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BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
AGENDA STATEM ENT
Item No. 2.
For Meeting of: February 12, 2019
ITEM TITLE: Ratification of Mayoral declaration of state of emergency
SUBMITTED BY: Jeff Cutter, City Attorney
SUMMARY EXPLANATION:
On February 9 2019, following declarations of emergency by the Governor of Washington and by
the Yakima County Commissioners as a result of extreme winter weather and forecasts of
blizzard conditions, the Mayor declared a state of emergency in the City of Yakima. The
declaration was issued due to the extreme winter storm conditions that existed and were forecast to
continue that were causing loss of electrical power to many City residents as well as drifting snow that
was obstructing access to and from many neighborhoods.
The declaration of emergency authorized the City Manager to engage contractors and expend
resources as may become necessary to deal with the effects of the severe storm and will assist the
City in obtaining state and federal assistance that may become necessary. The City Council must
ratify the Mayor's declaration of emergency within 72 hours of it being issued in order to maintain the
declaration's effect.
ITEM BUDGETED: NA
STRATEGIC PRIORITY:
ir
APPROVED FOR
SUBMITTAL: City Manager
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt resolution.
BOARD/COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Upload Date Type
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D RetkoVico-Emergency Etclaratien RalinGalinp 2;11;2019 Resolution
D Maynral Proclamation of 001 Emergency 2;11;2019 Backup Matrrial
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RESOLUTION NO. R-2019-
A RESOLUTION ratifying the Mayor's declaration of a state of emergency within the City of
Yakima due to severe and life-threatening weather conditions.
WHEREAS, the Governor of the State of Washington declared a state of emergency due
to extreme weather and life-threatening conditions as a result of a severe winter storm; and
WHEREAS, the Yakima County Commissioners declared a state of emergency in Yakima
County as a result of the same winter storm and forecast of blizzard conditions that could
overcome the County's emergency response capabilities; and
WHEREAS, as a result of the severe winter storm, blizzard potential, down power lines
and loss of electrical power in large parts of the City of Yakima, with more severe weather
forecast, the Mayor declared a state of emergency on February 9, 2019, attached hereto and
incorporated herein, in accordance with City Ordinance and State statute in order to allow
necessary contracting and expenditures as may become necessary to address the emergency
conditions; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with the Yakima Municipal Code the City Council is required
to ratify the Mayor's declaration of state of emergency within 72 hours of the declaration being
issued; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that it is in the best interests of the City of
Yakima to ratify the Mayor's declaration and to authorize the state of emergency to continue for
the next two weeks unless rescinded sooner or extended by the Council, now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF YAKIMA:
1. The City Council of the City of Yakima ratifies the Mayoral declaration of emergency issued
on February 9, 2019.
2. The City Manager is authorized to request any state or federal assistance needed to meet
the demands of the emergency that exists, as the City may be in need of economic
assistance from available state and federal sources for expenses associated with the
response to the severe weather conditions and damages associated therewith.
3. This declaration of emergency shall be in effect for two weeks after the date of ratification
below unless rescinded sooner or extended by the City Council.
ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL this day of February, 2019.
Kathy Coffey, Mayor
ATTEST:
Sonya Clear Tee, City Clerk
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MAYORAL PROCLAMATION OF CIVIL EMERGENCY
City of Yakima, Washington
February 9, 2019
WHEREAS, this Proclamation and Order by the Mayor of the City of Yakima declares a
state of emergency in the City of Yakima (the"City") due to a blizzard warning having been issued
in Yakima County that poses the threat of a severe destructive and life-threatening winter storm,
establishes and orders measures to protect public health and safety and defines the entire limits
of the City of Yakima as the area to which this Proclamation and Order applies; and
WHEREAS, starting on or about February 8, 2019 likely to continue into February 10th,
2019 and perhaps beyond, a severe winter storm, including blizzard conditions with high winds
and heavy snowfall occurred and is forecast to continue to occur, which is having a significant
impact within the city limits of the City of Yakima, Washington; and
WHEREAS, the Governor of the State and the County Commissioners have already
declared a state of emergency statewide and Countywide as a result of the severe winter storm
conditions and the County Office of Emergency Management has indicated that the severity of
the weather incident may exceed the emergency response capabilities within the County ; and
WHEREAS, the ongoing severe weather conditions have caused area-wide loss of
electrical power, extremely difficult and hazardous driving conditions and threatens the health and
safety of persons and property within Yakima; and
WHEREAS, a civil emergency exists requiring me to exercise the emergency powers
vested in me as Mayor by Yakima Municipal Code ("YMC") Chapter 6.06 entitled "Emergency
Powers of Mayor, City Council and City Manager"; and
WHEREAS, I have reviewed the situation, consulted with some of the City Department
Heads and verified the existence of the emergency cited below, and the necessity for me to take
immediate, extraordinary action as outlined in this Proclamation and Order; and
WHEREAS, in the judgment of the Mayor, extraordinary measures are necessary to
