1 City Council Meeting: January 28, 2025 Santa Monica, California RESOLUTION NUMBER _________ (CCS)
(City Council Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SANTA MONICA ADOPTING AN AMENDED SAFETY ELEMENT OF THE
CITY’S GENERAL PLAN
WHEREAS, Government Code section 65300 requires each city and county to adopt a comprehensive, long-term General Plan “for the physical development of the county or city, and any land outside its boundaries which in the planning agency’s judgment bears relation to its planning”; and
WHEREAS, Government Code section 65302 requires that a General Plan include at least eight required “elements;” and
WHEREAS, Government Code section 65302(g)(1) requires a Safety Element as one of the required elements of the General Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Safety Element establishes the City’s goals, policies, and programs to reduce the short- and long-term risk of death, injuries, property damage, and social dislocation due to natural and human-made hazards, including, but not limited to, geologic hazards, including earthquakes, ground failure, and landslides; flooding; hazardous materials and waste; airport hazards; and climate change effects, including sea level rise, droughts, heat waves, and fire; and
WHEREAS, the Safety Element also includes mapping of known seismic and other geologic hazards and addresses evacuation routes, military installations, peakload water supply requirements, and minimum road and clearances around structures, as those items relate to identified fire and geologic hazards; and 2 WHEREAS, the City’s Safety Element was last updated on February 21, 1995; and WHEREAS, since that time, significant new information has become available on public safety risks in the City, including, but not limited to, the designation of the Santa Monica Fault Zone, flooding, wildfires, and climate change effects; and WHEREAS, additionally, the State has established new statutory requirements pertaining to the Safety Element; and
WHEREAS, Senate Bill 379 (2017) requires the City to address climate adaptation and resiliency through the preparation of a vulnerability assessment or reliance on a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan that addresses climate adaptation risks and vulnerabilities; and WHEREAS, Senate Bill 1035 (2018) requires the update of the Safety Element upon adoption of the Housing Element update, which shall be updated at least every eight years, to address new requirements and incorporate updated information during this time; and
WHEREAS, Senate Bill 99 (2019) requires the Safety Element to identify residential developments in any hazard area that do not have at least two emergency evacuation routes; and
WHEREAS, Assembly Bill 747 (2019) requires the Safety Element to be reviewed and updated as necessary to identify evacuation routes and their capacity, safety, and viability under a range of emergency scenarios; and
WHEREAS, the City adopted its Sixth Cycle Housing Element on October 11, 2022, which was certified by the California Department of Housing and Economic Development on or about October 14, 2022; and
3 WHEREAS, the City is also currently in the process of updating the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan which will identify local disaster hazards, assess the possibility of these hazards occurring and estimates potential costs, and identify actions to mitigate disaster losses; and
WHEREAS, integration of the Safety Element Update and Local Hazard Mitigation Plan ensures that City goals and policies to address hazards are aligned; and WHEREAS, the amended Safety Element was prepared by the City Planning Division with review and collaboration from other City divisions and departments, including the Office of Emergency Management, Building and Safety, Public Works Department (Engineering Division, Architectural Services Division, Airport Division, Office of Sustainability), Fire Department, and the Department of Transportation; and WHEREAS, additionally, during preparation of the Safety Element, Staff conducted public engagement opportunities that included public outreach surveys and study sessions at the Planning Commission; Building and Fire Life Safety Commission; and Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice, and the Environment; and WHEREAS, on August 7, 2024, in accordance with Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 9.45.060(A), the Planning Commission adopted a Resolution of Intention, Resolution Number 24-006 (PCS), declaring its intention to consider recommending to the City Council that the City Council adopt the Safety Element; and WHEREAS, the draft Safety Element was made available for public review online for a period of 45 days, commencing on August 15, 2024, and ending on September 30, 2024; and
4 WHEREAS, public comments received during the public review period were addressed and, where necessary, revisions have been made to the Safety Element to address these comments; and
WHEREAS, the draft Safety Element was also reviewed by the Planning Commission and Building, Fire and Life Safety Commission, and comments from both Commissions have been incorporated therein; and
WHEREAS, Government Code section 65352.3, adopted pursuant to the requirements of SB 18, requires local governments to contact, refer plans to, and consult with California Native American tribes prior to deciding to adopt or amend a general or specific plan, or to designate open space that includes Native American Cultural Places; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with Government Code section 65352.3, the City on August 15, 2024 invited 12 tribal leaders and/or representatives to provide input for the Safety Element Update; however, no responses were received by the City within the 30 day request for tribal consultation period; and
WHEREAS, on October 9, 2024, the Planning Commission conducted a duly noticed public hearing and, at that hearing, recommended to the City Council that the City Council adopt the updated Safety Element; and
WHEREAS, on January 28, 2025, the City Council conducted a duly noticed public hearing to consider the recommendation of the Planning Commission and now desires to adopt the amended Safety Element of the City’s General Plan. 5 NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Pursuant to Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 9.45.080, after consideration of all oral and written testimony presented on January 28, 2025, including, but not limited to public comment received by the City and compiled by City staff, the City Council does hereby adopt the amended Safety Element as set forth in Exhibit A, attached to this Resolution and incorporated herein by reference.
SECTION 2. The City Council hereby authorizes staff to make non-substantive changes to the Safety Element as necessary to make it internally consistent, including, but not limited to, typographical errors in conformity with the final City Council action. Any substantive changes to the Safety Element adopted herein shall be brought back to City Council for review and adoption.
SECTION 3. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution, and thenceforth and thereafter the same shall be in full force and effect.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_________________________
Douglas Sloan, City Attorney
6 EXHIBIT A
Amended Safety Element