CITY OF SAN CARLOS
City Council/Successor Agency to the
Redevelopment Agency/Housing Authority
Special Meeting
January 05, 2023 4:00 PM
CONDUCTED REMOTELY
www.cityofsancarlos.org
AGENDA
In accordance with Assembly Bill 361, this meeting will be held by teleconference, and there will not be a physical location from which the public may attend. The public will have access to remotely observe the meeting and address the Council as outlined below.
Observe the Meeting Live:
Join the meeting online at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83290822504; or call 16699009128 and enter the Meeting ID #: 832 9082 2504.
Provide Public Comments:
If you plan to make a public comment, please observe the meeting via Zoom (see above access information), and during the public comment period for the agenda item you wish to address, use the “raise hand” feature. If joining Zoom by phone, press *9 to “raise hand”.
MAYOR: Adam Rak
COUNCIL: Ronald Collins, John Dugan, Sara McDowell, Pranita Venkatesh
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. PUBLIC COMMENT
Persons wishing to address the City Council on matters NOT on the posted agenda may do so.
Each speaker is limited to two minutes. If there are more than five individuals wishing to speak during public comment, the Mayor may choose to allow the first five speakers to speak during this time, and the balance of the Public Comment speakers will be called upon at the end of the Council Meeting.
If the item you are speaking on is not listed on the agenda, please be advised that the City Council may briefly respond to statements made or questions posed as allowed under the Brown Act (Government Code Section 54954.2). The City Council's general policy is to refer items to staff for attention, or have a matter placed on a future City Council agenda for a more comprehensive action or report and formal public discussion and input at that time.
3. NEW BUSINESS
a. Consideration of Adopting a Resolution Ratifying and Extending the Proclamation of the Existence of a Local Emergency Caused by the Existing and Continuing Threat of Atmostpheric River Storms.
4. ADJOURNMENT
Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the City Council regarding any item on this agenda will be made available for public inspection upon request.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VI, if you need special assistance or translation services to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (650) 8024222 or via email at [email protected]. Notification in advance of the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.
January 05, 2023
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CITY OF SAN CARLOS
City Council/Successor Agency to the
Redevelopment Agency/Housing Authority
Special Meeting
January 05, 2023 4:00 PM
CONDUCTED REMOTELY
www.cityofsancarlos.org
AGENDA
In accordance with Assembly Bill 361, this meeting will be held by teleconference, and there will not be a physical location from which the public may attend. The public will have access to remotely observe the meeting and address the Council as outlined below.
Observe the Meeting Live:
Join the meeting online at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83290822504; or call 16699009128 and enter the Meeting ID #: 832 9082 2504.
Provide Public Comments:
If you plan to make a public comment, please observe the meeting via Zoom (see above access information), and during the public comment period for the agenda item you wish to address, use the “raise hand” feature. If joining Zoom by phone, press *9 to “raise hand”.
MAYOR: Adam Rak
COUNCIL: Ronald Collins, John Dugan, Sara McDowell, Pranita Venkatesh
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. PUBLIC COMMENT
Persons wishing to address the City Council on matters NOT on the posted agenda may do so.
Each speaker is limited to two minutes. If there are more than five individuals wishing to speak during public comment, the Mayor may choose to allow the first five speakers to speak during this time, and the balance of the Public Comment speakers will be called upon at the end of the Council Meeting.
If the item you are speaking on is not listed on the agenda, please be advised that the City Council may briefly respond to statements made or questions posed as allowed under the Brown Act (Government Code Section 54954.2). The City Council's general policy is to refer items to staff for attention, or have a matter placed on a future City Council agenda for a more comprehensive action or report and formal public discussion and input at that time.
3. NEW BUSINESS
a. Consideration of Adopting a Resolution Ratifying and Extending the Proclamation of the Existence of a Local Emergency Caused by the Existing and Continuing Threat of Atmostpheric River Storms.
