Residents press council on earthquake preparedness; cemetery trustees outline funding limits

Several members of the public used the Dec. 10 Guadalupe City Council meeting’s public-comment period to press the city on emergency preparedness and to update the council on the Guadalupe Public Cemetery’s operations and funding.

Why it matters: Emergency readiness affects all households in Guadalupe; the cemetery district’s funding and volunteer needs shape community memorial events and long-term maintenance for a publicly managed facility.

Emergency preparedness questions and city response Resident Jeanine asked what the city recommends residents do “if we have a major earthquake” and raised that many neighbors said they were unaware of any emergency guidance. The city’s public-safety chief replied that Guadalupe’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is posted on the city website and includes an appendix that addresses earthquakes and other natural or man-made disasters. The chief said the EOP was codified by the city council and that the city coordinates with the county emergency plan and with county agencies for larger-scale responses. He said the EOP is 52 pages and that staff can bring neighborhood outreach to residents, including briefings and local meetings, but that the city’s communication systems are limited and neighborhood hosts would help spread the message.

Guadalupe Public Cemetery update Albert Nunez, who identified himself during public comment as president of the Guadalupe Public Cemetery board of trustees, noted an upcoming “Chiefs Across America” ceremony and asked for volunteers; the event includes placing wreaths at about 300 graves. Nunez also explained that Guadalupe Public Cemetery is a public agency, its board is appointed by the county board of supervisors, and that the cemetery receives partial support from property-tax allocations distributed twice a year by the county. He said the cemetery’s on-site operations do not generate enough revenue to sustain the service level and that staff are exploring additional revenue streams while remaining constrained by the agency’s public status.

What the speakers requested - Jeanine asked for neighborhood-level emergency briefings and a newsletter; the public-safety chief offered to attend neighborhood meetings and said the department will begin outreach for groups of five to seven neighbors. - Nunez asked for volunteers for the wreath-laying event and for partnership with veterans organizations to coordinate Memorial Day and Veterans Day events in 2025; he said the cemetery will convene a planning meeting in January to solicit interested partners.

Ending: Councilmembers and staff acknowledged the need for improved outreach and said they would work with community volunteers and partner organizations to increase awareness about the EOP and to support cemetery events; staff will follow up on neighborhood outreach and report next steps to council.