PROCLAMATION OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY
FOR 2024 FEBRUARY WINTER STORMS
BY THE CITY MANAGER OF THE CITY OF
SIGNAL HILL, CALIFORNIA
WHEREAS, California Government Code 8630, et. Seq, and Signal Hill Municipal Code, Chapter 2, Section 2.76.060, provides the City Manager, as Director of Emergency Services, the authority to proclaim the existence of a local emergency if the City Council is not in session; and
WHEREAS, a "local emergency" is defined in Government Code Section 8558(c), in pertinent part, to mean "the duly proclaimed existence of conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the territorial limits of a... city, caused by conditions such as...fire, flood, storm....or other conditions, which are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of that political subdivision and require the combined forces of other political subdivisions to combat...," and
WHEREAS, the City Manager of the City of Signal Hill does hereby find that a threat to public health and safety now exists in the City of Signal Hill due to winter storms, resulting in, among other things, high winds, prolonged periods of heavy rains, land movement incidents, pathway closures in hillside areas, the potential for significant debris flows, and urban flooding. The National Weather Service has forecasted that additional and continuing storms related to this series of atmospheric river systems threaten the Los Angeles County region. Coordination, collaboration, and the combined forces of different jurisdictions are imperatively needed to effectively respond to and recover from these and likely forecasted severe winter storms; and
WHEREAS, on February 4, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency for eight counties in Southern California, including Los Angeles County, due to the impacts of the early February 2024 storm; and
WHEREAS, as of February 6, 2024, there exists conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property on the basis of winter storms in the City and the region, which are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of the City, and require the combined forces of other political subdivisions to combat; and
WHEREAS, the mobilization of local resources, and the ability to coordinate interagency response, accelerate procurement of vital supplies, and use mutual aid, will be critical to successfully responding to the emergency for the winter storms; and WHEREAS, these conditions warrant and necessitate that the City of Signal Hill proclaim the existence of a local emergency for the winter storms; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Signal Hill is not in session and cannot immediately be called into session, and that the aforementioned conditions of threat to public health and safety warrant and necessitate that the City Manager proclaim the existence of a local emergency.
NOW THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED by the City Manager, that a local emergency for winter storms exists in Signal Hill, and the local emergency shall not remain in effect for a period in excess of seven days, unless it has been ratified by the City Council; and
IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that during the existence of said local emergency the powers, functions, and duties of the emergency organization of the City shall be those prescribed by state law, and by ordinances, and resolutions of the City; IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that a copy of this Proclamation be forwarded to the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management, to be forwarded to the Director of California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, requesting that the Director find it acceptable in accordance with State law; and that the Governor issue a proclamation declaring an emergency in the City of Signal Hill; that the Governor waive regulations that may hinder response and recovery efforts; that recovery assistance be made available under the California Disaster Assistance Act; and that the State expedite access to State and Federal resources and any other appropriate federal disaster relief programs; and
IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that this Proclamation of Local Emergency shall take effect immediately and that widespread publicity and notice shall be given of this Proclamation throughout the City.
Date: February_07 _ 2024
Caro Tomalino, City manager,
City of Signal Hill