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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem No. 11 - Termination of the Proclamation of Local Emergency Due to the Airport Fire11)Termination of the Proclamation of Local Emergency Due to the Airport Fire Adopt A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAKE ELSINORE, CALIFORNIA, TERMINATING THE PROCLAMATION OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY DUE TO THE AIRPORT FIRE Page 1 of 3 REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL To:Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council From:Jason Simpson, City Manager Prepared by:Ralph Mesa Jr., Emergency Services Manager Date:October 22, 2024 Subject:Termination of the Proclamation of Local Emergency Due to the Airport Fire Recommendation Adopt A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAKE ELSINORE, CALIFORNIA, TERMINATING THE PROCLAMATION OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY DUE TO THE AIRPORT FIRE Background On Tuesday, September 10, 2024, the City Manager proclaimed a local emergency in response to the Airport Fire, which posed a threat to public health and safety. The fire resulted in significant property damage, forced evacuations, and the disruption of local services, necessitating immediate emergency response measures. In accordance with Lake Elsinore Municipal Code Section 2.20, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2024-46 on Thursday, September 12, 2024 confirming this proclamation. Since then, city personnel, in cooperation with state and regional agencies, have worked diligently to contain and extinguish the fire, protect public infrastructure, and provide support to affected residents and businesses. With the fire now fully contained and no immediate threats remaining, the conditions warranting the state of local emergency have been resolved. Discussion Following sustained efforts by firefighting teams, the Airport Fire has been 100% contained as of October 6, 2024. The threat to life, property, and infrastructure has significantly diminished, with no ongoing danger to public safety. Emergency measures, such as evacuations and sheltering operations, have been concluded, and residents and businesses have returned to their homes and normal operations. Termination of Local Emergency Page 2 of 3 City departments have shifted from emergency response to recovery efforts, including the assessment of damage and the restoration of essential services. Public utilities have been restored, and rebuilding plans are in place for any damaged infrastructure. While recovery work continues, the situation no longer presents the conditions that justify an active state of emergency. Furthermore, the termination of the local emergency will allow the City to return to standard operating procedures and refocus its resources on recovery and rebuilding efforts without the need for emergency provisions. Since the declaration of the local emergency, the City has taken several actions to manage and mitigate the impacts of the Airport Fire, including: •Fire containment and suppression efforts, in collaboration with state and regional fire agencies. •Establishment of evacuation centers for displaced residents and businesses. •Restoration of critical public services, such as water, power, and communications. •Provision of ongoing public updates and resources through the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC). •Assessment of fire damage and development of recovery and rebuilding plans for affected areas. With these actions completed and the fire fully under control, the City is now prepared to terminate the state of emergency. The Airport Fire caused significant disruption to the community, with residents evacuated and businesses affected by fire-related damage and closures. However, the timely and coordinated emergency response successfully minimized loss of life and reduced the long-term impact on the city. Now that the fire is fully contained and public safety has been restored, the community is transitioning to recovery. Recovery efforts are ongoing, with city staff continuing to work with state and federal agencies to secure funding and resources for infrastructure repair, business assistance, and community recovery. The termination of the local emergency will allow the City to focus on rebuilding efforts and ensuring that the community continues to recover smoothly from the fire. Upon termination of the local emergency, city staff will: •Continue working on recovery efforts, including infrastructure repair and economic support for affected businesses. •Coordinate with state and federal agencies to ensure long-term recovery assistance is provided where necessary. •Monitor for any residual impacts of the fire and take appropriate actions to mitigate risks to public safety and infrastructure. •Provide regular updates to the City Council and the public on recovery progress. Termination of Local Emergency Page 3 of 3 The Airport Fire no longer presents an active threat to the community, and emergency response efforts have successfully transitioned to recovery. The termination of the local emergency is warranted at this time, allowing the City to return to normal operations and focus on long-term recovery efforts. It is recommended that the City Council adopt the attached resolution terminating the proclamation of the local emergency. Fiscal Impact There is no immediate fiscal impact associated with terminating the local emergency. However, ongoing recovery efforts will continue to require funding, which is being addressed through existing city resources and external aid. Attachments Attachment 1 - Resolution Emergency Services 3 8 0 8 0 RESOLUTION NO. 2024- __ A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAKE ELSINORE, CALIFORNIA, TERMINATING THE PROCLAMATION OF LOCAL EMERGENCY DUE TO THE AIRPORT FIRE Whereas, on September 10, 2024, the City Manager of the City of Lake Elsinore proclaimed a local emergency pursuant to Lake Elsinore Municipal Code Section 2.20 in response to the Airport Fire, which posed an immediate and significant threat to public health and safety; and Whereas, the Airport Fire resulted in the evacuation of 6,000 residents and businesses, disrupted local services, and required the activation of the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to coordinate response efforts; and Whereas, under Government Code Section 8630(b), the Proclamation must be ratified by the City Council within seven (7) days to remain in effect; and Whereas, the City Council ratified the Proclamation by Resolution No. 2024-46 on September 12, 2024 (the "Resolution"); and Whereas, the declaration of a local emergency assisted in a coordinated public safety response to this fire emergency in order to protect lives and property of the citizens of the City; and Whereas, California Government Code Section 8630, et seq., requires that the City Council of the City of Arcadia review, at least every 60 days until such local emergency is terminated, the need for continuing the local emergency; and Whereas, California Government Code Section 8630, et seq. requires that the City Council of the City of Lake Elsinore proclaim the termination of the local emergency at the earliest possible date that conditions warrant; and Whereas, the City Council does hereby find that due to the significant containment efforts by fire crews and progression of the fire away from the City of Lake Elsinore and now in recovery efforts, there is no longer a need to continue the Declaration of Local Emergency; NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAKE ELSINORE DOES HEREBY RESOLVE, DECLARE, DETERMINE AND ORDER AS FOLLOWS: Section 1: The City Council finds and determines that the foregoing recitals are true and correct and hereby incorporates them in this Resolution. Section 2: The City Council recognizes the ongoing need to monitor and implement public safety measures in response to Airport Fire, but finds and determines that the broad authorities inherent under a local emergency are no longer necessary in the City of Lake Elsinore. Section 3: The City Council declares that current conditions no longer warrant the continuation of the previously declared local emergency relating to the Airport Fire and as a result such proclamation of local emergency is hereby terminated. 3 8 0 8 0 Section 4: This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption. Section 5: The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution and enter it into the book of original Resolutions. Passed and Adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Lake Elsinore, California, this 22nd of October, 2024 Steve Manos Mayor Attest: Candice Alvarez, MMC City Clerk STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss. CITY OF LAKE ELSINORE ) I, Candice Alvarez, MMC, City Clerk of the City of Lake Elsinore, California, do hereby certify that Resolution No. 2024- was adopted by the City Council of the City of Lake Elsinore, California, at the Regular meeting of October 22, 2024 and that the same was adopted by the following vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: Candice Alvarez, MMC City Clerk