Special City Council Meeting

CITY OF SOUTH PASADENA CITY COUNCIL AGENDA SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2025 AT 7:01 PM AMEDEE O. "DICK" RICHARDS JR. COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1424 MISSION STREET, SOUTH PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91030 NOTICE ON PUBLIC PARTICIPATION & ACCESSIBILITY The South Pasadena City Council Meeting will be conducted in-person from the Amedee O. “Dick” Richards, Jr. Council Chambers, located at 1424 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030. Public participation may be made as follows: In-Person – Council Chambers, 1424 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030 Live Broadcast via the City website – http://www.spectrumstream.com/streaming/south_pasadena/live.cfm Via Zoom – Meeting ID: 825 9999 2830 Written Public Comment – written comment must be submitted by 12:00 p.m. the day of the meeting by emailing to ccpubliccomment@southpasadenaca.gov Via Phone–+1-669-900-6833 and entering the Zoom Meeting ID listed above. Meeting may be viewed at: 1. Go to the Zoom website, https://zoom.us/join and enter the Zoom Meeting information; or 2. Click on the following unique Zoom meeting link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82599992830 or 3. By calling: +1-669-900-6833 and entering the Zoom Meeting ID listed above; and viewing the meeting via http://www.spectrumstream.com/streaming/south_pasadena/live.cfm CALL TO ORDER CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Janet Braun ROLL CALL ROLL CALL: Mayor Janet Braun Mayor Pro Tem Sheila Rossi Councilmember Michael A. Cacciotti Councilmember Jon Primuth Councilmember Omari Ferguson 1

1. PUBLIC COMMENT Public Comment will be limited to 3 minutes per speaker for the agendized items only. 2. CONSIDERATION OF ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION DECLARING THE EXISTENCE OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY FOR THE JANUARY 2025 WINDSTORM AND FIRES PUBLIC COMMENT CONSENT CALENDAR OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON CONSENT CALENDAR Items listed under the Consent Calendar are considered by the City Manager to be routine in nature and will be enacted by one motion unless a public comment has been received or Councilmember requests otherwise, in which case the item will be removed for separate consideration. Any motion relating to an ordinance or a resolution shall also waive the reading of the ordinance or resolution and include its introduction or adoption as appropriate. Recommendation It is recommended that the City Council consider: 1. Adopt proposed resolution proclaiming and declaring the existence of a local emergency for the January 2025 windstorm and fires; and 2. Authorize the City Manager to take all necessary actions as the Director of Emergency Services. . CERTIFICATION OF POSTING I declare under penalty of perjury that I posted this notice of agenda for the meeting to be held on January 15, 2025, on the bulletin board in the courtyard of City Hall located at 1414 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030, and on the City, website as required by law, on the date listed below. 01/13/2025 /S/ Date Alma Medina, Senior Management Analyst 2

CITY OF SOUTH PASADENA CITY COUNCIL AGENDA SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2025 AT 7:01 PM AMEDEE O. "DICK" RICHARDS JR. COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1424 MISSION STREET, SOUTH PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91030 NOTICE ON PUBLIC PARTICIPATION & ACCESSIBILITY The South Pasadena City Council Meeting will be conducted in-person from the Amedee O. “Dick” Richards, Jr. Council Chambers, located at 1424 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030. Public participation may be made as follows: In-Person – Council Chambers, 1424 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030 Live Broadcast via the City website – http://www.spectrumstream.com/streaming/south_pasadena/live.cfm Via Zoom – Meeting ID: 825 9999 2830 Written Public Comment – written comment must be submitted by 12:00 p.m. the day of the meeting by emailing to ccpubliccomment@southpasadenaca.gov Via Phone–+1-669-900-6833 and entering the Zoom Meeting ID listed above. Meeting may be viewed at: 1. Go to the Zoom website, https://zoom.us/join and enter the Zoom Meeting information; or 2. Click on the following unique Zoom meeting link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82599992830 or 3. By calling: +1-669-900-6833 and entering the Zoom Meeting ID listed above; and viewing the meeting via http://www.spectrumstream.com/streaming/south_pasadena/live.cfm CALL TO ORDER CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Janet Braun ROLL CALL ROLL CALL: Mayor Janet Braun Mayor Pro Tem Sheila Rossi Councilmember Michael A. Cacciotti Councilmember Jon Primuth Councilmember Omari Ferguson 1