protect the public peace, safety and welfare and to respond to this emergency situation; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor is authorized by Yakima Municipal Code ("YMC") Chapter 6.06
entitled "Emergency Powers of Mayor, City Council and City Manager" to take certain actions
necessary to protect persons and property in the event of an emergency; and
WHEREAS, the area impacted or endangered by the current situation is described below;
and
WHEREAS, the current severe winter weather occurrence qualifies as a civil emergency
which includes a "natural or human-caused disaster, including fire, flood, storm, explosion,
earthquake, volcanic disturbance or eruption, or other natural cause" pursuant to YMC
6.06.010(B); and
WHEREAS, response to such a disaster emergency situation requires decisive action to
protect the health and safety of persons and property; and
Proclamation of Civil Emergency and Order for Evacuation — 1
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WHEREAS, RCW 38.52.070(2) on emergency powers and YMC 6.06.030D authorize the
City to enter into contracts and incur obligations necessary to combat a disaster, protecting the
health and safety of persons and property, and providing emergency assistance to the victims of
such disaster if needed; and
WHEREAS, upon the proclamation of a civil emergency by the Mayor and during the
existence of such emergency, the Mayor may make and proclaim various actions and orders
pursuant to YMC 6.06.030(D) in order to address an emergency situation; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to YMC 6.06.030, civil emergency orders by the Mayor"shall, at the
earliest practicable time but in no event more than seventy-two (72) hours after the proclamation
of the respective order(s), be presented to the City Council for ratification and confirmation, and
if not so ratified and confirmed shall be void"; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to YMC 6.06.040 regarding delivery of the proclamation to the news
media, the Mayor shall cause any proclamation issued pursuant to YMC Chapter 6.06 "to be
delivered to all news media within the City and shall utilize such other available means, including
public address systems, as shall be necessary in his or her judgment, to give notice of such
proclamation to the public"; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor finds it to be in the best interest of the City of Yakima to proclaim
a state of emergency for the City of Yakima, to establish measures to protect public health and
safety, and to define the geographical area within the City limits to which this Proclamation and
Order applies; now, therefore,
IT IS HEREBY PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED:
1. Determination of Emergency. A state of emergency currently exists in the City
of Yakima as a result of:
A blizzard warning issued by the Yakima County Office of Emergency Management
indicating a severe weather event that may exceed the emergency response
capabilities within Yakima County. The Governor of the State and the County
Commissioners have each issued proclamations of states of emergency due to the
severe weather and the demands of emergency response to the effects of the storm.
Within the City there have been significant areas that have lost electrical power and
the blizzard conditions have made transportation extremely hazardous and difficult.
2. Utility management, in conjunction with state and federal agencies, is authorized
to shut off/restore/operate utility services as is deemed appropriate to combat the present
disaster.
3. During the civil emergency, the City Manager and City Department Heads
generally have the authority to permit the use of City facilities and equipment under their control
for supplying necessary food, clothing, medicines, shelter or transportation to care facilities for
people in need of assistance; to reassign personnel from their ordinary duties to work deemed
necessary for the emergency without regard to job classifications, and to require work beyond
normal working hours; and to secure the assistance of volunteers and donations of supplies or
the use of equipment in performing tasks that the City Manager and/or Department Head deems
most helpful in relieving the emergency.
Proclamation of Civil Emergency and Order for Evacuation —2
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4. The City Manager is authorized to contract for necessary services, material and
equipment and to incur obligations that are deemed by the City Manager to be necessary to
respond to needs created by the severe weather conditions.
5. Subsequent Orders. The Mayor is authorized to issue subsequent Orders which
are additionally necessary to address the present situation, pursuant to and in accordance with
YMC 6.06.030 and subject to approval of the City Council within seventy-two hours of their
issuance.
6. Circulation. A copy of this Proclamation and Order shall be sent to the Governor
of the State of Washington and to the County Commissioners of Yakima County. To the extent
practicable, notices of this Proclamation and Order shall be made available to all news media
within the City of Yakima pursuant to YMC 6.06.040 and to the general public.
7. Presentation, Ratification, Termination. This Proclamation and Order shall at the
earliest practicable time pursuant to YMC 6.06.030 be presented to the City Council for ratification
and confirmation, modification, or rejection, but in no event more than seventy-two (72) hours
after the proclamation of this Order, and if rejected, shall be void. This Proclamation and Order
shall remain in effect until such time as it is removed by a subsequent City Proclamation, Order
or Resolution when it is determined that the extraordinary measures are no longer required for
the protection of the public health, safety and welfare and/or public peace, or until the 1.141day
of $ , 20 J , when the City Council shall either modify, renew or discontinue this
Proclamation an+ Order; whichever occurs first.
DATED this 9th day of February, 2019.
K. hy Coffey, May+
he Cityi of Yaki a
Proclamation of Civil Emergency and Order for Evacuation — 3