HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Resolution 20-057 support AB2178RESOLUTION NO.20-057
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SARATOGA
IN SUPPORT OF ASSEMBLY BILL 2178 (LEVINE) EMERGENCY SERVICES: DEENERGIZATION
DEFINITION
WHEREAS, California has seen some of the most devastating wildfires in United States history in recent
years and as a result power utilities have started initiated planned deenergization events, including public safety
power shutoffs, on days when there is an increased risk for the spread of wildfire; and
WHEREAS, these shutoffs have resulted in the loss of power for millions of Californians and planned
outages are expected to become more prevalent as the fire season gets longer and longer; and
WHEREAS, public safety power shutoffs represent a significant threat and the consequences are akin to
a major disaster, putting those who rely on power for medical purposes at risk, compromising our
telecommunications networks, creating traffic hazards with signal outages, and threatening our water and
sanitation infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saratoga experienced two public safety power shutoff events in October 2019,
which required the City to deploy significant resources to ensure the safety of residents and timely
communications on the planned outage; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saratoga Wildfire Public Safety Task Force has reviewed Assembly Bill (AB)
2178 and determined that it recognizes that planned deenergization events are comparable to a disaster and
response efforts may exceed the available resources of a jurisdiction impacted by the outage by allowing local
agencies to declare a local emergency for a planned deenergization event and would allow cities and counties to
respond to power shutoffs more effectively and seek financial assistance from the State to recover response costs;
and
WHEREAS, the City of Saratoga Wildfire Public Safety Task Force has recommended that the City
Council support this bill.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Saratoga does hereby support
AB 2178 (Levine), encourages Saratoga community members to express their thoughts on this bill to their State
representatives, and urges the California State Legislature to adopt and the Governor of California to sign this bill
into law.
The above and foregoing resolution was passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Saratoga City Council
held on the 19' day of August 2020 by the following vote:
AYES: Mayor Howard A. Miller, Vice Mayor Mary -Lynne Bernald, Council Members Yan
Zhao, Rishi Kumar
NOES:
Howard A. Miller, Mayor
AT T:
DATE:
retschnei er, MC, City Clerk