Rubin commented she had previously requested a future agenda item for a Health Element for the General Plan and understood the General Plan Consultant was updating the Health and Safety Element, which should suffice. As such, she withdrew her prior request.
Council member Martinez-Rubin had also previously requested a future agenda item for staff to prepare a report on West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) plans for events in Pinole that may affect traffic and other unanticipated consequences in the area, which had been precipitated by the unannounced distribution of COVID-19 tests and the associated traffic congestion. She understood that was a one-time event and no other events would likely have the same impact. She therefore withdrew that prior request.
City Manager Murray asked for a motion and vote to remove the requested future agenda item requests. He clarified the Health and Safety Element of the General Plan would have a significant update as part of the current update process and staff had extensive discussions with the WCCUSD about the COVID-19 test distribution issue, which was an unfortunate anomaly. Similar events were not anticipated
ACTION: Motion by Council members Martinez-Rubin/Toms to remove the two requested future agenda items, as discussed.
Vote: Passed 5-0
Ayes: Salimi, Murphy, Martinez-Rubin, Tave, Toms
Noes: None
Abstain: None
Absent: None
Council member Tave requested a future agenda item to have a closer look at Tennent Avenue at Pear and Plum Streets with potential solutions and estimated costs, with a presentation from staff on the types of solutions that may be expected in consultation with the consultant.
Mayor Pro Tem Murphy requested the same information be provided for the intersection of Plum Street at Tennent Avenue and Tennent Avenue at San Pablo Avenue.
Pinole City Council
Minutes - August 2, 2022
City Manager Murray suggested the presentation be extended from the Tennent Avenue corridor with Brandt Court to Pinole Valley Road to San Pablo Avenue and reiterated staff and the consultant had already been looking into feasible traffic control interventions and could prepare a report to the City Council on the status of those efforts.
Council member Tave wanted to see options that would escalate up to speed humps or actual barriers. He sought information the City Council and community could see on the different levels of traffic calming, mitigation and the ideas City staff may have in the form of a presentation.
Council member Toms asked of the timing for the LRSP to return to the City Council.
City Manager Murray explained the LRSP would identify the intersections of greatest concern based on past incident data and would not incorporate anything recent, and the intersections under discussion may not have been noted as a high level of concern but there was nothing to prevent the City from working on interventions for other areas of concern. He understood there were two different scopes of discussion.
Council member Martinez-Rubin expressed a desire as part of the different alternatives/options statt would provide for a report back to the City Council as to which of the options would reduce speed, discourage distracted drivers and ensure drivers remained alert and attentive.
City Manager Murray noted that different interventions required different approaches to resolve the different traffic safety elements. . He would review the meeting minutes to ensure those questions were answered for each of the alternatives to the extent possible.
Council member Tave did not want to dive too deep into an analysis that was separate from the LRSP. He again sought information on San Pablo Avenue, Tennent Avenue, Plum and Pear Streets, as discussed, to have a better understanding of what could be done as well as the resources needed to achieve those measures to inform the community of the measures possible.
Consensus given.
Mayor Pro Tem Murphy requested a future agenda item to invite presentations from Bike East Bay and Vision Zero. Consensus given.
Mayor Pro Tem Murphy requested a future agenda item for staff to provide a presentation on membership in CivicWell, a program which inspired, equipped, connected and cultivated civic leadership for local innovation and community change. Consensus given.
Council member Toms requested a future agenda item to invite the WCCUSD to provide a presentation on what was happening in the schools such as sports programs in anticipation of the new school year.
Council member Martinez-Rubin also asked that funding for School Resource Officers (SROs) and traffic safety around schools be part of any presentation from the WCCUSD; Council member Tave also sought information on the financial status of the WCCUSD; and Mayor Salimi suggested how the City collaborated with the WCCUSD in terms of safety when needed also be part of a presentation. Consensus given.
E. City Manager Report / Department Staff
Pinole City Council
Minutes - August 2, 2022
City Manager Murray briefed the Council on a number of tentative agenda items to be included on the September 6, 2022 City Council meeting agenda. He also encouraged public participation at Music and Moves at the Park events during the summer; with upcoming news anticipated for community meetings planned for the presentation of the draft findings and recommendations from the Community Engagement Plan Consultants as well as a community engagement procedure for the visioning process for the use of the Community Corners lot.