4. ADJOURNMENT
Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the City Council regarding any item on this agenda will be made available for public inspection upon request.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VI, if you need special assistance or translation services to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (650) 8024222 or via email at [email protected]. Notification in advance of the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.
January 05, 2023
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CITY COUNCIL
STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE: January 5, 2023
ITEM TITLE: Consideration of Adopting a Resolution Ratifying and Extending the Proclamation of the Existence of a Local Emergency Caused by the Existing and Continuing Threat of Atmospheric River Storms.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a Resolution ratifying and extending the Director of Emergency Services’ proclamation of the existence of a local emergency related to the impact on the City of the atmospheric storms that began on December 31, 2022 and threaten to continue into 2023, and discuss the City’s actions in response.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Through the action of proclaiming a local State of Emergency, the City may receive mutual aid resources from the County and State of California to assist in its response to the atmospheric river storms affecting the city and state. Other local and regional jurisdictions have or are considering taken similar steps.
BACKGROUND:
Beginning on December 31, 2022, a severe “atmospheric river” storm hit San Carlos and northern California causing widespread flooding and property damage as local creeks overflowed and El Camino Real and businesses along that corridor were flooded. Grade separation underpasses were also impacted, affecting transportation from east to west in the city, along with localized flooding throughout the city and vehicles becoming trapped in deep water..
Another atmospheric river storm is expected to arrive in San Carlos on January 4 and 5, and then another on January 7-8. With soils saturated from these many storms, weather forecasters and emergency services personnel have issued flood watches and warnings for the Bay Area and ordered evacuations of low-lying areas. There is additional risk of toppling trees and landslides from saturated soils, further requiring response from City staff and other resources enabled by the proclamation. The emergency is likely to continue. The latest series of storms is expected to bring 5-8 inches to the Peninsula potentially leading to further property damage and potential for injury and loss of life.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This activity is not a project under CEQA as defined in CEQA Guidelines, Section 15378, because it has no potential for resulting in either a direct or a foreseeable physical change in the environment.
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ANALYSIS:
Proclamation of Emergency
On December 31, 2022, the City Manager, activated the City’s Emergency Operations Center and, acting as Director of Emergency Services, proclaimed the existence of a local emergency pursuant to 2.28.060(A)(1) of the San Carlos Municipal Code in response to the impacts of the atmospheric river storm. San Carlos Municipal Code creates the Office of Director of Emergency Services pursuant to section 2.28.050. If the City Council is not in session, the Director of Emergency Services may proclaim the existence or threatened existence of a local emergency.
The extension of the proclamation will enable the City Manager to marshal necessary resources for the response, including contracting and use of disaster worker volunteers, as needed.
The City Council must extend a proclamation made by the Director of Emergency services within seven (7) days of the proclamation or the proclamation will lose its effect. Further, the City Council must reevaluate whether to continue the declaration of a local emergency at least once every sixty (60) days.
Continuing Risk to Persons and Property
The latest forecasts show that the atmospheric river storms will likely continue for the next week and perhaps beyond and that persons and/or property will continue to be at risk requiring emergency response and continued activation of the Emergency Operations Center.
Coordination with County and State authorities and our neighboring Cities will also be required for the most effective response to this emergency.
The City Manager called this special meeting so that the Council could consider ratifying and extending the Proclamation of Emergency. The emergency will be reviewed at the next City Council meeting. A determination of whether to extend the proclamation must be made within sixty days of the ratification and extension.
ALTERNATIVES:
The alternatives available to the City Council include:
1. Adopt a Resolution ratifying and extending the proclamation of the existence of a local emergency caused by the existing and continuing threat of atmospheric river storms; or
2. Do not adopt the Resolution; or
3. Provide staff with alternative direction.
Respectfully submitted by:
Gregory Rubens, City Attorney
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Approved for submission by:
_______________________
Jeff Maltbie, City Manager
ATTACHMENT(S):
1. Resolution
2. Proclamation Declaring Local Emergency 12.31.22
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RESOLUTION NO. 2023 –_____
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN CARLOS
RATIFYING AND EXTENDING THE PROCLAMATION OF THE EXISTENCE OF A LOCAL
EMERGENCY CAUSED BY THE EXISTING AND CONTINUING THREAT OF ATMOSPHERIC RIVER STORMS.