1. PUBLIC COMMENT Public Comment will be limited to 3 minutes per speaker for the agendized items only. 2. CONSIDERATION OF ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION DECLARING THE EXISTENCE OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY FOR THE JANUARY 2025 WINDSTORM AND FIRES PUBLIC COMMENT CONSENT CALENDAR OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON CONSENT CALENDAR Items listed under the Consent Calendar are considered by the City Manager to be routine in nature and will be enacted by one motion unless a public comment has been received or Councilmember requests otherwise, in which case the item will be removed for separate consideration. Any motion relating to an ordinance or a resolution shall also waive the reading of the ordinance or resolution and include its introduction or adoption as appropriate. Recommendation It is recommended that the City Council consider: 1. Adopt proposed resolution proclaiming and declaring the existence of a local emergency for the January 2025 windstorm and fires; and 2. Authorize the City Manager to take all necessary actions as the Director of Emergency Services. . CERTIFICATION OF POSTING I declare under penalty of perjury that I posted this notice of agenda for the meeting to be held on January 15, 2025, on the bulletin board in the courtyard of City Hall located at 1414 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030, and on the City, website as required by law, on the date listed below. 01/13/2025 /S/ Date Alma Medina, Senior Management Analyst 2

City Council Agenda Report ITEM NO. 2 DATE: January 15, 2025 FROM: Donald Penman, Interim City Manager PREPARED BY: Greg Lloyd, Fire Chief Brian Solinsky, Police Chief SUBJECT: CONSIDERATION OF ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION DECLARING THE EXISTENCE OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY FOR THE JANUARY 2025 WINDSTORM AND FIRES Recommendation It is recommended that the City Council consider: 1. Adopt proposed resolution proclaiming and declaring the existence of a local emergency for the January 2025 windstorm and fires; and 2. Authorize the City Manager to take all necessary actions as the Director of Emergency Services. Executive Summary On January 7, 2025, and in the days thereafter, a significant windstorm and fire event impacted the City of South Pasadena. As a result of high winds, which ranged upwards of 80- 100 mph in certain areas, a series of fires erupted throughout Los Angeles County, with the Eaton Fire threatening the City of South Pasadena. South Pasadena has suffered extensive fallen trees, infrastructure damage, vegetation damage, and debris clean-up throughout the City, as a result of the wind event. The City activated the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on January 7, 2025 and continues to be activated at the time that this report was written. Background A declaration of a local emergency will assist in a coordinated public safety response to this tree damage, debris and fire threat to protect lives and property of the residents of South Pasadena. It is recommended that the City Council adopt the proposed resolution declaring the existence of a local emergency regarding the January 2025 windstorm and fires. This emergency event necessitated evacuations of next-door cities residents and required multiple sheltering operations. Preliminary information indicates over 7,000 structures either damaged or destroyed in the affected areas. At the time that this report was written, the City of South Pasadena was not under mandatory evacuation orders. Analysis A local emergency declaration will enable the City of South Pasadena to request state and federal assistance to expedite the recovery process, including financial aid for property damage, infrastructure repair, and public health initiatives. It will also enable the city to further 3

activate emergency plans, seek reimbursement for eligible costs, and deploy resources as needed to support affected residents and businesses. Additionally, declaring a local emergency will help provide and receive necessary resources mutual aid agreements, enhance coordination with neighboring jurisdictions, and secure resources that will be crucial to the ongoing response efforts. Fiscal Impact The future costs of responding to the January 2025 windstorm and fires are unknown at this time due to evolving conditions. Future winter storms may increase the level of damage in the affected areas. Local response efforts may be eligible for state or federal reimbursement as a result of the City Council’s declaration of local emergency. City staff has notified local California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) representatives of the intent to seek reimbursement for this emergency event. Attachment: Proposed Resolution 4

-1- RESOLUTION NO. ____ A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH PASADENA PROCLAIMING A LOCAL EMERGENCY DUE TO THE EXTREME WIND AND EATON FIRE EVENTS BEGINNING JANUARY 7, 2025 WHEREAS, the California Emergency Services Act (California Government Code sections 8639, 8550, et. seq.) defines a local emergency as the 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 air pollution, fire, sudden and severe energy shortage, deenergization event, or other related conditions, which are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of a city, and require the combined forces of other political subdivisions to combat; and WHEREAS, Section 8630 of the Government Code and South Pasadena Municipal Code Section 11.6(A)(1) authorizes City Council to proclaim the existence of a local emergency, as defined in Section 8558(c) of the Government Code; and WHEREAS, Section 8634 of the Government Code and South Pasadena Municipal Code Section 11.5(A) provides that during a proclaimed local emergency, the City Manager, acting as Director of Emergency Services, may promulgate orders and regulations necessary to provide for the protection of life and property; and WHEREAS, on January 7, 2025, and in the days thereafter, a significant windstorm event impact the City of South Pasadena and the broader region, with wind gusts reaching 80 or more miles per hour; WHEREAS, on January 7, 2025, and in the days thereafter, a series of urban and wild land fires broke out across Los Angeles County, with the Eaton Fire impacting the cities in our region including but not limited to the City of South Pasadena; WHEREAS, commencing on January 7, 2025, because of the heavy winds and the Eaton Fire impacts to the City of South Pasadena, the City experienced power outages, downed and damaged trees, damaged equipment, street and sidewalk debris, displaced, including non-working traffic lights, lack of rail line barriers at railroad crossings, residential and business power loss, potential threat to structures, homes, businesses because of the event, impacts to employees (who serve as disaster service workers) because their homes were burned down and/or damaged because of the fire events, damage to public infrastructure and private property throughout the City (collectively the “2025 Severe Wind and Fire Event”); and WHEREAS, local impacts of the 2025 Severe Wind and Fire Event continue to cause power outages, and other damage to private and public buildings and other public infrastructure such as roads and trees within the City; and 5

-2- WHEREAS, in addition, the risk of wildfires within the City are significant and real given the severity and proximity of the ongoing fires, and the city’s dry hillsides, thousands of trees and open space and any said wildfire could occur at any time during the 2025 Severe Wind and Fire Event, as evidenced by ongoing Eaton Fire, which is an active fire that is still not yet contained; and WHEREAS, these conditions are or are likely beyond the control and current capacity of the City of South Pasadena; and WHEREAS, the Governor of the State of California executed several Proclamations declaring a State of Emergency as well as several Executive Orders beginning on January 7, 2025, stating the conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property exist due to windstorm conditions as well as multiple fires including but not limited to the Eaton fire; WHEREAS, current estimates of the damage caused by the 2025 Severe Wind and Fire Event have not been determined as the event is ongoing; NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY PROCLAIMED by the City Council of the City of South Pasadena as follows: 1. Conditions caused by the 2025 Severe Wind and Fire Event in the City of South Pasadena, including but not limited to power outages, downed trees and other public and private facilities and infrastructure, and the significant threat of fire, as well as other currently undiscovered damage related to the 2025 Severe Wind and Fire Event, constitute conditions of disaster and extreme peril to the safety of persons, their property and public services; and 2. A local emergency now exists throughout the City of South Pasadena and has existed since January 7, 2025; and 3. During the existence of said local emergency the powers, functions, and duties of the City Manager or designee shall be those prescribed by State law and the ordinances, resolutions, codes and approved plans of the City of South Pasadena in order to mitigate the effects of the local emergency; and 4. Pursuant to Section 11.10 of the South Pasadena Municipal Code, all expenditures made in connection with this local emergency, including mutual aid activities, shall be deemed to be for the direct protection and benefit of life and property within the City of South Pasadena. 5. The City Manager, or his designee, is hereby designated as the authorized agent for the City of South Pasadena for the purposes of receipt, processing, and coordination of all inquiries and requirements necessary to obtain available County, State, and federal assistance. 6. Pursuant to the California Disaster Assistance Act and the Stafford Act, a copy of this proclamation shall be forwarded to the Director of California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and/or any other state agency with jurisdiction; 6

-3- 7. Pursuant to Government Code Section 8630, the local emergency shall be deemed to continue to exist for a period of up to sixty (60) days, and thereafter if reviewed and renewed by the City Council. SECTION 4. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED ON this 15th day of January, 2025. __________________________ Mayor Janet Braun ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM: __________________________ ________________________ Mark Perez, Deputy City Clerk Roxanne Diaz, City Attorney (seal) I HEREBY CERTIFY the foregoing resolution was duly adopted by the City Council of the City of South Pasadena, California, at a regular meeting held on the 14th day of January 2025, by the following vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAINED: ___________________________ Mark Perez, Deputy City Clerk (seal) 7