This staff report requests that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a Joint Powers Agreement with Area AA@ cities (Beverly Hills, Culver City and West Hollywood) to provide for inter-agency cooperation during major disasters within the Los Angeles County Operational Area.

The County=s Office of Emergency Management is asking all 88 cities in the Los Angeles Operational Area to sign a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) with the County. The cities of Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Culver City and West Hollywood, which comprise Disaster Management Area AA@ within the County, must first execute a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) among themselves. This results from a series of attempts to improve coordination of disaster services in the aftermath of the 1991 East Bay Hills fire. Specifically after this disaster, Senator Petris introduced SB 1841 (chaptered as Government Code Section 8607, effective January 1, 1993) which requires the State to develop a Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS). All state agencies must implement SEMS as must all local government and special districts in order to receive disaster-related response reimbursement costs. SEMS identifies counties within the state as operational areas. Los Angeles County as the Operational Area serves as the intermediate coordination link between the state Office of Emergency Services and the local cities for the preparation of and operation during local disasters.

The Area AA@ JPA provides the following:

A formalized structure of responsibilities for emergency planning and operations

Officially names the cities of Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Culver City and West Hollywood as Area AA@

Name change from the ACivil Defense Area@ to ADisaster Management Area@

Name change from AArea Coordinator@ to ADisaster Management Area Coordinator@

Standardized duties and responsibilities for Disaster Management Area Coordinator

Federal funding to support disaster management within Area AA@

An official voice in county policies concerning disaster management issues

The City which holds the Area Coordinator responsibilities absorbs the majority of the cost. The City of Santa Monica Emergency Services Coordinator is currently the Area AA@ coordinator. This position which requires a substantial amount of time will rotate between the four cities.

Area AA@ will receive $15,000 of Emergency Management Assistance (EMA) funding through the Los Angeles County Operational Area. The funds are allocated to the Area on a per capita formula based on the area population and can be used for various purposes. The Emergency Coordinators of the four cities recommend that the funds be used to improve communications between the four cities and for training. For the Fiscal Year 1998/1999 funds were allocated for low band radio communications between the four cities. This communications system was purchased by Culver City who will receive the EMA funding of $15,000 for 1998/1999. The City of Beverly Hills will receive and disburse the funds on behave of the JPA.

Staff recommends that the City Council of the City of Santa Monica authorize the City Manger to negotiate and execute the JPA Agreement with the Area AA@ cities and the County.