WHEREAS, the December 31, 2022 Atmospheric River Storm caused extensive flooding in San Carlos along Belmont Creek, Cordilleras Creek, and Pulgas Creek, along El Camino Real, grade separation underpasses, and other low-lying areas in the City of San Carlos; and WHEREAS, because of this and other recent storms, the soils in the San Carlos area are now highly saturated and unable to absorb additional rainfall. Such conditions can lead to flooding, landslides and fallen trees affecting persons and property; and WHEREAS, according to the National Weather Service high wind warnings and flood watches exist in San Carlos, continuing through January 5, and flood warnings and evacuations have been ordered elsewhere in the Bay Area. The current forecast calls for additional atmospheric river storm events over the upcoming weekend of January 7 through 8 and beyond, with further need to respond to such events with risk of flooding, felled trees and mud slides; and WHEREAS, the California Emergency Services Act (California Government Code sections 8630, 8550 et seq.) empowers the City Council to designate by ordinance a local official with the power to proclaim the existence of a local emergency when the City Council is not in session so long as such proclamation is ratified by the City Council within seven days; and WHEREAS, Section 2.28.060 of the City of San Carlos Municipal Code identifies the City Manager as the Director of Emergency Services; and
WHEREAS, on December 31, 2022, the City Manager was informed that these conditions of rainfall were causing flooding and damage to property and potential injury to persons existed in San Carlos; and
WHEREAS, the Director finds that conditions and threatened conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons or property have arisen within said city, caused by the atmospheric river storms bearing down on the city beginning on January 4, 2023 and continuing for the next ten days under current weather forecasts; and
WHEREAS, these existing and threatened conditions from the ongoing atmospheric river storms are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel equipment, and facilities of said City; and
WHEREAS, the Director of Emergency Services is identified in the Municipal Code as the City Manager and is provided powers delineated in Municipal Code Section 2.28.060A; and WHEREAS, the Director shall request the City Council determine whether the facts and circumstances require the continuation of the declaration of emergency at least once every sixty days until the City Council terminates the local emergency, pursuant to Government Code Section 8630 and
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WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of San Carlos has reviewed the need to ratify the Director’s proclamation of the existence of a local emergency; and WHEREAS, the situation resulting from said conditions are deemed to be beyond the control of normal protective services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of and within said City of San Carlos.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of San Carlos does hereby extend the proclamation of the Director of Emergency Services and extend the period of the existence of a Local Emergency for an additional sixty days unless sooner terminated; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Manager or his designee is authorized to take whatever other action is authorized under the San Carlos Municipal Code and state and federal law, subject to authorization required from the City Council, consistent with this Resolution and its basic purposes; and
IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Director of Emergency Services of the City of San Carlos is hereby authorized to execute for or on behalf of the City of San Carlos, any agreement or application for, and to file the agreement with, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services for the purposes of obtaining federal financial assistance; and IT IS REQUESTED that the Governor of the State of California include the City of San Carlos in any emergency declaration by the State, ensure the City of San Carlos is included in any emergency declaration that may be issued by the President of the United States of America; waive regulations that may hinder response and recovery efforts; and make available California Disaster Act and State Private Non-Profit Organizations Assistance Program funding. *****
I, City Clerk Crystal Mui, hereby certify that the above and foregoing Resolution was duly passed, approved and adopted by the City Council of the City of San Carlos at a special meeting held on the 5th day of January, 2023 by the following vote:
AYES, COUNCILMEMBERS: _______________________________________________ NOES, COUNCILMEMBERS: ______________________________________________ ABSENT, COUNCILMEMBERS: ______________________________________________ _________________________________
CITY CLERK of the City of San Carlos
APPROVED:
__________________________________
MAYOR of the City of San Carlos
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