City of
Bichm
AGENDA
City Manager's Office REPORT
DATE: January 9, 2023
TO: Mayor Butt and Members of the City Council
FROM: Shasa Curl, City Manager
Dave Aleshire, City Attorney
Angel Montoya, Fire Chief
SUBJECT: Approve the City Manager's proclamation of a local emergency due to flooding in Richmond and large
landslide on a hillside on Seaview Drive
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact related to this item.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL None.
ACTION:
STATEMENT OF THE On January 3, 2023, the City Manager, in her capacity as ISSUE: Director of Emergency Services, proclaimed a local emergency due to heavy flooding from severe winter
storms and a geologic hazard/landslide on the slope
above the Seacliff development in Richmond. The City
Council must approve this proclamation of local
emergency within seven days of making such a
proclamation or else it will lapse.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: ADOPT a resolution ratifying the proclamation of a local emergency in the City of Richmond issued by the city
manager (Director of Emergency Services) on January 3,
2023, due to heavy rains, flooding, and a large landslide on a hillside on Seaview Drive that forced the evacuation of residents in the impacted area - City Manager's Office (Shasa Curl 510-620-6512)
January 9, 2023
DISCUSSION:
The entire Bay Area, including Richmond, has experienced heavy rains and flooding, including an atmospheric river, throughout December of 2022, and is still experiencing a parade of storms the first two weeks in January. On January 3, 2023, it was reported that a hillside on Seaview Drive, with an APN of 560-330-041, was showing signs of a significant landslide as a result of the December rains and atmospheric river.
As a result of a possible landslide, the City's consultant NCE and subconsultant Cal Engineering & Geology, Inc. evaluated photos provided by the City of the landslide and aerial imagery available on Google Earth Pro of the hillside above Seacliff Drive. They determined that "there is a large landslide on the hillside that has definitive evidence of a head scarp in the area near the top of the ridge and lateral margins that extend down to Seaview Drive and possibly beneath and beyond Seaview Drive." The head is the upslope portion of the landslide, and the scarp is the steeply inclined failure surface with exposed rock and soil. The consultants strongly recommended that the eight (8) homes on Seaview Drive and the seven (7) homes on Seacliff Way immediately west of and closest to Seacliff Drive be evacuated until the landslide could be more thoroughly evaluated. The consultants recommended the evacuations be done immediately to reduce the potential for life safety issues that could result for movement of the landslide, particularly considering the forecasted amount of rain that was to fall that night and over the next several days.
Based on this information, on the evening of January 3, 2023, the City Manager, in her capacity as Director of Emergency Services, proclaimed a local emergency, and the City of Richmond Emergency Operations Center ("EOC") was activated to support the incident and additional incidents throughout the City due to the severe winter storms [Attachment 1, Emergency Proclamation]. The EOC is still activated and City staff members, including Fire and Police Department personnel, are staffing the EOC in the basement of the Richmond City Hall located at 450 Civic Center Plaza.
Due to additional storms approaching with anticipated heavy rainfall, and out of abundance of caution, residents of Seaview Drive and Seacliff Way were asked to evacuate, which included a total of 15 impacted homes. Fire and Police personnel knocked on doors within the impacted area to inform residents of the potential danger and provided evacuation notices with instructions. Of the 15 households, City personnel were unable to contact three (3) households, two (2) were out of town and ten (10) families decided to evacuate (with their pets). Due to heavy utilization of Red Cross throughout the State, City staff members were proactive and able to secure temporary shelter at the Hyatt Place in Emeryville for evacuated residents. These residents remain out of their homes until the Seacliff Homeowners' Association completes remediation efforts to ensure the area is safe for reentry. City staff continues to monitor the situation, and as of January 5, 2023, have extended access to hotel rooms through January 9, 2023.
January 9, 2023
The Director of Emergency Services (City Manager) may request the City Council to proclaim the existence or threatened existence of a "local emergency" if the City Council is in session, or to issue such proclamation if the City Council is not in session. Since the City Council was not in session at the time, the City Manager declared the local emergency by proclamation. Whenever a local emergency is proclaimed by the Director, the City Council must ratify the proclamation within seven days thereafter or the proclamation will lapse [Richmond Municipal Code Section
2.20.060]. The proposed resolution is approving the proclamation of the emergency order so that it can remain in effect while the Seacliff Homeowners' Association continues remediation efforts, and a determination is made that the residents may safely return to their homes [Attachment 2].
