CITY OF SUNNYVALE

City Council Study Session Summary

Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts

September 13, 2005 – 5:30 p.m.

The City Council met in a study session at City Hall in the West Conference Room, 456 West Olive Avenue, Sunnyvale, California on September 13, 2005 at 5:30 p.m., with Mayor Dean Chu presiding.

Councilmembers Present: Mayor Dean Chu, Vice-Mayor Ron Swegles, Councilmember Fred Fowler, Councilmember Julia Miller, Councilmember John Howe, Councilmember Otto Lee, Councilmember Melinda Hamilton

Councilmembers Absent:  None

City Staff Present: Amy Chan, City Manager, Chuck Schwabe, Deputy City Manager, Don Johnson, Director of Public Safety, Marvin Rose, Director of Public Works, Mark Stivers, Deputy Chief, Patrol Services, Craig Farley, Public Safety Lieutenant, OES, Cherel Sampson, Emergency Planner, OES, Department of Public Safety

Call to Order: 5:31 p.m.

Study Session Summary

I. Introductory Remarks

The City Manager opened the meeting with a brief overview of the study session and reviewed the agenda.

Lieutenant Craig Farley, Department of Public Safety, Office of Emergency Services, provided a brief overview of Office of Emergency Services capabilities and City preparedness efforts over the past year. 

II.    Question and Answer

Councilmember Fowler asked:

• How close is the Standardized Emergency Management System to the National Incident Management System?

Almost identical.

• Is there an Ark at the Community Center?

No.

 

Councilmember Swegles asked:

• Can a member of Sunnyvale Amateur Radio Emergency Services (SARES) operator operate the radio system at 1111 Morse?

Lt. Farley will assess the feasibility.

• Is there an Ark map?

Yes.  Lt. Farley will publish the map to the website.

 

Councilmember Miller asked:

• Have the radio interoperability issues been resolved locally?

The BayMACS channel is operational now with more work to be done on the issue.

• If there was a flood in Sunnyvale, what is the evacuation route?

Evacuation routes would be response driven.

• Is the Office of Emergency Services working with high tech companies to plan for evacuations?

Lt. Farley discussed the technology that could be employed with the communicator system and/or AM radio.

• Who has responsibilities for the levees?

The Office of Emergency Services will research who is the responsible agency.

 

Councilmember Lee asked:

• Councilmember Lee asked that the Office of Emergency Services checklist for home preparedness be linked to our website.
• Councilmember Lee would like to see if we could get an update from the Army Corps of Engineers on our own levees.
• Is there an organization that would hand out emergency supplies in a disaster?

No.  Central distribution exists, residents should be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours.  The Office of Emergency Services would request supplies 1) through the normal channels (i.e., Santa Clara Operational Area, the State Office of Emergency Services, Federal Emergency Management Agency).

 

Councilmember Howe asked:

• Councilmember Howe asked that in the upcoming budget planning process, we benchmark our expenditures toward disaster preparedness in comparison to other Santa Clara County cities. 

Mayor Chu asked:

• Has the Office of Emergency Services worked with the Santa Clara Unified School District in disaster planning?

Yes.  Each year, the Office of Emergency Services offers disaster planning to all school districts in Sunnyvale.  To date, the school districts have not yet accepted our offer. 

 

Vice Mayor Swegles asked:

• Could a disaster security component be built into our Neighborhood Watch program?

Yes.

 

Councilmember Miller asked:

• Do we own the Armory?

The City owns the land, but the National Guard owns the building.

Councilmember Fowler provided a detailed briefing on the workings of the local Emergency Preparedness Council (EPC).

Councilmember Fowler discussed the function and condition of the levees north of Sunnyvale.   He suggests that the Army Corps of Engineers rework/reinforce the 250 miles of levees in the bay.

Councilmember Hamilton expressed an interest in participating in the IGR assignment as the representative to the Santa Clara County Emergency Preparedness Council.

Lieutenant Farley provided an update on the Association of Bay Area Governments efforts to comply with the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000).

Chief Johnson provided an overview of staff brainstorming efforts related to Hurricane relief and recovery and an update on the countywide Radio Interoperability Project.  City Manager Amy Chan provided an overview of a briefing provided by San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales and Supervisor Kniss on September 7, 2005 on the coordinated efforts between the City of San Jose and the County of Santa Clara.

Katrina Recovery Relief Brainstorming Session

Mayor Chu facilitated a discussion on possible activities that may be undertaken in support of relief and recovery efforts.

Councilmember Hamilton suggested exploration of providing support for city staff who may volunteer.

Councilmember Swegles suggested we look at the variety of non-profit agencies already providing aid to victims, and find ways to partner.

Councilmember Fowler asked the Council to consider asking the Mayor to send a letter to the Legislature in support of AB 1405, the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.

Councilmember Howe suggested that, if possible, Sunnyvale should consider using Housing or Housing Mitigation funds to support Mayor Gonzales’ proposal of a per capita set aside.

Councilmember Hamilton suggested that Sunnyvale try to “do things that other agencies cannot do,” such as providing training facilities and trainers for the American Red Cross, Santa Clara Valley Chapter.

Adjournment

The Study Session was adjourned at 6:45 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

Don Johnson, Director of Public Safety