Official recommendation
ADOPT the accompanying RESOLUTION, dated January 14, 2025, to: Resolve that a local emergency exists resulting from ongoing windstorm and extreme fire weather system and the devastating wildfires in the City within the meaning of LAAC Section 8.21, et seq., as set forth in the Mayor’s January 13, 2025 Updated Declaration of Local Emergency, which incorporated the declaration of emergency dated January 7, 2025, which the City Council hereby ratifies. Resolve that because the local emergency, which began on January 7, 2025, continues to exist, there is a need to continue the state of local emergency, which the City Council hereby ratifies. Instruct and request all appropriate City departments (including proprietary departments), agencies, and personnel, in accordance with LAAC Code Section 8.21 et seq., to continue to perform all duties and responsibilities to represent the City in this matter to respond to and abate the emergency and prevent further harm to the life, health, property, and safety, and receive, process; and, coordinate all inquiries and requirements necessary to obtain whatever State and Federal assistance that may become available to the City and/or to the citizens of the City who may be affected by the emergency. Instruct the General Manager, Emergency Management Department, to advise the Mayor and City Council on the need to extend the state of local emergency, as appropriate. Resolve that, to the extent the public interest and necessity demand the immediate expenditure of public funds to safeguard life, health, or property in response to the local emergency and to support the emergency operations of the City and its departments (including its proprietary departments), agencies, and personnel (including mutual aid resources) in responding to the declared local emergency, the competitive bidding requirements enumerated in City Charter Section 371, and further codified in the LAAC, including LAAC Section 10.15 be suspended until termination of the state of emergency and solely with respect to purchases and contracts needed to respond to the declared state of emergency. Direct and request City departments and agencies making purchases pursuant to the authority granted in paragraph five (5), above, to report every two weeks to the City Council regarding the purchases and contracts made during the prior two week period on the reasons justifying why such purchase or contract was necessary to respond to the emergency, including why the emergency did not permit a delay resulting from a competitive solicitation for bids or proposals, and why competitive proposals or bidding was not reasonably practicable or compatible with the City’s interests. Request all City departments and agencies who have the authority to investigate and/or enforce any/all forms of price gouging, fraud, and theft by deceit, as described in the California Penal Code, to do so to the fullest extent permissible under federal, state, and local law. Instruct the City Clerk, unless and until Council directs otherwise or discontinues the state of emergency, to timely agendize this matter so that Council may consider whether to continue the state of emergency. Instruct the City Clerk to forward copies of this Resolution to the Governor of the State of California, the Director of the Office of Emergency Services of the State of California, the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Council Action dated 2-27-25 Speaker Card(s)_02-25-2025 Attested Resolution_02-25-25 Council Action dated 2-06-25 Attested Resolution_02-04-25 Council Action dated 1-15-25 Resolution (Harris-Dawson - Blumenfield) dated 1-14-25 Updated Report from Mayor dated 1-13-25 Communication(s) from Public_01-10-2025 Report from Mayor dated 1-07-25