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 - Proclamation Declaring a Local Emergency Attachment 2 - Resolution Ratifying the Proclamation Declaring a Local Emergency
January 9, 2023
RESOLUTION NO. 1-23
A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND RATIFYING
THE PROCLAMATION BY THE DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY SERVICES OF A
LOCAL EMERGENCY IN THE CITY OF RICHMOND DUE TO HEAVY RAINS,
FLOODING AND A SIGNIFICANT LANDSLIDE AT SEACLIFF DRIVE IN
RICHMOND CALIFORNIA
WHEREAS, California Government Code Section 8630 and Richmond Municipal Code Section 2.20.060 empower the Director of Emergency Services to proclaim the existence or threatened existence of a local emergency when a City is affected or likely to be affected by a public calamity and the City Council is not in session, provided that the emergency proclamation is ratified by the City Council within seven days; and WHEREAS, the Director of Emergency Services of the City of Richmond roclaimed the existence of a local emergency on January 3, 2023, due to heavy rains looding and a hillside on Seaview Drive showing signs of a significant landslide; and WHEREAS, on January 4, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency throughout California to support the ongoing response to the recent winter storms; and
WHEREAS, said City Council does hereby find that the aforesaid conditions of extreme peril did warrant and necessitate the proclamation of the existence of a local emergency; and
WHEREAS, the City Council also finds that the costs related to responding to storm related activities is beyond the City's current financial capability.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED, by the City Council of the City of Richmond that the City Council hereby ratifies the proclamation (attached) of a local emergency which was issued by the Director of Emergency Services.
BE IT FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that during the existence of said local emergency the powers, functions, and duties of the Director of Emergency Services and the emergency organization of this city shall be those prescribed by State law, by ordinances, and resolutions of Richmond and by the City of Richmond SEMS/NIMS Emergency Operations Plan and its Emergency Services Functions Annex as approved by the City Council on December 17, BE IT RESOLVED AND ORDERED that City staff should assess local, state and federal sources that are available for cost recovery, assistance to persons displaced or for damage to property that may be caused by the local emergency.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED AND ORDERED that said local emergency shall be deemed to continue to exist until its termination is proclaimed by the City Council of the City of Richmond, State of California.
**********************
Reso. No. 1-23
I certify that the foregoing resolution was passed and adopted by the City Council of the City of Richmond at a special meeting thereof held January 9, 2023, by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Jimenez, McLaughlin, Vice Mayor
Martinez, and Mayor Butt
NOES: None.
ABSTENTIONS: None.
ABSENT: Councilmembers Bates, Johnson III, and Willis
PAMELA CHRISTIAN
CLERK OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND
(SEAL)
Approved:
THOMAS K. BUTT
Mayor
Approved as to form:
DAVE ALESHIRE
City Attorney
State of California }
County of Contra Costa : ss.
City of Richmond }
I certify that the foregoing is a true copy of Resolution No. 1-23, finally passed anc adopted by the City Council of the City of Richmond at a special meeting held on January 9 2023.
Pamela Chiral
Pamela Christian, Clerk of the City of Richmond
Reso. No. 1-23
ATTACHMENT
RESOLUTION NO. -23
PROCLAMATION BY THE DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY SERVICES
DECLARING A LOCAL EMERGENCY IN THE CITY OF RICHMOND DUE TO A
POSSIBLE LANDSLIDE AT SEACLIFF DRIVE IN RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA HEREAS, the entire Bay Area, including Richmond has experienced heavy rain nd flooding, including an atmospheric river, throughout December of 2022; an WHEREAS, a second atmospheric river is expected to hit the Bay Area tomorrow, January 4, 2023, triggering a bomb cyclone; and
WHEREAS, the National Weather Service Bay Area office has issued a flood watch for uesday night through Thursday morning for the entire Bay Area and Central Coast, and a high ind warning is also in effect for the region from 4 a.m. Wednesday to 10 a.m. Thursday; ar WHEREAS, a hillside on Seaview Drive with an APN of 560-330-041is showing signs of a potential significant landslide as a result of the December rains and atmospheric river; and WHEREAS, on January 3, 2023, City consultant NCE and subconsultant Cal Engineering & Geology, Inc. evaluated photos provided by the City of the landslide and aerial imagery available on Google earth Pro of the hillside above Seacliff Drive and based on their evaluation that "there is a large landslide on the hillside that has definitive evidence of a headscarp in the area near the top of the ridge and lateral margins that extend down to Seaview Drive and possibly beneath and beyond Seaview Drive" strongly recommends that the eight (8) homes on Seaview Drive and the seven (7) homes on Seacliff Way that are immediately west of and closest to Seacliff Drive be evacuated until the landslide can be more thoroughly evaluated.
The consultant recommends the evacuations be done immediately to reduce the potential for life safety issues that could result for movement of the landslide, particularly considering the forecast amount of rain that is to fall tonight and over the next few days; and WHEREAS, on the evening of January 3, 2023, the Richmond Police Department will assist in evacuating fifteen homes near the landslide; and WHEREAS, the Director of Emergency Services finds:
(1) That at the time of this proclamation the City Council is not in session; and (2) That conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property have arisen caused by significant rainstorms and flooding that resulted in a landslide and the landslide is anticipated to get worse in light of the bomb cyclone that is scheduled to arrive on January 4, 2023; and
(3) That the aforesaid conditions of extreme peril warrant and necessitate the proclamation of a Local Emergency.
NOW, THEREFORE, LET IT HEREBY BE PROCLAIMED that a Local Emergency exists throughout the City of Richmond, commencing on or about 8:30 p.m. on the 3'd day of January; and
IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that during the existence of this IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that said Local Emergency shall be leemed to continue to exist for the next seven (7) days, and hereafter by ratification of the Cit Council, until its termination is proclaimed by the City Council of the City of Richmond Dated: H7 3,23
City of Richmond
1 Approved as to Form
1/3/23
Dated: