CC SR 20200804 02 - Quarterly Status Report on Wildfire Mitigation Action ItemsCITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 08/04/2020
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Regular Business
AGENDA TITLE:
Consideration and possible action to receive a quarterly status report on wildfire
mitigation action items.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1) Receive and file a quarterly status report on the Emergency Preparedness
Committee’s recommended wildfire mitigation action items.
FISCAL IMPACT: None
Amount Budgeted: N/A
Additional Appropriation: N/A
Account Number(s): N/A
ORIGINATED BY: Jesse Villalpando, Emergency Services Coordinator
REVIEWED BY: Karina Bañales, Deputy City Manager
APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, City Manager
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
A. Quarterly Status Report on Wildfire Mitigation Action Items (page A-1)
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION:
On May 5, 2020, on behalf of the Emergency Preparedness Committee (EPC), Chair
Feinberg provided the City Council its Wildfire Mitigation presentation. The presentation,
as summarized below, encompassed the following:
Financial consequences of wildfire risk to residents
Steps to take to mitigate wildfire risks
Programs for minimizing wildfire risk
Hardening against wildfire impacts
Overhead utilities
1
That evening, the City Council expressed their appreciation and agreement with the
recommendations presented by the EPC. The City Council also agreed to receive, file,
and implement the recommendations by the EPC, as described below:
1. Drafting a letter to residents expressing the City’s commitment to risk reduction,
and measures residents can take to safeguard or “harden” their home from a
wildfire.
2. Implement EPC-recommended action items to mitigate wildfire risk in RPV,
including: Enhanced Emergency Communication; Emergency Evacuation
Plan/Peninsula-wide & school district emergency preparedness plan; Wildfire
Hardening; Public Safety Power Shutoff response; and CalFire Risk Assessment
and Insurance Rates.
3. Outreach/dialogue with insurance companies on what can be done to change the
City of Rancho Palos Verdes classification of a Very High Fire Hazard Severity
Zone.
4. Outreach to the Los Angeles County Fire Department to ensure we are
leveraging all skills and expertise in identifying areas throughout the city at high
risk for a wildfire.
5. Establishing a Wildfire Rebuilding permit and streamlining process.
6. Providing the City Council with quarterly updates on progress.
The attached quarterly status report table reflects the target date for completion,
completion status, and comments/status update (Attachment A). The completion status
for this quarterly report is shown in red reflecting 0% to 25% completion, Yellow
reflecting 25% to 50% completion and green reflecting 75% to 100% completion. Staff
continues to work closely with the EPC and other agencies to achieve its target date for
completion.
ALTERNATIVES:
In addition to the Staff recommendation, the following alternative action is available for
the City Council’s consideration:
1. Provide direction to Staff on potential modifications and clarifications of the
wildfire mitigation action items, and continue this matter to a future meeting.
2
Number PROJECT / OBJECTIVE/OUTCOME/TASK Coordinating
Organization
TARGET DATE
FOR
COMPLETION
ACTUAL DATE
OF
COMPLETION
STATUS
(%)COMMENTS/STATUS UPDATE
1
Drafting a letter to residents expressing the City’s
commitment to risk reduction, and measures residents can
take to safeguard or “harden” their home from a wildfire.EPC & City Staff 8/31/2020 75%
On July 16, 2020, the EPC reviewed the draft letter to residents regarding measures
that can be taken to safeguard or “harden” their home from a wildfire. In review of
this preliminary draft, the EPC identified revisions to the drafted letter and provided
direction to staff to incorporate the suggested changes. Once revised, Staff will send
the updated letter to the EPC for final approval. Once finalized staff will present the
letter to City Council for approval and have the letter distributed to residents by the
end of August 2020. This is tentatively on the August 18 CIty Council Agenda.
2
Implement EPC-recommended action items to mitigate
wildfire risk in RPV, including: Enhanced Emergency
Communication; Emergency Evacuation Plan/Peninsula-wide
& school district emergency preparedness plan; Wildfire
Hardening; Public Safety Power Shutoff response; and CalFire
Risk Assessment and Insurance Rates
City Staff 6/30/2021 25%
The EPC reviewed the Woolsey Fire After Action Report and identified actionable
items relevant to emergency response planning in Rancho Palos Verdes at its monthly
meeting held on May 21, 2020. Staff is developing an implementation strategy.
3
Outreach/dialogue with insurance companies on what can be
done to change the City of Rancho Palos Verdes classification
of a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.
City Staff 5/5/2021 25%
The Emergency Services Coordinator has contacted the California Joint Powers
Insurance Authority on needed efforts for premium reductions and Insurance
Availability.
4
Outreach to the Los Angeles County Fire Department to
ensure we are leveraging all skills and expertise in identifying
areas throughout the city at high risk for a wildfire.
City Staff 12/31/2020 0%The Emergency Services Coordinator in coordination with the City’s Department of
Public Works will reach out to the County of Los Angeles Fire Department
5 Establishing a Wildfire Rebuilding permit and streamlining
process.City Staff 12/31/2020 0%
The Emergency Services Coordinator in coordination with the Community
Development Department will reach out to the City of Malibu to obtaing information
on their newly established streamlined wildfire rebuilding permit process.
A-1