City Attorney Report
City Attorney Casher reported the Municipal Code Update Subcommittee had recently met and provided direction to staff to bring forward a resolution to codify the Code of Ethics to be considered by the City Council during a meeting in October, with direction also provided on a number of other ordinances including an ordinance allowing Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) background checks for new hires.
PUBLIC COMMENTS OPENED
Deputy City Clerk Stone reported there were no public comments.
PUBLIC COMMENTS CLOSED
8. RECOGNITIONS / PRESENTATIONS / COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS A. Proclamations: None
B. Presentations / Recognitions: None
CONSENT CALENDAR
All matters under the Consent Calendar are considered to be routine and noncontroversial. These items will be enacted by one motion and without discussion. If, however, any interested party or Council member(s) wishes to comment on an item, they may do so before action is taken on the Consent Calendar. Following comments, if a Council member wishes to discuss an item, it will be removed from the Consent Calendar and taken up in order after adoption of the Consent Calendar.
A. Approve the Special Meeting Minutes of the July 12, 2022, July 13, 2022, and Regular Meeting Minutes of July 19, 2022.
Receive the July 16, 2022 - July 29, 2022 List of Warrants in the Amount of $457,805.12 and the July 22, 2022 Payroll in the Amount of $539,692.30 Resolution Continuing Authorized Remote Teleconference Meetings Pursuant to AB 361 [Action: Adopt Resolution per Staff Recommendation (Casher)] Resolution Approving Settlement of Claim Against PG&E Regarding Water Pollution Control Plant Upgrade Project Delays [Action: Adopt Resolution per Staff Recommendation (Casher)]
Pinole City Council
Minutes - August 2, 2022
Appoint Council Members as Voting Delegates for the 2022 League of California Cities Annual Conference General Assembly Meeting [Action: Appoint Council Members per Staff Recommendation (Bell)]
F. Amendment to the City of Pinole Conflict of Interest Code [Action: Adopt Resolution per Staff Recommendation (Bell)]
Adoption of a City Council Resolution to Amend the Master Pay Schedule as Required by California Public Employees' Retirement System [Action: Adopt Resolution per Staff Recommendation (Shell)]
H. Approve an Amendment to the Employment Agreement for the City Clerk [Action:
Adopt Resolution per Staff Recommendation (Shell)]
PUBLIC COMMENTS OPENED
Rafael Menis, Pinole, referenced Item 9D, and asked whether the size of the settlement amount and in a bankruptcy proceeding was typical, and the Mayor advised that staff would have to get back to Mr. Menis with a response.
PUBLIC COMMENTS CLOSED
Mayor Salimi referenced Item 9E and reported at this time he had no plans to attend the 2022 League of California Cities Annual Conference General Assembly Meeting but Council member Tave and Mayor Pro Tem Murphy planned to attend.
Mayor Salimi also reported with respect to Items 9G and 9H and pursuant to Government Code Section 54953 (c)(3), the items involved recommendations to provide the City Manager and City Clerk with three percent Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) in accordance with their employment Neither item would have a fiscal impact on the General Fund as the COLA had already been incorporated into the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022/23 budget.
ACTION: Motion by Council member Toms/Mayor Pro Tem Murphy to approve Consent Calendar Items 9A through 9H, as shown.
Vote: Passed 5-0
Ayes: Salimi, Murphy, Martinez-Rubin, Tave, Toms
Noes: None
Abstain: None
Absent: None
10. PUBLIC HEARINGS: None
Citizens wishing to speak regarding a Public Hearing item should fill out a speaker card prior to the completion of the presentation, by first providing a speaker card to the City Clerk. An official who engaged in an ex parté communication that is the subject of a Public Hearing must disclose the communication on the record prior to the start of the Public Hearing.
11. OLD BUSINESS: None
Pinole City Council
Minutes - August 2, 2022
12. NEW BUSINESS
A. City of Pinole's Emergency Operations Plan [Action: Receive Report and Provide Direction (Wynkoop)]
Fire Chief Chris Wynkoop took the opportunity to extend his condolences to the family and friends of Carol Lujan and to the St. Joseph School community.
