R-10257
Attachment A
f:\atty\muni\law\barry\GasShutoff Resolution 11-13-07
City Council Meeting 11-13-07 Santa Monica, California
RESOLUTION NUMBER io257
(City Council Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
MAKING FINDINGS REGARDING LOCAL CLIMATIC, GEOLOGICAL AND
TOPOGRAPHIC CONDITIONS PURSUANT TO HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE
SECTIONS 17958.5, 17958.7 and 18941.5
WHEREAS, the State Building Standards Commission has approved and
published the 2007 edition of the California Building Standards Code on July 1, 2007;
and such code will be effective 180 days thereafter, which is January 1, 2008; and
WHEREAS, Health and Safety Code Sections 17958.7 and 18941.5 provide that
the City may make changes or modifications to the building standards contained in the
California Building Standards Code based upon express findings that such changes or
modifications are reasonably necessary because of local climatic, geological or
topographical conditions, and
WHEREAS, the City Council has considered the 2007 editions of the California
Building Standards Code, including but not limited to the California Fire Code, California
Building Code, California Electrical Code, California Energy Code, California
Mechanical Code, California Plumbing Code, the reference standards, all appendixes
and the matrix adoption tables contained therein and any applicable errata issued
subsequent to the publication of above codes and standards; and
WHEREAS, based upon the findings contained in this Resolution, the City
Council will be adopting an ordinance containing certain modifications and additions to
the building standards contained in the California Building Standard Code, which are
reasonably necessary based upon local climatic, topographical and geological
conditions;
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS
SECTION 1. The City Council makes the following findings regarding local
climatic, geological and topographic conditions related to the local amendments to the
California Building Standards Code found in Section 2 below:
(a) The City's Safety Element details the City's geological condition and shows a
high risk of seismic activity in the City and discusses the damaging effect local seismic
activity would have on buildings and the related potential demands on emergency
services needs. Structures built without supplemental seismic provisions without gas
shutoff devices are a source of fire hazard. The close proximity of these faults
increases the likelihood of seismic disturbances of substantial magnitude.
(b) Several active and potentially active faults are located in the City including:
Santa Monica Fault, Hollywood Fault, Raymond Fault, Malibu Coast Fault, Palos
Verdes Fault, Newport-Inglewood Fault, and the Charnock Fault. Other faults in
Southern California have the potential to seismically affect the City including the San
Gabriel Fault, the San Andreas Fault, and the probable existence of large blind thrust
faults currently undocumented.
(g) The Los Angeles region has a vast and complex network of faults. Some of
these faults, like the previously unknown Northridge Fault, are blind thrust faults that
earth scientists believe are capable of intense ground shaking similar or greater in size
than the Northridge Earthquake. The random possible location of these blind thrust
faults increases the local seismic risk and poses an increasing threat to public safety.
(o) Seismic experts predict a massive earthquake on one of these faults within
the next 30 years and several earthquakes similar in intensity to the Northridge
Earthquake during the same period.
(c) The City's Master Environmental Assessment (MEA) also shows that
structures in the City are situated in close proximity to each other, with only about 1 % of
the 8.3 square miles that the City occupies vacant. In addition, these lots are often very
narrow or on hilly terrain, which limits access to side yards for fire suppression and
placement of ladders for rescue operations. These conditions also contribute to the
ability of fires to spread quickly between buildings because of the proximity to each
other and create difficulty in suppressing fires in the hilly terrains.
(c) The Safety Element of the General Plan, adopted in January 1995, also
identifies that many of the structures in the City are older structures that are prone to the
quick spread of fire from adjacent structures due to the materials used in construction
and less stringent fire resistant technology available at the time they were built.
According to the City's 2000-2005 Housing Element, in 1990 about 35% of the housing
stock was over 50 years old and 40% was 30 to 50 years old.
(d) Santa Monica is situated In Southern California, which has extreme arid
conditions and periods of severe drought. Southern California is currently in extreme
drought condition. As outlined In the MEA, the City relies upon water from outside the
region, which is bought from the Metropolitan Water District, and local groundwater for
the City's water supply. Presently, due to MTBE contamination local groundwater
provides about 10-15% of City's water. Severe drought conditions and potential
uncertainty about the availability of future water supplies from outside the region
contribute to the ability of fires to spread quickly due to the reliance of water from
outside sources that may not be available following a major earthquake. Widespread
fire would seriously impact the Fire Department's ability to respond to all fires.
(f) The Safety Element also discusses the damaging effect local seismic activity
would have on street, roadways and overpasses at the Santa Monica Freeway, which
would hamper and delay emergency vehicle response.
(m) Analysis of the emergency response to the January 17, 1994 earthquake
showed that the need for emergency fire services in the City greatly exceeded available
resources. A major seismic event would create a demand for fire suppression services
that the City Fire Department would have difficulty meeting, thus making supplemental
seismic safety provisions essential to fire suppression efforts.
(q) Despite being located 21 kilometers from the epicenter of the 1994
Northridge earthquake (magnitude 6.7), the City experienced anomalously concentrated
damage with Mercalli intensity IX, an intensity as large as that experienced in the
vicinity of the epicenter. Most of the damage occurred in an east-west trending belt
within the northern portion of the city, and extended westward into Pacific Palisades and
eastward into west Los Angeles and Hollywood. Two hundred million dollars in damage
occurred in Santa Monica. One hundred thirty four buildings were unsafe for occupancy
and 396 others were damaged enough to limit access.
(p) Requiring the installation of earthquake sensitive gas shutoff devices in
buildings will provide essential mitigation against fires resulting from an earthquake.
SECTION 2. The City Council makes the express finding that the following
modifications and changes to the California Building Standards Code are reasonably
necessary because of the local climatic, geological or topographical conditions and that
each and every one of the local conditions detailed in Section 1 above, are identified as
applying to the following modifications and changes to the California Building Standards
Code:
Require the installation of seismic gas shutoff devices on buildings, structures,
and mobilehome parks, subject to specified conditions.
SECTION 3. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution and
thenceforth and thereafter the same shall be in full force and effect.
APPROVED AS TO FORM
~~..,
MAR A JONE P! OUTRIE ~~-
City Attorney
Adopted and approved this 13th day of November, 2007.
~_
Richard Bloom, Mayor
I, Maria Stewart, City Clerk of the City of Santa Monica, do hereby certify that the
foregoing Resolution No. 10257 (CCS) was duly adopted at a meeting of the Santa
Monica City Council held on the 13th day of November, 2007, by the following vote:
Ayes: Council members: Genser, Holbrook, McKeown, O'Connor, Shriver
Mayor Bloom, Mayor Pro Tem Katz
Noes: Council members: None
Abstain: Council members: None
Absent: Council members: None
ATTEST:
<-------
Maria Stewart, Ci Clerk