DEPARTMENT: Office of Emergency Management, Fire Department
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Lawrence Trevino, Deputy Chief, Charles Hood, Fire Chief
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
Actions related to declaration of local disaster
SUMMARY:
An ordinance extending the declaration of local disaster and authorizing the City Manager to enter into mutual aid agreements and expend public funds of the City for provision of services with disaster relief agencies and vendors to provide items or services needed by the individuals forced to evacuate Gulf Coast communities, and to seek reimbursement for all expenditures, from federal, state and local sources.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On August 23, 2017, Governor Greg Abbott certified that Hurricane Harvey posed a threat of imminent disaster in numerous counties along the Texas Coast and declared a state of disaster in numerous counties beginning August 23, 2017. On August 26, 2017, the Governor amended the disaster proclamation issued prior to the arrival to Hurricane Harvey to declare a disaster in additional Texas counties including Bexar. On August 25, 2017, the Presiding Judge of Bexar County and the Mayor of the City of San Antonio determined that extraordinary and immediate measures must be taken to respond quickly and alleviate the suffering of people displaced by Hurricane Harvey and declared a local state of disaster for Bexar County and the City of San Antonio for a period of seven days. The conditions necessitating declaration of a state of disaster continue to exist, and it is necessary to extend the declaration until terminated by the City Council.
Governor Abbott has asked cities to accept persons displaced by Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey and to provide services for these hurricane victims, and has declared an emergency for the State of Texas in order to fund these activities.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg has welcomed displaced persons to the City of San Antonio and the City Council desires to offer its support to these persons and extend aid to the Gulf communities. Mutual aid agreements to provide emergency services with other governmental entities are needed, as are public funds for provision of services with disaster relief agencies and vendors to provide food, shelter, clothing, medical care and other items or services needed by the individuals forced to evacuate Gulf Coast communities, now located in the City of San Antonio.
Section 551.045 of the Texas Open Meetings Act allows the addition of an item to a posted notice if an emergency exists. There is an urgent public necessity due to the disaster on the Gulf Coast, and immediate action of the Council is required. The notice required of the supplement to an agenda is two hours before the meeting.
ALTERNATIVE:
Should City Council choose not to extend the declaration of local disaster and to not authorize the City Manager to enter into mutual aid agreements or expend funds and seek reimbursement for funds expended to support disaster relief efforts, the City will be required to bring each individual item to City Council for approval and will lose the ability to swiftly respond to requests for mutual aid, to provide support to statewide disaster relief efforts, and could jeopardize the City’s ability to seek reimbursement for funds that have already been expended.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The City will seek reimbursement of all costs from local, state, and federal agencies in accordance with existing rules and regulations. The Director of Finance will be authorized to undertake such actions as are necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends passage of this ordinance.