Fire Chief Wynkoop provided an extensive PowerPoint presentation on the Draft City of Pinole Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). He recommended the City Council review and provide direction on the updated City of Pinole EOP.
PUBLIC COMMENTS OPENED
Rafael Menis, Pinole, thanked staff for the creation of the detailed and thorough EOP. He referenced Page 19, Section 3.4.2 EOC Activation Levels and Criteria, and asked during the tabletop exercises whether or not it would test the Full Level. He understood some community groups may be involved in the tabletop exercises but the exercises themselves had not been detailed in the EOP and he asked for clarification. As to Page 29, the role of the Public Information Officer (PIO) had been shown as vacant with no assignment and was something that should be flagged to allow a primary person to be appointed. Also, the contact list references, as shown on Pages 41 and 42, had misspelled principal, currently read principle and should be corrected.
Tony Vossbrink, Pinole, asked of the protocols for the Galbreth and Rancho Road escape/pass- throughs in the event of an emergency. In addition, there was a major breach on the side of the Adobe Road Trail where the pass through was caving in which could be an issue in the event of an emergency, and a very large, tall, dead pine tree hung over the rear yard of the caretaker's home and a Bayliss tree hung off the fence of the same property, which could be a fire hazard for the Pinole Valley.
Fire Chief Wynkoop reported he had made note of the comments and as requested by the Mayor would get back to the speakers with a response.
PUBLIC COMMENTS CLOSED
Council member Martinez-Rubin referenced the list of governing partnership agencies in the EOP and asked that Faith Leadership in Pinole also be included, and Fire Chief Wynkoop reported the EOP was a living document and could be modified.
Council member Martinez-Rubin also referenced the Bay Front Chamber of Commerce and commented in the past she had conversations with the Executive Director of the Chamber whose position was a part-time function. She asked of that individual's role in the EOP.
Fire Chief Wynkoop suggested that could be amended in the EOP but there were a host of standard community partners and suggested that could be followed up with contact information and he would ensure that position was further defined and evaluated as to whether it should remain in the EOP.
Pinole City Council
Minutes - August 2, 2022
Council member Martinez-Rubin spoke to her experience in emergency public health operation plans, what segments of a community would be involved in an overall EOP in that context and that EOPs had been developed for business groups. As an example, during power outages adjustments must be made and she asked whether or not a small business would be provided guidance by the City if included in the EOP somehow beyond being made aware of the EOP, but played a role in the EOP and have their own EOP coinciding with what the City was doing Council member Martinez-Rubin also referenced health-related treatment facilities and asked if they were regarded as sites for residents to gather for treatment, and City Manager Murray explained that the idea of emergency preparedness and as part of an ongoing campaign to encourage businesses and the community to be prepared, he and the Fire Chief could look through the document again. As the Fire Chief had mentioned, more fine-tuning was required to the document such as correcting spelling errors and updating community contacts. As staff reread the document, they would look at the EOP in the context of emergency preparedness for everyone.
City Manager Murray added that the American Red Cross was primarily relied upon during the care and function of an emergency response. Cities had city departments somewhat accustomed to handle most of the planning in the event of an emergency but not health and welfare services.
As most cities, Pinole would rely on the American Red Cross for care and function of an emergency response to find locations and supplies to care and shelter those who may be displaced and may require medical care. There could be assistance from the local Faith Leadership but that was not typically part of an EOP, which was why a list of community organizations had not been included since that was typically part of the American Red Cross response.
Also, in response to a power outage, as an example, the City would not be responsible for the spoilage of items in local stores from an emergency perspective, and if there was a power outage involving the spoilage of food, the EOP would not be activated. If there was a risk to life and health in the event of a power outage or loss of property that could trigger the activation of the EOP. All business and community members should be prepared to be as self-sufficient as possible in the event of an emergency.
Council member Martinez-Rubin suggested if there was a distinction being made on what the City responded to, they should be overt in encouraging local businesses to be prepared.
Fire Chief Wynkoop acknowledged that the comments from Council member Martinez-Rubin had been noted.
Council member Tave understood in the event of a major earthquake, as an example, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Director would coordinate efforts and City Manager Murray detailed the response criteria for the City.
