Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fire Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Whittier council introduces ordinance to adopt updated CAL FIRE hazard zones, cites need to discuss insurance impacts
Summary
The City Council voted unanimously to introduce Ordinance No. 3165 to adopt the CAL FIRE Local Area Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map released March 24, 2025, finding the action exempt from CEQA and directing staff to file a Notice of Exemption; council requested the public hearing include information about potential fire insurance implications and a workshop summary.
The Whittier City Council voted unanimously July 8 to introduce Ordinance No. 3165, which updates the CAL FIRE Local Area Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map for portions of the city. Council made the finding that adoption of the map is exempt from environmental review under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Section 15061(b)(3) and authorized staff to file a Notice of Exemption.
City Development Director Ben Pongetti presented the map update and answered council questions about the geographic expansion of mapped hazard areas, the March 24, 2025 CAL FIRE release date, workshop attendance, and the deadline for submitting the updated map. City Attorney Keith Collins and Assistant City Manager Shannon DeLong joined Pongetti in responding to procedural and timeline questions.
The council asked that the scheduled public hearing for the ordinance include information about how the revised hazard zones could affect homeowners' fire insurance and that staff provide a summary of the June 18, 2025 workshop held on the map update. Council Member Cathy Warner moved the motion to find the map adoption exempt under CEQA and introduce Ordinance No. 3165; Council Member Fernando Dutra seconded the motion, which passed on a unanimous voice vote.
The ordinance will return for a second reading in a public hearing format, where the council and members of the public will have an opportunity to comment on the map and any proposed changes to mapped zones. No changes to the map were adopted at this meeting; the action advances the administrative adoption process and the scheduling of a public hearing.
