Item 3 - Desk Item with Attachment
PREPARED BY: JENNIFER ARMER, AICP
Senior Planner
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
MEETING DATE: 09/17/2020
ITEM: 3
DESK ITEM
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
GENERAL PLAN UPDATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
REPORT
REPORT
DATE: September 17, 2020
TO: General Plan Update Advisory Committee
FROM: Joel Paulson, Community Development Director
SUBJECT: Review and Discussion of the Revised Initial Draft of the Hazards and Safety
Element.
REMARKS:
Attachment 4 contains comments from Committee Members.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachments previously received with September 17, 2020 Staff Report:
1. Revised Initial Draft of Hazards and Safety Element
2. Comment Response Summary Table
Attachment previously received with September 17, 2020 Addendum Report:
3. Committee Member Comments
Attachment received with this Desk Item Report:
4. Committee Member Comments
This Page
Intentionally
Left Blank
ATTACHMENT 4
Hazards and Safety Element Comments – Barbara Spector
8.5: Can the “Pandemics in 1957 and 1968” be identified, for
example by name or type?
Haz-8.1 et seq: Reference is made to compliance with State
and County directives. What about Federal?
Implementation Program U: Wording is repetitive: “reduce
flood insurance”/”lower the cost of flood insurance”
2
GPAC Chair Comments on Hazards and Safety Element
OVERALL COMMENTS (not specific to a section)
- Is there an opportunity for an objective standard and measurement of
% preparedness across these standards? Especially in the case of
fire and earthquake. Ideally 100% are prepared, but where are we
right now? If there is an objective standard in this section, that would
be something to consider.
- Need more specifics on fire preparedness (how, standards, checklist)
and implementation programs that correspond.
INDIVIDUAL SECTIONS
8.1 Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery
Does the Emergency Operations Plan have standards for preparedness or
checklists? Will the tactics in this plan be shared as part of the
communications and education goals?
HAZ 1.4: I am probably not reading this right but I think it says don’t site
essential facilities
- Outside the 500-year flood zone—this makes sense
- For the others—it seems like you would want to locate facilities
o Outside seismic hazard areas
o Outside areas subject to liquefaction
o Outside areas designated as very high fire
But it says don’t. Maybe I am just not reading this right.
8.2 —Urban and Wildland Fire Hazards
Introduction—second paragraph “becoming and all too (not to) regular”
HAZ-2—Fire safety in planning development
HAZ 2.1—is there a checklist or standard for this?
HAZ 2.2—can we require when there is a discretionary approval?
HAZ 2.3—Think there is an implementation program but who defines
adequacy?
HAZ 2.5—couple of spelling errors (designate) and (collaboration). Also,
can we do this legally?
3
HAZ-3—Reduce potential for injuries, damage, etc. from fire
HAZ 3.2— How to guide, enforce, etc., especially since it is required?
HAZ 3.3—Can we control this since services come from SCC?
8.3—Geologic and seismic hazards
HAZ-4—Minimize community exposure to risks
HAZ 4.8—Perhaps move this up to the beginning before HAZ 4.1-4.3?
8.4 —Floods
Introduction—typo in second paragraph, first sentence. “threat ‘is’ from
dam inundation”. ‘is’ was omitted. Maybe that is just me but it didn’t make
sense.
HAZ-5—Reduce potential for injuries, damage, etc. from floods
HAZ 5.2—Suggest renaming caption to “New Development in FEMA 100-
Year Flood Zones”
8.5—Public Health Emergencies
HAZ-6—Reduce potential and severity of health emergencies
HAZ 6.4—Question—who is promoting what to whom?
HAZ 6.6—Suggest renaming caption from Preparedness to Resources
8.6—Hazards and Hazardous materials
No comments or corrections
8.7 Implementation programs
-Suggest creating an implementation program for creation of standard or
checklist for fire preparedness unless this already exists.
- Seems that there are more programs for earthquakes and less for fire.
Should look at this as fire is a very real and present risk.
- Program L—should we specify the frequency vs. “ongoing”?
- Program N—perhaps set a timeline for how often?
- Program P—again, should this be done on a timeline?
4
This Page
Intentionally
Left Blank