City Manager Murray stated the City would be responsible for getting all the supplies needed for identified that had existing contracts in place so that materials could be obtained on a moment's notice.
Pinole City Council
Minutes - August 2, 2022
Council member Tave asked how the EOP would be maintained and current, and Fire Chief Wynkoop explained in working with the consultant the contacts and stakeholders in the EOP would be updated annually. In terms of training, Table 6, as shown on Page 19, Section 3.4.2 EOC Activation Levels and Criteria, identified the levels of training and exercises.
Council member Tave referenced Urban Shield, a comprehensive full-scale regional preparedness exercise and other available training programs staff may consider and asked about budgeting for training for City staff and how that training would graduate to certain levels.
Fire Chief Wynkoop suggested the City should take advantage of the training available at the County level to familiarize roles and responsibilities and then rotate staff through available monthly training events.
City Manager Murray explained that the basic concepts of the EOP were pretty standard and would not change, and while the EOP should be kept fresh the basic structure of the elements in the document would remain the same.
In response to Mayor Pro Tem Murphy, City Manager Murray explained that the EOP had been presented to the City Council for informational purposes, with the City Council to provide direction to staff. Again, staff would do another run through of the draft to update items with a Final EOP to then be published. In terms of how the COVID-19 pandemic had been handled, he noted it was primarily handled by the County. The EOC had not been activated due to the pandemic since it was not a cross departmental response, with response largely handled by the County and although the Governor had declared a State of Emergency related to the pandemic, the EOC in Pinole had not been activated. If a large enough event to require all hands on deck for City staff to respond in a cross departmental way, the organization structure of the EOC would need to respond.
Mayor Pro Tem Murphy commented the EOP stated that all planning emergencies were local but some were local but in a Countywide sense such as the pandemic. He understood the State of California was currently under three declared States of Emergency; for COVID-19, Monkey pox and the drought, and while there was some standardization some nuance and specifics would be helpful.
Mayor Pro Tem Murphy also understood the EOP was to include evacuation routes for different emergencies and he was informed by Fire Chief Wynkoop the evacuation routes were part of the Zonehaven Countywide Plan, with information on the County's Community Warning System (CWS) website where residents could identify evacuation zones in the County and where the evacuation plan for Pinole was active and live.
City Manager Murray noted the EOP would have a traditional static evacuation plan since that was no longer the tool being used for evacuation plans, with the tool being as described by the Fire Chief. Residents could obtain information from the City website and there could be an appendix included in the EOP to access information from Zonehaven.
Mayor Pro Tem Murphy agreed that the PIO should not be shown as vacant in the EOP and that decision point should be included in the Final EOP. He too would like to see the volunteer and ield coordination efforts flushed out more in the document, as shown on Pages 41 and 42, and agreed some of those volunteers could be faith-based or service-based organizations.
Pinole City Council
Minutes - August 2, 2022
Mayor Pro Tem Murphy would also like to see more active information around how local agencies and Joint Power Authorities (JPAs) such as RecycleMore and Marin Clean Energy (MCE) may also be involved in the EOP.
Fire Chief Wynkoop added the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) would be under the auspices of the newly-appointed Prevention Captain who would revisit the program in the next several months in the event collaboration with the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) took place as hoped since Con Fire also offered CERT training to the community.
City Manager Murray further defined the CERT, which had been inactive in Pinole for a while, with specialized training provided by the Police Department and which may provide assistance in various ways and would be the main set of volunteers along with the American Red Cross in the event of an emergency. He understood the Police Chief planned to reestablish the CERT this year and would be looking for volunteers. He would take another look at the volunteer section of the EOP to ensure that CERT and care and shelter was well defined. He hoped to have more information on the CERT in the next couple of months.
Mayor Pro Tem Murphy suggested a presentation on CERT would also be helpful.
Council member Toms found the EOP to be a useful resource and commented that when there was activation of the EOP, non-sworn staff would be overwhelmed and there were some organizational items that would be useful.
Council member Toms referenced Page 119 where the record of distribution with Con Fire had not been included. Con Fire was not the same as Contra Costa Emergency Services and Con Fire needed its own label. The Crockett-Carquinez Fire Department had also not been included along with a subcategory of utilities including cell operators that would have to be contacted to see if they were filling their generators to ensure communications. The East Bay Regional Communications System Authority (EBRCSA), East Bay Municipal Utility District (EMBUD) and MCE should also be included.
