Report 2019-103 Recommendation 8 Responses
Report 2019-103: California Is Not Adequately Prepared to Protect Its Most Vulnerable Residents From Natural Disasters (Release Date: December 2019)
Recommendation #8 To: Butte, County of
To ensure that the county's emergency planning efforts more fully account for people with access and functional needs in the future, the county should adopt county ordinances that require the county's emergency managers to do the following during each update to the county's emergency plans: when planning to protect people with access and functional needs, adhere to the best practices and guidance that FEMA, Cal OES, and other relevant authorities have issued; report publicly to the boards of supervisors during emergency planning about the steps they have taken to address access and functional needs; consult periodically with a committee of community groups that represent people with a variety of access and functional needs; require that representatives of the community group committees present to the board of supervisors their review of the adequacy of the emergency plans.
Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From September 2023
The State has provided legislation under AB 477 and AB 2311 that have legal requirements directing local jurisdictions to include representatives from the AFN community. Creating redundant local ordinance does not streamline the process and only encumbers the process. In addition, based on the best practices and standards listed in AB 2386, Butte County's EOP update team utilizes a rigorous review process and the State Crosswalk tool to ensure the correct AFN representatives are involved at the appropriate levels of EOP revision and update.
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Will Not Implement
As we have noted previously, the laws that Butte County references do include requirements that local jurisdictions integrate into its emergency plans how they will serve people with access and functional needs in emergency communication, evacuation, and sheltering. They also require local jurisdictions to include representatives from the access and functional needs population when updating emergency plans. However, the laws do not require local jurisdictions to follow best practices for planning to address access and functional needs during emergencies. They also do not require the accountability mechanisms that we include in our recommendation - that local jurisdictions publicly report on how they are addressing those needs or provide opportunities for representatives of people with those needs to publicly report on the degree to which emergency plans adequately address them.
Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2022
The State has provided legislation under AB 477 and AB 2311 that have legal requirements directing local jurisdictions to include representatives from the AFN community. Creating redundant local ordinance does not streamline the process and only encumbers the process. In addition, based on the best practices and standards listed in AB 2386, Butte County's EOP update team utilizes a rigorous review process and the State Crosswalk tool to ensure the correct AFN representatives are involved at the appropriate levels of EOP revision and update.
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Will Not Implement
State law does now require counties to include representatives of individuals with access and functional needs in the development of emergency plans. However, state law does not require counties to follow emergency planning best practices or incorporate the accountability mechanisms that we include in our recommendation. To provide better accountability regarding its integration of access and functional needs into its emergency planning, Butte County should implement our recommendation.
Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2021
The State has provided legislation under AB 477 and AB 2311 that have legal requirements directing local jurisdictions to include representatives from the AFN community. Creating redundant local ordinance does not streamline the process and only encumbers the process. In addition, based on the best practices and standards listed in AB 2386, Butte County's EOP update team utilizes a rigorous review process and the State Crosswalk tool to ensure the correct AFN representatives are involved at the appropriate levels of EOP revision and update.
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Will Not Implement
Butte did not provide documentation to demonstrate that it had, in fact, complied with recent legislation and ensured that it involved representatives with access and functional needs into its emergency planning processes.
1-Year Agency Response
Butte County strives to follow best practices in any type of planning. Butte County will convene a committee and invite representatives of the populations described in the recommendation and hold periodic meetings for input on emergency plans once there are financial and staff resources available for planning purposes. Staff will provide written updates to the Board of Supervisors during the planning process and post the updates to the County's Office of Emergency Management website for the public. Butte County will consider the best tool for the participants to provide feedback on the plan to the Board of Supervisors
- Estimated Completion Date: Ongoing as plans are updated
- Response Date: December 2020
California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Pending
6-Month Agency Response
Butte County strives to follow best practices in any type of planning. Butte County will convene a committee and invite representatives of the populations described in the recommendation and hold periodic meetings for input on emergency plans once there are financial and staff resources available for planning purposes. Staff will provide written updates to the Board of Supervisors during the planning process and post the updates to the County's Office of Emergency Management website for the public. Butte County will consider the best tool for the participants to provide feedback on the plan to the Board of Supervisors.
- Estimated Completion Date: On going as plans are updated
- Response Date: June 2020
California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending
60-Day Agency Response
Butte County strives to follow best practices in any type of planning. Butte County will convene a committee and invite representatives of the populations described in the recommendation and hold periodic meetings for input on emergency plans once there are financial and staff resources available for planning purposes. Staff will provide written updates to the Board of Supervisors during the planning process and post the updates to the County's Office of Emergency Management website for the public. Butte County will consider the best tool for the participants to provide feedback on the plan to the Board of Supervisors.
- Estimated Completion Date: Ongoing as Plans are Updated
- Response Date: January 2020
California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending
All Recommendations in 2019-103
Agency responses received are posted verbatim.