To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Department of Emergency Management and County Counsel
Staff Name and Phone Number: Christopher Godley 565-2052 and Adam Brand 565-2421
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): All
Title:
Title
Emergency Planning
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Adopt a Resolution Introducing, Reading the Title of, and Waiving Further Reading of an Ordinance of the Board of Supervisors, County of Sonoma Amending Article 1, Section 10-3 of Chapter 10 of the Sonoma County Municipal Code (First Read).
B) Adopt a Resolution Enacting a Policy Requiring the Inclusion of the Access and Functional Needs Community in Emergency Planning.
C) Approve a Schedule for Completion of the Updates to the County’s Emergency Operations Plan.
end
Executive Summary:
During 2019, the County of Sonoma was one of three counties along with the California Office of Emergency Services that was subject of an audit conducted by the Auditor of the State of California entitled “California Is Not Adequately Prepared to Protect Its Most Vulnerable Residents From Natural Disasters”. Upon completion of the audit, the Auditor made three recommendations to the County of Sonoma. This item implements the Auditor’s recommendations.
Discussion:
The Joint Legislative Audit Committee directed the State Auditor to conduct an audit of three counties to determine how well each county is prepared to protect its vulnerable populations, persons with access and functional needs, before, during and after a natural disaster. Sonoma County was chosen along with Butte and Ventura counties, as the counties to be audited due to each county’s recent experience responding to natural disasters.
The audit was conducted between March and the beginning of October of 2019, before the County response to both the recurring power shutoffs by Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), and the Kincade Fire, and was largely based on the County’s response to the Sonoma Complex Fires of 2017. The County’s response to the power shutoffs by PG&E and Kincade Fire successfully demonstrated the County’s vastly improved preparedness and response capabilities, including alert and warning efforts, and the evacuation of a large portion of the County’s population, including serving the access and functional needs populations within the County. These response efforts were not included or considered in the final audit report.
The audit report, which was released after the County’s response efforts in 2019, made three recommendations to the County to improve its emergency planning, preparedness and response. These include: (1) developing a schedule for revising the Emergency Operations Plan; (2) adopt an ordinance requiring the Emergency Operations Plan be updated no less than once every five (5) years; and (3) adopt an ordinance that requires the County to take certain steps to include those with access and functional needs in the development of its emergency plans.
This item implements the Auditor’s recommendations. However, Staff and County Counsel recommend adopting a policy rather than an ordinance that requires the County to take certain steps to include those with access and functional needs in the development of its emergency plans because a resolution allows more flexibility in making amendment that may be needed in the future than an ordinance.
Prior Board Actions:
None.
Fiscal Summary
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FY20-21 Projected |
FY 21-22 Projected |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
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Attachments:
Resolution Waiving Further Reading of the Ordinance Amendment
Resolution Adopting Policy
Clean Copy of Ordinance Amendment
Redline Copy of Ordinance Amendment
Schedule for Completion of Update to Emergency Operations Plan
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
N/A