In addition, more specifics needed to be included beyond Contra Costa Emergency Services, with the County Health Department having the ability to notify people who depended on equipment that required electricity and hazardous materials and such.
Council member Toms also commented that Contra Costa County's EOP worked with a Volunteer Organization Active in Disasters (VOAD), which was the group that worked with all volunteers.
Discussions in the EOP about the Rodeo Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) and El Sobrante MAC contacts should be cleaned up with the County Supervisor for the district identified. It would also be useful for the lists to include telephone/dispatch numbers and email addresses.
Council member Toms referenced Section 3.4.8 Setup Instructions for EOC, as shown on Page 22 of the EOP, and commented that computers were needed given all logistical requests would be through Web EOC for any jurisdiction with training available and computers/laptops were needed with staff to have sign-ins. Backup power had not been identified either and should be included. Page 23 of the EOP, Check-in and Setup Instructions for First-in Stall, reterenced faxing information which should also be updated.
Pinole City Council
Minutes - August 2, 2022
Council member Toms commented that the County's EOP had its own PIO Division and offered training with many Department Heads having their own PIOs. Pinole should take advantage of that with that PIO involved in providing a great deal of information. Also, Page 36 of the EOP included a lot of resources which should be made into hyperlinks which would save time in an emergency.
Council member Toms really liked the plan but hoped the changes she identified would be considered to allow the EOP to be a great resource in the event of an emergency. She otherwise planned to email staff additional specific comments.
Fire Chief Wynkoop stated he had made note of the comments and welcomed the additional comments from Council member Toms.
City Manager Murray reiterated staff would incorporate the feedback and direction received into the EOP and publish a Final EOP. There were no plans to bring the EOP back to the City Council since the changes were relatively minor, but if the City Council wanted to see the document again that would be acceptable.
Mayor Pro Tem Murphy wanted to see the document again even if placed on the Consent Calendar.
By consensus, the City Council asked staff to bring back the Final EOP to be placed on a future Consent Calendar.
Council member Martinez-Rubin asked how pets would be addressed in the EOP, particularly since Pinole no longer had an Animal Shelter.
Council member Toms reported that Animal Services were a part of the EOP when activated, as needed, and the American Red Cross would look into areas where evacuation with pets were Mayor Salimi thanked everyone involved in the development of the Draft EOP.
13. CITIZENS TO BE HEARD (Continued from Item 6) (Public Comments) Only open to members of the public who did not speak under the first Citizens to be Heard, Agenda Item 6.
the agenda, or unless certain emergency or special circumstances exist. The City Council may direct staff to investigate and/or schedule certain matters for consideration at a future Council meeting.
Vincent Wells, President, Local 1230, reported former Pinole Fire Captain Robert Ramos had been recognized with his name placed on the Fallen Firefighters' Memorial Wall in Sacramento along with 82 names of fallen firefighters in the State of California. Captain Ramos' family had been present for the ceremony, which was able to be viewed online.
Pinole City Council
Minutes - August 2, 2022
Tony Vossbrink, Pinole, hoped the City Council and Mayor were on the same page in making public health and safety a priority. He asked that the Mayor have the following issues resolved prior to leaving office: provide an update on the active shooting incident at the Pinole Valley update on the use of the Pinole-Hercules Wastewater Treatment Plant for accurate rates of COVID-19 cases; and a resolution of streetlight outages along Pinole Valley Road.
Mayor Salimi asked that staff provide an update on the items for the September 6, 2022 City Council meeting.
14. ADJOURNMENT to the Regular City Council Meeting of September 6, 2022 in Remembrance of Amber Swartz, Carol Lujan and Pinole Fire Captain Robert Ramos.
At 9:17 p.m., Mayor Salimi adjourned the meeting to the Regular City Council Meeting of September 6, 2022 in Remembrance of Amber Swartz, Carol Lujan and Pinole Fire Captain Robert Ramos.
Submitted by:
Heather Bell, CMC
City Clerk
Approved by City Council:
CALIFORN
Pinole City Council
Minutes - August 2, 2022