Camarillo planning commission recommends city council approve updated General Plan safety element

The Camarillo Planning Commission on May 6 recommended that the City Council adopt an updated safety element of the city's General Plan, including new policies on vulnerable populations, evacuation coordination and provision of personal protective equipment.

Consultant Lexi Journey of Britton Conn Consultants told commissioners the revisions incorporate feedback from the commission and county agencies and add separate objectives for drought, air quality and extreme heat, more explicit reference to vulnerable populations and critical facilities such as schools and medical providers, and policies to strengthen community emergency response and mutual-aid coordination.

The update matters because the safety element guides how the city prepares for, responds to and recovers from hazards and because the commission's recommendation would also adopt, by reference, the 2022 Ventura County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan as required under Assembly Bill 2140.

Journey summarized the changes and the review process. "I am back here with you to present the changes that were made to the safety element based on the feedback that we heard at the commission hearing," she said, describing added text tying the element to sociodemographic data and county evacuation responsibilities and a deeper discussion of how each hazard affects vulnerable populations.

The revised element adds policies that call for the city to coordinate with medical providers, schools, homeowners associations, businesses and surrounding jurisdictions to encourage or ensure preparedness plans; to coordinate emergency notification systems; and to prioritize resources for vulnerable populations. The update also adds a policy referencing provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) for schools and medical providers.

Commissioner Murphy asked whether the term "community organizations" used in policies such as SAF-7.1(i) and SAF-7.1(j) is defined in the document. Journey said the policies could include a few examples without naming every organization and noted that the city may want discretion to determine appropriate partners based on the emergency. "If it's the desire of the commission to include that additional language, I don't see there being an issue," she said. Several commissioners favored adding illustrative examples with a phrase such as "including, but not limited to."

Journey said the update incorporated an internal County of Ventura report, the Community Emergency Access Assessment Report, and that the draft had been reviewed by city staff, the Ventura County Fire Department, the sheriff's office, public works and CAL FIRE; she said the Board of Forestry approved the safety element in December and characterized that approval as recognizing the element as a model for other communities.

The commission voted to adopt Resolution PC2025-2, recommending that City Council approve the safety element update and adopt the 2022 Ventura County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan and future updates by reference in accordance with Assembly Bill 2140. The motion was moved by Commissioner Edsall and seconded by Vice Chair Davidson; the record shows unanimous votes in favor by Edsall, Vice Chair Davidson, Chair Lamont, Commissioner Murphy and Commissioner van VanderMeelen.

The commission closed the public hearing with no public speakers on the item and directed staff to prepare the recommended language change to include examples of community organizations'types for the city council submittal. The recommendation now goes to the City Council for final decision.

What happens next: the planning commission's recommendation will be transmitted to the City Council for consideration next month; the update and referenced county hazard mitigation plan together inform future hazard planning, evacuation coordination and emergency-resource allocation in Camarillo.